B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2 - (Page 35)

N B A A 2 0 07 NBAA Blames Airlines for the Problem pays for only 6% of ATC system operations under the current funding plan. What ATA pointedly avoids noting is that while the average business jet is operated approximately 370 hours a year, the typical airliner (especially those of the high-frequency trunks like Southwest) flies about 3,600 hours per year or more—entirely within the ATC system. The only subcategory of business aviation that remotely approaches that level of utilization is fractional ownership, with a combined fleet among all providers of between 850 and 900 aircraft as of the end of 2006, and annual use of 800 hours to 1,100 hours per aircraft. The real issue is time-in-system and it appears that business aviation’s contribution to operating the system is proportional to its use. According to NBAA President Ed Bolen, who spends most of his time on Capitol Hill these days fighting the user fee and tax-hike proposals, the real congestion in the system isn’t being caused by business jets. “It’s the result of the Yes, airports are congested. And the problem is the airlines’ ingrained hub-and-spoke system that over-relies on hubs. ‘Part of the Solution’ The user fees that are frightening the business aviation community don’t phase Florida’s new seat-on-demand operator DayJet, says founder Ed Iacobucci. “We’re a certified airline for hire,” he says. “We pay the same amount that the airlines do.” And, Iacobucci says, “We’re going between places t h a t d o n ’t h a v e t e r m i n a l issues.” “ We ’ r e n o t p a r t o f t h e problem, we’re part of the solution,” he told Show News. “We’re doing more to advance the deployment of NextGen (the FAA’s new air traffic control scheme) than anyone.” airline-derived hub-and-spoke sys- charities, community airports, local the American Corn Growers Assotem and the fact that the carriers official, and small businesses from ciation. What dog do the corn growers will schedule 50 departures and/or around the United States in early April to form the Alliance for have in this fight? “We work for all arrivals within a given 20-minute Aviation Across America (www.avi- farmers, not just corn growers,” peak-period rush,” he said. the organization’s CEO, Larry The ATA’s “Smart Skies” Web ationacrossamerica.org). According to the AAAA’s com- Mitchell, said at the AAAA’s May 2 site home page contains a photo of a large business jet cabin with the munications director, Selena Shilad, press conference. He added that legend superimposed on it, “This the coalition began with 100 mem- rural communities in the Midwest, isn’t your flight, but you’re paying bers and by early May had grown to ignored by the airlines, depend on for it.” It alternates with another more than 2,800 individuals and GA for everything from aerial appliphoto of a line of business jets wait- companies. “All of our founding cation to basic transportation. ing to take off from an unidentified organizations reached out to their “Now the airlines are asking the airport with the legend, “Let’s end members, and we got an outpour- great flyover zone where most of subsidies for corporate jets.” An ing of support from people all over our members live and work and ATA video contrasts irate airline the country,” she told B&CA. “User where they long ago abandoned business travelers with a cham- fees are not a new issue, and people service to us, to subsidize them! pagne-sipping executive ordering a have been concerned about them They won’t serve us, but want us to subsidize them.” business jet flight attendant to con- for some time as an unfair tax.” Both the AAAA and the NBAA The founding members include firm his tee time. such strange bedfellows as the Online Advocacy Center have secThe airlines have also been successful in getting their message League of Rural Voters, Air Care tions on their home pages allowing across to the mainstream media, Alliance, Angel Flight, the National users to easily send messages to which often publishes reports on Farmers Union, the National Agri- their congressional representatives, commercial and GA based on facts cultural Aviation Association and both in the House and Senate. or statements taken out of context. To counter what they see as the distortions of the airlines and Bush administration, to tell the whole story about GA’s use and financial support of the NAS and to fight the user fee and airline tax giveaway proposals, the NBAA, A O PA a n d N A S A O joined a diverse collection of rural and agricultural groups, Despite the evidence, the airlines maintain that business jets are clogging the air system. www.aviationweek.com/shownews September 26, 2007 35

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

Contents Spectrum Stresses Freedom Adam Shows A700 Cabin User Fee War of Words Execujet Boosts Services Saab's Got Your Back CAE Covers the Field London Airports Roundup Pratt & Whitney Canada Another Show! A More Digital Jeppesen CMC Rides Bizjet Wave Thales Weighs In We Fly the Eclipse 500

B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

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