Tag: Regional Forum

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General Trade Show

Meridian Exhibits at San Jose Regional Forum

The Meridian Team is ready to welcome visitors at the San Jose Regional Forum.

Meridian once again proudly participated as an exhibitor at the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) Regional Forum in San Jose, CA, on Thursday, March 5. The award-winning private aviation company sent associates from several functional areas, including Aircraft Management, Charter Sales and Operations, Customer Service, and Marketing. Representatives from both coasts were on hand to greet customers, prospects, vendors, and friends.

Carlos Rodriguez, General Manager of Meridian Hayward, was very impressed with the event. “This Forum is a great opportunity for us in Hayward (California) because San Jose is a short ride away, and the event brings together business aviation people from all over the West Coast and particularly the Northern California Region. It’s really a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with new customers, reconnect with associates, and network with industry colleagues.”

NBAA held the trade show at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC). The one-day event drew a crowd of about 1,500 attendees, and featured 140 exhibitors, 19 aircraft and 5 displays showing the industry’s latest technologies, products and services.

Some very impressive aircraft are lined up on the static display.

The forum was held in conjunction with three different Northern California Business Aviation Association events, demonstrating strong interest from California companies and their members.

The event got underway with opening session remarks from Dr. David Farnie, medical director of Medaire’s Global Response Center, who provided a timely update on novel coronavirus, with the goal of enabling attendees to make informed decisions regarding travel. He also provided common-sense tips for avoiding illness.

The business aviation community’s strong commitment to aviation sustainability was also in focus at the forum. A panel led by Mike Nichols, CAM, CAE and NBAA’s senior vice president of strategy and innovation, engaged session attendees with information on sustainable aviation fuels, and answered operators’ questions about the blends.

The forum also included an urban air mobility panel featuring Scott Akina from Quantum XYZ, Dave Merrill from Elroy Air and Mark Moore from Uber Elevate. Elroy Air showcased at the forum its Chaparral, a hybrid, 500-pound payload, 300-mile-range aerial cargo delivery system.

NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen remarked on the forum’s timely and informative educational content, tangible energy on the exhibit floor and exciting previews of business aviation’s future. “This week’s forum proved to be another valuable addition to NBAA’s series of regional events, and our overall 2020 lineup,” Bolen said. “We were pleased with the strong turnout, we had a great day in San Jose, and we look forward to welcoming business aviation professionals to our upcoming events.”

Meridian will be participating at NBAA’s next event, which will be the 2020 Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference from March 10-13 in Charlotte, NC. We hope to see you there!

The Regional Forum drew over 1,500 attendees to the one day event in San Jose, CA.

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General

Meridian Exhibits at Regional Forum in West Palm Beach

Team Meridian is ready to welcome visitors to their exhibit at the NBAA Regional Forum in West Palm Beach, FL.
(l to r): Jeremy Ojerholm, Patti Sullivan, Kirk Stephen, Estrella Montero, Ken Forester, and Susan Forester.

On Wednesday, January 29, Meridian sent a team of six associates to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to represent the company at the first NBAA Regional of the year. The event proudly hosted a record-breaking 3,000 attendees, making this the most-attended regional to be hosted in West Palm Beach.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to 2020,” said Dina Green, NBAA vice president of events. “We had nearly 30 aircraft and vehicles on display, in addition to more than 150 indoor exhibitors. We’ve been hosting this forum at Atlantic Aviation for several years, and it’s always a great event to showcase the latest trends and technologies shaping business aviation.”

In welcoming attendees to the show, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen took a moment to remember basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others who died in a helicopter accident on Jan. 26. “Our community can pay tribute to Kobe and the others by making sure we learn from the accident,” he said. “We don’t know the cause now, but we will, and whatever it is, we will make sure it is something we can isolate, understand and learn from, because one thing our industry has always done is learn from the mistakes of the past.”

