Airline Economics’ Aviation 100 Awards Recognize Aerospace Industry’s Top Performers
CHANDLER, Ariz. – AvAir, an inventory solutions provider for the aviation aftermarket, has solidified its leadership in the industry with its sixth consecutive year being awarded Airline Economics’ Aviation 100 “Parts Supplier of the Year” award.
AvAir team accepting the Parts Supplier of the Year award in Dublin.
“This is a remarkable achievement, and I am honored that our team has been recognized for this gold standard award once again,” said Mike Bianco, CEO of AvAir. “We have an unwavering commitment to excellence and hustle to ensure our clients’ expectations are exceeded and we solve problems to help support success. We are grateful for the industry’s support and recognition.”
Over the last year, AvAir continued to grow and expand its partnerships and services. Strategic effort and emphasis was placed on AvAir rapidly growing its loan, lease and exchange pool. AvAir also enhanced its workforce, hiring talented professionals across various departments in both its Arizona headquarters and Ireland office. AvAir was also the first company in the aviation industry to be Climate Neutral Certified by Climate Change, a global nonprofit. These efforts propelled AvAir’s dedication to quality work and support of its customers while reinforcing its status as a trusted partner in the aerospace industry.
This award was given at Airline Economics 15th annual Aviation 100 Global Leader Awards in Dublin. Parts Supplier of the Year is judged on the following criteria: parts stocked, clients on books/new clients in the past 12 months, locations/number of employees, ability to source, supply and timescale; plus, results from the awards survey.
AvAir was founded in 2000 and offers customized solutions for customers and suppliers to buy, sell, exchange, loan, lease, or consign inventories with more than 26 million in-stock components. The company is ISO 9001, AS9120, and ASA 100 certified and adheres to the highest quality standards in all phases: purchasing, receiving, stocking, sales, and shipping.
Chandler, Ariz. AvAir, a global leader in aviation inventory solutions, is proud to announce the promotion of Zach Hall to senior vice president of commercial, effective immediately. Hall previously served as vice president of business development and will now support AvAir’s global commercial strategy, with an emphasis on sales growth and customer partnerships.
“Zach’s journey at AvAir is a great example of leadership earned through performance and trust,” said Mike Bianco, CEO of AvAir. “Since joining the company, he has played a critical role in driving sales growth, developing strong customer relationships, and mentoring our commercial team. His impact has been felt across the organization, and this promotion reflects both his past contributions and our confidence in his leadership moving forward.”
Hall joined AvAir in 2018 as an account executive and has steadily advanced through the organization by delivering consistent results, building high-performing sales teams, and strengthening AvAir’s position in the global aviation marketplace. In his new role, Hall will be responsible for aligning commercial strategy with AvAir’s long-term growth objectives while continuing to expand customer value and market reach. Hall has also received recognition for his leadership and community commitment from Airline Economics 40 Under 40 and the Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 awards.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue growing with AvAir,” said Hall. “This company has an incredible team and culture, and I’m excited to build on our commercial success while helping lead the next phase of growth.”
AvAir is headquartered in Chandler, Ariz. and celebrated its 25th year in 2025 offers customized solutions for customers and suppliers to buy, sell, exchange, loan, lease, or consign inventories with more than 26 million in-stock components. The company is ISO 9001, AS9120, and ASA 100 certified and adheres to the highest quality standards in all phases: purchasing, receiving, stocking, sales, and shipping.
For more information about AvAir, visit AvAir.aero.
About AvAir
Founded in 2000, Arizona-based AvAir is a global leader in the aviation aftermarket, providing customized inventory solutions for airlines, OEMs, and MROs. AvAir has been named Parts Supplier of the Year for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 by Airline Economics, the leading industry trade publication. It has also been recognized for its work in sustainability and is Climate Neutral Certified by Climate Change, a global nonprofit. It also received the Environmental Sustainability award from Airline Economics The Aviation 100 awards. Additionally, AvAir has been named to the Inc. 5000 five times as one of the fastest growing private companies in America. For more about AvAir, visit AvAir.aero.
Cybersecurity breaches in aviation have become more frequent, more sophisticated and often more costly. According to Thales, ransomware incidents in the aviation sector are up 600% over the course of a year. As digital systems continue to integrate into every layer of operations, from maintenance tracking to financial transactions, the risk is no longer theoretical.
For companies in the aviation industry, cybersecurity is not just an IT issue; it is a fundamental part of maintaining trust, operational stability and global service delivery.
Building A Strong Foundation
At AvAir, the company in the aviation aftermarket where I serve as vice president of operations, a recent encounter reinforced that reality. A high-value transaction was nearly compromised by illegitimate actors impersonating a client. While we quickly detected and disrupted the attempt, the incident served as a powerful reminder that cyber threats are always evolving, and so must our defenses.
