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FULL ARTICLE HERE

Ireland’s third annual business aviation conference moves to Kildare.

The Irish Business and General Aviation Association (IBGAA) is moving its annual business aviation and luxe tourism conference to Kildare for its third edition.

“We have enjoyed a terrific two years at Adare Manor, but we thought it was important to showcase to our industry other amazing venues that Ireland has to offer,”  said Josh Stewart, IBGAA founding executive chairman.

This year the gathering will be broadened too with a pre-conference gathering at Weston Airport on the afternoon of 13^th November, featuring a static display of business aircraft, helicopters, and cars.  Weston Airport, a 15-minute drive from the venue, will also host a welcome reception that evening.

For the third consecutive year Gulfstream Aerospace has confirmed headline sponsorship. “There’s already considerable interest in sponsorship and several major aviation brands will also be involved,” said Joe Buckley.

The programme is currently being determined.

FULL EVA ARTICLE HERE

Precleared Advantage

Since 2010, business jet passengers have been able to preclear US customs and border requirements at Ireland’s Shannon Airport. EVA reveals the background to the much-valued facility.

There can be few better examples of what can be achieved through industry cooperation than the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance offered to business jets flying through Shannon Airport, close to Limerick, Ireland. A natural ‘tech stop’ for fuel since the beginning of transatlantic air travel, since March 2010 Shannon has also gained favoured status for allowing passengers and crew preclearance that means their journey into the US continues as though they were flying domestically.

Ken Fielding, General Manager at Signature Aviation’s Shannon FBO, summarises the advantages of preclearance: “It enables our customers to complete the required immigration, customs and agricultural checks before flying to the US, meaning a swifter and more efficient arrival process at their destination. After clearing in Shannon there are approximately 200 US airports to which they can operate.”

Shannon’s CBP officers are US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees, US citizens stationed at Shannon for the duration of their posting and available to business jet operators with 24 hours’ advanced notice. Commercial passengers bound for the US are also eligible to preclear, the facility having opened to the airlines in August 2009.

The US and Ireland had agreed to a pre-inspection immigration facility in Ireland in 1986. The first opened at Shannon Airport in 1988 and in 1994 a similar facility was developed in Dublin Airport, but passengers still had to clear customs on their arrival in the US.

Path to preclearance
Now Founding Executive Director at the Irish Business and General Aviation Association (IBGAA), Joe Buckley was part of the Shannon Airport Task Force set up to pursue and implement full preclearance. He explains: “Up to 9/11, the US used separate officers to carry out customs and immigration inspections at their ports of entry and Shannon only had immigration officials. After 9/11, the DHS was created, including CBP, which took responsibility for customs and immigration. This meant that one CBP officer could do all the necessary clearances for customs, immigration and agriculture.

“In 2006, US Ambassador Kenny met with the Irish Department of Transport and suggested that Shannon and Dublin should become full preclearance facilities, since the US wanted to maximise the value of its CBP officers. In parallel, Shannon had been looking at extending its pre-inspection facility to full preclearance and engaged the services of a consultant to complete a feasibility study. The airport was also actively lobbying the US embassy for the introduction of full preclearance and had the support of several US Congressmen.”

Buckley acknowledges that the process was slow and threw up multiple challenges. Its ultimate success, he believes, was down to: “…great relationships, support from key players and a huge lobbying effort. The US embassy in Dublin kicked off the process when the ambassador issued a statement after my discussions with embassy officials. It took a few people by surprise, not least in the Irish Government.

“We received fantastic support from Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and his officials. During a period when no progress was being made, I met him on a Sunday afternoon during a fuel stop at Shannon. That direct engagement helped push the project forward.”

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) was also deeply involved, as Doug Carr, SVP, Safety, Security, Sustainability & International Operations, explains: “We saw a dramatic reduction in air travel and access to the US post-9/11. The CBP had experience with preclearance for commercial flights coming to the US from Canada and we worked with them to identify Shannon as a convenient spot for preclearance into the US from Europe.”

Carr says Shannon was the airport of choice for several reasons, including historically favourable fuel prices and its willingness to support business aircraft operations. More importantly, preclearance requires that authority be granted to armed US officials at overseas airports. Frequently a limiting factor for business aviation preclearance, this was not a problem at Shannon, largely thanks to its layout, with an ‘FBO ramp’ close to the commercial gates enabling easy access to the preclearance facility.

Smoothing the way
Full preclearance for business jets operating private non-revenue flights finally became available in 2010 and in 2011 non-scheduled commercial charter flights also became eligible. Buckley and Carr both reference problems that kept aircraft on the ground longer than they had hoped, but each issue was worked through as it arose. Carr recalls the effort to smooth those areas of friction: “Early on, for example, we frequently saw CBP agents asking for APUs to be turned off. We looked at the problem and came up with a guide that allowed APUs with exhausts more than 8ft above ground level to remain on, protecting CBP personnel while they do their work and avoiding the possibility of technical problems when restarting APUs. It involved lots of work with CBP headquarters and the field office at Shannon.”

Since then, says Carr, “We’ve further tweaked the procedures and Shannon’s preclearance has turned into a fantastic facility, especially for flights where the destination’s CBP office is unable to support the hours the operator needs.” In addition, CBP recently introduced a passport control app, which allows travellers to begin the process of preclearance before they arrive at the airport.

Shannon’s FBOs, operated by Alliance Flight Support, Signature and Universal Aviation, all use preclearance. For its part, Universal is careful to reiterate that preclearance appointments must be made at least 24 hours in advance and further clarifies that Shannon’s CBP provision has two preclearance areas. One is for private/charter flights with 20 passengers or less, the other for flights with more than 20 passengers; in the latter case, passengers preclear by standing in line with commercial airline passengers, albeit fast-tracked using a separate business class line.

Signature’s Fielding concludes by describing how the company guides passengers through preclearance. “Once aircraft refuelling is underway, we take the passengers and crew to the main terminal, through a dedicated VIP screening area and then into the CBP facility to be cleared. One crew member can remain at the aircraft to oversee fuelling. Baggage can also remain onboard but must be accessible and visible for inspection.

