Celebrating the best and brightest of Australia’s aviation industry

Across 29 submission-based categories, 194 finalists competed for top honours, with the highest-scoring individual recipient named the winner of the prestigious Excellence Award.

This year, the Excellence Award went to Sue-anne Munckton of Civil Aviation Academy Australasia (Sky Careers), who also claimed the Executive of the Year title earlier in the evening.

Individual honours also went to representatives from Babcock, RMIT University and Airservices, Airbus, and Flightdeck Group.

Major company winners included LifeFlight, Cairns Airport, Leidos Australia, and Kattsafe.

“Every year, the Australian Aviation Awards showcase the best and brightest in this incredible sector, and this year was no exception,” said Stephen Kuper, defence and aerospace lead at Momentum Media. “Congratulations to all our winners and finalists, and a huge thanks to the partners and staff who made this event possible.”

The awards aim to strengthen the profile of innovative aviation businesses and professionals, helping them build credibility, grow their enterprises, and stand out in a highly competitive industry.

Industry leaders, professionals, and emerging talent gathered for the ceremony to celebrate collective achievements and connect with peers from across the aviation landscape.

The program recognises outstanding performers across airlines, airports, defence support organisations, and companies driving new initiatives and industry-leading practices.

Entries were open to all sectors of the industry and were assessed by a respected panel of judges comprising senior professionals, executives, innovators, entrepreneurs, and academics.

This year’s winners were:

• Aviation Safety Professional of the Year: Nicolle Connelly, RMIT University and Airservices
• Executive of the Year: Sue-anne Munckton, Civil Aviation Academy Australasia (Sky Careers)
• Female Aviation Leader of the Year – SME: Sasha Robinson, Flightdeck Group
• Recreational Pilot of the Year: Andrew Kornberg, Royal Children’s Hospital
• Rising Star – SME: Shannon Gee, BASE Aviation
• Young Pilot of the Year: Shannon Gee, BASE Aviation
• Engineering Professional of the Year: Lachlan Kilby, Javelin Aerospace Group
• Female Aviation Leader of the Year – Large Business: Nicole Powell, Leidos Australia
• Professional Pilot of the Year: Michael Whitney, Babcock
• Rising Star – Large Business: Allissa Li, Airbus
• RPAS Pilot of the Year: Joshua Orr, Surf Life Saving NSW / Australian UAV Service
• Excellence Award: Sue-anne Munckton, Civil Aviation Academy Australasia (Sky Careers)