The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen Passes
Bolen led the association for more than 22 years.
After having led the National Business Aviation Association for more than 22 years, and a brief retirement of just a few days, Ed Bolen has passed away after a short period of treatment for cancer. He was 67 years old.
On November 10, Bolen was inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame’s 2026 class with his family representing him at a ceremony at the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita. It was an honor that his native state bestowed upon him following his years of service and leadership within the aviation industry.
Bolen’s father introduced him to the industry while serving on the board of the Salina Regional Airport, so he saw from the beginning the utility and reach that general aviation had in the United States. After graduating with a degree in economics from the University of Kansas, he went on to earn both a law degree and Master of Law in taxation. He served as legislative director for U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS), and majority general counsel to what is now the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Bolen was a key part of the passing of the General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA) of 1994, which proved critical to restoring GA manufacturing both to the world as well as to his home state, and restarting manufacturing lines in Wichita and Independence.
Bolen served as president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) from 1996 to 2004 before becoming president and CEO of NBAA, a position he only recently stepped down from to focus on his health and family. In 2021, he was named a Living Legend of Aviation and inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. In 2025, he received the Alpha Eta Rho Award, the aviation fraternity’s highest honor, for his commitment to the industry’s future leaders. In early 2026, he received the Clay Lacy Friendship Medal from Flights to Freedom, which transports human trafficking survivors to their loved ones, or to support groups.
He is survived by his wife, Beth, sons Jack and Robert, and a wide circle of family and friends. “We are filled with incredible sadness about Ed,” said Dan Hubbard, NBAA Acting CEO and SVP, Communications. “Ed was not just our colleague; he was a friend and a mentor to many of us. He accomplished so much, and did so with grace and humility.”
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