Against the backdrop of a partisan and divided presidential election season, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen took time during an NBAA-BACE newsmakers luncheon to praise lawmakers for their bipartisan efforts to pass the FAA reauthorization bill as well as to confirm new FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker.

Bolen discussed that bipartisanship as he moderated a roundtable with U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) and Ranking Member Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington).

“Uncertainty is the number one word that we see,” said Rolland Vincent, JetNet iQ survey founder and the head of Rolland Vincent Associates, while describing the current industry sentiment. “We see it all over our data—what’s going on? What’s going to happen?”

Speaking on Monday morning on press day at NBAA-BACE, Vincent detailed the results of the latest JetNet iQ quarterly survey, which is in its 14th year. From its recently closed Q3 survey, the industry’s net optimism score is the lowest since the start of the Covid pandemic in Q2 2020, with North America leading the plunge. “People are very confused,” said Vincent. “Uncertainty is profound right now.”

CAE has developed the first immersive pilot training app for Apple Vision Pro. The app, which CAE is demonstrating at NBAA-BACE, harnesses the power of spatial computing to improve how pilots train for flight deck interactions.

With this solution, CAE aims to shift aspects of pilot training from traditional training centers to remote environments. By providing pilots the ability to engage with flight deck controls and practice critical procedures from anywhere, the app could enhance flexibility and convenience in pilot training. CAE's app promises to not only improve the speed and effectiveness of training but also help pilots build muscle memory for operating various aircraft systems.

Basel, Switzerland-based FBO, MRO, and completions firm Jet Aviation is aiming to set the standard with its innovative approach to cabin design and pioneering advancements in acoustic technology, according to Christoph Fondalinski, the company’s v-p of completions.

A point of focus on the latter is Jet Aviation’s “Innovation Space”—a simulated showroom that allows customers to experience how the company’s acoustic treatments and other features respond to cabin noise environments in flight.

A study commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets indicates that the business aviation sector is projected to contribute approximately $182.8 billion to the U.S. economy within five years, up from around $150 billion currently. The research highlights the role of business aviation in connecting thousands of communities, given the limited commercial airline service at most of the nation’s more than 5,000 public-use airports.

Additionally, a significant majority of private jet financiers and brokers foresee an increased emphasis on the sector’s contributions to humanitarian efforts, with many executives of large corporations expressing openness to utilizing their aircraft for philanthropic purposes.

Speaking on the eve of the 2024 NBAA-BACE, Daher Aircraft CEO Nicolas Chabbert championed the company’s recent hurricane relief efforts and discussed updates to the company's turboprop lines, as well as the Me & My TBM app.

Chabbert noted Daher worked alongside private Kodiak and TBM owners to ferry vital supplies and rescue animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Daher also provided on-site repair services for a U.S. Forest Service Kodiak 100 in North Carolina as part of the relief efforts after a jet blast damaged the aircraft.

What does it take to run a successful maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility as the business aviation sector enters the second quarter of the 21st century? Obviously, technical competence, a relentless focus on safety, and keeping the customer’s aircraft in service have to be assured. But now, companies are under pressure to operate with as small an environmental footprint as possible, and it’s no longer a given that they will be able to recruit and retain the skilled employees on which the success of these operations is based.

The innovation it takes to make the grade in these ways is much in evidence at Bombardier’s service center at London Biggin Hill Airport. The facility is part of the airframer’s global product support network, which—outside North America—encompasses bases in Berlin, Paris, Singapore, Melbourne, and Dubai.

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The digital flip-through issues of AIN’s award-winning NBAA Convention News are now available online. It’s a great way to quickly scan the news from NBAA-BACE 2024, whether you’re in Las Vegas attending the show or watching from afar.