Contact: Dan Hubbard, 202-783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org
Washington, DC, Sept. 23, 2021 – A panel of industry pioneers – each with more than two decades’ experience in seeing, creating and shaping the future of business aviation – will provide their insights as part of a first-ever thought-leadership session at the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA’s) 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, NV.
The panel – to be moderated by accomplished pilot and acclaimed aviation and aerospace journalist Miles O’Brien – will take place at Monday, Oct. 11 at noon (PDT) in Room W325, Level 3 of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s new West Hall.
The session – titled “Newsmakers: The Aviation Visionaries’ Forecast” – will focus on how technology, demographics, competition, consolidation and other factors are influencing the availability of safe, secure and sustainable on-demand air transportation to more users than ever before.
Scheduled panelists include:
George Antoniadis, founder and CEO, PlaneSense – Antoniadis founded the PlaneSense fractional ownership program in 1995. The company is the world’s largest purchaser of PC-12s in the world; in 2018, it took delivery of the first PC-24 business jet.
Kenn Ricci, founder and principal, Directional Aviation Capital – Ricci is a 40-year aviation industry veteran, who today is a principal of Directional Aviation Capital, which owns various aviation enterprises, involving nearly a dozen business aviation companies, including Flexjet, Sentient Jet, Stonebriar Commercial Finance and SIMCOM Aviation Training.
Kenny Dichter, founder and CEO, Wheels Up – Dichter founded Marquis Jet Card in 2001, ultimately selling the company to Berkshire Hathaway and becoming vice chair of NetJets. In 2013, he founded Wheels Up, which went public in July 2021.
“The pace of innovation in business aviation is faster than ever,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We are pleased to host this panel of leaders who are shaping tomorrow’s on-demand aviation landscape.”
Taking place Oct. 12-14, NBAA-BACE will showcase aviation’s future across several platforms, including the new Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Zone featuring near-future hybrid- and electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) concepts and technologies, as well as the Business Aviation Sustainability Summit that will focus on expanding availability of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other efforts to further minimize the aviation industry’s carbon footprint.
For more information about NBAA-BACE visit nbaa.org/bace.
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Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (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 10,000 company and professional members and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at nbaa.org.
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