NATA has selected Gerald Dillingham, the former head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) civil aviation issues arm, as the recipient of its Distinguished Public Service Award to recognize his outstanding service and contributions to the industry. Dillingham retired last month after a career in public service that lasted for more than four decades.
“The National Air Transportation Association is honored to recognize Gerald Dillingham’s fair and nonpartisan approach to his work and his engagement with all facets of the industry to produce highly regarded and thorough results. Under Dr. Dillingham’s leadership, the GAO produced numerous studies essential to providing a factual basis, which government and industry could rely upon to guide policy discussions,” said NATA president Martin Hiller.
Dillingham’s work included studies to quantify the impact of fuel tax revenue diversion of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund along with research surrounding the potential effects of privatizing the nation’s air traffic control system, the association said. NATA will present Dillingham with the award in June during its annual meeting and aviation business conference.
