Posts Tagged ‘business aviation’

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) will be holding their Annual Meeting & Convention in Atlanta, October 19-21, 2010. The Georgia World Congress Center will host the 63rd annual event with the nearby DeKalb Peachtree Airport tabbed as the venue for the aircraft static display.

The Event

The 2009 static display at Orlando.

This convention is the signature event on the business aviation calendar, attended by more than 30,000 people each year. Business aviation personnel, government officials, business leaders and people tied to the industry comprise the guest list.

As always, wherever the NBAA convention is held, it benefits the local economy. Atlanta is expected to reap an estimated $34 million in economic activity in addition to attendees helping a local charity. This year, the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club will gain a new playground, an outdoor classroom, refurbished teen center and a fresh coat of paint and other maintenance by volunteers the Sunday before the convention gets started.[1]

Challenging Economy

This year’s convention comes as continued challenging economic times makes it difficult for the business aviation community. Aircraft sales are well off of their 2007 peak, down by 27 percent as of March 2010.[2] In recent months the market has stabilized with signs that a rebound may be in the offing.

Many NBAA members have been involved in Haitian relief work since the January 2010 earthquake ravished that Caribbean country and killed hundreds of thousands of people.  During this year’s convention the NBAA plans to honor those volunteers with a video tribute on the convention’s second day.

Haitian Relief

In the weeks following the temblor, NBAA members flew “…800 flights, carrying 3,800 passengers and more than 1.4 million pounds of supplies, including doctors and other first responders, lifesaving food, water and medical equipment, to remote areas unreachable by road or larger aircraft from the major airport at Port au Prince.” Injured and seriously ill victims were also transported by aircraft to hospitals outside of the country. The U.S. Congress has also recognized the work of NBAA members who transported more than 1 million pounds of supplies.

Visit the NBAA website if you are interested in attending this year’s convention and/or joining the NBAA.

References

[1] NBAA: NBAA 2010 Community Outreach Program

[2] Jet Venue: Business Aviation Off 27 Percent From 2007 Peak

Photo Credit: NBAA