Textron Aviation To Skip NBAA-BACE
Company pulled out less than a month before Las Vegas show.
Textron Aviation has announced that the company, along with subsidiary TRU simulation, "will not participate as exhibitors at the 2024 [NBAA-BACE].” The sudden withdrawal, with less than a month to go before the annual show, this year being held in Las Vegas, comes after Gulfstream and Dassault also decided against participation. Gulfstream has said it will concentrate marketing activities at its sales center in Savannah, Georgia. That leaves Bombardier as the only large business aircraft airframer to display at NBAA-BACE, but several smaller companies like Pilatus and Daher are still in as are Boeing and Airbus with their airliner conversions.
Textron didn't say precisely why it pulled out of the show so suddenly, but about half of its workforce went out on strike on Monday and production has ceased. The 5,000 striking workers are members of the International Association of Machinists, which represents most of the shop floor employees. The rank and file rejected a tentative deal that would have given them a 26% raise over four years and a $3,000 annual cash bonus.
Textron's full statement follows: "Textron Aviation continues its focus on designing and delivering the best aviation experience for our customers as we maintain our business operations during this time. With that, Textron Aviation and TRU Simulation, a Textron Aviation affiliated company, will not participate as exhibitors at the 2024 National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). We appreciate our longstanding involvement with industry events that bring together customers and the general aviation community and look forward to future opportunities to showcase our industry-leading products. "
NBAA issued a statement saying it respects the decision. "We at NBAA appreciate our partnership with Textron Aviation, as NBAA event exhibitors and key collaborators on the industry's highest priorities, including aviation safety, sustainability and workforce development. We have been informed by company leadership that their focus on business operations will preclude their participation in NBAA-BACE this year. We respect their decision and look forward to welcoming their return to future NBAA events."
