Bad Homburg, Frankfurt, 2 October 2026
The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) has awarded Mr. Jukka Pekka Kinos, aka JP, the prestigious IAOPA Award. The award was presented on 2 October 2026 during the IAOPA World Assembly held in Bad Homburg, Germany.
The recognition was granted to JP for his outstanding and long-term efforts to improve aviation safety, as well as for his significant contribution to advancing the safe integration of manned and unmanned aviation.
Technological development and the rapid growth of the commercial drone sector require new solutions to maintain aviation safety. This is particularly important for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, which form the foundation for many future unmanned aviation business models. Mr. Kinos has actively promoted an operational concept in which traffic information from multiple sources is combined into a unified situational awareness picture and delivered in real time to all airspace users.
The significance of this work extends beyond aviation safety alone. Safe integration creates opportunities for the growth of commercial unmanned aviation, encourages investment, and enables the development of new services. At the same time, it supports the creation of sustainable business opportunities in an environment where manned and unmanned aircraft can operate side by side within the same airspace without compromising safety.
Across Europe, authorities and aviation stakeholders are currently developing solutions in which electronic conspicuity and digital situational awareness will form the foundation of the future airspace environment. JP has played an active role in bringing international experience and practical solutions to Finland while fostering cooperation between authorities, the aviation community, and unmanned aviation operators.
Mr. Kinos will continue to be a key contributor in the development of solutions that enable traditional general aviation and the rapidly expanding unmanned aviation sector to operate safely within the same airspace. His work has focused particularly on the utilisation of electronic conspicuity, ADS-B, ADS-L, and UAT technologies, as well as on the development of cost-effective infrastructure to enhance airspace situational awareness.
The recognition granted by IAOPA is also an acknowledgment of AOPA Finland, Finnish aviation expertise, and the Association’s long-term work to improve and develop a safe airspace awareness framework.
Further Information
Mr. Jukka Pekka Kinos
Vice President
AOPA Finland
jp.kinos@smll.fi
+358 500 384 410