“The cleared passengers and crew are taken back to the aircraft with a CBP agent to coincide with the end of refuelling. The agent checks the aircraft and baggage, then the passengers can board for departure. The time taken depends on how long it takes to refuel but is usually 45 to 60 minutes.”

FULL AIN ARTICLE HERE

IBGAA Conference Moves to K-Club

The Irish Business and General Aviation Association is moving its annual business aviation and luxury tourism conference to the K-Club near Straffan in County Kildare. The luxury hotel and golf center became world-famous in 2006 when it hosted the Ryder Cup, with Europe enjoying victory for a third consecutive year.

“We have enjoyed a terrific two years at Adare Manor,” remarked Josh Stewart, IBGAA’s founding executive chairman, “but we thought it important to showcase to our industry other amazing venues that Ireland has to offer.”

The IBGAA event will take place on November 14 and be expanded to include an afternoon gathering on the preceding day at Weston Airport with static displays of business aircraft, helicopters, and cars. The airfield is located in Dublin’s outer suburbs and is a 15-minute drive from the K-Club. A welcoming reception will be held there in the evening prior to the conference. Once again, Gulfstream Aerospace is the headline sponsor.

IBGAA, NBAA, and EBAA have been campaigning against a proposed ban on general aviation at Dublin’s international airport. Last month, the Irish Aviation Authority announced that there would be no caps on general aviation traffic for the 2024/25 season, despite a cap being put in place on commercial passenger traffic that limits the annual number to 32 million. Fewer than 18,000 GA passengers are handled at Dublin, although the business supports more than 2,000 jobs and contributes nearly a billion euros to the Irish economy.

EBAA FULL ARTICLE HERE

EBAA welcomes Dublin Airport’s reversal on passenger traffic cap

On April 11, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) announced the withdrawal of the planned passenger traffic cap at Dublin Airport (EIDW), which would have resulted in a ban on nonscheduled flights, including general aviation operations. This outcome, outlined in a draft decision, follows a robust advocacy campaign led by the Irish Business & General Aviation Association (IBGAA), with active support from EBAA and NBAA.

The proposed passenger cap aimed to address the annual passenger limit of 32 million, projected to be surpassed in 2024. Instead, the draft decision suggests implementing a seat capacity limit of 14.4 million for the winter 2024 season, spanning from October 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025.

Operations not using the passenger capacity of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 would not be limited by the Passenger Air Traffic Movement (PATM)  seat cap. Most notably for the W24 season, this means that cargo and General Aviation (GA) operations would not be limited by it, in the latter case because they enter via gateposts or the Platinum Services terminal, rather than terminals 1 or 2. In the case of GA, this will be kept under review for future seasons pending the outcome of the disagreement over the meaning and effect of the 32mppa Conditions. We note that, in any event, the question is of limited materiality in the context of the volume of GA passengers, of which there were less than 18,000 in 2023

General and business aviation activities will be monitored for future seasons. The limited materiality in the context of the volume of GA passengers, of which there were less than 18,000 in 2023 is an extremely important consideration. While GA passengers are a very small number, their overall importance to the Irish economy is considerable, particularly when it comes to companies using their Business Jet to transport executives to/from meetings in the Dublin Region.

EBAA, in collaboration with NBAA, has actively supported IBGAA throughout its engagement with Irish authorities. This decision underscores the critical role of general and business aviation in Ireland, contributing nearly €1 billion to the economy and sustaining over 2,000 highly skilled jobs in 2023.

IBGAA and EBAA sent a joint letter to the Irish Aviation Authority to welcome this decision and express willingness to continue collaborating in the future.

NBAA FULL ARTICLE HERE

Advocating for an Increasingly Global Industry

Since its founding, NBAA has continuously worked to foster the growth of business aviation in the U.S. and around the world. As the business marketplace, and therefore our industry, become ever-more globally integrated, the association’s work involves policy matters not just with implications for operations in the U.S., but for missions in other countries as well.

Take, for example, our recent advocacy concerning Ireland’s Dublin Airport (DUB), where the airport authority is threatening a ban on general aviation – including business aviation– to maintain an annual cap of 32 million passengers.

NBAA has partnered with the Irish Business and General Aviation Association (IBGAA) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) to win support among Irish government officials for U.S.-based companies operating business aircraft there. We’ve teamed up with these organizations to preserve access for business aviation – just as we do in the U.S. – recognizing that when one airport denies access to business aviation, it potentially sets a dangerous precedent for shutting down access at additional airports – an untenable situation.

Another international concern is recent GPS spoofing activity reported in airspace outside the U.S., which has prompted the FAA to warn about possible electronic jamming attacks, especially in airspace above the Middle East and Caucasus regions, that could affect Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS).

In fact, NBAA is working with the FAA, OEMs and other experts who are monitoring these attacks to keep you updated on what you need to know. Business Aviation Insider has reported the latest information on spoofing as well as the industry’s best guidance on mitigating this potential threat.

Finally, a great deal of valuable insight on these issues is shared at NBAA events – most prominently at our annual International Operators Conference. This year’s IOC in Orlando, FL, will include the latest information on global risks and prevention – including GPS spoofing, mitigating airspace closures, dealing with cybersecurity threats and other important topics that impact your operations.

Overall, these and other international concerns clearly demonstrate that the future requires our industry to match the accelerating pace at which the business marketplace is becoming global. It’s important that NBAA’s efforts to serve our industry reflect that reality. You can count on us to do exactly that in the years ahead.

NBAA FULL ARTICLE HERE

Maintaining Business Aviation Access to Dublin Airport

EBAA FULL ARTICLE HERE

Controversial Ban

The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) proposed the suspension of all general aviation flights at the airport, including non-scheduled and ad-hoc flights. This proposition is meant to address the annual passenger limit of 32 million passengers, forecasted to be exceeded in 2024. EBAA, together with IBGAA, are actively monitoring and advocating against the proposal.

