Industry experts provided insights into the current state and future prospects of business aviation during a panel discussion at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas yesterday.

Sheila Kahyaoglu of Jefferies expressed some doubts about a forecast from Honeywell indicating an average annual growth rate of 2 percent. “We only have our forecast out for 2026,” she said, adding that they consider the growth of the five major business jet OEMs. Their business jet models take into account used jet inventories as well as insights from companies and business jet management teams.

The business aviation finance market is set to grow, according to research released this week at NBAA-BACE 2023 by Airbus Corporate Jets. The study surveyed 50 private jet brokers and 50 business aviation financiers.

According to the study, 82 percent of U.S.-based business aviation financiers and private jet brokers expect access to this financing to increase over the next three years and 98 percent believe that jet financing rates remain attractive. But 25 percent believe future deals will require substantially more cash, while 54 percent expect only a slight rise in the cash requirements.

The business aviation community has coalesced behind a new campaign—Climbing Fast—to highlight the progress and promise it has made toward the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Unveiled this morning at the kickoff for NBAA-BACE 2023, the Climbing Fast advocacy campaign will be used to educate public opinion leaders and decision-makers on business aviation’s commitment to—and leadership role in—sustainability.

Corporate Angel Network's annual fundraiser is already underway with a silent auction live at FundAnAngel.org. Meanwhile, the organization's Fund An Angel cocktail party will kick off tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at the Conrad in Las Vegas, where more than 40 items will be available for silent and live bidding.

Items include tennis rackets signed by Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, and Stefanie Graf; various flight training packages from CAE and FlightSafety International; jet fuel cards; Apple watches; club-level Giants tickets; and various vacation packages. Corporate Angel Network is hoping to raise more than half a million dollars to support its mission of providing free flights to treatment for cancer patients and their families.

Viasat today unveiled enhanced business aviation in-flight broadband service options that harmonize its Ka-band product with the Jet ConneX offering from its recently acquired Inmarsat business.

As a result, Viasat will make available an expanded range of service options to business aviation customers using its existing GAT-5510 terminal along with three upcoming Jet ConneX terminals—Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple Ka-band, Orbit’s AirTRx30, and Honeywell’s JetWave X. All will become available in early 2024 for aircraft equipped with the GAT-5510 and upon entry into service for aircraft with any next-generation Jet ConneX terminal.

Daher has recently surpassed 500 deliveries of the TBM 900 series single turboprop. The milestone aircraft was handed over to a U.S. customer just ahead of NBAA-BACE 2023.

The TBM 900 was first introduced in 2014, following the production of 324 TBM 700s and 338 TBM 850s. The first of these aircraft—the TBM 700 initially developed jointly by Socata (formerly Morane-Saulnier) and Mooney—made its first flight on July 14, 1988. The more powerful TBM 850 first flew in 2005, shortly before Daher took a 70 percent stake in what had become Eads-Socata. It subsequently acquired the remaining 30 percent from Eads.

Aircraft operators flying to Las Vegas for NBAA-BACE have the opportunity to refuel their aircraft on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). For the first time in the annual business aviation showcase’s history, SAF is available at all three area airports.

Henderson Executive Airport (KHND), home to the show’s static display, received 40,000 gallons of blended SAF from World Fuel Services (WFS). That is more than twice the amount available at the airport during NBAA-BACE 2021, the last time the annual convention was held in Las Vegas.

Gulfstream is not exhibiting at this year’s NBAA-BACE. While the aircraft manufacturer attended last year's NBAA show in Orlando, Florida, it was absent from the 2021 convention—the last time the annual event was held in Las Vegas before this year. The company cited a desire for smaller events during the waning days of the pandemic in 2021, but why is it a no-show this time?

“Gulfstream consistently reviews and evaluates our marketing investments to ensure we are delivering on our mission—to create and deliver the world’s finest aviation experience for our customers," Gulfstream said in a statement to AIN. "Over the past few years, Gulfstream has successfully created private events and experiences that have exceeded our customers’ expectations while delivering on our business objectives. We will continue to evaluate opportunities and invest in those that best support this mission.”