Business aviation in Europe is the fastest expanding air transport sector apart from the low-cost scheduled airlines, according to both Eurocontrol and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).
Eurocontrol says business aviation traffic in European airspace expanded by 10% in 2007, compared with an average growth rate across all sectors of 5.3%. Meanwhile EBAA president Brian Humphries confirms that last year business aircraft represented 7.5% of all European air traffic movements compared with 6.9% in 2006.
Humphries attributes the relative growth to numerous factors, among which poor direct airline connections between most towns and cities in the continent rates highly. The hassle and time associated with security procedures at major airports is also a factor, says Humphries, which makes the small airfields from which business aircraft can operate additionally attractive. Highly paid staff are also expected to be increasingly productive, he points out, which makes optimum use of time a valuable asset, particularly when visiting several points in quick succession. Finally, Humphries says, the increasing popularity of fractional ownership across the continent has helped to boosted the business aircraft traffic numbers.
The EBAA has not seen any recent signs of a slow-down in business aircraft activity in Europe, says Humphries, although he says it is impossible to say whether the industry is immune if the problems in the banking sector were to affect the economy more than they have done so far.
Source: Flight International