Following the news, the two associations have actively engaged with Irish authorities, advocating for an allocation of 20,000 passengers—roughly double the current allowance for Business aviation.

They pointed out the substantial economic contributions made by Business and general aviation to the Irish economy, totalling nearly €1 billion in economic output and sustaining over 2,000 highly skilled jobs. Furthermore, they highlighted the critical role of business aviation in facilitating connectivity for an island that serves as a pivotal international business hub in the global economy.

In support of this cause, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) also intervened by reaching out to both the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and the Irish Ambassador to the U.S. to defend business aviation interests at Dublin Airport.

Although an increase to 40 million passengers annually is under deliberation by the airport’s officials, EBAA remains committed to supporting IBGAA in the ongoing discussions with Irish authorities to ensure that the vital contributions of Business and general aviation to the Irish economy and international connectivity are duly recognised and preserved.

EVA FULL ARTICLE HERE

Time to Talk

The paucity of empty seats in the splendid conference room at the equally splendid Adare Manor in Ireland’s County Limerick showed that the second Irish Business and General Aviation Association (IBGAA) annual conference managed to attract a near-capacity audience. Held on 1 November, the packed day of interesting panels and presentations sparked often-lively question and answer sessions with delegates, while the number of young people in the room was encouraging.

Anyone familiar with similar events from the longer-standing business aviation associations – the IBGAA is just three years old – would have recognised some of the themes on the conference programme. Sustainability was a recurring subject and in response to a challenge from the floor, IBGAA Founding Chairman Josh Stewart determined that next year the organisation would report on the progress made against this year’s promises.

There were also one or two differences. First, as a new organisation, the IBGAA has chosen to ‘grow up’ alongside the Irish regulator, working closely with the authorities and government to nurture the business and general aviation communities. The universal ambition is to recreate Ireland as an English-speaking, EU-member business aviation hub, with Shannon Airport as its de facto heart, but reaching out across the country.
Second, the IBGAA is drawing Ireland’s luxury travel market into the business aviation fold, providing HNWIs not only with the means to travel but also a reason to arrive. In 2027, Adare will host the Ryder Cup, an event that will bring tens of thousands of fans to Adare. The IBGAA is keen to ensure those among them who arrive by business jet are aware of the luxury tourism Ireland has to offer and its potential investment opportunities.

Highlights

There were inevitably standout moments from the panels and individual speakers during the conference. EVA was initially impressed by Jack Chambers TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. Describing the capabilities of Ireland’s civil aviation authority, Chambers referenced the country’s forthcoming digital aircraft register, which he described as ‘the first in the world for its broadness and comprehensiveness’. The system promises to make aircraft registration and airworthiness applications more straightforward, aligning with IBGAA’s ambitions for Ireland’s global aviation status.
Speaking on the Evolutionary Shifts panel, Declan Mangan, Head of Operations Transformation and Environment at Air Nav Ireland, revealed his organisation’s willingness to engage with business aviation operators to help maximise their efficiency in Irish airspace, while 4AIR President Kennedy Ricci provided seminal insight on SAF and carbon accounting.

Brian Cox, Chief Architect at Jaguar Land Rover, was a surprise, and perhaps unlikely, non-aviation addition to the Evolving Aviation panel. “I think innovation should be looked at holistically across organisations and across the industry,” he declared. “It’s very easy to focus on the technical aspects but when you step back, the core of innovation is people, their knowledge, vision and creativity. That should be applied to every facet of your industry. There are SAF, electrification, autonomous systems, and they must all fit into the wider ecosystem, the regulatory environment, the social infrastructure, your customers and the processes and systems in a business that enable all of this. Those processes and systems were probably built for another time and often, if you want to be innovative, you have to try a new approach. It’s about all the pieces, the HR structure, organisational structure, the way you think about things, the mindset and the people.”
After lunch, Teneo’s CEO Michael O’Keeffe and Senior Managing Director Angie Grant provided fascinating insight into reputation and strategic communications and crisis management. O’Keeffe noted that when he began his career crisis management kicked in over a period as long as 48 hours after the event, but in the social media era crisis ‘reporting’ can escalate out of hand in hours or even minutes; predicting and preparing is critical to handling crises and protecting reputation.

Grant cautioned that modern attitudes tend to be polarised, while rumbling issues may suddenly escalate as people become mobilised into a movement through social media. She and O’Keeffe showed headlines from a recent search on business aviation coverage and cautioned that although the primary narrative against the industry was coming from a relatively small number of sources, the movement should be monitored carefully.
Brendan O’Connor, General Manager at Adare Manor, had interesting things to say on the Charter Market Trends panel. Noting that, like business aviation, the hotel trade operates on very slim margins, he reported that the hotel’s 5 or 10% of profitability relied upon the types of guest who might arrive in Ireland by private jet. Adare Manor is the most significant local employer and, O’Connor said, “Without business aviation providing access to Ireland, the economics of our region would change dramatically.”

Appearing in the same panel, Wayne Pollack, CEO and Founder at WP Exclusive Luxury and an IBGAA board member, explained the impact of private jet travellers on the places they visit: “We organised a trip for a US customer last summer. He spent a month in Europe, staying in France and Scotland and ending up in Dublin.

“He operates a private jet and employs two pilots plus other staff, and he bought the jet from a company that employs people. He visited Gleneagles, where they employ people. He loves golfing, horse riding and salmon fishing and all those activities employ people. He played at an exclusive club in Scotland and now wants to become a member and play there once or twice a year. Next year he wants to bring three or four couples from among his friends to Ireland. One of my mantras is ‘less is more’ and this is a great example, where a small number of people travelling are spending more, using top hotels like Adare Manor and private jets, to the benefit of local economies.”

