March 31, 2025
An executive panel of top industry leaders, including NBAA Senior Vice President, Safety, Security, Sustainability and International Operations Doug Carr, will be on hand to discuss the critical role of communication in business aviation safety at the 2025 Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS 2025).
Carr noted that BASS 2025, which is being held May 6-7 at the Le Meridien Charlotte in Charlotte, NC, comes after a series of recent aviation accidents and near misses.
“We have seen, unfortunately, how important accuracy and comprehension are in daily airspace operations,” Carr explained. “Helping our community explore opportunities to focus on clear and accurate communications, both within the flight deck and to air traffic control, will help us all ensure that operations proceed as expected.”
Now in its 70th year, BASS is the premier forum for the business aviation community to meet in a collaborative environment to identify safety concerns, devise approaches to reduce risk and implement initiatives to improve safety. Organized by Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) in partnership with the NBAA and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the 2025 summit’s theme is “Bridging Divides: Elevating Safety Through Communication.”
“Strong communication is the cornerstone of a robust safety culture, and closing communication gaps can enhance risk management, operational efficiency and industry collaboration. This year’s theme directly aligns with several of the most pressing challenges and priorities in the business aviation industry, such as runway incursions, crew resource management and safety data,” said Paige Kroner, FSF director, member relations.
BASS 2025 provides an insightful platform for the business aviation community to collectively address aviation’s most pressing safety issues. This includes the must-attend executive panel — where top industry leaders will dive into the communication breakdowns that impact safety and share best practices for fostering a culture of clarity, coordination and proactive problem-solving — and an opening keynote presentation where NBC News Senior Correspondent Tom Costello and NBC Aviation Analyst Capt. John Cox will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how aviation incidents are reported in the media.
A session focusing on mental health and well-being hosted by Mark Larsen, CAM, NBAA director for safety and flight operations, will discuss business aviation’s need to prioritize mental health support and the essential role of programs promoting work-life balance, stress management and psychological resilience in maintaining a healthy, focused and capable workforce. The popular BASS round-robin safety sessions — smaller breakout groups that focus on a single topic and unscripted dialogue with presenters —will again give attendees an in-depth look at how data analytics and reporting tools can enhance aviation safety, among other topics.
An exhibit marketplace will also let BASS 2025 participants interact in a more personal, one-on-one manner with key decision-makers in the business aviation industry.
The safety summit’s success over 70 years reflects the business aviation community’s collective commitment to safety, the strengthen of partnerships like those with NBAA and NATA, and the importance of the local and regional safety groups that support and attend the event, noted Kroner.
“BASS underscores the vital role industry partnerships play in advancing aviation safety. These collaborations are key to sharing insights, tackling challenges and driving innovations that elevate safety across the sector,” she said. “They also promote a culture of continuous learning and best practices alignment, ultimately benefiting safety for all. The fact that this is our 70th BASS speaks volumes about the industry’s long-standing and ongoing commitment to safety.”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.