For any exhibition attendee, a common conversational icebreaker is the question “Are you having a good show?”
Of course, what counts as good is highly subjective. For those there on business, having the right meetings with the right people or a steady stream of people visiting your booth might tip the needle.
However, for those of reporting on an event, the quality, impact and amount of news generated is what counts.
Last week’s NBAA-BACE business aviation jamboree in Las Vegas was a case in point: exhibitors and attendees gave generally positive feedback on what appeared to be a bustling event, but the actual number of memorable news stories was on the low side.
That situation wasn’t helped by Gulfstream’s decision to launch its new G300 business jet ahead of NBAA-BACE – removing a genuine showstopper from the potential line-up. The enforced closure of the static display due to high winds on the first day also did not help.
You could also argue that although the press in Vegas were briefed about Archer Aviation’s purchase of the Lilium patent portfolio, the heart of that story was thousands of miles away in Bavaria.
Absent Gulfstream’s announcement and with Dassault not attending, it was left to Bombardier to make its Mach, revealing a new maximum operating speed for the developmental Global 8000, certification of which is expected later this year.
The Canadian airframer also revealed that a previously undisclosed customer for billions of dollars worth of Challenger and Global business jets was in fact an all-new fractional ownership provider called Bond.
Luxury airline Magnifica Air also made a debut, disclosing more about its ultra-premium offering and signing with Air Lease and Comlux for an initial batch of aircraft. Mind you, the first of its jets to enter service will be Airbus A220-300s previously operated by EgyptAir.
Boeing too unveiled an airliner-to-business-jet conversion programme – albeit this one is focussed on the 747-8i.
Oh, and Kenny Dichter, last seen at membership programme Wheels Up – now owned by Delta Air Lines – was back, revealing his latest venture: business aircraft brokerage Real Jet.