Feb. 17, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined the boundaries of business aviation in 2021, as new aircraft buyers and increased demand for charter and fractional services have boosted flight hours to new heights. This trend continues unabated in 2022, and panelists on the latest NBAA News Hour Thought Leadership webinar discussed how this “new normal” would impact the industry during the coming year.
“We have seen unprecedented growth in business aviation, and frankly, this industry was not built to grow this fast,” said Jay Mesinger, president and CEO of Mesinger Jet Sales, which sponsored the webinar. “We are witnessing dramatic changes in every segment of our industry, and it is a critical moment to understand how we, as a community, are being affected and how we can create more balance in our market,”
The pandemic has fundamentally changed how many companies can attract and retain employees. Like most industries, the Great Recession depleted an entire generation of skilled workers across business aviation, and increased demand for new workers. Now, as the airline sector seeks to replenish all aspects of its operations, the business aviation community must ensure that it communicates its value as an exciting and vibrant industry, while also reevaluating its hiring practices, said Sheryl Barden, CAM, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International.
“We must consider a paradigm shift, both on what level we bring people into our industry and how we help them along with their careers,” she said. “NBAA and other industry groups are doing a good job of reaching out to students at school, and I believe we need to use our internship programs to bring staff into organizations earlier than we typically do and mentor them and train them – all while paying them as we do this.”
Employees need more than just compensation, Barden continued. “Employees need to feel that they are valued monetarily, but they also want a quality of life, and they want to enjoy their work and be pleased with what they are doing every day. Whether they are pilots, maintenance professionals, schedulers or dispatchers, people want a clear and credible idea of how they will grow, and that is such a selling point for business aviation,” she added.
The pressures placed on maintenance providers during the pandemic are expected to remain throughout 2022, said Todd Duncan, chairman of Duncan Aviation. “The stresses that came with the pandemic have created a frenzy like nothing I’ve seen in my 30-plus years in the business. On the MRO side, backlogs that once ran 30 to 45 days are now six months and eight months. Our industry typically has not looked that far out, so this presents unique challenges,” noted Duncan.
Stresses on supply chains, too, are having an impact. “We are moving from a place where we never said ‘no’ to anyone, to one where we are focused on the quality of our long-term relationships. It’s a change, but also an outstanding opportunity for us to prepare for growth,” noted Duncan.
The pandemic has heightened the focus on service quality, which will help the industry grow throughout 2022 and beyond, said Jamie Walker, CEO of Jet Linx. “For business aviation, it’s a balancing act between all the different constituents and making sure that quality of the experience remains the same as it did pre-pandemic,” Walker noted. “This pandemic has less to do with disrupting our industry, and is more about creating an opportunity for all of us to really improve our industry.”
The FAA’s aggressive actions against illegal charter operators also are helping to improve this segment of the industry, Walker continued. “The FAA is doing an impressive job and it is helping us to pivot toward a focus on making the kind of margins necessary to make the investments in an SMS. I think we’re going to see a remarkable shift in terms of our safety record and that, in turn, will increase the consolidation of this sector,” he said.
“It is an interesting time for business aviation,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, “It’s a challenging time, but together as we work through it, I’m confident that this is going to be a great year for business aviation and for everybody associated with the industry.”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.