Media

Wednesday, 23^rd April 2014: Today, the short list for the inaugural Aviation Industry Awards, sponsored by the Irish Aviation Authority, was announced.  The in inaugural awards, which will take place on 10th June at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, have been devised to recognise excellence in the Irish aviation sector which makes a significant contribution to the country’s economy, employing 26,000 people and contributing €4.1 billion to national GDP.

“There has been growing demand in recent years for recognition of excellence within the industry,” said Eamonn Brennan, Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Authority. “This is reflected in the huge level of interest in this first ever Aviation Industry Awards and the very high calibre of the 70 companies and 130 entries submitted.  We’re absolutely delighted with the level of interest and it is really encouraging to see how many individuals and businesses are going the extra mile to make the industry safer and more efficient. Today’s shortlisted nominees are examples of exceptional people doing exceptional work every day to enhance the Irish aviation sector, which punches well above its weight on the global stage.”

There are eighteen awards categories in total for the Awards, including best in the fields of Airports, Air Operators, Leasing and Legal Achievements, Education & Training, Innovation, Environment and Safety.  Sponsored by the IAA, the awards ceremony will be attended by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, TD and key figures in the Irish aviation industry.

Shortlisted nominees include familiar names such as Emirates (Aircraft Operator category), Avolon (Leasing Achievement category), Dublin Aerospace (MRO of the Year), Shannon Airport Authority (Aviation Sustainability and Environment category), University of Limerick (Aviation R&D category) and GECAS (People Development category).

 “A lot of businesses and individuals are working hard to ensure Ireland remains an aviation leader on the world stage and winning one of these prestigious Aviation Industry Awards will help to create a competitive advantage in a competitive marketplace,” said Eamonn Brennan. “The sector is set to continue to grow and this is something we are immensely proud of.  Our ATM System is the most advanced in Europe, the Irish aircraft register has increased by 88% since 2001 and domestic traffic was up 3% last year.  Safety is the bedrock of our industry and our general safety oversight ranking is amongst the best in the world..”

The Aviation Industry Awards are devised and organised by Event Strategies Limited and entries will be judged by an independent judging panel committee. For further information on the awards see www.aviationawards.ie

Aviation Support Services Award

• Part M Aviation
• Eirtech Aviation
• TEG
• Swissport Ireland
• Acumen Aviation
• Sky Handling Partner Ltd

General and Sport Aviation Award

• Irish Light Aviation Society
• National Flight Centre
• Executive Helicopters
• Bray Air Spectacular -Simtech Aviation
• General Aviation Safety Council of Ireland
• Irish Microlight Flight instructor & Examiner Panel

Customer Service Award

• Cork Airport
• Aviareto Ltd. - The International Registry
• Aero Inspection International
• PWA International
• CityJet
• Acumen Aviation
• Shannon Airport Authority

 People Development Award

• Training and Development Strategy - GE Capital Aviation Services Ltd.
• CityJet
• AWAS
• Dublin Airport Authority
• Dublin International Aviation Training Academy
• Ireland West Airport Knock
• Aloft Aviation Consulting, Ltd
• ILFC

Aviation Academic Education Award

• Aviation Education & Training in Dublin Institute of Technology
• B.Sc in Aviation Management (with Pilot Studies) - Dublin City University
• The Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Limerick
• Institute of Technology Carlow
• University of Ulster

Aviation Training Award

• Atlantic Flight Training Academy
• Aertrain
• Shannon Aerospace
• Stobart Air
• Shannon Training Centre
• TRANSAERO Engineering Ireland Ltd. & SOLAS
• Aer Lingus
• CityJet
• National Flight Centre
• IrelandSkills

 Safety Promotion Award

• City of Derry Airport
• General Aviation Safety Council of Ireland
• Installation and Use of Stop Bars and Stop Bar Violation Monitoring - Dublin Airport
• Ireland West Airport Knock
• PWA International
• Shannon Airport Authority

Aviation Innovation Award

• Shannon Airport Authority
• Baseline Surveys Ltd
• Cloud Store - Arconics
• Eirtech Aviation
• CAFE Concept - Crabtree Capital
• Sky Handling Partner Ltd
• Innovative Forming Solutions for the Aerospace Industry - University of Ulster
• Aviareto Ltd. - The International Registry
• Mobile Ground Radar Solution - DAA
• Airtel ATN

 Aviation Export Award

• Mobile Travel Technologies Ltd.
• Botany Weaving
• AMT-SYBEX (Software) Ltd
• CAE Parc Aviation
• Eirtech Aviation
• TEG
• Datalex
• Dublin Aerospace Limited
• Air Contractors (Ireland) Limited
• Swissport Ireland 

For media queries, contact:

Tony Lane on 086 7911864 or David Curtin on 086 2832123