Jan. 26, 2018
Business aviation is a vital and integral part of the growth and development at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and it will continue to play a significant role as an airport partner meeting the air transportation needs of the national capital area.
That was NBAA Chief Operating Officer Steve Brown’s message to more than 60 attendees at a recent meeting of the Committee for Dulles, a non-profit organization that represents all airport stakeholders. The group is dedicated to achieving the full potential of IAD and economic growth of the surrounding region.
“Business aviation stimulates local and regional GDP development, and it connects remote areas to national and global commerce hubs,” said Brown. With the U.S. Census Bureau defining more than 90 percent of U.S. territory as “rural,” Brown pointed out the importance of business aviation in linking rural communities – the vast majority of which have no scheduled air service – to the national air transportation system.
Brown explained to the Dulles group how business aviation helps accelerate production and decision-making by transporting not just people, but also parts, tools and other equipment for critical just-in-time capability, as well as items that cannot be transported by the airlines. He explained that 75 percent of companies that use business aircraft have only one airplane, and that the majority of companies that use business aviation have 500 or fewer employees.
“The CEO is not usually the one on the aircraft,” added Brown, who noted that 86 percent of business aircraft flights carry marketing and sales personnel, technical and engineering staff, middle managers and company customers.
“It was NBAA’s pleasure to discuss business aviation with the Dulles community, and we welcome future opportunities with other regional groups in the area,” said Paige Kroner, NBAA’s Mid-Atlantic regional representative, who attended the event and works with stakeholders in the region.
Learn more about The Committee for Dulles.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.