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MICHAEL WILLIAMS
Jetaire Founder & CEO
As an aviation safety trailblazer, Michael is responsible for nearly 200 major design approvals and certification of more than 500 FAA approvals for commercial and corporate aircraft. He has built Jetaire into an industry leader in technical solutions that answer the aviation industry’s complex requirements for safety, endurance, and proficiency, providing high-reliability electronic and hardware systems support for critical functions where durability and peak performance are vital.
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Michael is an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (Emeritas), having received the appointment in 1984 and holding it for thirty-three years. His appointment made him one of the youngest African Americans to ever receive the designation.
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Michael has been married for 43 years to the love of his life, Leilani and is the proud father of daughters Kristina and Rachel as well as grandfather to Cason. His passions include flying his Cirrus aircraft and teaching young people about the joys of aviation.
BACKGROUND
After earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Savannah State College and completing the Advanced Management Education Program at Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and Clark Atlanta University’s Small Business Executive Education Program, Michael, a Macon Georgia native, began his career as an engineer at Eastern Airlines in 1980. He progressed rapidly to an Avionics engineer for Air Florida Airlines.
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When an Air Florida flight that Michael was scheduled to be on in 1982 crashed into the Potomac River, killing dozens of people, it produced the trigger his desire to focus on improving aviation safety. Michael founded Jetaire Group, a global aerospace manufacturing and engineering organization, in 1984. Headquartered in Fayetteville, GA, Jetaire has grown to four offices providing aerospace industry safety initiatives in 60-plus countries.
INVICTA
Following the tragic loss of life in two separate inflight incidents, Michael and his team pioneered the development of a reticulated polyurethane foam solution for ignition mitigation recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Today, Michael's invention has been certified for compliance by aviation regulatory agencies including EASA, TCCA, AFAC, and ANAC. More than 70 aircraft and millions of lives have been protected from fuel tank explosions due to INVICTA kits.
RECOGNITION
2021 EPPS AVIATION LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
​The coveted EPPS Aviation award recognizes those within the aviation community that have made significant contributions to the aerospace industry in the State of Georgia. Previous winners include Gulfstream and Delta Airlines. Read more
2020 GLOBE AWARD
​Acknowledged by the Georgia Department of Economic Development for the global demand being met by Jetaire Flight Systems, Michael Willams accepted the GLOBE award on behalf of the Jetaire team. Read more
2019 ENTREPRENEUR 360
The Entrepreneur 360 list selects companies based on growth, innovation, and their ability to build legacies. Jetaire was selected based on more than 50 criteria in 2019. Read more