Throngs of attendees gather inside the hangar to meet with exhibitors and to network with fellow business aviation professionals.

Pointing out that the start of 2020 marks the beginning not only of a year, but a new decade, Bolen said, “This will be one of the most significant decades in the history of aviation and aerospace. Things are happening today at a pace we really haven’t seen at least since the dawn of the jet age.”

Citing technologies like drones, urban air mobility, supersonic jets and more, Bolen said innovation will allow business aviation to grow and prosper. While there have been events around the world featuring sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), most recently in Davos, Bolen noted the industry will take another step forward by holding a summit in March that will look at how stakeholders can increase the production and use of SAF.

This is a great industry, and it’s an industry in an age of innovation,” he said. “This is an exciting time for business aviation. Innovation is all around us, but among our key challenges will be our ability to bring in young, excited, talented, innovative, passionate young people. Can we attract them? Can we retain them?” Bolen noted that nearly 200 students were in attendance for the 2020 PBI event. “It’s an extraordinary industry that does capture the imagination of a lot of people,” he said.

The opening session concluded with a scholarship presentation from Dreams Soar’s Shaesta Waiz – who in 2017 became the youngest woman to fly solo around the globe in a single-engine aircraft. The inaugural Jimmie J. Norman Memorial Scholarship was presented to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student Lauren Abernathy.

The West Palm Beach Forum also featured education sessions on the most pressing topics in business aviation: ADS-B implementation, career paths in business aviation, tax benefits and limitations for aircraft operators, improving safety through aircraft data and financing options for aircraft.

Meridian had a great showing at this year’s event, having the opportunity for face-to-face business paired with the event’s record-breaking attendance. There was constant activity at the Meridian booth throughout the entire event. Kirk Stephen, Director of Marketing, said, “West Palm is a must-attend event for us. We do a lot of business in South Florida, so it makes sense for us to be here and meet with many of our customers, vendor-partners, and friends in person.”

The static display enjoyed great weather for showing its vast array of
business aircraft models.

The next NBAA Regional Forum will be held at San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, CA, on Thursday, March 5, 2020. Meridian will be exhibiting, and we are looking forward to seeing you there!

Categories
General Marketing Trade Show

Meridian Exhibits at White Plains Regional Forum

The Meridian team is ready to welcome visitors to its exhibit at the White Plains Regional Forum held at Westchester County Airport (HPN).

On Thursday, June 6, Meridian sent a team of 15 representatives to the NBAA White Plains Regional Forum at Westchester County Airport (HPN). The event hosted a record-breaking 3,200 attendees, making this the most-attended regional forum in any location.
“With a sold-out indoor exhibit hall of nearly 200 exhibitors and nearly 40 aircraft on static display, the White Plains NBAA Forum was a great value to our members,” said Dina Green, NBAA Vice President of events. “Business aviation professionals come to the forums to meet with customers face-to-face, network, gain valuable knowledge and see multiple aircraft models in one venue – the White Plains Forum provided all of that and much more.”
“It’s really well-attended,” said Dianne Tarantino from Collins Aerospace. “I think this year there are more customers here and it started earlier in the day than it normally does.”
The static display at the White Plains Regional Forum drew large crowds.

NBAA CEO and President Ed Bolen opened the event by stressing the importance of airports in our infrastructure.
“Airports are fundamental to the success of business aviation. We have an infrastructure of airports that opens up the world to us—it’s very powerful,” he said. “All of this is possible because of a broader infrastructure that includes airplanes, it includes airports, it includes FBOs, it includes our ability to access airspace and these airports themselves. It includes a lot of dedicated people who are flying as pilots, but also those who are maintaining the airplane, building the airplane, insuring the airplane, financing the airplane.”
The event featured many programs for students and recent graduates, highlighting the defining aspects of a career in business aviation.
Meridian had a great showing at this year’s event, having the opportunity for face-to-face business paired with the event’s record-breaking attendance. There was never a dull moment at the Meridian booth for the entire event. Kirk Stephen, Director of Marketing, said, “White Plains is always a great show for us. With its proximity to New York City, we have the unique opportunity to meet with many of our customers, vendors, and friends at a local venue.”
White Plains was the last regional forum of 2019. Meridian will be exhibiting again at NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) in Las Vegas, NV this October. We hope to see you there!
Betsy Wines (center), VP of Customer Service & HR, proudly displays the Pilots’ Choice Award, flanked by Ken and Susan Forester, owners of Meridian.

