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Home > Newsletter > Corporate Jets Do Not Equate to Corporate Greed, August 2010
Corporate Jets Do Not Equate to Corporate Greed
The industry is fighting back. During the height of the recession, corporate jet travel was vilified, becoming the poster child for what was wrong with the economy, at least according to certain congress members who pointed it out during the car company bail-out hearings. However, according to an article in Forbes, the industry is working to educate the consumer as to why it’s not always a luxury, but it is also a necessity for many businesses.
In what has become the dramatic quote of the time, Rep. Gary Ackerman told Detroit’s CEOs in November 2008, "It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo." Unfortunately that public opinion has had a very negative, direct affect on the industry. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported that for the first three quarters of 2009, there was a sharp 37.8% drop in sales from the same period a year before.
The industry “has been working to educate consumers, executives and especially Capitol Hill — on why the corporate jet is not just a luxury for the few, but a necessity for business,” Forbes reported. Also working hard to change public opinion is the National Business Aviation Association, which campaigns to explain how essential business aviation is to our nation’s economy and transportation industry. They have brought to the forefront the importance of the jobs created from corporate aviation, especially in those areas with little or no airline service. Many lawmakers have been surprised to learn that 85% of private air travelers are from small and mid-sized companies, and almost 75% that travel are middle managers, most of which are trying to visit three or five cities in a single day.
If you would like more information about the campaign to educate the public and lawmakers about the benefits of saving an estimated 1.2 million private aviation jobs visit General Aviation Serves America.
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