Luminaries from across aviation and aerospace converged on New York Oct. 23 for the Wings Club Foundation’s annual gala to honor the industry’s current and future leaders. The power-packed event drew a record crowd of nearly 1,500 to the ballroom of the New York Hilton. Wings Club and Aviation Week President Greg Hamilton presented Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and his more than 100,000 employees with the foundation’s 2026 Outstanding Achievement Award. Hamilton called Bastian, who has worked at the airline for 28 years and held the top post for the past decade, “one of the most accomplished airline CEOs in aviation history.” The foundation also awarded $425,000 in scholarships to 21 students from 13 universities and colleges across the U.S. and recognized them onstage. Since 2000, the Wings Club Foundation has presented $2.8 million in scholarships to 221 students.
