Lawrence L. “Larry” Burian, who led the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) for nearly two decades, died on December 23.

Burian, who soloed at the age of 14 in his Missouri hometown, joined NATA in 1974 initially as a v-p with a focus on the FBO industry and became its president two years later. At the time, the organization had just three employees, 160 members, and a $135,000 budget, Burian was quoted as saying during his retirement. By the time he left NATA in 1994, the association had grown to some 2,000 members and had a $2.5 million budget and 16 employees.

NATA noted that Burian stepped in when the association’s members were fragmented and needed focus and worked to attract leaders who understood the general aviation business. As he had joined the association, it was going through a transformation with the scheduled commuter and cargo carriers deciding to split off to form a separate organization. The remaining organization rebranded to the National Air Transportation Association and under Burian's direction became a strong voice of advocacy for business and general aviation businesses. Under his stewardship, NATA fought major conflicts such as fuel price and allocation controls—a battle that ultimately resulted in an estimated $70 million being returned to the FBO industry, according to the association.

NATA added that Burian, a strong advocate of communication, left a legacy of “community-building, providing strong advocacy, and serving as the voice of aviation business.”