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Hamish Harding Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth24 June 1964

Age58 Years

BirthplaceHammersmith, London

ProfessionBusinessman, Pilot, Explorer, Adventurer, Space Tourist

NationalityBritish

Marital statusMarried

SpouseLinda Harding

FamilySon - Giles; Sons - Rory, Brian Szasz (stepson); Stepdaughter - Lauren

Hamish Harding Biography

British businessman, pilot and explorer Hamish Harding combined aviation entrepreneurship with high‑risk exploration. A Cambridge-educated natural sciences

Early life and background
Hamish Harding was born on 24 June 1964 in Hammersmith, London. He was educated at the Peak School in Hong Kong and at King’s School in Gloucester before attending Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, where he completed a B.A. in Natural Sciences and later an M.A. in Chemical Engineering.

Career
Harding began his professional life in 1988 with Logica, a multinational IT and management consultancy in London. Over the next decade he advanced into technical and managerial roles and in 1997 became Managing Director of Logica India, based in Bangalore. He stepped away from that role in 2002.

In 2003 he established Action Group, a private equity and investment company operating between Dubai and the UK. The following year he founded Action Aviation, an aircraft brokerage headquartered in Dubai and the UK with additional offices in the United States and India. Under his leadership Action Aviation also helped create and operate a national helicopter air ambulance service, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), in Qatar.

Harding combined business with hands‑on aviation projects. In 2017 he introduced a regular business jet service to Antarctica using a Gulfstream G550 and successfully landed on the Wolfs Fang Runway in collaboration with the Antarctic tourism company White Desert. In 2019 he led the One More Orbit mission to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Piloting a Gulfstream G650ER, his team flew a polar circumnavigation that began and ended at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center and completed the route in 46 hours and 40 minutes, a time recognized by Guinness World Records.

Exploration and records
Exploration was a major theme throughout Harding’s life. In 2016 he traveled to the South Pole alongside astronaut Buzz Aldrin. In 2020 he accompanied his son Giles to the South Pole, a trip that made Giles the youngest person to reach that destination at age 12.

Harding also pursued deep‑sea exploration. On 5 March 2021 he joined Victor Vescovo on a dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. The dive reached approximately 36,000 feet and set two Guinness World Records: for the depth reached and for time spent at full ocean depth, recorded at 4 hours and 15 minutes.

In June 2022 he flew on the Blue Origin NS‑21 mission, joining the suborbital New Shepard launch and marking one of the company’s early crewed flights.

Public profile
Harding lived in the United Arab Emirates and served as chairman of Action Aviation. He was active with the Explorers Club, where he served on the board of trustees and chaired its Middle East chapter. In 2022 Action Aviation assisted a conservation project to reintroduce cheetahs to India by providing a modified Boeing 747‑400 to transport animals from Namibia; the expedition was acknowledged by the Explorers Club.

Honors and recognition
Harding’s adventurous achievements were recognized with multiple honors. His polar circumnavigation earned a Guinness World Record, and his Challenger Deep dive produced two Guinness World Records for depth and duration. He received the Dealmakers Award at EBACE in 2019 and the Living Legends of Aviation Award in September 2022.

Personal life
Harding was married to Linda Harding. The family included children and stepchildren: son Giles and sons Rory and Brian Szasz listed as stepson, and a stepdaughter named Lauren. He was described as having turquoise eyes and medium coppery blonde hair and stood approximately 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) tall.

Death and final expedition
On 18 June 2023 Harding boarded the Titan submersible operated by OceanGate for a tourist expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean. The vessel lost communication during the dive and failed to resurface at its scheduled time. After a search, a debris field was found on 22 June 2023 a few hundred meters from the Titanic wreck site. OceanGate stated that the passengers had been lost in a catastrophic implosion. Harding was 58 at the time of his death.

Latest updates
At the time of reporting, Harding’s death on 22 June 2023 was the concluding update to his public story. His career combined aviation business leadership with record‑making polar and oceanic exploration and participation in commercial spaceflight, leaving a public record of high‑profile expeditions and aviation initiatives.
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Recent Work

One More Orbit Mission

Led a Gulfstream G650ER polar circumnavigation that set a Guinness World Record by completing the route in 46 hours and 40 minutes (2019).

2019
Challenger Deep dive

Dove to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench with Victor Vescovo, achieving Guinness World Records for depth (~36,000 ft) and time at full ocean depth (4 hours 15 minutes) (2021).

2021
Blue Origin NS-21 mission

Crew member on the New Shepard suborbital flight (2022).

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Chairman and founder of Action Aviation and founder of Action Group
  2. Guinness World Record for fastest polar circumnavigation (46 hours 40 minutes)
  3. Guinness World Records for depth (~36,000 ft) and time at Challenger Deep (4 hours 15 minutes)
  4. Dealmakers Award at EBACE (2019)
  5. Living Legends of Aviation Award (September 2022)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Hamish Harding born?

24 June 1964

What is Hamish Harding known for?

Businessman, Pilot, Explorer, Adventurer, Space Tourist

What is Hamish Harding’s marital status?

Married

Who is Hamish Harding married to?

Linda Harding