Categories
General

Meridian Exhibits at Houston Regional Forum

On March 14, 2019, Meridian sent a team of three to the NBAA Regional Forum, held at William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU) in Houston, TX.  The company was well-represented with people from various departments, including Customer Service, Charter Sales, and Marketing. The sold-out forum was a major success, buzzing with over 1,800 attendees, over 160 exhibitors, and a dynamic static display featuring 21 aircraft, one mock-up, and three ground vehicles.

Meridian sent a team of three to represent the company at the NBAA Regional Forum in Houston. (l to r): Saqiba Parveen, Matt Barclay, and Lindsay Berkel.

Aside from the business aspect of the forum, many representatives from the state of Texas, including Gov. Greg Abbott arrived at the hangar to highlight the positive impact that business aviation has for the local economy and disaster relief efforts for the whole of Texas. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, commented that “In Houston as elsewhere, business aviation is about jobs, and it’s about lending a helping hand in times of crisis.”
Local college and high school students were invited to attend special classes geared towards young professionals and those looking to enter the industry.  One student said, “I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet with so many business aviation professionals today; I want to be a pilot and it’s been great to be able to talk to people with real-world experience about what to expect in this line of work and how I can be prepared for my career.”
Meridian was proud to participate at this event in this important market for business aviation. Our representatives had the opportunity to network with industry colleagues, meet with new prospects and customers, and showcase our services while at the show. The next Regional Forum will be held at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, NY, on Thursday, June 6.  We hope to see you there!
The Houston Regional featured over 20 business aircraft for its static display.

Categories
General Trade Show

Meridian Attends the NBAA Regional Forum at PBI

The NBAA Regional Forum in West Palm Beach drew the largest crowd in its history this year.

Last week, Meridian sent a team of five down to West Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to represent the company at the first NBAA Regional Forum of 2019. The forum again broke attendance records hosting nearly 2,900 attendees, 250 students, and over 150 exhibitors.
Being the first regional forum of the year, West Palm Beach has set a great precedent for the others to follow and serves as a barometer for the business aviation industry as a whole.
While the business aviation industry constantly breaks attendance records, year after year, NBAA CEO Ed Bolen stressed the need for the industry to push for greater awareness with younger workers and recent graduates: “There’s a big shortage in aviation right now, for not only pilots and mechanics, but basically all facets of the industry, and we need to bring in the younger generation to fill those positions. Our industry gives young people the opportunity to experience life in many different ways. We’re a high-tech industry, so we can meet their expectation in that area too. Young people want to be part of a community and know they belong, and business aviation offers all of that.”
The importance of NBAA regional forums also extends to the future of the industry, with students from nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and elsewhere coming to talk with attendees and exhibitors to learn what business aviation may offer them in terms of career options, as well a forge crucial connections within the industry.
Meridian had a great showing at the forum and took advantage of the opportunity to make considerable connections, as well as meet with our friends within the industry. We thank everyone for making this event a great success. We hope to see everyone at the next Regional Forum in Houston on March 14th!

Categories
General

Meridian Exhibits at 2018 West Palm Beach Regional

The Meridian Team working the booth at the NBAA Regional Forum at Palm Beach. (l to r) Bob Platten, Maria Bochman, Chris Battaglia, and Kirk Stephen.
The Meridian team working the booth at the NBAA Regional Forum in West Palm Beach.
(l to r) Bob Platten, Maria Bochman, Chris Battaglia, and Kirk Stephen.

