Winners of the Aerospace Industry Awards will be revealed at the Paris air show. Should your company be among them?

Kevin O'Toole/LONDON

Aerospace, more than any other industry, has thrived on a constant stream of innovation. Yet there are few enough opportunities to applaud those who have led the way in helping to achieve an enviable record of technical and commercial excellence.

On Monday 12 June, during the Paris air show, the industry will get its chance as Flight International hosts the Aerospace Industry Awards 1995 in the elegant setting of the Montparnasse Meridien Hotel.

The competition is open to all aviation companies and organisations, however large or small. The only qualification is to have made a significant contribution to the industry over the past year.

This breadth and independence makes the Aerospace Industry Awards unique. The success of the first events at 1994's Asian Aerospace show in Singapore, demonstrated the point.

The Awards are truly global, covering all sectors of civil and military aviation. Any team, company or organisation working within the industry, whether as a manufacturer, aircraft operator or service provider, has a chance of winning recognition for their contribution to aerospace achievement.

Anyone wishing to nominate their company or organisation need simply complete an entry form (a copy is printed on the inside cover of this magazine) and return it to Flight International by the deadline of 24 March.

From the start, the aim has been to create a new breed of Awards, nominated and judged by the industry itself. The entries are therefore reviewed, not by journalists, but by an independent panel of senior industry figures, representing expertise from around the world.

The judging panel will select finalists for each of the Awards categories, with the winners to be announced at the gala dinner in Paris. A full report on the winning entries will also be published at the air show, both in Flight International and in the award-winning Flight Daily News.

The prestige and breadth of the awards is further underlined by the backing of some of the world's leading companies which are sponsoring the event. The list spans the range of civil aircraft and defence industries, with the airline and service businesses also well represented.

Following the success of the Singapore event, many of the sponsors have returned to back the Awards for a second year, including AAR, Cathay Pacific, Collins Commercial Avionics, Grumman International, Lucas Aerospace and Smiths Industries.

The occasion is "already a major event in the aerospace calendar", says Frank Turner, managing director of Lucas Aerospace. "We know that the awards will be the premier event to increase global awareness of our industry's achievement," adds William James, president of Grumman International, a subsidiary of the merged Grumman Northrop.

There are new sponsors, too, in the shape of two of the word's fast-growing civil-aircraft manufacturers, Bombardier and Raytheon Aircraft.

 

THE CATEGORIES

The Awards recognise achievement across 11 main industry sectors, with a further award for the prestigious title of Aerospace Personality of the Year 1995.

The categories are broadly similar to those for the 1994 awards, although there have been a few additions to reflect the changes taking place in the industry itself.

Each of the main operating platforms are represented, including for the first time an award for space and missiles. A category has also been introduced for systems suppliers, to address the growing importance of areas such as avionics and control technology. The list now includes:

Air Transport

Corporate and General Aviation

Helicopters

Military Aviation

Space and Missiles

Systems and Components

The categories are open to any organisation which has made a clear technical or commercial contribution within its field. For airframe, engine or systems manufacturers, that may mean anything from the launch of a new design project through to success in a certification or marketing programme. For others, such as airlines or air forces, the achievement could be the successful implementation of new equipment or improved operating performance to meet new challenges.

There is also a series of awards to celebrate achievements among those sectors which provide support and services, without which the industry could not survive. These categories are:

Corporate Strategy

Environment

Infrastructure

Maintenance

Training and Safety

Previous winners have been chosen from among airport operators, civil-aviation authorities, flight-training schools and maintenance operations, as well as equipment manufacturers which have made contributions in areas such as aircraft safety, noise or pollution. A new category has also been added for Corporate Strategy, to reflect the massive strides being made throughout the industry to consolidate and restructure.

As Rod Eddington, managing director at Cathay Pacific, says: "The aviation industry faces continual challenges and change. It is vital, but far from easy in such a dynamic environment, to maintain standards of excellence."

The judges will also award the title of Aerospace Personality of the Year to an individual who they believe has made the greatest personal contribution to the world aerospace industry during 1995. In 1994 the prize went to Laurent Beaudoin, chairman of Bombardier, for his work in turning the Canadian group into a world-class civil-aerospace manufacturer. His successor will be revealed as the high-point of the Paris awards ceremony.

In all of the categories, the judging panel will be looking for evidence of a genuine achievement, both measurable and memorable, which took place during 1994.

Full details of how to enter are included on the entry form printed inside the cover of this magazine, so why not begin your campaign to be one of the winners at Paris by reading it now?

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT

"FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL AWARDS" ON FAX: +44 (0)81 652 3840.

 

"The aerospace and defence industries are undergoing a period of tremendous transition. In this environment, our collective abilities to successfully manage change is being tested. Bombardier is pleased to support the Flight International Awards in recognition of those dynamic individuals and companies whose achievements merit recognition in these challenging times."

Laurent Beaudoin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier

"We were pleased to support the highly successful inauguration of the Flight International Aerospace Industry Awards during the Asian Aerospace show in Singapore last year. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support the 1995 awards and we look forward to parti-cipating in what is already a major event in the aerospace calendar and to further recognising achievement in our industry at Paris"

Frank Turner, Managing Director, Lucas Aerospace

"Collins Commercial Avionics has led the industry in the development of avionics technology for more than 60 years. Our tradition of excellence is the foundation of our business. We are pleased to be able to support the recognition of excellence in technology through the Flight International Aerospace Industry Awards"

John Girotto, President, Collins Commercial Avionics, Rockwell International

"We must give due recognition to the people who shape our industry. Flight International's Aerospace Industry Awards honour the achievements of those who are at the forward edge of the aerospace business."

Norman Barber, Chairman, Smiths Industries Aerospace

"The aviation industry faces continual challenges and change. It is vital, but far from easy in such a dynamic environment, to maintain standards of excellence. We at Cathay Pacific are proud to play a part in recognising the best. We hope the second Flight International Aerospace Industry Awards encourage everybody in the industry to strive for excellence."

Rod Eddington, Managing Director, Cathay Pacific Airways

"Grumman International, subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, is pleased to be a sponsor for the Aerospace Industry Awards '95. As one of the sponsors of the successful 1994 awards in Singapore, we look forward to another exciting, eventful evening in recognition of international aerospace executives and companies during the Paris air show in June. We know the awards will be the premier event to increase global awareness of our industry's achievements."

William James, President, Grumman International, Northrop Grumman

"Raytheon Aircraft is genuinely pleased to associate itself with Flight International's Aerospace Industry Awards '95. I believe that it is vitally important to recognise the industry leaders both as individuals and companies who have played a significant role in helping shape the aviation industry in a positive manner and who have contributed to making aviation a more customer responsive industry. I applaud Flight International for co-ordinating the Aerospace Industry Awards."

Doug Mahin, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Raytheon Aircraft Company

"AAR is once again pleased to be part of Flight International's Aerospace Industry Awards. As a broad-based supplier to the industry, AAR is committed to quality and excellence and takes pride in saluting those who strive to excel in their field."

David Storch, President and Chief Operating Officer, AAR

 

Source: Flight International