AsBAA has announced the winners of its Icons of Aviation Awards 2019 (IOA) at a charity gala dinner and awards ceremony where it hosted over 300 members of the global business aviation community, VIPs and members of the media.

The five year anniversary special event took the theme of 'to the moon and back', a space-themed ball which saw the AsBAA board of directors enter the grand ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Ocean Park as astronauts.

The award ceremony celebrates achievement across thirteen key areas of the industry, and also focuses on corporate social responsibility. At the event more than US$35,000 was raised for Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, taking the overall total raised from the IOA since 2014 to US$160,000.

In his opening speech, chairman Zhendong Wu said: “AsBAA is proud that the IOA has grown into such a great event for the community. We are very proud of our members and are encouraged to see their motivation to give back to the communities in which we are all privileged to operate.”

Orbis Hong Kong executive director Mary Lau added: “Vision is a precious gift that allows children to go to school and adults to work, so communities can thrive. We are deeply grateful that AsBAA members and the IOA can join Orbis in the battle against preventable blindness.”

The IOA 2019 was sponsored by Satcom Direct and included sponsorship and participation from all key sectors of the industry from manufacturers, operators, service providers and brand sponsors. All awards are voted for by members of the business aviation sector in the region with results verified by an independent third party. SD was named most innovative company of the year. This is its second IOA award, the first being given for best operational support in the region.

“As we embark on our next phase of innovation focusing on data management and optimising the benefits of our open architecture infrastructure, we are thrilled that our peers recognise our commitment and dedication,” said vice president international Michael Skou Christensen. “We were competing with leading international brand names so are even more proud to know that our customers and associates value us enough to position us as the leader in innovation. Without them we don't have a business so it's great to know that they appreciate what we are striving to achieve.”

Jetcraft Asia was named best aircraft sales broker for the fifth year running. President David Dixon said: “I'm incredibly proud of our team in Asia, whose hard work will ensure we can deliver the same level of service for the next five years. I must also thank the rest of the Jetcraft team worldwide for its support as well. As demand for business aviation in Asia develops, we are committed to increasing our expertise in cross-border transactions, expanding our capabilities and developing relationships with our customers, to uphold our position as an advocate for this industry. I'd like to again extend my thanks to our partners, clients and friends, whose support has been invaluable throughout our history in the region.”