NBAA Applauds Sen. Brownback’s Floor Statement Supporting Business Aviation

Contacts: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.orgPatrick Dunne (202) 783-9263, pdunne@nbaa.org

Washington, DC, March 4, 2009 – National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen today commended Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) for taking to the floor of the Senate to remind his colleagues of the value of business aviation for citizens, communities and companies across the U.S.

“The people of the business aviation community applaud Senator Brownback for explaining what business aviation is all about, and correcting some of the misstatements and mischaracterizations about business aviation that have recently been made,” Bolen said.

In his remarks, Brownback told his colleagues: “Some federal officials have recently been making the use of business aviation a matter of derision. Well, there is a lot of good that this business – a U.S.-dominated business – does, and we ought to support it, not hurt it.”

To illustrate his point, Brownback noted the following, among other facts:

“Whether it’s a piston or a jet, it [a business aircraft] is often what ends up connecting a lot of people on a rapid basis throughout the country,” Brownback said. “Without the use of business aircraft, you’re going to have a lot more inefficiencies in companies; you’re going to have a lot more difficulty getting people from point A to point B.”

Bolen agreed, adding: “Business aviation is an essential tool for many companies to be productive and efficient, which is especially critical in this economic climate. But as the senator also pointed out, business aviation means jobs for more than a million people. It provides a critical lifeline for communities across the country, many of which have lost some or all of their airline service in the past year. And, it supports humanitarian initiatives, including medical transport for people in need and delivery of relief and supplies for victims of natural disasters. We thank Senator Brownback for recognizing these facts in highlighting the essential role of business aviation in America today.”

NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) recently launched No Plane No Gain, an initiative to educate the public about the many benefits of business aviation. More information detailing how business aviation works for America can be found at www.NoPlaneNoGain.org.

Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association, Inc. (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.

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