The unfolding crisis for Europe’s stagnating economies presents an opportunity for business aviation to recast itself as part of the solution rather than part of perceived problems. EBAA takes some encouragement from politicians who now appear more focused on how they can reverse the continent’s decline in the face of hostility from the new U.S. administration and political fragmentation among European Union (EU) member states.

However, EBAA officials see EU leaders somewhat paralyzed by political polarization and failing to take strategic decisions at a time when they are urgently needed. This in turn blocks paths to progress on issues critical to business aviation, such as impractical restrictions on tankering fuel and reversing onerous taxes such as those recently imposed on charter flight passengers in France.

With OEM backlogs stabilized at $53 billion at the end of the first quarter, business jet deliveries are expected to reach 820 in 2025, marking an 8% year-over-year (YOY) improvement, according to Rolland Vincent, president of Rolland Vincent Associates and creator/director of JetNet iQ. At the same time, however, a JetNet iQ survey in the second quarter revealed growing pessimism among operators, as well as an uptick in the potential for order cancellations or deferrals.

OEM order backlogs at the end of the first quarter were collectively down 1% from the end of 2024, but still almost 60% above the $33.3 billion pre-pandemic combined backlog at the end of 2019. The current tally is also a sharp rebound from the $27.3 billion low point at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Leonardo marked the opening of EBACE 2025 with an order for three more AW109 Trekkers from its long-time distributor for the UK and Ireland, Sloane Helicopters, as the Northampton-based company eyes potentially reaching its 109th sale this week of the light-twin helicopter. At the same time, Sloane and Leonardo celebrated the 30-year milestone of their partnership.

Slated for delivery in 2027, the booking for three VIP-configured helicopters comes in addition to the five AW109 GrandNews that Sloane ordered during the recent Verticon in March in Dallas. Under the Sloane partnership, more than 100 Leonardo commercial helicopters have been delivered to operators in the UK and Ireland.

Business aviation’s adoption of artificial intelligence is gathering pace, and the technology's impact is increasingly profound. Several tech innovators in the sector are now rolling out new ways to ease and improve key tasks, with the common thread being to keep the human in the loop and allow them to focus on what humans do best.

On the basis that time is money, MySky’s focus is on reducing the inordinate amount of time it can take charter operators to respond to requests for quotes. For example, Tyrolean Jets & Services is saving up to 15 minutes in preparing flight proposals for prospective clients by using the AI-based MySky Quote platform.

Aeromedical services provider MD Onboard is highlighting its new real-time, two-way video telehealth capabilities this week at EBACE 2025. “At the core of our DNA is health and technology,” said company CEO Grant Jeffery, who formerly served in the same role for more than a decade with Medaire. “Our objective was to look at best practice in healthcare and bring that into aviation.”

MD Onboard’s video solution allows the medical team on the ground to view the condition of patients and consult with them in flight, improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis. “In addition to that, it improves the situational assessments, which means are the crew calm, is the situation risky?” said Jeffery.

The Climbing Fast advocacy campaign launched in 2023 by U.S.-based NBAA is expanding its reach with the launch this week of an international website that will include content posted by business aviation groups in multiple countries. The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) announced the initiative on the eve of EBACE 2025, and the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) has signed up to host one of the platform’s national “rooms.”

According to IBAC director general Kurt Edwards, Climbing Fast was always intended to be a global initiative. “We’re all facing the same issues and now we’re able to put more of an international window on it to connect with industry and governments worldwide,” he told AIN. “The international page will draw on resources from the national groups, addressing sustainability in economic, societal, and environmental terms.”

The digital flip-through issues of AIN’s award-winning EBACE Convention News are now available online. It’s a great way to quickly scan the news from EBACE 2025, whether you’re in Geneva attending the show or watching from afar.