Contacts:
Dan Hubbard, NBAA, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org
Ciel Jolley, EBAA, +32 2 290 01 62, cjolley@ebaa.org
Geneva, Switzerland, May 21, 2014 – The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced that Bernd Gans and Caspar Einem have been honored as recipients of the prestigious 2014 European Business Aviation Award.
The award was presented during a luncheon on May 20, the first day of the 2014 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2014), which is jointly hosted by NBAA and EBAA. The show runs through Thursday, May 22.
Einem’s extensive background in the aviation industry includes serving as vice president of the European Forum Alpbach, as well as president of the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, a think tank on foreign and security policy. From 2011 until 2013, Einem was president of the supervisory board of AustroControl GmbH, the Austrian Air Traffic Control Company. From 2009 to 2011, he made highly valuable contributions as president of the Austrian Business Aviation Association and as a member of the board of EBAA.
Einem’s career has also included service as a member of the Austrian Parliament, a member of the European Fundamental Rights Convention and a member of the European Constitutional Convention, where he served as federal minister of interior as well as federal minister of transport and research.
“Caspar Einem is one of the greatest ambassadors for our industry, first in his country – Austria – but also in Europe and in the rest of the world,” said EBAA Chairman Rodolfo Baviera in presenting the award.
Gans’ career was spent at Daimler-Benz, where he founded, and led for many years, Daimler’s flight department. He also founded the German Business Aviation Association (GBAA), and served on the EBAA Board of Governors.
“No thanks can truly express the debt of gratitude we owe Bernd for his huge contribution to business aviation as a whole, and to EBAA in particular,” EBAA President Brian Humphries said in presenting Gans with the award. “We would not be the very successful association we have become without his leadership and commitment to EBAA over so many years.”
The European Business Aviation Awards have been given since the inception of EBACE in 2001. Past recipients are as follows (titles and affiliations shown were current at time of award presentation):
- Patrick Goudou, first executive director for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) since its establishment in 2003 until 2013
- David McMillan, director general of Eurocontrol, and Don Spruston, director general of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) (2012)
- Peter Lonergan, former Biggin Hill Airport director, and Richard Gaona, Comlux Aviation Group president (2011)
- Elie Zelouf, senior vice president of Jet Aviation, and officials at Aéroports de Paris (2010)
- Marwan Khalek, CEO and co-founder of Gama Aviation Limited, and Lyon-Bron Business Airport (2009)
- Mark Booth, chairman and CEO of NetJets Europe (2008)
- Judith Moreton, Bombardier Skyjet International, and Mark Wilson, British Business and General Aviation Association (2007)
- Geneva PALEXPO and Flight Safety International (2006)
- TAG Aviation and Cannes/Mandelieu Airport (2005)
- Jean-Francois Georges, Dassault Aviation, and Fernand Francois, European Business Aviation Association (2004)
- Ahid Quntar, Royal Wings/Arab Wings, and Andrew Walters, Regional Airports Ltd. (2003)
- Richard Gooding, London City Airport, and Jean-Pierre Jobin, Geneva International Airport (2002)
- Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, LEGO, and Frederik Sørensen, Head of Unit, European Commission (2001)
For more information on EBACE2014, visit www.ebace.aero/2014.
# # #
About EBAA: The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) was founded in 1977 to defend the interests of business aviation. Today, more than 800 business aviation companies (direct members or members of associate organizations) rely on the EBAA to protect their business interests. It is the only voice to represent business aviation among the European institutions. For more information, visit www.ebaa.org.
About NBAA: Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 10,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.