Washington, DC – The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has announced a strategic leadership transition as its longtime President and CEO, Bryan Burns, has retired. The ACSF Board of Governors selected current Executive Director Debi Carpenter to succeed Burns as President, effective July 1, 2025.
A seasoned aviation professional and private pilot, Bryan Burns brought over 35 years of industry experience to ACSF, including serving as general manager at several leading fixed base operators (FBOs). Most notably, he led Signature Aviation’s Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), which was ranked the #1 FBO in the country for four consecutive years by Professional Pilot magazine. Since taking the helm at ACSF, Burns has transformed the organization into a trusted and leading voice in aviation safety across the charter, corporate, private and advanced air mobility sectors. He championed the growth of programs like the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) and the Industry Audit Standard (IAS), and spearheaded initiatives to promote a proactive, data-driven approach to operational safety. His commitment to excellence was recognized in 2021 when he was honored with the prestigious “Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award.”
Debi Carpenter joined ACSF as Executive Director in June 2023 to work closely with Burns on the strategic vision for expanding ACSF’s reach and deepen its impact. With over two decades of aviation safety experience and a passion for organizational growth, Carpenter will focus on advancing safety through both internal and external collaboration and sharing of actionable safety data.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF.aero) is a non-profit organization with more than 350+ member companies. Its mission is to lead and support the advancement of the highest safety standards available; to enable the business, charter and fractional ownership industry to offer the safest air transportation products in the world; and to provide objective information about these standards and services to the public.