NBAA2004 News

NBAA2004 Draws Over 31,000 and Has Record Number of Exhibitors
NBAA's 57th Annual Meeting & Convention, held from October 12 to 14 in Las Vegas, closed with a total of 31,259 Attendees, a 9.4 percent increase over last year's total of 28,574. A record 1,084 Exhibiting Companies occupied a million square feet of exhibit space in the Las Vegas Convention Center. In addition, 87 aircraft were on Static Display at Henderson Executive Airport and approximately 75 Informational Sessions were offered throughout the week on topics ranging from safety and security to training and the emerging very light jet market.

NBAA2004 Resources: Photo Galleries | Video Galleries | Session Presentations

Opening General Session Draws Overflow Crowd
The NBAA 57th Annual Meeting & Convention got underway on October 12 with the Opening General Session, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. New NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen told an overflow crowd at the session that the expansion of the exhibition reflects the recent upturn in aircraft shipments. View Opening General Session video highlights.

NBAA, GAMA Officials Assess State of the Industry
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and Clay Jones, chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, presented their views of the state of business aviation during the Media Kickoff Breakfast held October 12.

Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans Attends NBAA Convention
On October 13, Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans spoke with NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and key leaders within the business aviation community regarding growth of the industry, access to foreign markets and trade promotion.

Five Directors Elected to NBAA Board
The Voting Membership of NBAA elected five Directors to three-year terms during its Annual Meeting: Randal J. Hudon of BellSouth Corporate Aviation and Travel Services, Jeffrey W. Lee of IBM Corporation, John H. Ratcliff of Ford Motor Company, George A. Saling of Altria Corporate Services, Inc., and Douglas Schwartz of AT&T Aviation.

Security Session Notes Progress, Remaining Challenges
To some observers, it might not appear as if business aircraft operators are making much progress on overcoming the security-related access restrictions imposed on them since 9/11, but a panel of experts asserted that corporate operators are inching closer to the goal of having the same access to airspace and airports as scheduled air carriers.

Session Gauged Promise and Potential of VLJs
One of the most insightful and best-attended Informational Sessions of the NBAA 57th Annual Meeting & Convention was a panel discussion that attempted to predict the impact that very light jets (VLJs) will have on business aviation.

Safety Town Hall Meeting Focuses on VLJs
In addition to being the venue for presentation of NBAA’s 50 Year Safe Flying Achievement Awards, the Safety Town Hall Meeting served as a forum for a wide-ranging discussion by aircraft manufacturers, operators, insurers and training providers about how the industry is preparing to train the pilots of VLJs.

NBAA Training Initiatives for All Business Aviation Professionals Planned
Standard of Excellence in Business Aviation (SEBA), a joint effort of several NBAA Standing Committees to establish technical development standards for all flight department professionals, was unveiled during a Training Roundtable session.

Customs Procedures for Popular Destinations Explained
U.S.-based aircraft operators who fly abroad received a refresher course on the entry requirements of several popular international destinations, including Canada and Europe, during a “Customs and Border Today” session.

Operators Encouraged to Participate in New Maintenance Database
One of the NBAA Maintenance Committee's major initiatives soon will come to fruition when the Forum for Enhanced Reliability & Maintainability Standards (FERMS) is rolled out in December 2004.

Operators Testify to Benefits of IS-BAO
Officials from the International Business Aviation Council held a session designed to showcase the benefits to operators of adopting the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) in their flight departments.

Operators Gained Regulatory Insights During Convention Informational Session
NBAA Convention Attendees had the opportunity to gain insights into pending rulemaking initiatives during a session titled “Meet the Regulators

NBAA Announces New Corporate Aviation Management Scholarship
NBAA announces the creation of the 2005 Corporate Aviation Management Scholarship, which will enable qualified candidates to attend the NBAA Leadership Conference.

NBAA Announces Winners of 2004 Scholarships
NBAA announces the 2004 winners of the United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG)/Professional Development Program (PDP) Scholarship, Lawrence Ginocchio Aviation Scholarship and NORDAM Dee Howard/Etienne Fage Scholarship.

NBAA Announces 2004 Journalism Award Recipients
NBAA presented its 2004 Gold Wing and Platinum Wing awards during its Media Kickoff Breakfast.

Brown on the Front Line of Access, Security Issues
Heading into his first NBAA Convention as the Association's new senior vice president of operations, Steve Brown shared his first impressions of NBAA and outlined how the Operations Department plans to deal with the challenges of access, security and safety.

NBAA 8th Annual Golf Tournament Raises $55,000 for Angel Flight West
NBAA 8th Annual Chairman's Charity Classic Golf Tournament raised $55,000 for Angel Flight West.