General Aviation’s place in today’s economy - A force for good?

Patricia Micheletti
Vice President ~ Corporate Aircraft charters
Well, there is no doubt about it, general aviation has been in the news and we can say that it has not been pretty. The big banks being under scrutiny during the bail-out hearings, have put a lot of negative attention on the industry. An Op-Ed in the New York Times published on January 31, 2009 (click here for the full story), works on de-mystifying general aviation, with the opening line reading: “BUSINESS jets are a force for good. Really.” I was really glad to see this story, because no one was looking at why these jets are being used. Don’t get me wrong, I am not for big executives running amuck with your money. No, what I am saying is that it is not as cut and dry an issue as presented thus far. From the inner walls of the industry, I watch and listen to what the media, politicians and citizens have to say about the use of business jets. I challenge those thoughts, and ask you to look further, to the beginning of this great industry. Why do we have general aviation? Is there a real purpose for it, and why would companies charter a private aircraft? Well, there are a multitude of answers to that question. As per the New York Times article, “The business jet is merely a tool - one that, employed correctly, could help those same struggling institutions soar again and start paying back the money owed”. It is a tool because there are over “5,000 or so public-use airports” across the US, that are only being used by general aviation, compared to the approximately 500 airports open to commercial aviation. This means direct access to remote locations, suburbs, and small towns. As the NY Times Op-Ed states: “If two companies are competing for business, the one using a business aircraft can fly directly to one of those smaller airports and get to lunch with the client before the other guys taking the commercial flights show up.” Not only are they there first, but those on the private aircraft can prepare in utter confidentiality for their meeting, making them not only first to arrive, but much better prepared. The fact of the matter is that these aircraft are “offices that move”. As an aircraft charter broker, I can tell you that there are instances when the cost of hotels, big salaries and per diems added to the cost of commercial flights make chartering more economical. This is because in certain instances (depending on distance) we can get in and out of a location the same day; and since these general aviation airports do not have curfews, this means that even if your meeting runs late, you can even leave in the wee hours of the morning, saving on the hotel and per diems, which allows for added efficiency by not having your employees loose a full day of work the day before and day after the meeting just for travel.
I do encourage you to read the NY times piece (click here for the full story), as they go on to explain how the aircraft manufacturing sector is affected and what that truly means to the economy.
As William Garvey the writer, and editor and chief of the magazine Business and Commercial Aviation, states in this op-ed: “ If you truly need to be there and there and there and back by seven, business aircraft may provide the only way. This is an industry that helps further the country’s commerce and interests – and it deserves a bright future, not a public drubbing”