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EUROCONTROL DG Raúl Medina receives 2023 ALA Award in Madrid

5 June 2024

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EUROCONTROL DG Raúl Medina receiving ALA award

The award recognises his international career and dedication to the European aviation sector.

EUROCONTROL Director General Raúl Medina was honoured yesterday by ALA, the Spanish Association of Airlines, at their General Assembly in Madrid as the recipient of the 2023 ALA Award, which pays tribute to stakeholders who have made a major difference to our sector.

The award was received by our Director General in the presence of Javier Gándara Martínez, ALA's President and Director of easyJet in southern Europe, D. Pablo Olmeda, ALA's Honorary President, and Benito Núñez, Spanish Secretary General of Air & Maritime Transport.

"Raúl Medina's professional activity has been linked to our aviation sector for many years, and his passion and dedication are well known. With this award, we want to highlight the commitment and good performance that he has always had and how he has worked, and is working intensely, as EUROCONTROL's DG to improve the aviation sector as a whole and to move towards a more efficient and effective management of air traffic".

Javier Gándara Martínez President, ALA

In his acceptance speech, Raúl dedicated the award to all the colleagues, partners and stakeholders who have accompanied him on his professional journey.

"Devoting my career to aviation - a sector that I'm truly passionate about - has been a unique privilege. But I'm very thankful for one thing in particular. In every country and organisation where I had the opportunity to work or collaborate, I always had the pleasure of connecting with great professionals who shared the same passion and determination. Together, we have been striving to make Europe's aviation more safe, sustainable and efficient, and this award is a great reflection of our collective efforts."

Raúl Medina Director General, EUROCONTROL

ALA, Association of Airlines, is the reference association for the airline sector in Spain and the leading organisation for air traffic in this country. It brings together 85% of air traffic in Spain, including the ten airlines with the most traffic.

The 71 airlines associated with ALA transported just over 240 million passengers out of 283 million last year. Regarding the number of flights, the ALA airlines carried out just over 1.66 million landings and takeoffs, representing 70% of the operations recorded last year. They also exceeded 565 million tons transported, just over half of the total cargo moved by air last year.

Founded in 1962, ALA has been improving air transport in Spain for more than 65 years. It has faced the challenges of the aviation sector, ensuring the safety and quality of the services provided by airlines while working to make the sector more sustainable and efficient.