Story ID: 306
NBAA-BACE To Spotlight Business Aviation Safety
By: Amy Wilder
Caption: This year’s milestone awards span up to 90 years
Word Count: 416
The NBAA will honor more than 100 companies and flight departments for accident-free operations with its 2025 Flying Safety Awards, including two recognized for 90 consecutive years of safe flying. Awards will be presented during the National Safety Forum at NBAA-BACE, taking place October 14 to 16 in Las Vegas. It will also feature several safety events and symposia during the convention week.
Milestone award recipients include Emerson Flight Operations and Wilson Trailer at 50 years; McKee Foods Transportation at 60 years; Becton Dickinson Aviation and CSX Aviation at 75 years; and Lane Aviation and Occidental Petroleum at 90 years.
Other recognitions include Commercial Business Flying Awards to 11 companies for a cumulative 582,972 hours, Corporate Business Flying Awards to 101 companies totaling 5,214,141 hours, Maintenance Department Safety Awards to 57 companies, Pilot Safety Awards to 284 pilots for 726,773 cumulative hours, Scheduler/Licensed Dispatcher Safety Awards to 63 recipients, Support Services Safety Awards to 214 recipients, and Avionics/Maintenance Technician Safety Awards to 164 recipients.
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen said this year’s event will place business aviation’s safety leadership at center stage with the presentation of the Flying Safety Awards, as well as an exhibit hall showcasing the latest technologies enhancing the safety of flight, and three focused show-week events to gather top safety experts.
On Monday, October 13, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., a Single-pilot Safety Standdown event themed “Threat-Rich Environment: Navigating Today’s Challenges for the Single-Pilot Operator” will examine challenges and risk mitigations for single-pilot operations, including case studies. On the same day, from 1:30 to 4 p.m., a small operator symposium will explore safety culture and aeronautical decision-making across multiple sessions with aviation leaders and experts. On Tuesday and Wednesday during the convention, the NBAA National Safety Forum will explore a variety of topics from safety culture to common accident causes through various sessions and panels at the convention’s Safety Education Center.
At this year’s NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in New Orleans in March, Bolen acknowledged that aviation safety is under a microscope. He also pointed to the need for the elimination of complacency as one critical safety factor.
Launched in 1953 by NBAA’s board of directors, the Flying Safety Awards program was created to promote a culture of safety in business aviation operations. NBAA also provides resources through its safety committee to promote and support a culture of safety, including materials, guidance on matters relating to safe operations, safety management system resources, and national and regional safety events.