Thu, January 1, 2026 at 9:05 PM UTC
Fatima Benzbir specialises in organising coach travel to and from major events [National Express]
The woman who oversaw the operation to keep coach travel as smooth as possible during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II has been recognised in the New Year Honours list.
Fatima Benzbir from Horley, Surrey, is a senior transport manager for National Express and is based at Gatwick Airport, specialising in organising coaches for major events such as festivals.
During the funeral coach services that normally ran from Victoria were relocated to Wembley Stadium, an operation she led which her manager described as “one of the most significant and logistically demanding transport operations in recent history”.
Ms Benzbir has been awarded an MBE, something she said left her “thrilled and humbled”.
Ms Benzbir said she wanted to thank all her “brilliant colleagues”.
“Delivering complex operations is always a team effort, and this award reflects the dedication, professionalism and commitment of colleagues and partners who work tirelessly to provide a brilliant service to passengers every day,” she added.
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