EBAA: Bizav Bounces Back in Eastern Europe

Business aviation in Eastern Europe is bouncing back, according to the European Business Aviation Association. Data presented in Vienna at EBAA's regional forum, "One Europe: A Roadmap for Aligning East and West," showed that traffic throughout Eastern Europe in 2010 was up 10 percent from the previous year. Ukraine alone showed an increase of more than 20 percent. According to the Russian United Business Aviation Association, traffic levels in the second half of last year were close to those seen in 2008 before the financial crisis hit. This follows a 24-percent dip in traffic levels for the region in 2009. EBAA chairman Rodolfo Baviera reported that Russian authorities are showing a willingness to reform regulations and tax structures that have discriminated heavily against business aviation. However, the forum also heard that regulatory inconsistencies among Western European states continue to be a serious problem for business aviation, as do differences in standards between Western and Eastern Europe.