Gallery: 68th Laureate Award Winners In Commercial Aviation

Under Alvo’s leadership, LATAM has emerged from financial restructuring stronger and more competitive. The airline group continues to strengthen its dominance in Latin America by delivering record cost and financial performance, undertaking a strategic network expansion and catering to changing passenger preferences by growing its premium product offerings.

A Boeing engineering team employed out-of-the-box thinking—including use of a powerful leaf blower—to investigate and resolve a resonance that caused the premature fatigue failure of a load-transferring component attached to the 777-9’s GE Aerospace GE9X engines. Investigation of the puzzling failure and subsequent redesign of the thrust link enabled Boeing to resume flight tests after a five-month hiatus.

Erginbilgiç has built on more than 20 years at oil company BP to transform the fortunes of Rolls-Royce. Taking the helm of the UK engine-maker in early 2023, he instituted a bold revitalization strategy that has streamlined the company’s structure, renegotiated loss-making contracts and set clear performance targets—including returning to the single-aisle market with a version of the UltraFan.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency granted its first type certificate for an electric propulsion unit to Safran Electrical & Power in February 2025 for the 125-kW ENGINeUS 100B1. The approval paves the way for more powerful motors on future hybrid-electric regional aircraft. Safran will also use derived technologies in CFM International’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) demonstration program for more efficient commercial engines.

An effective safety management system (SMS) reduces risk for employees and the public. Changes can be almost imperceptible to those outside the company, but Southwest Airlines’ SMS is reaching beyond the airline’s walls. Guided by its SMS, the airline is adopting secondary flight deck barriers immediately as well as new protocols for portable battery banks and wheelchair batteries, showing that slight passenger inconvenience is a small price to pay for measurable risk reduction.