Airline Business Award

Winner: Tewolde GebreMariam

This special award is made by Airline Business to recognise an individual making a lasting strategic contribution to the air transport business. Unlike the other awards, the final decision rests with the Airline Business team and represents recognition of strong leadership and strategic thinking.

Sponsored by Tampa International Airport

Diversity & Inclusion

Winner: Air France-KLM

This special award is made by Airline Business  and Korn Ferry’s Civil Aviation Practice to recognise an airline organisation that has embraced and advanced diversity and inclusion in the broadest sense of the words. The winner is chosen based on achievement in areas such as increasing the diversity of a leadership team; promoting and advancing the careers of diverse leaders; and creating organisational conditions that contribute to attracting and retaining diverse leaders and professionals.

Category sponsored by Oralando International Airport 

Environment, Social & Governance 

Winner: United Airlines

For an airline of any business model or size that demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the environment and sustainability, exhibited by the airline’s actions through any of the following:

• Environmental protection and consciousness;
• Embedding long-term sustainability objectives into business planning and culture;
• Innovating with new technological or business developments to help achieve environmental goals;
• Support of underprivileged classes or groups;
• Humanitarian aid; and
• Good corporate citizenship.

Sponsored by CFM

Innovation & Transformation

Winner: Norwegian

Recognising leadership for an airline of any size or model doing things materially differently,

either in the context of business change at an airline itself or in breaking new ground for the industry.

This could include examples of:

• Innovating through new business activities, service or technological developments;
• Transforming an existing business to deliver improved performance or to capture a new market or opportunity;
• Developing a start-up business or business strand to capture a new market or opportunity; 

Sponsored by Volantio

Air Cargo Leadership

Winner: Walter Cho, Chief Executive, Korean Air

For the president/chief executive of an airline or business unit providing heavy air cargo or express/courier services who has demonstrated outstanding strategic leadership, exhibited by actions through any of the following:

• Outstanding new strategic thinking in response to a dynamic environment;
• Agile corporate repositioning or adjustment to capture new marketplace opportunities or address threats;
• Business transformation or restructuring;
• Innovative customer-focused initiatives including new product or service development;
• Strong and visible leadership of his/her people in a time of crisis; or
• Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.

Sponsored by SmartKargo

Low-Cost Leadership 

Winner: Maurice Gallagher & John Redmond, Allegiant Air

For the president/chief executive of a low-fare or ultra-low-fare airline who has demonstrated outstanding strategic leadership, exhibited by actions through any of the following:

• Outstanding new strategic thinking in response to a dynamic environment;
• Agile corporate repositioning or adjustment to capture new marketplace opportunities or address threats;
• Business transformation or restructuring;
• Innovative customer-focused initiatives including new product or service development;
• Strong and visible leadership of his/her people in a time of crisis; or
• Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.

Sponsored by Pratt & Whitney 

Sector Leadership

Winner: Jude Bricker, Chief Executive, Sun Country Airlines

For the president/chief executive of a geographic- or business sector-focused airline who has demonstrated outstanding strategic leadership, exhibited by actions through any of the following:

• Outstanding new strategic thinking in response to a dynamic environment;
• Agile corporate repositioning or adjustment to capture new marketplace opportunities or address threats;
• Business transformation or restructuring;
• Innovative customer-focused initiatives including new product or service development;
• Strong and visible leadership of his/her people in a time of crisis; or
• Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.

Sponsored by Cirium

Executive Leadership 

Winner: Bilal Eksi, Chief Executive, Turkish Airlines 

For the president/chief executive of a major and international airline operating across multiple continents or of substantial scale who has demonstrated outstanding strategic leadership, exhibited by actions through any of the following:

• Outstanding new strategic thinking in response to a dynamic environment;
• Agile corporate repositioning or adjustment to capture new marketplace opportunities or address threats;
• Business transformation or restructuring;
• Innovative customer-focused initiatives including new product or service development;
• Strong and visible leadership of his/her people in a time of crisis; or
• Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.

Sponsored by Collins Aerospace