2024 Winners
ESG Leadership
Winner: IAG
Recognising an airline that demonstrates leadership in the field of environment, social and governance 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;
- Advances diversity and inclusion in the organisation through 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.
- Support of underprivileged classes or groups;
- Humanitarian aid; and
- Good corporate citizenship
Sponsored by RTX:
Digital Leadership
Winner: United Airlines
Recognising an airline which has successfully shown digital innovation or excellence in the market, either consumer-facing or supporting business transformation. This could recognise either an overall strategy or a development in specific sector or technology field. This could include examples where an airline
- · Exploited a new or emerging technology to develop new ways for customers to pay-for, access or engage with its services;
- · Supported the wider-monetisation of airline services;
- · Used technology to improve the efficiency of its operations;
Sponsored by Volantio:
Air-Cargo Leadership
Winner: Turkish Airlines
For the 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:
Executive Leadership: Africa & Middle East
Winner: Tim Clark, Emirates
For the leadership of an airline/group operating from Africa and/or the Middle East which 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; or
- Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.
Executive Leadership: Asia-Pacific
Winner: Pieter Elbers, IndiGo
For the leadership of an airline/group operating from Asia-Pacific which 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; or
- Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.
Executive Leadership: Europe
Winner: Senior Leadership Team, Finnair
For the leadership of an airline/group operating from Europe which 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; or
- Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.
Sponsored by Cirium:
Executive Leadership: North America
Winner: Ed Bastian, Delta Air Lines
For the leadership of an airline/group operating from North America which 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; or
- Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.
Sponsored by Tampa International Airport:
Executive Leadership: Latin America & Caribbean
Winner: Juan Carlos Zuazua, VivaAerobus
For the leadership of an airline/group operating from Latin America which 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; or
- Industry-wide leadership with an impact on industry conditions.
Sponsored by Orlando International Aiport:
The Airline Business Award
Winner: Peter Foster, Air Astana
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 CFM:
