IndiGo’s Pieter Elbers, Emirates’ Tim Clark and Delta Air Lines’ Ed Bastian were among those recognised on 21 July at this year’s Airline Strategy Awards, alongside Air Astana chief executive Peter Foster.
The awards – which have been held since 2002 – recognise individuals, airlines and companies supporting air transport that have demonstrated dynamic leadership and clear vision.
The other winners in the executive leadership categories were Finnair’s senior leadership team and VivaAerobus chief executive Juan Carlos Zuazua. Airline awards went to IAG, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.
“This year’s awards were set against the backdrop of passenger levels having surpassed 2019 highs and with the industry back making money,” says Graham Dunn, executive editor at FlightGlobal and host of The Airline Strategy Awards.
“But leaders are still grappling with a number of immediate challenges while also addressing longer-term sustainability issues, expectations on which continue to intensify from industry advocates and critics alike.
“A select group of executives and airlines are leading the way in that challenging market, and we were delighted to recognise those achievements.”
InidGo chief executive Elbers was recognised by the judges in the Executive Leadership: Asia-Pacific category for taking the low-cost carrier to the “next level” in terms of its performance and market dominance in the exciting Indian market.
“Judges were particularly impressed by IndiGo’s capture of market share in the past couple of years, and by the ramping up of its international presence, all underpinned by impressive financial results,” says Airline Business editor Lewis Harper.
In the Executive Leadership: Middle East & Africa category, judges praised Emirates Airlines president Clark’s leadership of the carrier, highlighting his skilful guidance of the business through the pandemic and into the post-Covid period.
“They were particularly impressed that despite there being plenty of industry headwinds since the pandemic, the business has continued to lead the way globally in terms of service and customer experience under Clark’s guidance, while delivering strong financial and operational performances,” says Harper.
In the Executive Leadership: North America category, meanwhile, Delta chief executive Bastian was described by the judges as an “innovative and inspirational leader” who continues to set industry standards with a “customer- and employee-centric” approach.
“Judges noted that Delta’s constant investment in its product offering is another hallmark of Bastian’s approach, helping to set the airline apart,” says Harper.
“They were particularly impressed by the alignment Bastian has achieved among his executive team, with all members speaking with one voice on the airline’s core strategy,” he adds.
Foster received the prestigious Airline Business Award in recognition of his skilled strategic leadership of Air Astana Group across nearly 20 years with the Kazakh operator.
“As someone whose recent achievements include successfully launching a low-cost airline, navigating a business through a pandemic without government assistance and then leading that business to an IPO, Foster was the obvious choice,” says Harper.
The full list of 2024 winners, by category, were:
Executive Leadership: North America – Ed Bastian, Delta Air Lines
Executive Leadership: Europe – Senior Leadership Team, Finnair
Executive Leadership: Asia-Pacific – Pieter Elbers, IndiGo
Executive Leadership: Latin America & Caribbean – Juan Carlos Zuazua, VivaAerobus
Executive Leadership: Africa & Middle East – Tim Clark, Emirates
Air-Cargo Leadership – Turkish Airlines
Digital Leadership – United Airlines
ESG Leadership – IAG
The Airline Business Award – Peter Foster, Air Astana Group
The Airline Strategy Awards event is organised by FlightGlobal’s Airline Business in partnership with the civil aviation practice of Korn Ferry, the largest human-capital solutions provider in the world.
RTX is a platinum sponsor of the awards, while category sponsors include CFM International, Cirium, Orlando International Airport, SmartKargo, Tampa International Airport and Volantio.