The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today awarded Signature Aviation and the SunGate Foundation the association’s 2026 Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership for leadership in combating human trafficking, in part through collaboration with NBAA and other stakeholders.
Working with NBAA and the American Association of Airport Executives, Signature Aviation and the SunGate Foundation have developed practical tools and training to help aviation professionals recognize and report potential human trafficking.
Resources are available through NBAA’s Operation Flightline initiative, a collaboration with Signature Aviation and the SunGate Foundation unveiled earlier this year at the association’s International Operators Conference (IOC).
Although aviation is among the safest and most secure forms of transportation, available statistics reveal that human trafficking through aviation is a concern. According to U.S. Department of Transportation survivor surveys, the commercial airlines account for about 12% of transport used during exploitation, and general aviation accounts for about 4% of transport. Education and resources for identifying trafficking situations - which often include common characteristics - can be highly effective in mitigating the insidious practice.
The Ueltschi Humanitarian award was presented during a luncheon held as part of the 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).
“We’re proud to recognize Signature Aviation and the SunGate Foundation for their leadership in helping educate our industry about the role aviation professionals can play in combating human trafficking,” said NBAA Interim COO Dan Hubbard. “Safety has always been at the heart of business aviation, and that includes the safety of the people who fly with us. Aviation is strongest when we work together.”
Signature Aviation operates the world’s largest network of fixed-base operators, providing hospitality, fueling and ground support services for business aviation.
The SunGate Foundation is a survivor-led nonprofit that helps human trafficking survivors pursue higher education and build independent lives. Its CEO, Shamere McKenzie, is a trafficking survivor who shared her firsthand experience at NBAA’s IOC in March, helping educate aviation professionals about human trafficking and its warning signs.
NBAA and the business aviation community have long been supportive of initiatives to thwart human trafficking, including a collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security on its Blue Lightning program, which provides specific aviation training and guidance for identifying and reporting suspected trafficking situations.
In 2025, NBAA was among the first recipients of Flights to Freedom’s Clay Lacy Friendship Medal for leadership in raising awareness about human trafficking. Flights to Freedom partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies, as well as Child Protective Services, to combat trafficking, and flies survivors to loved ones or support organizations for trauma care.
Created in 2006, NBAA’s Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership is named for Albert L. Ueltschi, who was widely recognized for his lifetime of dedication to philanthropic causes, most notably in the development of ORBIS International, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing blindness.
Past recipients of the award include participants in the Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift; Veterans Airlift Command; Corporate Angel Network; those involved in disaster relief efforts; FedEx Express and its founder, Frederick W. Smith, recognized for their support of the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital; and aviation legend Sean D. Tucker and the Bob Hoover Academy.
Learn more about the Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership.
Taking place Oct. 20-22 in Las Vegas, NBAA-BACE is the world’s most powerful business aviation event of the year, showcasing the industry’s latest innovations and services, and hosting the leaders who are shaping its future.