His Innovations Made Significant Impact on Airlines Throughout Career

The 2024 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy will be awarded to Ben Baldanza at the Aero Club of Washington’s 76th Annual Wright Memorial Dinner on December 13, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

The announcement was made on June 17 by the National Aeronautic Association, who established the Trophy in 1948. The prestigious honor commemorates the memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright and is awarded to a single person who has made significant contributions of public service and great value to aviation in America.

Baldanza has had an illustrious career and is well-respected for developing innovations that have made commercial air travel more accessible to millions of Americans. In 1986 he started with American Airlines where he was instrumental in formulating the first hub-and-spoke frequent flyer program. After nearly twenty years at American, Baldanza was appointed President and CEO of Spirit Airlines. There he wanted to enable middle- and working-class Americans to fly to leisure and vacation destinations. He did so by lowering the cost and promoting “unbundling” airline products and services.

NAA President and CEO Amy Spowart in speaking about the award said, “It is awarded annually to a living American who has made significant contributions of enduring value to aviation in the United States. This esteemed trophy serves as a timeline of the most innovative inventors, explorers, industrialists, and public servants in aeronautics and astronautics, making Ben Baldanza’s selection a testament to his remarkable career.”

Baldanza said of his selection, “Words can’t express how humbled and honored I feel about this amazing award. To be thought of in this broad aviation field that includes business luminaries, visionaries, government officials, top military officers, and astronauts is truly an honor that I never expected. I’d like to thank the committee and all my friends and colleagues who personally supported my nomination.”

FMI: www.aeroclub.org, www.naa.aero