Contacts: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org
Patrick Dunne, (202) 783-9263, pdunne@nbaa.org
Atlanta, GA, October 18, 2010 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today lauded Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) for designating October as General Aviation Appreciation Month in the state.
“Many communities in Minnesota depend greatly on general aviation for the continued flow of tourism and commerce,” Pawlenty’s proclamation declares. “General aviation is an important economic engine for the state and local communities with airports.”
“We applaud Governor Pawlenty for recognizing the value of all general aviation, including business aviation in his state,” said Ed Bolen, NBAA president and CEO, noting that the proclamation highlights the state’s 31 charter flight companies, 55 repair stations, 102 fixed base operators and “innovative aircraft manufacturing companies that support our nation’s positive trade balance and provide good paying jobs for our citizens.”
The official proclamation also cites the vital role general aviation plays when emergencies and natural disasters occur. Although the population of Minnesota is over five million, nearly 60 percent of those citizens live in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area, leaving vast stretches of thinly populated areas in the state.
The proclamation’s focus on the value of business aviation to Minnesota parallels the core messages included in the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign at www.noplanenogain.org, sponsored jointly by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Minnesota is the 17th state in the past year to recognize the value of business aviation. Governors of Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia have issued official statements in their states similar to this months’ declaration in Minnesota.
View a copy of the Minnesota proclamation.
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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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International Business Aviation Council Ltd.