Press Release

Issued by FlightSafety International.

October 22, 2014

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its Associate Member Advisory Council (AMAC).

AMAC consists of representatives of manufacturers and other companies that provide aircraft products and services to NBAA Member flight departments. Many of these companies exhibit at NBAA's annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition. The council advises the NBAA Board of Directors on areas of interest to the associate membership. It also defines the relationship among all segments of the NBAA Membership and recommends programs that would improve communications between those segments.

David Davenport, senior vice president of FlightSafety International, and Maria Sastre, president and chief operating officer of Signature Flight Support, will serve two-year terms starting with AMAC's December meeting.

Davenport was selected for his “expertise in business aviation training, vast experience and strong leadership capabilities,” said Joan Sullivan Garrett, AMAC's chairman. Sastre was chosen for her “excellent leadership qualities, as well as the representation of the fixed-base operators, a very important segment within the business aviation industry,” Sullivan Garrett said.

Davenport has held various management positions at FlightSafety International over the past 18 years. In his current role, he reports directly to the aviation training company's chief executive officer and is responsible for sales, marketing, business development and operations. Previously, as regional operations manager at Signature Flight Support, Davenport oversaw Gulfstream and Rotorcraft training centers and FlightSafety Academy. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, he received pilot training in the Cessna T-37 and supersonic Northrop T-38.

Sastre, a former executive in the commercial airline and cruise line industries, joined Signature Flight Support in 2010. In her current role, she oversees the daily operations of Signature's worldwide network of fixed-base operations and maintenance centers. Earlier in her career, Sastre was a vice president at both United Airlines and Royal Caribbean Cruises and held management positions at Continental Airlines and Eastern Airlines. She has a bachelor's degree in finance and a master's in business administration from New York Institute of Technology.