New resources and industry resolve drive NBAA’s response to COVID-19 crisis 





























Ed Bolen is President and CEO the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Our lives and our industry have unquestionably been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. While we don’t yet know all the lasting effects the crisis will have on business aviation, our nation and our world, I also believe the global business aviation community’s response to the situation has been nothing short of remarkable. Even as many companies have grappled with steep declines to their business and flight activity, they nevertheless have offered their support and solutions in response to the pandemic. Manufacturers have retooled to produce ventilators; employees have assembled face shields and sewed facemasks; and pilots have flown urgently-needed supplies to people and communities most in need, often at their own personal expense. These efforts, and innumerable others, truly demonstrate the heart of our industry, and our willingness to lend a critical helping hand in times of crisis. In the US support from our industry has also been vital to ensuring the voice of NBAA and other aviation groups has been heard by lawmakers over these difficult months. Our members’ response to the association’s mobilization alerts has been key to the support aviation businesses and others have received through government programs such as the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program. This engagement also helped NBAA secure much-needed accommodations for extensions or exemptions on pilot medical certifications, training proficiency and a host of other pressing requirements for business aviation. Our combined advocacy efforts continue, as NBAA has joined with other general aviation groups to request temporary relief from federal excise taxes on fuel for non-commercial aviation operators through the end of the year. NBAA deploys new resources to assist industry stakeholders Along with NBAA’s advocacy on behalf of our industry, we also committed to become the definitive source for reliable information related to business aviation and the pandemic. From the earliest days of the crisis, NBAA introduced an entire roster of new offerings that specifically recognize the severity and urgency of this moment and the need to convey the very latest news to our members. These new distribution channels include NBAA’s Insider Daily news service, our interactive NBAA News Hour webinars – produced three times each week – and our dedicated web operational considerations resource, nbaa.org/coronavirus, with a variety of tools to help members think through the legal, medical, operational, technical and other aspects of flight department operations. All these resources have been met with tremendous appreciation from the business aviation community. Another new offering is our NBAA GO series of event-driven online programming. NBAA GO - for ‘Going Online’ - combines pre-recorded and interactive live content about the latest advancements, best practices and progress in the business aviation industry. Each session includes a live question-and-answer portion allowing attendees to engage virtually with session presenters and other industry professionals. Live sessions and Q&A are also be recorded for on-demand consumption. This new resource has already exceeded our most optimistic projections, as business aviation stakeholders have utilized NBAA GO to remain informed and engaged on a variety of topics that we’d typically discuss at NBAA events such as our annual International Operators Conference (IOC). While the IOC planned in Charlotte, NC was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Virtual IOC2020 has enabled attendees from around the globe to stay up to date on the most critical information needed to do their jobs as safely and securely as possible. Participants in the Virtual IOC and other online NBAA events have told us these new offerings have served a crucial role in providing the latest information not only for global stakeholders unable to travel during this current crisis, but also for those who may not have been able to schedule time away from their companies to attend the in-person conference in more ‘normal’ times. Even as our industry looks ahead to the return of the IOC and other in-person NBAA events returning for 2021, this enthusiastic feedback has also offered new insights on ways our association can foster increased engagement going forward. NBAA-BACE to herald industry’s resilience and strength Although the COVID-19 pandemic also led to the cancellation of two key NBAA-supported international events – the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE) and the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) – NBAA remains committed to producing our annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) as scheduled in Orlando, Florida from October 6-8. Widely regarded as the most important three days in business aviation, NBAA-BACE will once again bring together current and prospective aircraft owners, manufacturers and customers into one meeting place to get critical work accomplished, all while once again showcasing the size, strength, and diversity of this vital global industry. The 2020 edition of NBAA-BACE will take on even greater importance by demonstrating our industry’s continued resilience in the face of this crisis. We look forward to welcoming the global business aviation community to Orlando and safely bringing people together at NBAA-BACE in an important showcase for our industry throughout the world. We also remain engaged with leading health professionals to ensure attendees’ experiences at NBAA-BACE remain safe and that all necessary and prudent precautions are taken. As we all contend with the highly challenging circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBAA team continues to work at all levels to support your daily operations, to represent the broader business aviation community and to emphasize the importance of business aviation to the nation’s economy and transportation system. I also thank World Commerce Review readers for your continued support for our industry and for NBAA, and I look forward to welcoming you to NBAA-BACE later this year.
...the global business aviation community’s response to the situation has been nothing short of remarkable

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