The final panel discussion, Positioning Ireland to Capitalise on Future Growth, included notable comment from Martin Kennaugh, Client Services Director at Martyn Fiddler Aviation. Considering Ireland’s commercial aircraft register as a jurisdiction for business jets, Kennaugh stated: “Ireland is well thought of internationally, it has massive cultural links with the US, and it seems like a natural home in Europe for business aviation. We set up an office at Shannon in 2019 because we believe people want to do business here.
“I can’t tell you how hopeful we feel for the future of a sustainable Irish business aviation community leading the way in Europe. It’s possible when government and business talk to each other and the message gets through. One of the big takeaways from this conference is that we shouldn’t avoid talking about what we do and the value we bring to communities and national economies.”

FORBES ARTICLE LINK HERE

There’s an expression about two ships passing in the night. The full quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ends, “So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak to one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and silence.” Times change and technology moves us forward. In the literal sense, it happens with airliners every minute of the day as jet airplanes zoom past each other in opposite directions. Just as often, modern airplanes are headed the same way, figuratively flying on top of each other, separated vertically by several thousand feet.

A Gulfstream flying nonstop from Savannah, Georgia, where the airplanes are built and the manufacturer employs over 11,500 on the western edge of the Atlantic and heading to Shannon, where Europe first touches the great ocean, could well have been on the same track as my recent flight from Miami to London. My Boeing 777 widebody, made in Seattle, where the company employs over 60,000 people, was taking me on a slightly more circuitous route to the second annual Irish Business Aviation & General Aviation Association Conference. The meeting was held earlier this week at Adare Manor, 30 minutes from the Irish airport, which was once the North American gateway to Ireland. The hotel employs 625 people, mostly locals.

Pilots, as they fly through the night, will sometimes break the boredom by speaking to their counterparts on other airplanes flying along the same route. Most of their passengers are unaware that global aviation for both private jets and airliners use the same network of invisible highways, just at different altitudes, with private jets able to fly a bit higher. Of the many conferences for travel and tourism and business aviation, and there are many, IBGAA is the only one I am aware of that tries to bring together principals from travel and tourism and business aviation.

A Gulfstream flying nonstop from Savannah, Georgia, where the airplanes are built and the manufacturer employs over 11,500 on the western edge of the Atlantic and heading to Shannon, where Europe first touches the great ocean, could well have been on the same track as my recent flight from Miami to London. My Boeing 777 widebody, made in Seattle, where the company employs over 60,000 people, was taking me on a slightly more circuitous route to the second annual Irish Business Aviation & General Aviation Association Conference. The meeting was held earlier this week at Adare Manor, 30 minutes from the Irish airport, which was once the North American gateway to Ireland. The hotel employs 625 people, mostly locals.

Pilots, as they fly through the night, will sometimes break the boredom by speaking to their counterparts on other airplanes flying along the same route. Most of their passengers are unaware that global aviation for both private jets and airliners use the same network of invisible highways, just at different altitudes, with private jets able to fly a bit higher. Of the many conferences for travel and tourism and business aviation, and there are many, IBGAA is the only one I am aware of that tries to bring together principals from travel and tourism and business aviation.

On the industry side, it’s much more calculated not to engage. Officials in trade groups representing business aviation, as it’s called, are skittish about discussing the tourism aspect. They have good reasons. There is a strong case to be made for using private jets, excuse me, business jets, to conduct business. The trips would be impossible if you had to spend 24 hours getting to a potential factory location instead of eight hours flying nonstop. Their preferred image of a flight is executives, laptops open, with reams of reports, working productively in a way not possible on an airliner. In fact, most private flights are middle management and technical executives traveling to support customers and coworkers, often bringing parts or equipment that won’t fit in the overhead bin. The idea of embracing rich people jetting around, clinking champagne glasses, filling the cargo compartment with golf clubs, skis, shopping bags from Louis Vuitton and Chanel, and just generally spending lots of money, they believe, is probably not helpful to their case.

Maybe so, but I believe there is a strong case for more interaction between industry associations and leaders to discuss the places they share common ground.

Speaking on a panel I was moderating, Brendan O’Connor, the general manager at Adare Manor, told the audience, “The hotel business is low margin. It’s the people who stay in our suites where we make the money. Those are our guests who arrive by private jets.” Truth be told, the site of the 2027 Ryder Cup creates hundreds of more jobs off-property via its supply chain of local vendors and the nearby village, where its well-heeled guests frequent the shops and visit pubs. He says since the estate reopened in 2017, the shopkeepers have retooled their offerings, adding more unique wares and a few extra digits to what they sell.

The next morning over coffee, O’Connor, who grew up about 45 minutes from Adare but returned home after working at luxury hotels in New York, Australia, and the Caribbean, told me, “By number, our guests who arrive by private jet are the ones we can least afford to lose as they are the ones who spend the most.”

In part, they are paying for the hotel’s two million euro investment in a solar farm that, when completed, will reduce its energy consumption by one million kilowatts. “Every guest segment is important, but (private jet users) spend tenfold the average guest. It’s from those profits that we can invest in making these initiatives,” he says. Of course, everything is relative. At 160 euros for the set menu in its one Michelin-star restaurant, private flyers will likely consider that an excellent deal compared to what they pay for sandwiches and fruit trays when they order catering.

Either way, luxury resorts located away from major hubs like London, Dublin, New York, or Miami support their local communities – and in many cases sustain them – via the spending of those vacationing private jet travelers. Ashford Castle in Cong, where I stayed after last year’s conference, employs over 500 people in a town of less than 200. It gets over 300 private jet per year bringing guests and money via nearby West Knock Airport. Let’s just say there aren’t many airline connections for U.S. travelers, Ireland’s most important market, that could replace those private flights. For both Adare, Ashford, and hundreds if not thousands of places around the globe, it’s not just the people in the hotel; it’s the local town with shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as the purveyors of products and services to the hotel, from car companies to local farmers.

