Business aviation leaders say there is a “fragile” recovery underway and urged governments all over the world to amend or establish policies to shore up the industry. On the eve of the opening of the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva on Monday, CEOs of major airframers and business aviation associations urged governments to cut red tape and stop unfairly targeting the sector for tax and fee increases. “The difficult environment has dragged on,” Reuters quoted European Business Aviation Association Fabio Gamba as saying. “Traffic has yet to recover to comfortable levels, while an industry turnaround is hampered by some government policy measures.”
The battle against increased fees and taxes continues on several fronts. Italy and the UK have both tried to introduce new charges but Gamba says EBAA’s lobbying efforts thwarted them. In the U.S., the administration has made business aviation a go-to political pariah in its portrayal of economic inequality, something that has hampered the industry’s struggle to get out of four years of trouble. “The signs are encouraging,” said NBAA President Ed Bolen. “We are seeing progress in all sectors, but it is very fragile.” General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Pete Bunce said certification reform must go ahead so airframers can “get their product to market quickly.”
