He owns an aircraft therefore he is an expert...
Bit like the old Joe publics opinion of our job andd that we do nothing but press auto land... All experts...
He served as Chairman of the board of the Civil Aviation Authority from 1990 to 1992; and Chairman of the board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority from 1997 to 1999
Perhaps this on the resume might look favorably compared to a random passenger. But when you make a comment (whatever the context) to a journo, that you can fly through ash without consequence, it doesn't look to favorably anymore. Hope for his sake it was a misquote...