Like business aviation, travel and tourism has long suffered in proving its worth to detractors. Back in the 1980s, for the travel industry, the challenge was taxation and bureaucracy, which made international travel more difficult. It was easy to slap extra taxes on tourists since they didn’t vote where they vacationed, and who cared how hard it was to get a visa or how long they had to wait in immigration lines? There was a perception that it wasn’t a serious industry, in part because hotel groups, airlines, and car rental companies at the industry trade group level functioned in different silos. It changed when the bosses of American Express, American Airlines, British Airways, Marriott, Hilton, Hertz and Avis formed the World Travel & Tourism Council.

The WTTC created a blueprint to show tourism ministers the economic benefits of visitors in terms of spending and jobs being delivered and the lost revenues from poor policy decisions. It facilitated what we see today in the form of e-visas and e-gates that make it easier to transit between countries. When I attended meetings in the 1990s, those were far-fetched ideas. On the tax side, country-specific studies enabled the tourism minister to show their finance minister and elected officials a strong case supporting legislation that recognized the industry’s contribution in the same way as a new factory making widgets. The WTTC’s mission has moved along and is now heavily focused on showing how the industry is deeply engaged in achieving sustainability. Interestingly, it is the same mission as Climbing.Fast., the new initiative launched by 10 business aviation trade groups during the National Business Aviation Association’s conference in Las Vegas in October.

“Less is more. Less travelers. More money,” Wayne Pollock, founder and CEO of WP Exclusive Luxury, noted, following O’Connor’s comments on the panel. A travel designer slash advisor slash 21st-century version of a luxury travel agent; Pollock routinely arranges trips where his clients spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per pop. He doesn’t book airline flights. “We know their tail numbers,” he told me. One American couple spent over a million dollars for a month-long trip through Spain and France over the summer. That money went to tour guides, transportation companies, event planners, restaurants, golf courses, shops and other service providers. Their biggest hope is that travel planners like Pollock have more similar clients who will visit.

Both travel and private aviation as industries are facing calls for bans from climate protestors who don’t want to talk facts. A number of cities are seeking to curtail mass tourism. Amsterdam wants to ban private jets while France wants to cut short flights. Yet global aviation is just 2% of carbon emissions and private jets are 2% of that 2%. As Climbing.Fast points out that in the U.S. alone private aviation supports over one million jobs and more than $250 billion for the economy. Globally, travel and tourism accounts for 10% of jobs, and in many places, without travel and tourism, the local economies would go kerplunk.

In a later panel, one speaker noted maybe haters of the wealthy could consider that the high expense of flying privately is probably the fastest way to redistribute monies from their bank accounts to the rest of us.

What could business aviation and travel folks discuss if they got together?

It could be interesting for attendees at business aviation conferences to hear about the sustainability initiatives of Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel advisors who help rich folks separate over $25 billion annually from their bank accounts to the pockets of waiters, maids, and drivers in the far corners of the world. Matthew Upchurch, its CEO, has helped lead out-of-the-box thinking, including encouraging more shoulder and off-season travel to places that have too many visitors in their peaks and then become ghost towns for other parts of the year. Business aviation executives would also find it interesting how Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs is eliminating all plastics down through his supply chains and the challenges of doing so in remote locations on islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Gulfstream Aerospace, principal sponsor of the second edition of The Irish Business and General Aviation Association’s (IBGAA) annual conference on 1 November will be revisiting business aviation’s significant progress on sustainability by moderating a panel session titled, ‘Navigating aviation’s dynamic path to efficiency and sustainability.’

The panel of representatives to drive this important discussion will include Kennedy Ricci, President at 4Air; Stewart D’Leon, Director of Environmental and Technical Operations at the USA’s National Business Aviation Association; Alexander Kuper, Vice President, EMEA of Neste and Nicola-Jane Sellers, Group Sustainability Manager at Luxaviation Group.

“The goal of the industry is to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Sharing the undisputable progress we have made so far is vastly important as we continue to tackle this complex issue,” said Charles Etter, Technical Fellow at Gulfstream.

IBGAA is putting this topic front and centre for the second year, amid calls for operators and executive aircraft owners to be more visible in their efforts to demonstrate measurable improvements in operational sustainability.  That can be carbon offsetting, book and claim, increased use of SAF, which is becoming more widely available.

“We are very pleased to welcome Gulfstream back as our principal sponsor. We are gearing up for a diverse and interesting event packed with hot topics and plenty of networking opportunities across the business aviation and ultra-luxe tourism industries.  All in the most stunning of settings at the award-winning prestigious gold resort, Adare Manor,” said Joe Buckley, IBGAA Founding Executive Director.

Ireland’s Minister of State for Transport, Environment, Climate and Communications, Jack Chambers, will deliver the opening keynote.

IBGAA is looking forward to taking a global view of the industry with leaders from around the world, moderated by Doug Carr, Senior Vice President, Safety, Security, Sustainability & Internal Operations at NBAA. Panel members will include: Robert Baltus, COO of the European Business Aviation Association; Kevin Ducksbury, chair of The Air Charter Association; Kurt Edwards, DG of IBAC and special guest, Ali Alnaqbi, founding Chairman of the Middle East Business Aviation Association and Chair of the IBAC Governing Board.  His comments will be especially noteworthy, coming just ahead of the Dubai Air Show next month.

IBGAA’s Chair Josh Stewart will explore opportunities for business aviation in Ireland and why, as a world-renowned aircraft leasing epicentre, it’s a smart choice for establishing a business.   Picking up this thread, the event will also address positioning Ireland to capitalize on future growth. There will also be a session on crisis management led by Michael O’Keeffe, CEO at Teneo.

IGBAA is looking forward to welcoming 150 industry delegates to the conference from senior decision makers in business aviation, with its audience of corporate jet operators, private aircraft owners, charter users from various sectors (MICE, sport and entertainment), tourism, airport and luxury hoteliers.

The full day event concludes with a gala dinner, for the second year, sponsored by JetCraft.

Ranked Conde Nast Readers’ Top Resort in the world (2022-2023) Adare Manor offers its guests an exceptional experience.

