We are pleased to announce the ATW 2027 Airline Industry Achievement Awards will be held alongside the CAPA Airline Leader Summit World, in Milan, Italy, on the 10th  December 2026. This brings three incredible brands from Aviation Week Network under one roof for an end-of-year extravaganza. 

Established in 1974 to recognise excellence in the air transport industry, the ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards are one of the most coveted honour an airline or individual can receive. They are bestowed upon individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding performance, innovation, and superior service.

Below are the award categories:

• Airline of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement
• Eco-Airline of the Year
• Value Airline of the Year
• Airline Market Leader
• Cargo Operator of the Year
• Leadership Excellence
• Humanitarian Force for Good
• Airport of the Year
• Airline-Airport Partnership
• Innovation Achievement

Nomination criteria: 

NOTE: There are no fees associated with nominating and nominations can be submitted for multiple categories. However, there are certain requirements to being considered for an Award, which are listed below. All Winners are selected by a panel of ATW Editors. Selections must remain confidential until a mutually-agreed public announcement is made. Two complimentary seats at the Gala VIP tables will be provided to each Winner. 

Winners will be selected from nominated businesses by select group of ATW editors. Nominations for the Awards close on Monday 8 June at 11pm EST.  Please review nomination criteria and specific award criteria below prior to nominating. Nominations should be sent to the following email: karen.walker@informa.com

In addition to below all Nominators must provide:

• Full name, title, Location, Email and Phone Contacts, and Relationship to Nominee
• Is the Nominee Aware of this Nomination? Yes or No
• Is the Nominee, if selected as a Winner, committed to sending at least one senior executive to the Gala Dinner in Milan, Italy, on 10 Dec 2026, to receive the trophy on stage? Winner Recipients should plan to be in the city of Milan by no later than 12 noon, local time, the day of the Gala. Yes or No
• Is the Nominee, if selected, willing to work with ATW editors to provide interviews, photos, video and other materials to be used by the ATW content team for a special issue of the ATW magazine, Gala presentation videos and other award promotions? Yes or No

Airline of the Year: This recognizes an airline or airline Group that has exhibited across-the-board-excellence in the period April 2025 through end of May 2026.

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words of the airline or Group’s financial, operational, customer service, sustainability, innovation and community key achievements. Attach any supporting documents. ATW editors strongly encourage also attaching a short letter from the organization’s CEO confirming they wish to receive the Award and summarizing key achievements.

Lifetime Achievement: This recognizes an individual who has made a long, significant positive and lasting contributions to the global air transport industry.

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements that have directly influenced the global air transport industry.

Eco-Airline of Year: This recognizes an airline or airline Group that has exhibited strong and measurable changes in how it delivers sustainability across its flight and ground operations, in the period April 2025 through May 2026.

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements in aviation sustainability, including but not exclusive to use of SAF, promotion of SAF development initiatives, use of electric or other energy efficient ground vehicles, food waste and single-use plastic reduction, recycling and wildlife conservation. 

Attach any documents that provide metrics or evidence of sustainability initiatives.

Value Airline of Year: This recognizes an airline or airline Group that has exhibited strong operational, financial, customer experience and growth performance in the low-cost carrier sector in the period April 2025 through end of May 2026.

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements that have enabled the airline to be strongly competitive on costs and fares, have demonstrated consistent growth, have provided excellent customer service, and have shown strong commitment to sustainability.

Attach any supporting documents. ATW editors strongly encourage also attaching a short letter from the organization’s CEO confirming they wish to receive the Award and summarizing key achievements.

Airline Market Leader: This recognizes an airline or airline Group that has stood out among its competition and established a leading position in a particular sector, which could be within a geographic region, a business sector, or another sector, in the period April 2025 end of May 2026.  

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements that set the airline apart and pursued unique approaches to airline strategy.

Attach any supporting documents. ATW editors strongly encourage also attaching a short letter from the organization’s CEO confirming they wish to receive the Award and summarizing key achievements.

Cargo Operator: This recognizes an airline or airline Group that has performed strongly in the delivery of air cargo in the period April 2025 through end of May 2026. It can be for dedicated air freight operations or combi operations.

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements in cargo management and delivery, including handling of high-value, time- and temperature-sensitive goods, use of technology, state-of-art storage facilities, reduction of plastic and paper, and strong relationships with customers and freight forwarders.

Attach any supporting documents. ATW editors strongly encourage also attaching a short letter from the organization’s CEO confirming they wish to receive the Award and summarizing key achievements.

Leadership Excellence: This recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership within their company or across the air transport industry in the period April 2025 through end of May 2026. 

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements as a leader, how they have handled any crises or challenges, how they motivate their teams and how they think out of the box to improve employee, customer and operational performance. 

Attach any supporting documents. 

Humanitarian Force for Good: This recognizes an airline or airline Group that has made significant contributions to humanitarian crisis relief, charities or other benefits to people in the period April 2025 through end of May 2026. 

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements in improving the lives, opportunities and well-being of people and communities.

Attach any supporting documents. 

Airport of Year: This recognizes an airport or airport Group that has performed strongly in the period April 2025 through end of May 2026 in terms of its relationships with airlines, network growth, passenger experience, security, sustainability and innovation. 

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements that set the airport apart from its peers.

Attach any supporting documents. ATW editors strongly encourage also attaching a short letter from the organization’s CEO confirming they wish to receive the Award and summarizing key achievements.

Airline-Airport Partnership: This recognizes an airline or airline Group and an airport or airport Group that have worked closely together to help improve the performance and growth of each in the period April 2025 through end of May 2026. 

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to the nominee’s most important achievements that demonstrate a strong, positive relationship between airline and airport and why it has made a difference.

Attach any supporting documents. 

Innovation Achievement: This recognizes any airline, airport or industry supplier that has developed or brought into action a product, technology, system or concept that has made a measurable and positive difference in how airlines and or airports operate.

Nominators should submit a summary of no more than 600 words as to why the product, system, technology or concept should be considered merit-worthy.

Attach any supporting documents, particularly those that show metrics of how the product, technology, system or concept has made a difference. If possible, a short letter of endorsement from an airline or airport customer would carry weight with the judges.