The 2008 EBACE show will be the biggest yet, but it isn’t size that sets the event apart, according to Eric Mandemaker, new chief executive of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA). “This is such a focused show, focused on exactly that side of aviation that interests us. It’s accessible,” he added. “You can do EBACE in a day.” This year’s event is Mandemaker’s first at the helm of the association representing the interests of European business aircraft operators.
Today’s adverse economic conditions are not damping demand for business aviation in Europe, Mandemaker maintained. Only two EU countries have experienced declining economies recently, he said, and in any case, companies continue to need to do business and are increasing their amount of travel. Business aviation traffic now accounts for eight percent of Eurocontrol IFR movements and is increasing, Mandemaker said. The more critical problem for EBAA members is airport slot restrictions. Given that Eurocontrol knows precisely how much business aviation is using airports and airspace, he said, slots should be distributed to reflect business aviation’s actual use of such resources.