Registrations still available at:

https://col.eventsair.com/ibgaa-2023/registration/Site/Register

Editor’s notes

The Irish Business and General Aviation Association was formed in September 2020 with members including leading Irish resort venues and lifestyle brands.  It has since grown to 33 members.

Its board comprises:

Josh Stewart, Founding Chairman of IBGAA, Founder & CEO of XJet® and Robusto Capital, IBGAA Representative on the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) Governing Board and a veteran of the aviation industry for more than 30 years.

Dave Scully is the Founding Vice-Chairman of the Irish Business & General Aviation Association (IBGAA) and Managing Director & Accountable Manager at Private Sky, Shannon-based leading corporate aircraft management company. A stalwart of Irish business and general aviation, Dave has close to two decades’ experience in aviation operations at senior management level. He previously held the position of Director of Operations at Dublin-Weston Executive Airport and was also the founder of AEM Limited Aviation Consultancy.

Joe Buckley is the Founding Executive Director of IBGAA. An aviation industry veteran, with over 40 years’ extensive experience working for Shannon Airport, Joe has held several executive roles within airport operations and business development. He is a member of the EBAA’s Advocacy Committee and the Irish representative on the Council of European Business Aviation Associations. An early advocate of extending US preclearance to business aviation, Joe played a key role in the subsequent opening of the world’s first US preclearance facility in Shannon for business aviation.

Keith McKay, Founding Member, is Operations Manager & Business Development Manager at Woodgate Aviation, the Belfast International Airport-based fixed wing air ambulance operator, private jet management company, charter broker, FBO and general aviation maintenance provider.  Keith joined Woodgate Aviation in 2012, after 14 years in the airline sector, bringing an in-depth knowledge of operational and service delivery.   He is credited for increasing Woodgate Aviation’s brand awareness via social media platforms, marketing campaigns, introducing a new company website and organizing and promoting successful local business aviation product placement and showcase events in Northern Ireland.

Kenneth Fielding is General Manager for Signature Flight Support in Shannon. Signature Flight Support is the world’s largest Fixed Base Operator with over 200 locations worldwide including Shannon and Dublin, supplying essential support services for business and private aviation including ground handling, refuelling and a variety of other world-class amenities. Kenneth began working for Signature in 2005 as a customer service representative, becoming Operations Manager in 2014. In 2015 he was promoted to General Manager for the Shannon base. In his current role, he handles day to day activity, delivering a consistent premier service to Signature customers while supporting a strong safety culture.,

Angie Deady-Fiddler is a director of Martyn Fiddler Aviation based at their Irish office. Angie oversees and manages customs businesses in Ireland, UK, Isle of Man and the Netherlands. Having previously worked extensively in customer service roles and administration services, Angie joined the business in 2000 and has led the customs team for over 20 years, growing it to be a globally recognised brand within the business aviation sector.

Liam Murphy is General Manager for Universal Aviation based in Shannon Airport, Ireland. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Universal is a leading Trip Support Services specialist for business aviation operators with a multi-national, global client base.  Liam has over 20 years’ aviation experience, primarily involved in business aviation sector, including roles in Customer Service, Safety & Training and Operations. As part of his experience, Liam spent a number of years as the Director of Ground Operations for one of Ireland’s leading charter operators.

Jim O’Sullivan is founder and Managing Director of Dublin-based EXjets Ltd, which started in 1994 offering leasing and charter flights.  The business is 100% committed to providing a first-class personalised service with flying schedules tailored specifically to client requirements.

Alan Nee is a Licensed FAA and EASA ATPL corporate jet and helicopter pilot with extensive operational experience in North and South America, the Caribbean, Middle East, Asia, Far East, Russia and Europe. Past operational roles have included: CEO and Accountable Manager for Premier Aviation Ltd. (Helicopter AOC), CEO and Accountable Manager for Premier Executive Jets. (Jet AOC). Alan has a strong working relationship with Embraer, Dassault, Bombardier, Gulfstream, Airbus, Leonardo, Bell and Sikorsky, having purchased aircraft from each of these manufacturers for resale and leasing.

Peter Costelloe  is the founder of By Appointment DMC which has successfully grown an executive concierge business from Ireland to now being present in five countries across two continents. Peter’s achievements include logistical planning for a vast array of A list celebrities, government officials and the senior decision makers within large multinational companies. Peter has been involved in the logistical support for four U.S. Presidential visits to Ireland and received a personal thank you from President Barack Obama after his trip to Ireland in May 2011.

Brian Tuohy, I joined ACASS on December 1^st, where I have taken over from Russ Allchorne, trying to absorb as much wisdom as possible before he departs to CAE as Training delivery manager. It is a real privilege to take over from Russ and having the opportunity to learn from a true expert. Prior to ACASS, I worked for GainJet on their charter aircraft. Before that, I worked for Emirates, Norwegian, Ryanair, and TUI. I am a lifelong learner and have experience as a TRE/TRI with Ryanair. I took a dip into the academic world and completed a BSc in aviation technology and a Ba in Business and management in aviation. I am currently completing a professional diploma in Airworthiness management at the University of Limerick. I live in Shannon with my wife and daughters. When I’m not keeping busy with flying, you can find me learning how to build walls, operating a JCB and welding. If I can escape the DIY, you’ll find me on the Golf Course with similar results to operating the JCB.

Colin Dunne joined Jetcraft in 2019 as a Sales Manager supporting the Northern European and Middle East regions before being promoted to Sales Director in 2023. ​In his current role, he leads sales initiatives in the US Midwest. Since joining Jetcraft, Colin has supported over $1bn worth of aircraft transactions, using modern day sales and marketing strategies to successfully build and maintain relationships and ultimately negotiate and close aircraft transactions. ​Prior to Jetcraft, Colin held roles across the aerospace, energy, and construction industries in a mix of engineering, project management and business development capacities, including a two-year tenure working with aircraft owners, airlines, lessors and MROs at AerData/Boeing.​ Colin holds an Engineering Degree from Trinity College Dublin, an MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Dublin and a Certificate in Aviation Leasing and Finance. Colin is originally from Dublin, Ireland and is now based in Chicago, Illinois having recently relocated from Jetcraft’s London HQ.

