As this year's NBAA convention heads west to Las Vegas, the business aviation community is placing bets on a sustained recovery. We look at the likely highlights of a show set to be the most upbeat for some time
With the US economy firmly on a flightpath to recovery, manufacturers reporting healthy orderbooks and used aircraft values hauling themselves off the floor, the mood among visitors and exhibitors at next week's National Business Aviation Association convention in Las Vegas will be the most optimistic in years.
It may be difficult to be anything but upbeat in a city where the number one industry is hedonism. But, after three fairly bleak years where the chips have definitely been down - on the back of a faltering stock market and a post-Enron, post-9/11 backlash against flaunting corporate excess - the USA's business aviation community is anticipating a change in fortunes.
Three years ago, the NBAA convention in New Orleans was just days from opening when the World Trade Center was attacked. The event was hastily postponed until December. There have been two successful NBAA shows in Orlando since then, its European counterpart, EBACE, has flourished, and a Latin American version, LABACE, has launched, but the business aviation sector has felt the brunt of the downturn. Manufacturers have cut back delivery expectations, several very light jet projects remain on ice for want of funding, and the once-runaway growth in the fractional market has slowed considerably.
Now, says new NBAA president and chief executive Ed Bolen, the signs are there for a sustained uplift. "The industry is feeling a recovery. The used inventory is going down, deliveries of new aircraft are going up, flight hours are showing growth. The message from our members is positive and this will be reflected in a record-breaking show in terms of exhibitors and attendees," he says.
The NBAA itself has endured turbulent times in the past year, with Bolen's predecessor, Shelley Longmuir, who replaced the long-serving Jack Alcott, resigning in March after just six months in the job. With her went newly appointed chief operating officer Robert Warren. The organisation - which represents 7,600 business aircraft operators - seems to have taken no chances with her replacement. Unlike Longmuir, a former airline executive, Bolen's recent background is firmly in general and business aviation: he was president and chief executive of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association for eight years. But like his predecessor, he is a seasoned Washington campaigner, having worked as a legal adviser in the Senate before joining GAMA.
The NBAA show - held in the Las Vegas Convention Center from 12-14 October - will play host to more than 1,000 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors. Neil Armstrong - first man on the Moon - and test pilot Scott Crossfield - first to fly at both Mach 2 and Mach 3 - will be VIP guests at the opening general session. Beside major conferences, there will be 75 seminars for members. Other than the move back to Las Vegas, the NBAA format changes little. "We tweak it every year based on feedback from members, but the formula works," says Bolen.
Bolen says that, with economic fortunes beginning to turn, the "overriding issue" for companies visiting the show will be access to airports and airspace - severely curtailed as a result of the security concerns after 11 September 2001. "We are focused on addressing that issue to make sure business aircraft can be flown when and where their owners want to fly them," he says.
Ironically, airport access appears to be an issue facing the show organisers themselves. Last time the convention was held in Las Vegas, the static display was at the international airport, McCarran. This time, due to building work, it will be at the smaller Henderson airfield, earmarked as the city's new business aviation airport. However, the airport cannot handle the Airbus Corporate Airliner or the Boeing Business Jet, so both exhibits will be parked at McCarran instead.
The show is likely to be busy in terms of programme announcements and major product pushes, with manufacturers trying to woo existing and potential customers.
Inside show
Another manufacturer choosing a location other than the static park is Avcraft, new owner of the Dornier 328Jet programme. It will display its Envoy corporate jet version next to its stand - the first time a real jet has been inside the exhibition centre.
Dassault will not have a complete aircraft at its booth, but rather a flightdeck demonstrator of its long-range Falcon 7X, in final assembly at its Merignac factory and set for first flight in the second quarter of next year. Expect an update on the Falcon 900DX programme too, while the 900EX and 2000EX, both with EASy flightdecks, as well as a 50EX, will be on the static display.
Raytheon Aircraft is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Beechcraft King Air and will hand over the 400th King Air 350 in a ceremony at the static park. The new Hawker Horizon will be on display for one day at McCarran airport, while the rest of the company's Hawker and Beechcraft models will be at Henderson. There could be news on the company's hush-hush talks with Avocet and Israel Aircraft Industries on joining the ProJet very light jet project.
Gulfstream will unveil a cabin mock-up of its new mid-size G150 and give an update on certification on the G350, which is expected shortly. The G100, G200, G450 and G550 will be on the static display.
Bombardier will also have an aircraft on its stand - the Learjet 40 demonstrator - as well as six on the static, but the company's main emphasis will be on the long-range Global 5000, due to reach its first customers next year and on show with a completed interior. Product updates on the Global Express XRS are also promised.
Cessna hints at a major launch - possibly a widebody Citation - at the show and will give a progress report on CJ3 certification. Its eight-model Citation jet range will be displayed, along with its Grand Caravan turboprop with Oasis interior and 182 and 206 with Garmin G1000 flightdecks.
Embraer is to raise the service ceiling of its Legacy to 41,000ft (12,500m), which the manufacturer says will give operators access to less-congested airways. The industry is likely to have to wait, however, for news of any new business jet venture from the Brazilian company.
Other news is likely to include the unveiling of a small turbofan from engine manufacturer Williams, a training initiative from Eclipse for its very light jet and proposals for a supersonic business jet from a new company called Aerion, in which former Learjet boss Brian Barents is involved.
Another NBAA first will be from Flight International. Flight Evening News will follow the format of our Paris, Farnborough, Dubai and Singapore Flight Daily News newspapers, but with a crucial difference. Rather than being handed out at the start of the day, it will be distributed late afternoon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing readers that day's news as they leave the convention hall or arrive at their hotels. n
MURDO MORRISON / LONDON
Source: Flight International
