Ed Bolen, who led the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) for more than 22 years, died Wednesday following a battle with cancer, the association announced. Bolen had retired Nov. 6 after undergoing cancer treatment that prompted him to take a medical leave earlier this year. He had served as NBAA’s president and CEO since 2004.
Career in Aviation
Before joining NBAA, Bolen led the General Aviation Manufacturers Association from 1996 to 2004. A Kansas native and private pilot, he previously worked as legislative director for U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum and helped secure passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994. He also chaired the FAA’s Management Advisory Council from 2000 to 2004 and served on the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry.
During his tenure at NBAA, Bolen represented business aviation interests in policy debates involving airport access, air traffic control modernization, user fees and ATC privatization. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves credited Bolen’s involvement in developing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. Bolen was also inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame on Tuesday, one day before his death. Family members and NBAA representatives attended the ceremony on his behalf.
Aviation Community Responds
“Ed was not just our colleague – he was a friend and a mentor to many of us,” NBAA Acting CEO Dan Hubbard said in a statement Wednesday. “He accomplished so much, and did so with grace and humility.”
The National Air Transportation Association also issued a statement following Bolen’s death. NATA President and CEO Curt Castagna cited the organizations’ decades of collaboration on aviation policy and Bolen’s role in bringing industry groups together.
“Ed was a dear friend to me and a valued friend to our association,” Castagna said in NATA’s Wednesday statement. “His wisdom, warmth, and genuine interest in others made every conversation meaningful and every collaboration better.”
AOPA also issued a statement Thursday, noting Bolen’s advocacy on issues affecting the broader general aviation community.
“He led NBAA, but he never lost sight of the pilot flying a Cessna 172 on a Saturday morning,” AOPA Acting Co-President Katie Pribyl said in a statement Thursday. “When AOPA needed a partner, Ed was always there, and our members are better off for the fights he took on with us.”
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