EBACE2022: New Thinking, New Approaches Key to Industry’s Future
22 May, 2022
Attracting and retaining the best and brightest people is vital to the future of business aviation, and the industry’s focus on sustainability and diversity will help make that a reality, leaders said during an Embraer-sponsored media luncheon taking place prior to the opening of the 2022 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2022).
EBAA Secretary General Athar Husain Khan; David Paddock, CEO of Jet Aviation; Kenny Dichter, CEO of Wheels Up; Michael Amalfitano, CEO of Embraer Executive Jets; and NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
Making the case for a diverse and environmentally responsible industry were NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen; EBAA Secretary General Athar Husain Khan; Michael Amalfitano, CEO of Embraer Executive Jets; Kenny Dichter, founder and CEO of charter air services provider Wheels Up and David Paddock, CEO of the Swiss-based service provider Jet Aviation.
“Sustainability, technology, innovation and workforce” are the keys, said Husain Khan. He pointed to an initiative dubbed S.T.A.R.S. (Standards & Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability), which is being launched at EBACE2022 and is aimed squarely at the business aviation workforce of the future.
“We have to be sustainable and be perceived to be sustainable,” added Bolen. “By doing the right thing, we’re building a great future.”
He and Paddock pointed to this week’s historic new availability of sustainable aviation fuel at the Geneva Airport. In year’s past, aircraft flew to EBACE on SAF, Bolen note, but this year for the first time they will be able to depart using SAF. Read more about SAF at EBACE2022.
Dichter noted that next month Wheels Up is instituting a carbon offset program for all of its flights.
Growing the Industry
“We have to create a new passion,” said Amalfitano. Methods of reaching young people include internships, sponsorships and outreach to campuses – in Embraer’s case in both Brazil and Florida. “Our people make us fly.”
“It is important to bring in people who are currently under-represented,” noted Bolen, who highlighted the need for a more diverse workforce.
“A big word for Wheels Up, and it’s got to be a big word for the industry, is inclusion,” said Dichter. “Inclusion is super important – more women, more people of color.”
“You need good people,” agreed Paddock, who pointed out that sustainability and the perception of environmental responsibility are critical to attracting young talent. “Where we are today is about people,” he added. “It’s our number one challenge.”
“It’s an amazing time,” Dichter said. “We’re going into the heyday of business aviation.”