Like many companies, we maintain a strong cybersecurity foundation built on best practices and proactive monitoring. But maintaining a foundation is not enough. Cybercriminals continuously adapt, and so must we. That is why it is important for companies to commit to regularly refreshing internal documentation, team training and statistical benchmarks.
We also look to organizations like IATA Aviation Cyber Threat eXchange and FAA-led directives to ensure that our cybersecurity measures are in line with industry standards. Outdated guidance can create a false sense of security. Accurate, current data enables sharper decision making and faster response times.
The Impact Of Cyberattacks
There are three areas that are typically affected by a cybersecurity incident: financial, operational and reputational.
Financial may include loss of revenue, incident cost response, ransom payment and more. The average cost of a data breach in the U.S. is $4.44 million. Operations can be affected by downtime, time to recover and damage to assets. And a company’s reputation within its industry, partnerships and clients can be affected by a cybersecurity incident.
Maintaining a commitment to high cybersecurity standards is especially crucial during periods of heightened vulnerability. During the holiday season, for example, cyberattacks may spike, driven by increased online activity, distracted employees and opportunistic attackers leveraging social engineering tactics, including social media. Newer employees, in particular, are often targets.
There are known groups, including Scattered Spider, that use techniques to bypass multifactor authentication, such as convincing help desk services to obtain access to compromised accounts. Without continuous education, those small cracks can quickly become open doors.
Cyber Hygiene
Basic cyber hygiene remains one of our most effective defenses. At the individual level, this includes following training protocols, identifying phishing red flags, never sharing passwords, locking devices when unattended and alerting IT teams immediately after a suspicious click or interaction. Business email compromises and phishing are dominant initial access techniques for cyber threats.
At the organizational level, creating a preparation roadmap helps ensure you stay vigilant. At my company, this roadmap includes five phases:
1. Assess
2. Plan and document
3. Remediate and implement
4. Validate and report
5. Monitor and maintain
Where applicable, companies should also follow the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation that went into effect in 2018.
The Importance Of Leadership And Culture
At the leadership level, leaders must treat cybersecurity as a long-term investment, not a one-time project. It is probably not a question of if your company will be targeted, but when.
I suggest organizations evaluate their risk tolerance and take steps to reduce both exposure and potential fallout. Proactive measures such as multifactor authentication, passkeys, geofencing, phishing simulation training, risky sign-in monitoring and real-time vulnerability remediation are essential. In our industry, even robust accounting protocols can serve as a frontline defense against fraudulent payments.
But cybersecurity is not just about systems; it is about culture. Creating an environment where teams understand both the risks and their individual role is just as important as deploying new software. It takes open communication, cross-departmental alignment and a willingness to stay humble and alert. At my company, we believe in leading by example, updating our tools, refreshing our strategies and sharing what we learn.
As we look to 2026 and beyond, remain firm in your cybersecurity commitments: Protect your operations, protect your data and protect the trust your clients place in you. In aviation and every sector that values trust and precision, cybersecurity must be a shared responsibility and a permanent priority.
Aviation Aftermarket Supplier Grows into Industry Leader with Significant Milestones
CHANDLER, Ariz. – AvAir, an inventory solutions provider for the aviation aftermarket, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. From modest beginnings, AvAir has expanded into an industry leader and one of the most prominent companies in the aviation parts industry.
Founded in 2000, AvAir has had significant growth across all channels and services. Today, the company works with more than 3,100 customers in 127 countries with a team that has continually grown in both the Chandler, Ariz., and Dublin, Ireland offices – the Dublin location opened five years ago. AvAir has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies four times in the last ten years, proving its tremendous, accelerated growth. Additionally, AvAir has been named the “Parts Supplier of the Year” from Airline Economics’ Aviation 100 awards for five consecutive years from 2020 to 2025.
These achievements have been under Mike Bianco’s leadership as CEO. Bianco became CEO in 2019 and in addition to investing in employee growth and retention, he has created a company culture that fosters development, is solutions-oriented, and supports employees both mentally and physically. The company has also received numerous Best Places to Work awards from a variety of organizations.
Another achievement AvAir has made is overhauling its sustainability practices. The company and employees have made significant changes after assessing procurement, waste, water, energy, fuel, transportation and other potential contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The goal was to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. In 2024, AvAir was named climate neutral by Climate Change, a leading international nonprofit. Setting the precedent and aiming to be a leader in sustainability in the aviation industry. These remarkable achievements solidify AvAir’s reputation as an industry leader with an unwavering commitment to excellence.
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