March 31, 2020
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen recently responded to a Bloomberg article mischaracterizing the state of business aviation as the industry grapples with the COVID-19 environment, saying Bloomberg settled for “sizzle over substance in a time of national crisis.”
In a March 27 letter to Bloomberg’s editor, Bolen described the industry’s essential role in America’s economy and transportation, supporting a million jobs and contributing nearly $250 billion in economic activity. He also explained most business aviation organizations are small to mid-sized businesses.
Bolen outlined the reality of the business aviation industry today, pointing to aircraft large-scale manufacturer and service provider employee furloughs, and maintenance and repair shops – often family-owned businesses – with no incoming work as airplanes sit idle.
Bolen’s letter also discussed business aviation’s humanitarian efforts, describing a family-owned maintenance facility that repurposed its shop to produce protective face masks for medical personnel.
“All of this points to the larger picture missed in your report: As the U.S. economy moves rapidly from slowdown to shutdown, this critical industry, like countless others, is in need of support,” said Bolen. “This is why industry groups have joined together in seeking basic transportation excise tax relief and liquidity assistance.”
Bolen concluded: “By settling for sizzle over substance in a time of national crisis, Bloomberg is not only misinforming readers, but also attempting to smear a vital industry with a long history of serving the nation.”
NBAA routinely tracks business aviation coverage in the mainstream media, and when necessary, provides indisputable facts about the business aviation industry to set the record straight.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.