September 9, 2026 20:54 GMT+5:30
Steven Udvar-Hazy will receive NBAA’s top Meritorious Service to Aviation Award at the 2026-BACE event in Las Vegas. The aviation visionary will be honoured for a career that changed aircraft leasing, strengthened business aviation and supported flying worldwide. NBAA says Udvar-Hazy’s influence reaches across aviation and aerospace. The award also recognises his entrepreneurship, innovation and long-term service.
His journey began with a Piper Cub flight at 15 before becoming a major force in commercial aircraft leasing. Today, his legacy spans Air Lease Corporation, aviation education, philanthropy and the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center. The honour puts that remarkable story firmly in focus.
Steven Udvar-Hazy will receive NBAA’s Meritorious Service to Aviation Award at 2026-BACE in Las Vegas, recognising his aviation vision, business aviation leadership and lasting impact on flying.
“Steven F. Udvar-Hazy represents the kind of aviation leadership that leaves a lasting mark on the entire industry. His contribution to aircraft leasing fundamentally changed how airlines approach fleet growth, flexibility and capital management. Yet his legacy is even broader because he has consistently invested in aviation education, heritage and the next generation of professionals. The Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center is a particularly powerful example of that commitment, bringing extraordinary aircraft and spacecraft closer to the public. NBAA’s decision to honour him at 2026-BACE is therefore highly significant. It recognises not only an accomplished entrepreneur and pilot, but also a visionary who has helped connect aviation’s commercial success with its history and future. This is a fitting tribute to an exceptional aviation career.”
Steven Udvar-Hazy to Receive NBAA’s Highest Honour
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is set to honour aerospace entrepreneur, aviation pioneer and philanthropist Steven F. Udvar-Hazy with its Meritorious Service to Aviation Award during NBAA-BACE 2026.
The prestigious award will be presented from 20-22 October in Las Vegas, where business aviation executives, manufacturers, operators, aviation professionals and other industry leaders will gather for one of the sector’s biggest annual events.
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen described Udvar-Hazy’s influence as extending across the wider aviation and aerospace landscape. The association said the award recognises his lifelong commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship and service to aviation.
The presentation will take place on the show’s Horizon Stage and will include an in-depth live conversation between Udvar-Hazy and fellow award recipient Ross Perot Jr., an accomplished aviator and global business leader.
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A Career That Changed Aircraft Leasing
Udvar-Hazy is widely recognised as one of the pioneers of the commercial aircraft leasing industry.
In 1973, he co-founded International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), helping create a new way for airlines to obtain commercial aircraft without relying solely on traditional ownership models. The development had a significant influence on how airlines around the world manage fleet acquisition and expansion.
After leaving ILFC in 2010, Udvar-Hazy established Air Lease Corporation, continuing his role in shaping the global aircraft leasing market.
His professional career has therefore been closely linked with the evolution of modern airline fleet financing. Aircraft leasing has become an important component of commercial aviation, allowing carriers to access newer aircraft while managing capital requirements and fleet flexibility.
Aviation Is Also a Personal Passion
Udvar-Hazy’s connection with aviation goes well beyond business.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, he moved to the United States with his family in 1958 after the Soviet reoccupation of Hungary. He took his first flight in a Piper Cub at 15 and began formal flight training a year later near Los Angeles.
He earned his first jet type rating in 1978 and has subsequently accumulated more than 11,000 hours of flight time. More than 9,000 of those hours have been as captain of multi-engine jet aircraft.
His qualifications include type ratings for Gulfstream IV, V and G650 aircraft, as well as Learjets and the Cessna Citation CE500 and CE680 families.
He has also maintained a long-standing commitment to recurrent training, using FlightSafety International for annual proficiency and recurrent training since the 1980s.
His Legacy Extends Into Aviation Education
Udvar-Hazy has also invested heavily in preserving aviation history and supporting future generations of aviation professionals.
He is closely associated with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport. The facility, which opened in December 2003, serves as a companion to the National Air and Space Museum on Washington’s National Mall.
Known as the nation’s hangar, the centre houses hundreds of major aircraft and spacecraft, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, alongside thousands of aviation and space artefacts.
His educational contribution also includes the Christine and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Library and Learning Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott campus in Arizona.
He provides scholarships through the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation to students at Embry-Riddle and Purdue University, supporting the next generation of aviation talent.
Why the NBAA Award Matters
The Meritorious Service to Aviation Award was first presented in 1950 and is regarded by NBAA as the business aviation community’s most distinguished honour.
Its significance goes beyond recognising a successful executive. The award highlights individuals whose work has helped develop business aviation into a diverse and highly responsive part of the global aviation system.
For Udvar-Hazy, the recognition brings together several strands of his career: aircraft leasing, entrepreneurship, flight operations, aviation education, philanthropy and preservation.
His story also illustrates how developments outside the cockpit can reshape aviation. Aircraft leasing changed how airlines acquire fleets, while his educational and museum contributions have helped preserve the industry’s history and prepare its future workforce.
NBAA-BACE Sets the Stage in Las Vegas
The award presentation will form part of the 2026 NBAA-BACE programme, taking place from 20-22 October in Las Vegas.
The event will showcase new business aviation technologies, aircraft, services and industry developments while bringing together decision-makers from across the sector.
With Udvar-Hazy receiving one of NBAA’s most prestigious awards, the 2026 convention will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the people and ideas that have helped shape modern business and commercial aviation.
His recognition is particularly notable because his influence has crossed several parts of the industry rather than being confined to one company or one aviation discipline.
For NBAA-BACE, the award adds a major historical and leadership dimension to an event focused on the future of business aviation.
Image: Tampa INternational Airport
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