Business & GA

Europe has pledged not to neglect business and general aviation as it has done in the past, the European Commission’s transport director Daniel Calleja told the opening session of this year’s EBACE. As set out in its paper earlier this year, the sector will be fully integrated into European Aviation policy, he says.

This policy was endorsed by the EU’s transport ministers last month, recognising the massive contribution to Europe’s business environment, Calleja says, including the fact that European business and general aviation manufacturers sold €2 billion ($3.1bn) worth of equipment last year.

The environment is an element that the industry can, and must, take seriously, Calleja insists, and the EU sees progress on this front as a three-sector process involving the efficiencies that will be generated by the Single European Sky, advances in technology, and an emissions trading scheme.

HRH Prince Michael of Kent cuts the ribbon to officially open EBACE 2008 this morning.

Global interoperability and international accessibility must be improved, Calleja says, and in this he was backed fully by the NBAA president Ed Bolen, who concedes the US has a long way to go in this respect.

The show was officially opened by the UK’s Prince Michael of Kent -the patron of the British Business and General Aviation Association - who said he was delighted to cut the ribbon:“I am particularly keen that young people wishing to pursue a career in engineering are encouraged to work in business aviation,” he said. “It is most encouraging to see that EBAA is inviting a cadre of technical students to the show in order to help attract them to this exciting and important sector of the engineering profession.”

In a speech made earlier by Eric Mandemaker of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) said of the show, “This is our eighth show and will be the best one to date with three halls full of exhibitors. We are expecting 12,000 attendees.”

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