Las Vegas, NV, Oct. 11, 2017 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today recognized the business aviation community’s tireless work to assist the citizens and communities impacted by this year’s wave of hurricanes, with the association’s Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership.
The award was presented at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) second-day opening session, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Hundreds in the business aviation community have contributed to relief flights and other efforts, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate throughout August, September and October 2017 – work that continues in many impacted areas today.
“Business aviation’s value has always been demonstrated through its critical role in supporting humanitarian endeavors,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “This community is filled with leaders who want to help their fellow citizens, and that desire has been evidenced through the work done to help those impacted by these terrible storms. NBAA is proud to be a part of this great community, and honored to recognize everyone involved in these critical missions with the Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership.”
In response to the destructive storms, pilots, FBO managers, line technicians, airport authorities and countless others have been contributing to relief efforts, coordinating and conducting flights that have delivered food, water, clothing, medicine and other essential items to help those impacted by the natural disasters.
Some flights have transported medical specialists, first-responders and other emergency-relief workers. Other flights have utilized empty seats to carry residents out of harm’s way, before and after the storms made landfall. Entrepreneurs and companies flying their aircraft typically have done so at no expense; airports, FBOs, maintenance facilities and other service providers have often waived fees, and provided extra services for those conducting relief missions.
Many of the relief efforts have been coordinated with the support of the NBAA Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Database, which collects information about aircraft and individual volunteers, which can be shared with relief organizations in the wake of natural disasters. Learn more about the HERO Database.
A video played during the general session highlighted just a small sample of the missions business aviation completed in hurricane relief efforts this year, which earned the community the award. View NBAA’s 2017 Al Ueltschi Humanitarian Award video in its entirety.
Learn more about relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey.
Learn more about relief efforts following Hurricane Irma.
Learn more about relief efforts following Hurricane Maria.
The Al Ueltschi Humanitarian Leadership Award is named after Albert L. Ueltschi, a life-long philanthropist and decades-long chairman of ORBIS, an international non-profit organization dedicated to preventing blindness and saving sight. Past winners of the award include the Veterans Airlift Command and Corporate Angel Network.
NBAA-BACE, the world’s largest and most important business aviation event, offering unparalleled access to vendors, products and aircraft, takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Henderson Executive Airport from Oct. 10-12. Read more about NBAA-BACE.
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 11,000 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.