Meridian is proud to have exhibited at the first NBAA Regional Forum of 2018 at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) on Wednesday, January 24. The company sent representatives from Charter Sales and Marketing to meet and greet visitors at its booth. The Meridian team was happy to see many familiar faces while also meeting new people in the industry, many who were exhibiting or attending for the first time.
This year’s event was hailed as the best forum NBAA ever had in Palm Beach. In fact, the event drew over 2,700 attendees and over 150 exhibitors. Both of these numbers set new records for the Palm Beach Forum. In addition, 30 aircraft and ground support vehicles were on static display creating an exciting environment for both the attendees and the exhibitors. Mike Nichols, NBAA’s Vice President of Operational Excellence and Professional Development, said of the Jan. 24 event, “The energy was phenomenal, and people were excited to be here”.
The event also focused on what the professional aviation industry can expect going forward in 2018. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen reiterated that, “We’re going to pick up 2018 where we left off last year, and that is by asking everybody in our community to be active and engaged. As we’re entering a new year, and we’re excited about the opportunities it brings”. Aside from this, Bolen discussed other initiatives the NBAA would focus on in 2018 including:

  • ATC Privatization
  • Workforce Development
  • Ethical Business Practices
  • Airport Access
  • International Advocacy

All in all, the forum ended up being a tremendous success for the Meridian team. It provided an invaluable opportunity for us to meet current customers and connect with new ones, as well as network with industry peers. We were pleased with the event’s exciting environment as well as the overwhelming amount of positive energy that surrounded the forum. Special thanks to everyone who took the time to stop by our booth and to those who made this event possible.
Meridian is planning to exhibit at the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in Long Beach, CA from February 6-9, 2018. Be sure to stop by our booth (#1340). You won’t want to miss our big raffle where the Grand Prize Winner will receive a new Apple iPhone X! We look forward to seeing you there.
 

Categories
Executive Terminal (FBO) General Private Air Charter

Meridian Exhibits at NBAA Regional Forum in Fort Worth

Lindsay Berkel (left) and Nora Jacob (right) represent Meridian at the NBAA Regional Forum held at Fort Worth Meacham Airport (FTW) in Fort Worth, TX.
Lindsay Berkel (left) and Nora Jacob (right) represent Meridian at the NBAA Regional Forum held at Fort Worth Meacham Airport (FTW) in Fort Worth, TX.

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company located in Teterboro, NJ (TEB) and Hayward, CA (HWD), proudly exhibited at its second NBAA Regional Forum this year. The Fort Worth Regional was held for the first time at American Aero FTW. The event drew 148 exhibitors, featured 27 aircraft on static display, and attracted more than 1,700 attendees.
Nora Jacob and Lindsay Berkel represented Meridian at the event. Nora is the Customer Service Supervisor at Meridian’s Teterboro Airport location, and her role is to help coordinate and manage the team of CSRs back at the FBO to make sure that we are providing exceptional customer service. Lindsay is one of our professional sales executives who is part of our Meridian Air Charter team. She reaches out to existing customers and prospects to provide competitive charter quotes, and assists our operations team in the trip planning process. Both have said that the forum was very productive and relevant.
“The regionals are great because it gives us a chance to meet our customers face-to-face in a professional environment”, say Nora. “We have many customers from this area who stop at Meridian when they fly into New York. It’s nice to see them in their local area.” Lindsay was also impressed, “I work with many retail and broker customers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so this forum is a unique opportunity for us to catch up with them in person.”
The final NBAA Regional Forum of 2017 will be held on Thursday, September 7 at Morristown Airport (MMU) in Morristown, NJ. Meridian will also be participating at this one-day event with an exhibit and a team of representatives from every department within the company. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Categories
Aircraft Management Executive Terminal (FBO) General Hayward Maintenance Private Air Charter

Meridian Exhibits at White Plains Regional

Team Meridian makes a strong presence at the NBAA Regional Forum in White Plains, NY. Meridian will be opening its new FBO at Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) in October 2016.
Team Meridian makes a strong presence at the NBAA Regional Forum in White Plains, NY. Meridian will be opening its new FBO at Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) in October 2016.