Wayne Pollock is founder and CEO of WP Exclusive Luxury, a very private and discreet luxury travel and lifestyle management consultancy with UHNW clients across the globe. For over 35 years, Wayne has led the business to achieving more industry awards than any other UK independent consultancy in this specialist niche. With clients ranging from Hollywood A listers to captains of industry, his reputation, whilst below the radar publicly, is highly respected by the leaders in high-end travel, hospitality, private aviation, luxury yachts, private islands, and global property. Wayne enjoys enduring relationships with the owners and managers of the best of the best across the globe which he has meticulously forged over almost four decades. It is these relationships, that money cannot buy, that enable him and his team to provide a highly personal, bespoke, and incomparable service to a very select clientele who demand the ultimate in the use of their precious time in both business and leisure. From unforgettable rustic five-star culture experiences to lavish seven-star luxury, WPEL are the best kept secret for those who want the highest levels of integrity, discretion and professionalism backed by the sort of hands-on experience and knowledge that is unashamedly unique in the industry.

Philip Bartlett is the Chief Technical Officer for Shannon Technical Services, a global technical services provider for aircraft owners, lessors and airlines and is based in Shannon, Ireland. Philip began his aviation career as an Avionic Apprentice with Aer Lingus in 1990. During this time, he gained significant experience in a wide area of the airline maintenance and engineering environment including helping to restore the Iolar, a De Havilland DH84 Dragon. Based in Toulouse for a period of time he was responsible for the technical delivery management of several Airbus aircraft to the airline. In more recent times he has held both maintenance manager and CAMO manager nominated post holder positions for a significant Irish corporate jet operator utilising both business jet and helicopter types. In addition, Philip has spent time as an EASA Part 21 Design Engineer and EASA Part 147 Technical Instructor. He was also involved in the importation and continuing airworthiness management of the first aircraft, an Embraer Lineage 1000, to be entered on the Irish EJ aircraft register in 2018. As a Technical Operations Manager for Nordic Aviation Capital, he gained a perspective of the regional aircraft leasing business including managing aircraft deliveries and returns, to and from various international airlines. Now part of the Shannon Technical Services senior leadership team he has established the CAMO department which holds EASA, Cayman Island, Bermudan and Bailiwick of Guernsey continuing airworthiness and Airworthiness Review authority approvals for a wide range of regional, commercial, and corporate aircraft including several helicopter types.

Sean Raftery has more than 40 years of aviation experience, including over 25 with Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. Based in Stansted, United Kingdom, Sean was previously in the Royal Air Force where he worked in air traffic control. In 2002, he was appointed Managing Director of Universal Aviation U.K. – London-Stansted and in 2010 took on the additional responsibilities as Managing Director of Ireland. Under Sean’s leadership, Universal Aviation U.K. – London-Stansted and Universal Aviation Ireland, with FBO locations at Dublin and Shannon, have continued to grow and add new services, including the UK based European Operations Centre. Sean has also been instrumental in Universal Aviation continuing to upgrade its facilities including project management of the complete refurbishment of Universal Aviation U.K. – London-Stansted and the remodeling of Universal Aviation Shannon. In 2020 Universal Aviation opened up at RAF Northolt and Sean took further responsibility as Universal’s Director for northern Europe. Well respected within the business aviation industry, Sean has worked closely with government officials to develop and implement industry leading practices and was highly instrumental in influencing the U.K. government for fairer and better immigration procedures for visiting business jet passengers.

For further information:

Joe.Buckley@ibgaa.com

Media enquiries

communications@emeraldmedia.co.uk

T: +44 (0) 1420 560094

The IBGAA conference will bring together aviation influencers and decision makers from around the world to discuss the latest developments and explore the future of business aviation.

November 1st, 2023 | Adare Manor, Ireland

Conference topics will cover: 

• How new aircraft technology and innovation is driving efficiency and sustainability.
• Opportunities and responsibilities in the post covid world.
• Connected aviation – what’s next inflight and on the ground.
• How Business Aviation can support the tourism sector.
• Ireland – A Charter Opportunity.
• The advantages of setting up in Ireland, the world’s capital of aircraft leasing, as a friendly gateway to Europe.
• What lessons in innovation can business aviation learn from other industries.

Delegates rated the IBGAA’s 2022 Conference as one of the best events in the Business Aviation calendar. The conference had good solid interesting content from industry experts such as Gulfstream, Rolls Royce, Jet Aviation, Jetcraft, Global Jet Capital, Satcom, Honeywell, IBAC, EBAA, Farnborough Airport, Private Jet Card Comparisons, Irish Airports, Future Mobility Ireland Campus, Pal-V International, Irish tourism agencies, luxury castle hotels, law firms, charter brokers and operators.

What Forbes Magazine said in an article about the conference:

“It’s rare to find executives of private aviation and travel and tourism industry in the same room, as while seemingly closely connected, they operate in separate silos”

From Corporate Jet Investor:

“The inaugural (IBGAA) business aviation conference in Ireland may be a seminal moment for expansion of the sector in the Emerald Isle.

Who should attend?

This year’s IBGAA Business Aviation Conference will appeal to senior decision makers in business aviation, with a target audience of corporate jet operators, charter sector brokers, aircraft owners, plus charter users from various sectors (MICE, sport and entertainment).

Why Attend?

The conference will present an opportunity to meet charter sector operators and representatives from ultraluxe tourism. Current business aviation issues and new developments will be discussed with industry peers in a relaxed atmosphere. The conference presents an ideal opportunity to network and build new relationships at a senior level within Business Aviation.

Deluxe Rooms in Adare Manor are available to book via the Online Registration System.
Single B&B €535

adaremanor.com

CLICK HERE for more information.

