NBAA’S 64th annual meeting and convention at Las Vegas attracted a large crowd. While the registrations were up by seven per cent from the 2010 show at Atlanta, about 4,000 international guests attended from 88 non-US countries.

After a seven-year absence from the Nevada desert, over 26,000 business aviation personnel streamed through the doors of the Las Vegas Convention Center from October 10-12, where the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) convention was being held. Once again, a massive, festive trade show filled the halls and multitudinous seminars were held in the meeting rooms. Registrations were up by seven per cent from 2010’s NBAA show in Atlanta, Georgia. About 4,000 international guests attended from 88 non-US countries. Other aviation attractions may pack in more sheer numbers, but none of the others have participants as informed and ready to buy as the average NBAA attendee.

The news announcements at the show varied in significance, as business aircraft companies jockeyed for attention by framing a sale in glowing terms, even if it were for just two planes. For good news in the face of a sluggish North American and European economy, many companies looked towards the growing Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) countries, which have been in a buying mood, most particularly China. It seemed that every other press release was about a Chinese agreement or sale. The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) representatives, entrepreneurs and private companies doing business at the show were engaged in spending billions of Yuan Renminbi (CNY) buying aircraft. China has discovered the advantages of flying business aircraft, rather than relying on less efficient modes of transport around the huge country. Of the four airliner-sized Boeing business jets sold in the past year, three went to China.

And so, the 2011 NBAA show in Las Vegas will go down in history as the year of the Chinese buyout, when thousands of millions of dollars in orders were placed for all sorts of business aircraft. In general, the Chinese were looking for large-cabin jets, to be used in charter and other transportation tasks. On the show’s opening day, Minsheng Financial Leasing agreed to buy 33 aircraft worth $1.2 billion ( Rs. 6,000 crore)—20 Dassault Falcons and 13 Embraer Legacy 650s. This came on top of the firm’s earlier purchases of 87 planes. Minsheng Chairman Kong Linshan said that as many as 1,000 jets will go to China in the next 10 years.

The maze of trade show displays and static aircraft stands made for some lengthy foot marches at NBAA. About 1,160 exhibitors were on hand, up by two per cent over 2010, with 101 display airplanes among the attractions. The sold-out static display spaces at Henderson Executive Airport, encompassing 63,000 square feet, held 85 aircraft with 50 tents and chalets for doing business, and another dozen or so aircraft were towed over to the Convention Center from McCarren International Airport, where they were publicly displayed in the parking lot.

Randy Babbitt, the 16th Administrator of the US Federal Aviation Administration, followed the NBAA and General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Presidents during the opening sessions. Taking note of the plethora of “no user fees” buttons worn by the attendees, the genial Captain Babbitt said, “I was asked what I was going to say about the proposed user fees, but I see lots of badges reminding us not to talk about user fees, so I will not discuss them.” He went on to stress the need for safety management system (SMS) initiatives and ADS-B equippage.

Hopeful News

Many new product unveilings were announced, as the vendors attempted to put a good face on the continuing lacklustre economy. For buyers, it was a good time to avail themselves of bargains or to be wooed for new business. There were some signs of an uptick in business, versus the totally recession-dominated news of last year.

At one of the show’s press conferences, Charles Edelstenne, Dassault’s CEO, expressed caution over the rumours of improvement in the business aviation sector, which he opines is subject to disruption by the Eurozone crisis. The “Arab Spring” turmoil has held back Middle Eastern buyers, while China customers took 15 Falcon jets this year. Dassault is forging ahead with plans to certify its new super-midsize jet by the end of 2016.

Emerging business aircraft giant Embraer announced several notable orders for its products, including a Legacy 650 for action movie star Jackie Chan, now a designated spokesman for Embraer, particularly for the Chinese market. Ernie Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets, said that the company’s Melbourne, Florida facility, now building only Phenom 100s, will become its business jet “centre of gravity”, providing easier access than Brazil for North American and European customers.

Tiny Eclipse Aerospace with support from investor United Technologies’ Sikorsky division is coming back from its rough start-up. Production will resume with a fully-equipped Eclipse 550, replacing the 500, now the Total Eclipse. Its airframe will be built by PZL Mielec in Poland and assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. First deliveries are anticipated in mid-2013; the new Eclipse 550 is priced at $2.965 million ( Rs. 15 crore).

Hawker Beechcraft’s CEO, Bill Boisture, somewhat echoed the sentiment of his peers, by calling the current market inconsistent, given its up-and-down cycles, and then alluding to consistent stagnation, with business in 2012 expected to be much like 2011, which was a lot like 2010. HBC had a successful order intake in the third quarter, he reported.