Datuk Captain Mohd Nawawi Bin Awang was conferred the title of Panglima Jasa Negara (P.J.N.) by the thirteenth Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2011 which carries the title of ‘Datuk’. Prior to this, he was bestowed the Dato’ Paduka Setia Mahkota Kelantan (D.P.S.K.) awarded by DYMM Sultan Kelantan in 2003 which carries the title ‘Dato’.

Datuk Captain Mohd Nawawi commands a high-flying career of over four decades in the aviation industry. He joined the national carrier Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAS) in October 1975 after completing five years of service with the Royal Malaysian Air Force. He has flown several types of aircraft during his long-standing tenure with MAS, being last rated on the B747-400.

Besides serving as trainer, flight simulator instructor and authorised examiner on aircraft types at the MAS Academy, he was also a facilitator for the MAS Crew Resource Management Programme. He held various management pilot positions such as Fleet Captain/Manager F27, B737 and A300 and moved upward to become the Vice President of Flight Operations in 1996 and Senior General Manager of Flight Operations in June 2001.

Following that, Datuk Captain Mohd Nawawi was appointed as the Senior General Manager/Executive Vice President of External Relations and subsequently, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of community airline MASwings Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of MAS. Under his three-year leadership, MASwings expanded beyond East Malaysia into the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). He retired as CEO of MASwings on 31 May 2014 and subsequently from MAS in December 2015.

A graduate of the Royal Military College in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur in 1970, Datuk Captain Mohd Nawawi obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1993 from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. He was a member of both the Chartered Institute of Transport, United Kingdom and Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics, Malaysia.

He enjoys golfing and community service in his free time.