Adam Bouchard, Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Nashville International Airport, has been confirmed as a member of the judging panel for the Aviation Industry Awards 2026, contributing executive-level airport operations experience and a career spanning airline leadership, airport management, and academic instruction to one of Ireland's most established aviation recognition programmes.

Bouchard oversees all facets of airport operations, facilities, maintenance, and customer experience at Nashville International Airport, an operation currently serving 27 million passengers annually. That scale of responsibility demands a command of airport systems, safety protocols, and service delivery that few practitioners can claim, and it is that operational depth that he carries into the judging process. 

His prior role as Vice President of Operations at Tampa International Airport, combined with progressive leadership positions at American Airlines earlier in his career, traces a trajectory through some of North America's most demanding aviation environments, giving him a vantage point on best practice that is both broad and grounded in lived operational reality.

His professional credentials are equally substantial. Bouchard holds Certified Member status with the American Association of Airport Executives and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, recognitions that place him within the upper tier of airport management professionals internationally. 

He also facilitates two national roundtables on airport operations and safety, a commitment that reflects his investment in raising standards across the profession rather than within his own organisation alone. 

As adjunct professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he teaches airport management, airport planning, and airport law, he maintains an active engagement with the next generation of aviation leaders.

The Aviation Industry Awards, launched in 2014, is Ireland's benchmark programme for excellence and best practice in the aviation sector, spanning 25 categories from Aviation Company of the Year and Passenger Experience Award to Innovation in Safety and Risk Management, Green Impact, and Aviation Rising Star. Bouchard joins fellow panellists Samantha Harding of SILC and Dr Kyriakos Kourousis of the University of Limerick.

The awards gala will take place on 3 December 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin Airport. Entries close on 21 August 2026.

Visit the official Aviation Industry Awards website to submit your entry and subscribe to the newsletter for insights and event updates.