Business Aviation Forum Draws Record Crowd

The National Business Aviation Association hosted one of its regional forums last Thursday at Teterboro [N.J.] Airport, attracting about 1,900 attendees--more people than have come to any previous such event. The Teterboro forum featured several speakers, a static display of 31 aircraft and 87 exhibitor booths. At the event, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen noted that 100 U.S. communities have lost commercial air service since the recession began. He said that the association's No Plane, No Gain campaign is having an impact and that about 25 percent of U.S senators and representatives have joined a general-aviation caucus "to say, 'I support this industry, which generates $150 billion and 1.2 million jobs.'" As for the state of the industry, Bolen commented, "Things have quit getting worse; they've stabilized. Momentum is on our side."