Safety & Security

2026 Nuts and Bolts Award Presented to American Airlines’ Stacy Morrissey and Robert Ireland, Formerly of Airlines for America

February 20, 2026

WASHINGTON, February 20, 2026 — Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, has announced the 60th annual A4A Engineering, Maintenance and Materiel Council (EMMC) Nuts and Bolts Awards will be awarded to American Airlines Vice President of Engineering and Quality Stacy Morrissey and retired A4A executive Robert Ireland.

The Nuts and Bolts Awards recognize individuals who demonstrate outstanding service and achievements in the engineering or maintenance fields within the commercial aviation industry. The awards will be presented during Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas trade show in Orlando, Florida, being held April 21-23.

Stacy Morrissey

American Airlines’ Vice President of Engineering and Quality Stacy Morrissey displays technical judgment, operational discipline and commitment to advancing the safety record of the airline industry through her more than two decades of sustained leadership in engineering, quality, safety and operational performance at American Airlines.

For 27 years, Morrissey has served in a wide range of technical and operational functions at American, including engineering, quality control, reliability, configuration management, maintenance programs and technical publications. Her stewardship of program optimization, predictive maintenance development and deployment of advanced digital tools contributed enormously to the long-term reliability of American’s fleet.

During her career with American, Morrissey led important efforts like FAA-approved updates to the Aircraft National Security Program (ANSP), injury reduction efforts and enhanced quality performance. Morrissey represented American at key industry forums, including playing a pivotal role in the industry’s coordinated response to the 5G radio altimeter issue. She has also been a strong external advocate for industry advancement, mentoring talent and supporting women in engineering. Across safety, reliability, accountability and industry leadership, Stacy Morrissey consistently delivered results that matter to both her airline and the broader aviation community.

“Stacy Morrissey’s decisive, results driven leadership—combining rigorous engineering judgment with an unrelenting focus on safety and reliability—has strengthened fleet performance, accelerated predictive maintenance and digital tools and elevated industry standards through supplier accountability and cross industry collaboration,” said A4A Vice President, Operations and Safety, Justin Madden. “Stacy’s continued collaboration reinforces that this recognition is well-deserved.”

Robert (Bob) Ireland

Bob Ireland aviation career spans decades of technical, operational and safety leadership. His career and body of work have been nothing short of impressive, and his storied efforts to enhance aviation safety through exceptional efforts in collaboration and information sharing indicate that he deserves the Nuts and Bolts Award.

After earning his aerospace engineering degree from Princeton University, he was hired as an engineer at Boeing and later joined Honeywell’s avionics division. He then spent 30 years at United Airlines, where he played a major role in developing industry standard windshear training in partnership with Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed and NCAR—a collaboration that led to the FAA’s Windshear Training Aid and dramatically reduced windshear incidents. At United, he also oversaw major aircraft deliveries, managed large scale cabin upgrades, led engineering services and ultimately served as Managing Director of Flight Training Center Services, responsible for simulator engineering, training facility operations and maintenance.

Ireland served as A4A’s Vice President, Safety, Maintenance and Engineering from 2012 until his retirement in 2025. During his tenure, he led the engineering, maintenance and safety teams while coordinating critical interfaces between A4A’s member airlines and an array of government and industry entities. He guided multiple initiatives that improved the efficiency and safety of the National Airspace System. His leadership on radio frequency spectrum issues—including orchestrating the industrywide 5G retrofit mandate—helped prevent disruption across the U.S. commercial fleet. Beyond his industry roles, he has been an active SAE International volunteer for more than three decades, serving in numerous leadership positions across committees, boards and councils. His contributions earned him SAE’s inaugural Contributor of the Year award, and he most recently served as the 2025 SAE President.

“Bob Ireland’s decades of technical leadership, industry collaboration and unwavering commitment to aviation safety have profoundly strengthened the U.S. commercial aviation system and set a standard of excellence across the industry,” said Madden. “A4A’s EMMC is honored to present him with the Nuts and Bolts award.”