NBAA Convention: Wings of Hope for Business Aviation

  While attendance was somewhat down from prior years, the mood at this year’s NBAA Convention in Orlando was decidedly upbeat. Despite the beating corporate aircraft took earlier in the year in the media, and in the mouths of politicians looking to get their faces and names in the media, most people I spoke with were optimistic that the economic tide was turning for business aircraft. A number of companies announced an expansion of their air charter operations, which is, of course, good news for FBOs and ultimately ground equipment suppliers.   I spoke with equipment manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting at the convention who uniformly reported increased interest in their products.  While that interest may not all translate into actual sales, the mood was optimistic. And so much of the economy depends on optimism.   I also spoke with a number of suppliers of alternative-energy products who reported a marked increase in interest in their products.  Not surprisingly, given the upcoming mandatory carbon reduction schemes going into effect abroad, much of the interest in “green” equipment is coming from businesses with operations outside the US. US business interests, however, will be watching closely for word from Copenhagen in December where President Obama is scheduled to announce the US’s actions to reduce carbon emissions.   Overall, people I spoke with in all aspects of corporate and charter operations felt that, though the tough times were not over, the decline was and that a period of stability and growth lay ahead.