Aviation Week Network and International Aviation Club Name A4A’s Nicholas E. Calio the 2025 L. Welch Pogue Recipient

Awards Ceremony to Take Place on September 9, 2025

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, April 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Aviation Week Network and the International Aviation Club of Washington D.C. (IAC) today announce Airlines for America (A4A) President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio as the recipient of the 2025 L. Welch Pogue Award for Lifetime Achievement in Aviation. The Award is presented annually to leaders who have made significant and lasting contributions to the global air transport industry and who are considered visionaries in modern aviation.

Calio leads Washington D.C.-based A4A, the trade association for the country’s leading passenger and cargo airlines.

Under Calio, A4A rebranded and refocused on shaping policy by building consensus and working collaboratively with industry, labor, Congress, the executive branch, federal agencies foreign governments and other groups.

Calio has been and remains a staunch advocate for innovation and modernization of the air traffic control (ATC) system in the U.S., imploring Congress to pass an emergency funding package to make the fundamental changes and investments necessary to address the controller shortage and outdated ATC technology while providing predictability and stability for future funding.

Additionally, he has led multiple FAA reauthorization negotiations and was instrumental in avoiding total crisis during the 2022 5G C-Band implementation in the U.S.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Calio’s leadership helped save the industry from ruin, as A4A worked closely with Congress and an industry coalition to create the Payroll Support Program, securing nearly $60 billion that kept airline employees on the job, trained and certified. Simultaneously, Calio partnered with Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health to implement a robust, multi-layered strategy to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 during air travel and restore confidence in the flying public.

On the international stage, Calio has spearheaded A4A’s opposition to market access restrictions, onerous taxation and over-burdensome regulations that would negatively impact U.S. airlines’ global competitiveness.

Before joining A4A in January 2011, Calio was Citigroup’s executive vice president for global government affairs and a member of its senior leadership committee. He served President George W. Bush as assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs and held the same position during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. Between the two administrations, Calio was a partner at O’Brien Calio, a law and lobbying firm he co-founded in 1993.

Incoming IAC President Leslie Abbott said, “Nick Calio has been a steady hand and a visionary leader in our often unpredictable industry. Airlines, consumers, and our nation owe him a great deal of gratitude. He is truly a deserving recipient of the 2025 L. Welsh Pogue Award."

Calio said, “I am honored to receive the L. Welch Pogue Award and follow in the steps of many distinguished recipients like Gary Kelly, Oscar Munoz, Fred Smith and Dave Barger. I have been fortunate to work for and with some of the sharpest minds in the business over the past 14 years and I have learned from their counsel and benefited from their enduring friendship. The aviation industry is truly rooted in strong relationships and a deep sense of pride for the work we do every day in the U.S. and around the world.

“I deeply appreciate this recognition by the International Aviation Club and Aviation Week Network and I look forward to celebrating with aviation colleagues in September.”

The L. Welch Pogue Award was first presented in 1994 to L. Welch Pogue, former chairman of the Civil Aviation Board and a U.S. delegate at the Chicago Convention, which created the legal blueprint for post-WWII expansion of commercial aviation.

This year’s Pogue gala dinner and trophy presentation will be held on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel ballroom in Washington D.C. Information on tables and sponsorships can be found at https://iacwashington.wildapricot.org/.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL AVIATION CLUB
The IAC was formed in 1961 and is the premier nonprofit club in Washington D.C. for connecting aviation professionals and advocating for the global air transport community. Its monthly guest speaker luncheons and other networking receptions and events help foster discussion on important air transport industry topics like safety, regulation, sustainability and air liberalization.

ABOUT A4A
Airlines for America (A4A) is the trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, both passenger and cargo carriers, prioritizing safety and security during this time of record passenger volumes and increased reliance on air cargo shipments. Every day, U.S. airlines operate 27,000 flights carrying 2.7 million travelers and 61,000 tons of cargo while supporting 10 million U.S. jobs and 5 percent of GDP.

ABOUT AVIATION WEEK NETWORK
Aviation Week Network is the largest multimedia information and services provider for the global aviation, aerospace, and defense industries, serving 1.2 million professionals around the world. Industry professionals rely on Aviation Week Network to help them understand the market, make decisions, predict trends, and connect with people and business opportunities. Customers include the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, airlines, airports, business aviation operators, militaries, governments and other organizations that serve this worldwide marketplace. Aviation Week Network’s portfolio delivers award-winning journalism, data, intelligence and analytical resources, world-class tradeshows and conferences, and results-driven marketing services and advertising.

Aviation Week Network is part of Informa Markets, a division of Informa PLC.

Elizabeth Sisk
Aviation Week Network
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