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company headquartered at Teterboro Airport, was actively getting the word out last week at the NBAA Regional Forum in White Plains, NY, about its new facility in Hayward, CA. It was an important event for Meridian to communicate its new location at this Regional because the new FBO and hangar facility at Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) is expected to open its doors for business next month. For the first time, the company will have FBOs on both coasts and representatives from all departments were there to help deliver the message, including Air Charter, Aircraft Management, Aircraft Maintenance, Customer Service, Operations, Fuel Sales, and Marketing.
NBAA’s White Plains Regional Forum on Thursday, September 15 set a new attendance record for the venue and was the association’s second-highest attended regional forum in the event’s history with more than 2,800 attendees. The forum was held in a 52,000-square-foot pavilion constructed on the grounds of Westchester County Airport (HPN), and featured 184 indoor exhibitors and 52 aircraft and other vehicles on static display.
Local leaders praised NBAA and the business aviation community for what the industry brings to the region – not only through events such as the regional forum, but also through the jobs, connectivity and economic activity that business aviation supports in the local area. “We really do appreciate your business here,” said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. “This is an important industry to this county. You mean a lot to us. Thank you for doing business here.”
“NBAA and its member organizations are part of what propels our economy forward,” noted New York state Assemblyman David Buchwald, adding that last year, New York passed a measure exempting all general aviation aircraft transactions from the state’s sales and use tax. “There’s a significant opportunity for your industry to expand here in New York.”
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen told attendees, “we are not just an industry, but we are a community. Today is a celebration of business aviation.” Bolen also discussed the ongoing concern over proposals – which have been put forward as part of a debate in Congress over reauthorization of the FAA – to create a privatized ATC system, funded through new user fees. While Congress set that proposal aside for the remainder of this year – and voted to fund the FAA through September 2017 – the fight isn’t yet over, he said. “Make your voice heard,” Bolen said, urging people to respond when NBAA calls on the industry to use NBAA’s Contact Congress tool to tell lawmakers to vote against any future ATC privatization plans. “This is not a fight that’s going away.”
In addition to hearing from Bolen and the local policymakers, face-to-face interaction was a prime reason for attendance among the thousands of people at the forum. “It’s a good use of your time, you can meet a lot of people in a short amount of time,” said Phil Kanagy, director of corporate flight operations with Duke Energy. Côme Charron, in sales and acquisitions for Guardian Jet, said the back in 2011 when he was looking for a job, he came to an NBAA Regional Forum to meet people, and eventually met his current employer. “NBAA is a great show for us. It’s really easy to meet people,” he said. “All the OEMs are here, the brokers are here, you meet people from the entire industry.” Attendee Paul Giansiracusa, a dispatcher with MCM Aviation, described the forum as an “invaluable tool.” “The face-to-face communication is great,” he added.
Sharing information is also a key part of NBAA Regional Forums, with the White Plains event featuring three sessions on some of the most important matters confronting the industry, including:
1. “How Does Globalization Impact Business Aviation?”, presented by Jay Mesinger, Mesinger Jet Sales
2. “Aircraft Appraisals and Evaluations in an Evolving Market,” presented by Gil Wolin, Business Aviation     Advisor; Don Dwyer, Guardian Jet; Dave Labrozzi, Global Jet Capital; and Barb Spoor, Asset Insight/SAI     Valuations
3. “Legal Update on Unmanned Aircraft: Friend or Foe?” presented by Greg Cirillo, HCH Legal
John Johnston, a board member with the Westchester Aviation Association (WAA), was presented with NBAA’s Silk Scarf Award at the forum for his long-standing contributions to the business aviation community. Johnston was director of flight operations for the McGraw-Hill Companies, and prior to that, he served as director of aviation for Verizon (GTE). He has been in aviation for more than 38 years, and has type ratings in 10 different aircraft. John also holds an ATP for both SEL and MEL aircraft; flight instructor ASEL, AMEL and instruments. John has been part of the local aviation community since 2001, and has been active with the WAA Career Fair planning community.
The White Plains Forum was the last of the NBAA Regional series in 2016. The schedule for the 2017 NBAA Regional Forums is now available and and will be held on the following dates and locations:
• January 26 – West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
• March 23 – Fort Worth, TX (FTW)
• September 7 – Morristown, NJ (MMU)

