March 26, 2020
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen responded strongly this week to a recent CNBC article about the general aviation community’s collective request for inclusion in a congressional COVID-19 relief package, saying the network’s coverage was based on a “pre-determined narrative” that cast the industry with a negative brush, while ignoring the reality of its pressing economic challenges.
Bolen cited the pandemic’s impact on business aviation operations large and small, from the sweeping furloughs and layoffs at OEMs, maintenance facilities and other aviation businesses, to dwindling traffic at business aviation airports.
Bolen also emphasized the industry’s efforts to support relief efforts against the pandemic, citing a family-owned maintenance company that has converted some of its operations over to production of protective face masks for humanitarian purposes.
“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,” Bolen wrote. “By settling for sizzle over substance in a time of national crisis, CNBC is not only misinforming readers, but also attempting to smear a vital industry with a long history of serving the nation, and thousands of communities in times of need.”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.