Flight to Excellence

The exceptional individuals of the Airline Economics 40 under 40 Class of 2023 have been chosen from among the brightest talents in the aviation industry. These young trailblazers represent the vanguard of change, embodying the spirit of progress that propels aviation into a  
promising future.

Airline Economics unveils the professional journeys of these talented aviation luminaries, showcasing their accomplishments, accolades from clients, senior leaders, and colleagues, while also shedding light on their aspirations for the future of aviation.

The aviation industry is recovering strongly from the depths of the pandemic crisis and the impact of the geopolitical tensions around the world. This year’s class of young aviation professionals have all weathered the worst of the downturn of the past few years and are working hard to capitalise on the many business opportunities arising from the global return to air travel. There have been a wave of retirements announced from senior aviation industry veterans over the past year and into 2024 but the strength of the nominations to the Airline Economics 40 under 40 for 2023 shows that the industry is well prepared for this changing of the guard with a highly skilled and experience talent pool heading into the next decade. 

The Airline Economics 40 under 40 Class of 2023 has been compiled from another record amount of nominations and endorsements, many from senior members of the wide aviation community. All 40 members of the final list received 1,305 endorsements in total, with the majority of those from clients. 

“We have been astonished at the response to this year’s 40 under 40 nominations process, from the sheer number of talented individuals submitted for consideration to the wealth of support provided by their clients, peers and colleagues. Our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to nominate and endorse entries to this year’s 40 under 40,” says Victoria Tozer-Pennington, editor and co-founder of Airline Economics. “As ever it was difficult to choose just forty individuals from the 119 nominations. The number of nominations and endorsements is testament to the achievements of all of these professionals, which is demonstrates the strength of the next generation of aviation industry leaders.” 

Although the 40 under 40 group is not ranked, Airline Economics does present its Future Leader award to the individual with the most impressive endorsements from clients and senior industry figures. This year, for the first time, the award has been shared by two very impressive candidates. Kinnary Armstrong, executive director at Mizuho and Kalash Pandey, managing director at Goldman Sachs.  
Kinnary has been singled out for recognition with an admirable number nominations from investors, clients and top executives spanning the aviation finance, leasing and investor world, who all praise her keen industry knowledge and her creativity when structuring deals, as well as her goal-orientated determination.

Kalash is viewed as a pre-eminent leader in transportation finance and the definitive authority on all things in aviation structured products. Described as the “go-to banker” for all capital markets and strategic advice, Kalash is relied upon by many clients and investors for his aviation finance acumen and creativity. 

In 2023, we have also added the Highly Commended designation to five individuals to recognise the calibre and sheer quantity of their supporting nominations. These are: Kalash Pandey, managing director at Goldman Sachs; Claire McDermott, managing partner at Flynn O’Driscoll; Claire Waters, aviation finance tax partner at KPMG Ireland; Matheus Piorino, head of customer finance at Embraer; and Joe Conboy, partner at PwC.

Airline Economics 40 under 40 - class of 2023