Categories
Aircraft Management Executive Terminal (FBO) General Private Air Charter

Meridian Exhibits at Van Nuys Regional Forum

The Meridian Team at the Van Nuys Regional Forum. (l to r): Carlos Rodriguez, Kirk Stephen, Mike Moore, MaKayla Hambek, Tammy Vinas, Lindsay Berkel, and Anthony Banome.
The Meridian Team at the Van Nuys Regional Forum. (l to r): Carlos Rodriguez, Kirk Stephen, Mike Moore, MaKayla Hambek, Tammy Vinas, Lindsay Berkel, and Anthony Banome.

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport, was getting the word out last week at the NBAA Regional Forum in Van Nuys about its new facility in Hayward, CA, just 350 miles up the road. It was an important event for Meridian to communicate its future plans for the region because the new FBO and hangar facility at Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) is expected to be open for business this fall. For the first time, the company will have FBOs on both coasts. Seven representatives were there to help deliver the message from various business units, including Air Charter, Aircraft Management, Customer Service, Fuel Sales, and Marketing.
The Forum, held on Thursday, June 9, set a new record for number of attendees and indoor exhibitors for the venue, as about 2,000 people came out to hear from industry officials about the latest business aviation news, meet with the 145 exhibitors on a sold-out exhibit floor and have a look at the 21 aircraft and five vehicles on a sold-out static display. Historic Van Nuys Airport (VNY) contributes about $1.3 billion to the local economy, said Jeffery Daar, a commissioner for Los Angeles World Airports, which oversees VNY.
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen took the opportunity to update attendees on the FAA reauthorization debate underway in Congress. The current funding extension for the FAA expires on July 15. In April, the Senate overwhelmingly passed H.R.636, with strong bipartisan support. The bill, Bolen noted, addresses many key issues ranging from streamlining the certification process to security issues, to the use of unmanned aircraft systems. However, Bolen continued, the Senate bill does not include a “dangerous” proposal to privatize the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, fund it with user fees and have it overseen by an airline-centric board of directors – a proposal contained in the House version of the legislation, Bolen said. Read more about NBAA’s support for H.R.636.
“It remains vital that the nation’s airports and airspace continue to function in the public interest, rather than at the behest of a private entity,” Bolen concluded. “We want the U.S. to remain the world leader in aviation five, 10 and 25 years from now, without going down the risky path of turning over the air traffic system over to a combination of self-interested parties.
Forum attendees also heard from Jess Romo, VNY manager, and Glen Martin, FAA regional administrator of the Western-Pacific region, during the opening session. Following that, three education sessions were offered. A session entitled, “A Buyer’s Guide to a Successful Aircraft Transactions” was presented by Stephen Hofer, Aerlex Law Group; “Creating Public-Private Partnerships at Business Aviation Airports” was presented by Curt Castagna, Van Nuys Airport Association and; Sonnie Bates and Terry Yeomans from the International Business Aviation Council conducted a session on the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations and the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling.
The next NBAA Regional Forum will be held on Thursday, September 15 at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, NY.

