Delta Air Lines chief executive Richard Anderson and ILFC founder Steven Udvar-Hazy took the top honours in last night's Airline Strategy Awards organised by Airline Business magazine, in partnership with executive search firm Spencer Stuart.
The Executive Leadership award went to Richard Anderson of Delta Air Lines while Steven Udvar-Hazy was given the prestigious Airline Business award.
Anderson was recognised by the judges for leading Delta through its remarkably successful merger with Northwest Airlines. "The scale of the merger and the skill required to make it happen has been incomparable," said Mark Pilling, editor of Airline Business. "Delta has so far executed a near-textbook merger that included getting labour buy-in from the start - that was a massively significant step."
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The Airline Business award, which goes to a leader who has made a sustained contribution to the industry over a decade or more, was presented to Steven Udvar-Hazy, who founded ILFC in 1973 and built it into the world's largest aircraft lessor.
"Steven almost single-handedly created what has become a hugely important sector of the air transport industry," said Pilling. "With ILFC he built up a profitable and influential company and he is now starting all over again with his new venture Air Lease Corporation."
The winners, by category, were:
- Executive Leadership: Richard Anderson, chief executive, Delta Air Lines
- Low Cost Leadership: Michael O'Leary, chief executive, Ryanair
- Regional Leadership: Eftichios Vassilakis, vice-chairman, Aegean Airlines
- Finance: Continental Airlines
- Marketing: JetBlue Airways
- Environment: Qatar Airways
- Technology: Emirates
- The Airline Business award: Steven Udvar-Hazy, Founder, ILFC
Pilling said: "It is a cliché, but strong, visionary leadership is essential is these tough times. The Airline Strategy Awards were founded in 2002 to identify and recognise the best in boardroom leadership in this industry. The leaders chosen this year have these qualities in abundance."
For more information visit the Airline Business Strategy Awards website
Source: Flight Daily News
