Business aviation’s future front and centre at EBACE2022
Ed Bolen is President and CEO the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
New business models. New connections. New ways of thinking. Pioneering new technologies for on-demand air mobility. All were in focus at the return of the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, or EBACE, which underscored that the industry wasn’t just coming back to an event but was moving forward with an eye on the horizon.
Held 23-25 May at Geneva Airport and Palexpo conference centre and co-hosted by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and NBAA, the first in-person EBACE since 2019 marked a celebration of business aviation’s resilient present and exciting future – of the inspiring people, bold ideas, and new markets propelling the sector forward.
EBACE2022 was a newsy show, with a lineup of product launches, including the show debuts of Bombardier’s Global 8000, the Gulfstream G700 and Dassault Falcon 6X, and a slate of news conferences that highlighted the innovation propelling the industry at an unprecedented pace.
The inaugural EBACE Business Aviation Sustainability Summit showcased SAF and other game-changing technologies and business models the industry is developing to achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050
EBACE was also an opportunity to inspire: for example, tennis legend Martina Navratilova and trailblazing pilot Zara Rutherford wowed the audience during an exhilarating opening keynote, while in a special featured session, UN Goodwill Ambassador Maya Ghazal captivated EBACE2022 attendees with her incredible story of overcoming hardship to become the first female Syrian refugee pilot.
EBACE also made clear the need to ensure our industry’s future is a sustainable one. That’s why, in a show milestone, aircraft exhibited at EBACE2022 departed Geneva fuelled with sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, which offers the potential to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions as much as 80% over fossil fuels.
The inaugural EBACE Business Aviation Sustainability Summit showcased SAF and other game-changing technologies and business models the industry is developing to achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The summit put forward an incredible lineup of electric and advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft on display, with leaders of several pioneering companies sharing their thoughts on this emerging market at several compelling ‘newsmaker’ events.
Also included as part of the summit was the launch of the Standards and Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability (STARS) program, a new youth-advanced EBAA initiative that goes beyond emissions reduction to include best practices for workplace diversity, gender equality and inclusion. These themes were emphasized throughout this year’s EBACE Careers in Business Aviation Day, where students connected directly with EBAA and industry leaders about opportunities in the industry.
Without question, EBACE2022 was “lightning in a bottle,” in the words of EBAA Secretary-General Athar Husain Khan, and certainly one of the most transformative and important events ever for an industry soaring with new momentum into the future.
As we already look with excitement to the 2023 edition of EBACE, the event’s inspirational themes will continue at the upcoming 2022 edition of NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that will return to Orlando, FL, from October 18-20. I look forward to welcoming readers of World Commerce Review to Orlando later this year for the most influential business aviation event in the world, where we can once again mark our industry’s resilience and celebrate its unlimited potential.