Categories
Aircraft Management Executive Terminal (FBO) General Maintenance Private Air Charter

Meridian Exhibits at First NBAA Regional Forum of 2016

The Meridian Team at the NBAA Regional Forum in West Palm Beach, FL. (l to r): Kirk Stephen, Chris Battaglia, MaKayla Hambek, Mike Moore, Ines Venancio, Lindsay Berkel, Bob Platten, and Anthony Banome.
The Meridian Team at the NBAA Regional Forum in West Palm Beach, FL. (l to r): Kirk Stephen, Chris Battaglia, MaKayla Hambek, Mike Moore, Ines Venancio, Lindsay Berkel, Bob Platten, and Anthony Banome.

Last week, Meridian sent a team of eight down to West Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to represent the company at the first NBAA Regional Forum of 2016. Although the weather was a bit challenging with heavy rains throughout the South Florida region, the business aviation community was undaunted, and showed up in numbers to the event on Thursday, Jan. 28, as more than 2,200 people turned out for the event. With 120 exhibitors and 25 aircraft on static display, the event set an attendance record for NBAA’s South Florida forums.
Florida state Sen. Maria Sachs who represents the Palm Beach area, welcomed attendees to her state, noting it’s first in the country for aircraft manufacturing – and officials plan to work hard to stay on top through tax and other initiatives.
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen agreed, “Florida is a great place for business aviation,” adding that the industry “has a bright future in this country and around the world.” However, he said, business aviation is facing an attack from those in Congress looking to create a privatized ATC system, funded by user fees, as part of the debate underway in Washington over reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Such proposals, Bolen noted, could severely limit business aircraft operators’ access to airports and airspace.
Many airlines, Bolen explained, want a system governed by a private entity, rather than the federal government, and that won’t work for business aviation. “This is a fundamentally flawed concept,” he said.
“It’s an effort by airlines to gain control and operate [the ATC system] for their benefit,” Bolen said, noting that the vast majority of airports in this county are not served by airlines. It’s business aviation, he said, that provides access to small communities around the country, and is responsible for more than 1.1 million jobs in the U.S.
Bolen urged attendees to contact lawmakers using NBAA’s online Contact Congress tool, and make their voices heard on the issue. “We’ve got to make our voice heard, let’s do that today,” he said. “Our concern is this can move forward so fast, it could be over before you see the details.” View NBAA’s online Contact Congress resource.
Many exhibitors praised the regional forum as an essential event for meeting new and current customers.
“It’s very helpful for us to have a presence here, said Corey Hanlon, marketing and community relations coordinator for New Jersey’s Morristown Airport. “It’s important to let people know that in the New York/New Jersey area there are several [airport] alternatives.”
Ivette Pla, director at Jetex in Miami, FL, agreed. “The regional shows are important because the regional flight departments don’t make it to the bigger shows.”
“It’s been very good, there’s a large amount of traffic from a lot of the operators I deal with,” said Brian Sprecher, Southeast regional sales manager with Constant Aviation. “At these shows I can see 30 operators in a day. I can have a lot of face time with a lot of operators in a short amount of time.”
The importance of NBAA regional forums also extends to the future of the industry, with students from nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and elsewhere coming to talk with attendees and exhibitors and learn what business aviation may offer them in terms of career options.
Also, at PBI, ERAU graduate Shaeta Waiz, a pilot, debuted the Beechcraft Bonanza airplane she will be piloting in her attempt to become the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. Waiz’s journey kicks off June 2 from Daytona Beach, FL, and the planned 90-day trek is slated to include 35 stops on five continents, with events on each designed to empower young women to pursue STEM (science, technology engineering and math) education and “soar.”
“It’s an opportunity for young women to come together and share their successes,” said Waiz, who was born in a refugee camp in Afghanistan. “I want this to shed hope and give others some inspiration.”
The other NBAA regional forums for 2016 will be held June 9 in Van Nuys, CA, and Sept. 15 in White Plains, NY.