News Release

AJ Becker named Elite Air president, made equity partner

Longtime Elite Air director of marketing and sales AJ Becker has been made an equity partner and president of the St. Petersburg, Florida headquartered aviation management and charter company. Outgoing president Gray Gibbs, who founded Elite Air in 2001, remains chief executive officer and director of operations.

“AJ has served Elite Air extremely well for more than a decade now, and he deserved to be rewarded for his hard work,” Gibbs said. “His enthusiasm for aviation has only grown over his years with the company.”

Becker, born and raised in Clearwater, Florida, landed his first aviation job while a freshman at Florida State University. He started his career with Northwest Airlink, the regional arm of Northwest Airlines, when he was 19 and worked with the company for almost two years, primarily handling customer needs as a ground service representative.

The job launched an aviation career that eventually led Becker to Elite Air, where he combines his love of aviation and university training in marketing and management.

During his sophomore year at FSU, Becker began working on his pilot's licence, eventually moving on from Northwest to focus on flying and completing his degree. He soon earned his private pilot's licence and instrument rating and became FSU flying club president during his senior year at the school. Between his junior and senior years, Becker worked as an Elite Air intern.

Elite Air hired Becker full-time in 2008. He was tasked with promoting the company to end-users in the local market and later promoted to sales division director and assistant operations director.

As company president, Becker is more involved than ever in managing Elite Air's day-to-day operations and finances. “It's an honour to be given this opportunity,” he said. “I hope to continue to do everything I can to make Elite Air the best aviation company it can be in the many years to come.”