Metropolitan State University of Denver - AAAE Collegiate Chapter

The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) was founded in September 1928 when 10 airport directors met at the National Air Races at Mines Field (now Los Angeles International Airport). Air races manager Cliff Henderson, acting on the suggestion of St. Paul, Minnesota’s Francis J. Geng, sent letters to airport managers across the country to attend an organizational meeting with the goal of forming a group to represent airport management throughout the U.S. AAAE has succeeded over the years, creating a suite of products and services that address airport industry needs, and generate the revenue required to support core association services, such as the Airport Legislative Alliance, Regulatory Affairs, and the Transportation Security Policy departments. Products like the patented, computer-based Interactive Employee Training (IET) demonstrate both AAAE’s commitment to providing the airport community with cost-effective tools and its ability to create a successful business model that does not lean heavily on membership dues. AAAE’s nearly 5,000 individual members includes some 3,000 airport professionals representing nearly 850 different airports, from large hubs to general aviation facilities. The association’s 600 corporate members are dedicated to serving airports and the aviation industry, and provide critical support to the association through their participation in meetings and workshops.