AMSTERDAM, March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Winners announced at Gala VIP Dinner on First Day of ATC Global 2013

Winners of the ATC Global 2013 Excellence Awards were announced last night, in recognition of exceptional progress in delivering improved air traffic management performance worldwide. The successful finalists were announced at an evening VIP Gala dinner on the first night of ATC Global 2013. Taking place in Amsterdam this week ATC Global 2013 returns for its 23^rd year, offering an independent view on the skies for the global ATM community.

Held in association with Air Traffic Management Magazine, the Excellence Awards and VIP Gala Dinner took place at the Grand Elicium Ballroom with special guest speaker Yves "Jetman" Rossy.

The award for Executive Leadership was given to David McMillan, former Director General of EUROCONTROL and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Flight Safety Foundation. Additional winners included ACSS, who triumphed in the Industry Partnership of the Year category for its collaboration with US Airways, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and EUROCONTROL on NextGen/ADS-B avionics. The judges felt the entry was an important impetus to driving international progress, benefitting users, industry and air navigation service providers (ANSPs).

Safety Leadership of the Year went to Honeywell for its Smart Landing Smart Runway system, delivering better information to crews at critical stages of flight, reducing risk of runway accidents. The Excellence in ANSP Management in European and North America was won by the Irish Aviation Authority for its service improvement and charges reduction programme. The Airports Authority of India won Excellence in ANSP Management in the Rest of the World category, for its work to increase capacity levels at a time of rapid air transport growth.

Snowflake Software was recognised in the Outstanding Contribution to the Next Generation category for its SWIM B2B web service; the judges felt that integrated information management system, using open standards, delivered an important improvement in exchanging vital aeronautical data safely and efficiently.

The Environmental Award was presented to LFV Group of Sweden for the VINGA project to reduce noise and emissions throughout all phases of flight by working closely with all aviation stakeholders.

Additional awards for Strategic Advancement in Air Transport went to Airports Authority of India for the Indian Ocean Strategic Partnerships to Reduce Emissions (INSPIRE) programme and the Air Traffic Management Magazine Atlantic Award was presented to Air Berlin as the first airline to initiate satellite-based precision approaches into Germany at Bremen.

The judging panel this year included Patrick Goudou, the Executive Director at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); Captain Lars GV Lindberg, President and Chairman of the board at Avtech; ASECNA Director General Amadou Ousmane Guitteye; Fabio Gamba, CEO at the European Business Aviation Association; the CEO of Atlantic Airways Magni Arnesen; Alexis Brathwaite, President and CEO of IFATCA; Aimee Turner, Editor of Air Traffic Management Magazine; Christopher Surgenor, Editor and publisher of Greenaironline; David Learmount, Safety Editor, Flight International; David Kaminiski-Morrow, also of Flight International; John Croft, the Avionics and Safety editor of Aviation Week and the editor of ATC Global Insight, Philip Butterworth-Hayes.

Notes to Editors:

About ATC Global:

ATC Global has been uniting the entire ATM industry annually since 1990. It provides an independent and impartial marketplace for ATM businesses from every region, small and large and regardless of affiliation. It brings together the broadest range of regulatory bodies, ANSPs, industry organisations and suppliers to establish and maintain meaningful partnerships.

SOURCE ATC Global