Washington, DC, December 12, 2024 – NATA (the National Air Transportation Association) issued the following statement on the selection of James Viola to succeed Pete Bunce as President and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) in March of 2025. Bunce has led GAMA for nearly 20 years, while Viola has served as President and CEO of Vertical Aviation International (VAI) since 2020.
“NATA congratulates James Viola on his appointment as incoming President and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). An industry legend like Pete Bunce is a very hard act to follow, but Jim is capable and up to the task. Jim’s aviation and agency experience, combined with his passion for safety and focus on moving the industry forward, are crucial to continuing the organizational growth, sustainability advancements, and aviation innovation shepherded by Pete for the past few decades at the helm of GAMA,” stated NATA President and CEO Curt Castagna. “NATA looks forward to continuing our partnership for business aviation progress with Jim under his new leadership role at GAMA and we join our industry colleagues in saluting general aviation’s stalwart champion, Pete Bunce.”