{"id":360101,"date":"2024-12-16T09:53:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/?post_type=features&p=360101"},"modified":"2024-12-16T09:53:24","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:53:24","slug":"viva-the-biz-jet","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/features\/viva-the-biz-jet\/","title":{"rendered":"Viva the biz jet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two of the most significant topics of discussion currently on the global stage are climate change and artificial intelligence. Tuning into the nightly news, viral podcasts, or online forums, you\u2019re likely to hear passionate debate on the impact each subject is having on nearly every aspect of our lives. One place you may not expect to encounter these discussions is an aviation conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Business Aviation Association conference and exhibition (NBAA-BACE 2024) proved that the business aircraft community recognizes the role it can play as an advocate for sustainability and an early adopter of technological change that could dramatically transform the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exterior of the Citation Longitude. Brent Bundy Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Returning once again to Las Vegas, Nev., for the second of a four-year plan to host the event in the same location, the annual gathering in mid-October drew an international assemblage to view the products and services of more than 800 exhibitors and manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Las Vegas Convention Center hosted the display booths as well as professional development sessions, symposiums, tech talks and Flight Deck panel discussion, while the Henderson Executive Airport gave attendees hands-on access to a variety of aircraft, ranging from an Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty to a Boeing BBJ. Bombardier, Textron, and Embraer featured their aircraft lineups alongside charter operators and Gogo\u2019s inflight connectivity mobile demo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A peek inside the Cessna Citation Latitude. Brent Bundy Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As in previous years, significant industry announcements were delivered during the convention. With several all-new aircraft projects released in the past two years, there were no clean-sheet designs shown, but newsworthy reveals were still prevalent. Textron Aviation unveiled the entire lineup of Gen3 Cessna Citation jets, Bombardier marked the start of production of its flagship Global 8000, and Wheels Up highlighted its recovery from recent financial woes with a newly upgraded and expanded fleet of Embraer Phenom 300s and Bombardier Challenger 300s and 350s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NBAA’s Ed Bolen welcomed attendees at the opening session. Brent Bundy Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Those announcements were in line with Honeywell Aerospace\u2019s annual industry forecast, which once again kicked off NBAA-BACE. The Global Business Aviation Outlook projects up to 8,500 new jets, valued at US$280 billion, will be delivered over the next 10 years, an increase from last year\u2019s forecast. Much of the growth is in the large cabin segment, accounting for one-third of projected sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe business aviation industry is in a prolonged period of healthy growth, and we don\u2019t see that positive trend changing any time soon,\u201d said Heath Patrick, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies president for the Americas aftermarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Swiss manufacturer Pilatus brought samples of both their popular aircraft, the PC-12 and the PC-24 twinjet. Brent Bundy Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That optimism was curtailed somewhat by Rolland Vincent, founder of Rolland Vincent Associates and JetNet iQ. Though 80 percent of JetNet\u2019s survey of operators and owners held a favourable view of the sector, respondents were cautious about their future plans as they braced for the outcome of the U.S. election, pondered the direction of interest rates, and weighed the impact of regional wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUncertainty is the number one word,\u201d he said. \u201cYou see it all over our data.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vincent, a hockey fan, used the Wayne Gretzky analogy of anticipating where the puck is going to be, to suggest that while \u201cdemand is solid\u201d for business aviation products and services, and the pre-owned market is beginning to increase after a period \u201cwhere nothing was available,\u201d delivery rates on a US$50 billion new aircraft backlog are flat and the costs for materials, components, and labour, is rapidly rising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NBAA debuted FlightDeck, where industry personnel discussed a variety of issues. Brent Bundy Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the shortage of pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers remains a widespread problem and the consequences of delayed decisions on reaching industry objectives for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is \u201ccoming like a high-speed train.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are not ready as an industry for this future we are moving into,\u201d he said of sustainability goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Striving for net zero<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, NBAA\u2019s commitment to become a leader in the climate change battle was highlighted through its continued emphasis on its Climbing Fast initiative. The advocacy campaign, launched at NBAA-BACE 2023, aims to educate the public on the benefits of business aviation and the industry\u2019s efforts to meet net zero emissions by 2050 through the adoption of new technologies and the promotion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Perhaps proof the campaign is gaining traction, SAF was available at three Las Vegas-area airports leading up to the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flight Safety Intl. showcased advancement in VR flight training. Brent Bundy Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NBAA\u2019s initiative received the endorsement of the Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA), which announced it had joined forces as a formal member. \u201cCBAA is thrilled to be part of the Climbing Fast mission in Canada, which helps propel the industry forward through groundbreaking innovation in sustainability,\u201d said Anthony Norejko, chief executive officer of CBAA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further evidence of the community\u2019s efforts was on display throughout the show. Pilatus featured a new eco-friendly PC-24 interior, Bombardier highlighted its EcoJet flying research project, and multiple companies signed the NBAA-BACE Sustainability Pledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advancing AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most prevalent themes throughout the week were artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technology. Before the doors to the convention hall opened, Honeywell conducted a panel discussion on AI in aviation during its business aviation outlook. The topic was prominent during an opening session conversation between Ed Bolen, NBAA president and CEO, and Michael Whitaker, administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as during the keynote address by noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joby Aviation’s Bonny Simi led an insightful and comical conversation with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Brent Bundy Photo <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In panel discussions and Flight Deck presentations, industry representatives shared how they were adopting AI into their operations\u2014notably in maintenance, data analysis, and safety\u2014but also how they were guarding against applications in the cockpit during flight until the aviation sector and the broader public establish trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, applications for AI could be found everywhere: CAE with its new Apple Vision Pro-based cockpit familiarization AI and virtual\/augmented reality training; FlightSafety\u2019s incorporation into its training programs; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University using virtual reality training; and Universal Avionics\u2019 new AI-driven taxi assistance system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CAE showed off its latest innovation, an immersive pilot training app. Brent Bundy Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Urban mobility liftoff?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a similar vein, the evolution of the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) segment was on full display. Though several full-size aircraft and mockups of projects were trumpeted during the show, the most significant was the signing of the anxiously anticipated Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for \u201cIntegration of Powered-Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations; Miscellaneous Amendments Related to Rotorcraft and Airplanes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 880-page document was made possible through the joint efforts of the NBAA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the National Air Transportation Association, Vertical Aviation International, and the Vertical Flight Society, as well as government leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker (seated) at the Special Federal Aviation (SFAR) signing. Chris Thatcher Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe wide collaboration between industry and government in the rulemaking process promoted safety and innovation,\u201d Bolen said. \u201cFinalizing the SFAR will be a key next step in preserving our nation\u2019s leadership in aviation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SFAR provides a path for the integration of advanced air mobility aircraft into the national airspace and offers a \u201cperformance-based rule \u2026 [that] deals with issues like minimum reserve for energy, minimum altitudes, and pilot training as well,\u201d Whitaker explained prior to signing the document on the opening day of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SFAR will be in effect for 10 years. \u201cThat will give us a chance to look at the flight data and make adjustments as we go along,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this year\u2019s attendance and exhibitor numbers may have fallen short of previous NBAA-BACE events, there was no shortage of information conveyed and new technology on display. The conference will resume its Las Vegas residency in October 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buoyed by strong demand for aircraft, business aviation is embracing emerging technologies as it strives for net zero carbon emissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":274,"featured_media":360095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-360101","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-aviation","entry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/360101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/features"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/274"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360101"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/360095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}