NBAA’s annual Maintenance Conference opened this morning in Columbus, Ohio, with the theme “Built on History, Driven by Innovation.” In his opening comments, NBAA head Ed Bolen addressed the recent spate of aviation accidents across the entire industry and its impact on public perception. “They are asking me and everyone in aviation, ‘Is it safe to fly?’” he told the audience. “Now the empirical data suggests yes; the emotional data, maybe not as much.”
As a result, the entire aviation community, including the airlines and general aviation, has come together to back a proposed $15 billion allocation to the FAA to be put forward under budget reconciliation, to cover the hiring of more controllers and upgrade air traffic control facilities and equipment. “We’re no longer going to have people asking if it’s safe to fly because they will know we have enough well-trained people, using the best equipment and keeping the United States what it’s always been: the largest, safest, the most efficient, and the most diverse mix of aircraft anywhere in the world.”
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