Gama Aviation‘s co-founder Marwan Khalek received the Michael Wheatley Award for Outstanding Services from the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA).

The BBGA held an annual conference this past week in London that recognized Khalek for being a “respected, successful entrepreneur with a proven track record over nearly four decades.” BBGA also shared that his partner Steve Wright told them that Khalek took Gama from a small air-taxi business in the early 1980s to a full scale global aviation services company that employs over 1,000 people to date.

BBGA chair Aoife O’Sullivan provided a statement on the award. “Our association has benefited greatly from Marwan’s knowledge and expertise over many years, for which we are very grateful… On a personal basis, I have enjoyed his infuriating ability to put lawyers in their place, fight a contract like [an attorney] on a mission and yet always remain a friendly face, always respectful and engaging.”

Khalek was an engineer before working in the private aviation industry, and eventually learned to fly planes. He saw an opportunity to move his business skills into his newly formed passion for aviation, and eventually turned it into what is now Gama Aviation. He has become a strong industry leader over the years, and a widely known advocate to many and even serves on many chairs and boards for a wide variety of Aviation groups such as the EBAA and the BBGA as well.