The Air Charter Association's annual excellence awards returned to London on 8 October, with Platoon Aviation taking executive operator of the year for the third time and Saxon Air reclaiming the helicopter title.
Global trade body The Air Charter Association (The ACA) hosted its annual Air Charter Excellence Awards on 8 October 2026 at the Novotel London West, with 500 industry professionals in attendance.
The awards are a highlight of the aviation calendar, bringing together members and industry professionals to celebrate the achievements of the past year. The evening began with a networking reception, followed by a three-course gala dinner and the ceremony, which featured awards presented by their respective sponsors.
The ACA again welcomed 15 interns from The ACA Internship 2026 programme to recognise their achievements, with an internship project prize awarded. Several of the 2025 internship alumni were also in attendance, having secured positions at member companies, highlighting the value of the programme in supporting the next generation of air charter professionals.
Glenn Hogben, chief executive, says: “The Air Charter Excellence Awards night is always an outstanding occasion, and it is exciting to be back in London this year in a new location to celebrate the best of our industry. The ACA puts huge emphasis on best practice and upholding standards; therefore, it is important that we recognise the hard work and professionalism shown by the individuals and companies that drive our industry forward. Congratulations to all of the award winners and finalists!
“On a separate note, it was fantastic to have our 2026 intern cohort in attendance, both to celebrate their completion of the programme and to provide them with the opportunity to network with leading air charter professionals at one of the biggest events in the industry calendar. We look forward to supporting them over the coming months as they work towards transitioning into a career in air charter.”
The award winners are as follows: Executive Passenger Charter Operator of the Year – Platoon Aviation; Commercial Passenger Charter Operator of the Year – Titan Airways; Cargo Charter Operator of the Year – DHL Aviation; Helicopter Charter Operator of the Year – Saxon Air; Aircraft Manufacturer of the Year – Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation; Charter Operators' Broker of the Year SME – Air Charter Travel; Charter Operators' Broker of the Year Enterprise – Air Charter Service; Flight Ops Service Provider of the Year – Farnborough Airport; Business Service Supplier of the Year – Avinode Group; Young Person of the Year – Mark van der Krieken; and Internship 2026 Project Prize – Rosa Gray.
The event was sponsored by Jetex, Dassault Aviation, 8020 Communications, BLAK Aviation, Catreus, Chapman Freeborn, Doncaster Sheffield airport, Global Charter, London Biggin Hill airport, London Southend Jet Centre, Luxaviation Group, Titan Airways and Volare Aviation.
Platoon were previous winners in 2023 and 2025, with Saxon Air also triumphing in 2023.
Jordan Smith, head of rotary operations at Saxon Air, comments: “Winning the Air Charter Association's Helicopter Operator of the Year for the third time in five years is an incredible honour and a powerful validation of our team's relentless hard work. This milestone crowns a truly transformative year for Saxon Air, marked by the strategic expansion of our fleet with multiple AgustaWestland A109 and Leonardo AW139 aircraft, alongside the growth of our talented operations team.
“As we continue to scale our capabilities, this recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to safety, service excellence and innovation in rotary aviation. We are immensely proud of how far we've come, and with our momentum continuing to build, the future ahead is exceptionally bright.”
