Grand Laureates Announced at Aviation Week Network’s 67th Annual Laureate Awards

Award Honors Outstanding Achievements in Aviation, Aerospace & Defense

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, March 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Grand Laureates Announced at Aviation Week Network’s 67th Annual Laureate Awards
Award Honors Outstanding Achievements in Aviation, Aerospace & Defense

Aviation Week Network has announced the Grand Laureate winners for the 67th Annual Laureate Awards (#AWLAUR), honoring extraordinary achievements in the global aerospace arena. They were selected from a total of 26 winners of the 2025 Laureate Awards and were announced this evening at an awards gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, where all of the winners were honored. A Grand Laureate was named in each of the five award categories: Commercial Aviation, Defense, Space, Business Aviation, and MRO.

Aviation Week Network also bestowed the Philip J. Klass Award for Lifetime Achievement to two individuals, and the Pathfinder Award to one individual. Four cadets and midshipmen from U.S. military academies were also recognized as Tomorrow’s Leaders, honoring young men and women who have chosen career paths in the armed forces.

In addition to the Laureate Awards, Aviation Week Network recognized the “20 Twenties” in partnership with Accenture. This program recognizes the accomplishments and drive of 20 science, technology, engineering and mathematics students in their 20s and currently enrolled in a master's degree or bachelor's degree program.

“From keeping aircraft safe to developing drone interceptors to developing heavy space transport, the Grand Laureates have made significant contributions to the world,” said Joe Anselmo, Editorial Director for Aviation Week. “We were proud to honor all the 26 worthy winners tonight. Selecting the Grand Laureate from each category was no easy task.”

The Laureate Awards Executive Sponsors are GE Aerospace and PwC, and Sponsors are Airbus, Anduril, Lockheed Martin, and RTX.

The Grand Laureate Winners are:

COMMERCIAL AVIATION
Airbus A321XLR
Airbus received EASA certification of the CFM International LEAP-1A-powered version of the A321XLR and delivered the first aircraft to launch operator Iberia in November. The long-range version of the A321neo will enable airlines to operate secondary long-haul routes at much lower unit cost and has the potential to substantially change long-haul networks.

DEFENSE
Anduril Industries
Demonstrating its ability to turn disrupting the defense industry from idea to reality, startup Anduril in 2024 underscored its arrival as an industrial force by winning a U.S. Air Force contract to develop a Cooperative Combat Aircraft, snagging an order for more than 500 counter-drone interceptors and securing a $1.5 billion funding round.

SPACE
SpaceX Starship
SpaceX has demonstrated the viability of its Starship-Super Heavy space transport, a fully reusable, low-maintenance system which promises to significantly reduce launch costs. Milestones in 2024 included the spectacular launch tower catch of the Super Heavy booster on the first attempt, and the on-target splashdown of the upper stage during the Oct. 13 fifth integrated flight test.

BUSINESS AVIATION
Russ Meyer, Cessna Aircraft
In the almost 50 years since he was named chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft, Russ Meyer Jr. has been a leader and advocate for the general aviation industry. Now chairman emeritus, his efforts were instrumental in passage of the 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, placing time limits on product liability and reviving single-engine aircraft production in the U.S.

MRO
Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition
Formed in February 2024 to find solutions to prevent unauthorized parts entering the market, the Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition brought together Airbus, American Airlines, Boeing, Delta Air Lines, GE Aerospace, Safran, StandardAero and United Airlines. After a nine-month investigation, 13 actions were recommended to close gaps and add layers of safety to strengthen the supply chain.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Norm Augustine may have retired from the industry in 1997, but his oversize influence on the aerospace sector he joined in 1958 as an engineer did not end there. After a career split between industry leadership and public service, including roles as CEO of Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin as well as under secretary of the Army, Augustine has continued to help shape the industrial landscape as chair of blue-ribbon committees investigating the U.S. space program, human spaceflight plans and, most recently, NASA’s uncertain future due to declining national investment in technology innovation. Famed for Augustine’s laws, which were published in 1984 and warned that, by 2054, the entire U.S. defense budget will purchase just one aircraft, his wise guidance has continued to be invaluable to an industry facing unprecedented technological change.

Patrick Ky has made a lasting positive impact in the field of aviation safety. During his 10 years at the helm of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Ky was instrumental in raising the profile of the European regulator and making it a strong reference for global safety matters. EASA led efforts to establish tougher standards for certification of the Boeing 777X and ungrounding of the 737 MAX. To ensure sufficient fire protection, EASA also required Airbus to make substantial changes of the A321XLR. Under Ky, EASA also led global efforts to safely regulate the emerging advanced air mobility sector. A former aerospace engineer, Ky previously led Europe’s Sesar air traffic management research project and is now CEO of the Singapore-based International Centre for Aviation Innovation.

PATHFINDER AWARD
Larry Culp’s transformation of General Electric from a troubled, debt-ridden conglomerate into a pure play aerospace and defense company culminated in 2024, after the spinoffs of GE’s energy and health care businesses. As chairman and CEO, Culp has reinvigorated GE Aerospace with a culture of candor and facing into problems and a relentless focus on lean. His signature initiative, Flight Deck, partners leaders at the aircraft engine maker with workers and suppliers to remove barriers to productivity and create a safer, more effective work environment. In 2024, the company hired 900 new engineers and invested $650 million in manufacturing facilities and supply chain. In a few short years Culp, who had never previously run an aerospace company, has emerged as one of the industry’s most consequential CEOs in recent years.

ABOUT AVIATION WEEK NETWORK
Aviation Week Network is the largest multimedia information and services provider for the global aviation, aerospace, and defense industries, serving 1.7 million professionals around the world. Industry professionals rely on Aviation Week Network to help them understand the market, make decisions, predict trends, and connect with people and business opportunities. Customers include the world's leading aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, airlines, airports, business aviation operators, militaries, governments and other organizations that serve this worldwide marketplace. Aviation Week Network’s portfolio delivers award-winning journalism, data, intelligence and analytical resources, world-class tradeshows and conferences, and results-driven marketing services and advertising. Our principle is helping our customers succeed.

Aviation Week Network is part of Informa Markets, a division of Informa PLC.

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Elizabeth Kelley. Grace
The Buzz Agency
+1 561-702-7471
Elizabeth@thebuzzagency.net