Economic conditions in major Western countries are not looking good. To
what extent is this impacting business aviation activity in markets such as the U.S. and Europe?
The short answer is that there is reason for caution in some areas. In the U.S., economic conditions are being seen to have an impact from the standpoint of charter, which has been affected, and fuel volumes are down a bit. This is not unexpected. Completions is unaffected because it is driven by less immediate dynamics, and so this work and maintenance will continue to be strong.
Business aircraft operators are facing rising costs. What can service companies like Jet Aviation do to ensure that business aviation remains viable?
The viability of business aviation is not in question. We should step back and remind ourselves that global economic trends will continue to support the growth of business aviation overall. The geography of this growth has shifted but the viability is not in question. If anything, globalization makes it more viable. In the U.S. there are key indicators that now are rising, such as improving productivity figures. If we look at how we fit into the overall marketplace, our role is to ensure that business aircraft operators can operate within a support network that is as efficient globally as it is in U.S. and Europe. We feel we can be continuing facilitators of international growth.