NBAA FULL ARTICLE HERE

NBAA Raises Alarm Over Potential Ban on GA Flights at Dublin

NBAA recently appealed to the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and the Irish Ambassador to the U.S. regarding a threatened ban on general aviation (GA) aircraft, including business aviation, at Dublin Airport (DUB).

Total passenger traffic at the airport is expected to surpass the current annual cap of 32 million in 2024. Although an increase to 40 million passengers annually is under deliberation, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has also proposed a ban on all non-scheduled, “ad hoc” flights, which includes business aviation, to the airport to keep passenger counts within the current limit.

“In essence, this action by the DAA will result in no business aviation flights being allowed to fly in or out of Dublin Airport until planning is secured to increase passenger capacity,” NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen wrote to U.S. Ambassador Claire Cronin and Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason.

Read a copy of the letter. (PDF)

“On average it takes two years for a planning decision such as this to be reached meaning it is likely that the limit will be breached well before planning is granted,” he continued. “As such, the DAA is proposing an effective ban on all business flights in and out of Dublin Airport.”

Bolen emphasized NBAA’s work with the Irish Business and General Aviation Association (IGBAA) to inform government officials about the importance of business aviation on the Emerald Isle, most notably its vital role in supporting U.S.-based companies operating in Ireland.

“For U.S. companies employing thousands of Irish citizens, business aviation is a foundational tool for competing in a global marketplace, remaining productive during travel time, and connecting small towns and communities,” he continued. “It is no exaggeration to say that the ban being proposed by the DAA will greatly hinder Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for Foreign Direct Investment.”

The industry also supports hundreds of additional jobs in Ireland, Bolen added, which would be threatened should authorities curtail business aviation flights to Dublin.

While both NBAA and IGBAA are hopeful the passenger cap at EIDW will be raised to 40 million, the groups also have suggested an alternative to allocate 20,000 passengers from the current 32 million cap specifically to business aviation.

“This represents a mere 0.0625% of the passenger limit,” Bolen noted, “maintaining access to Ireland and the Dublin area for business aviation, which brings substantial economic and commercial benefits while still adhering to the 32 million cap.”

The proposed GA ban at Dublin Airport is the latest in a series of proposals across Europe to curtail business aviation operations. In May 2023, the French government imposed a cap on aircraft flights between domestic destinations accessible within a 2.5-hour train ride, with specific focus on business aviation. A similar effort to ban business jets at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport was suspended late last year.

FORBES FULL ARTICLE HERE

A New Way Forward

Two industries that often take an oversized share of criticism are looking for ways to work together to help benefit a core constituency for both, communities that are not well served and, in many cases, not served at all by scheduled airlines.

On the travel and tourism side of the equation, the industry is often criticized for low wages, mass tourism, and not doing enough to benefit locals. On the other hand, business aviation is a lightning rod for climate campaigners who view private jets as wasteful, an unnecessary chariot for celebrities and CEOs, with an outsized carbon footprint.

The truth is for decades; the travel industry has been

That said, it’s rare to find executives of private aviation and travel and tourism industry in the same room, as while seemingly closely connected, they operate in separate silos.

However, thanks to the foresight of the upstart Irish Business & General Aviation Association, Ireland’s Department of Transport, Tourism Ireland, and Fáilte Ireland, that may be about to change.

During the IBGAA’s launch conference at Adare Manor last week, I moderated a panel titled “Ireland’s Ultraluxe Tourism Potential Selling to UHNWIs.”

If the groups can come together, Ireland’s northern and western regions, which lag economically, stand to benefit. A 2020 government report found a “range of sectors, including health, education, infrastructure and transport, was lagging behind other parts of the country.” It concluded beyond Dublin; rural communities were being negatively impacted by a “two-speed economy.”

Ireland’s business aviation segment generates 666 million euros and 2,000 direct and indirect jobs via 10 airports accessible by private aviation. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, tourism to the island supported 330,000 jobs, bringing 5.9 billion euros in revenues from 11.3 million visitors, which means the average visitor who stays 7.3 nights spends $543 at current exchange rates.

And there is the possible opportunity: A partnership between tourism interests and private aviation may not bring the masses, but it can bring travelers who spend a lot. The average spending for private jet visitors, excluding airport services and fuel, is around $85,000, so one private jet with four or five passengers brings about as much revenue as an airliner with 160 passengers.

“Research in 2020 confirmed while Ireland has a strong offering, it is only attracting a fraction of the luxury tourism sector,” Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton told attendees.

IBGAA Chairman Josh Stewart and Executive Director Joe Buckley see private aviation tourism bringing more investment to Ireland. Beyond typical leisure visits, they see five-star resorts like Ashford Castle, Dromoland Castle and Adare Manor as ideal for board meetings and incentives.

They believe the same CEOs and UHNW entrepreneurs who will come for the spectacular scenery and picturesque drives will find the emerald isle an ideal place to set up businesses or invest, particularly in areas where the cost of living is low and there is a thirst for new jobs to keep the younger population from moving away.

There is also money to be had by generating more stopover visits. According to WingX, just 7% of transatlantic private jet flights start, end, or stop in Ireland, something the groups see as an opportunity. Shannon Airport offers pre-clearance enabling private jets to fly nonstop to more than 200 U.S. airports, making it an ideal refueling stop after a vacation in the Med or for private jet travelers flying between the Middle East and North America.

The importance of tourism and its potential to create more opportunities cannot be understated. For example, Ashford Castle, a luxury resort in the picturesque village of Cong, with just 150 residents, provides 400 jobs. It is simply the foundation of the local economy. Already, about 300 arrivals each year come via private jets using West Ireland Airport Knock, an hour away. Ireland’s main gateway, Dublin Airport, which takes 94% airline arrivals, is three-and-a-half hours by road to the east.

Louise Finnegan, Head of Business Partnerships at Tourism Ireland, told attendees that while the country has lots to offer the upscale visitor, research shows it is not as high on the radar for UHNW travelers officials would like.

However, the government is trying hard to give well-heeled travelers more reasons to come. Miriam Kennedy, Head of the Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland, says during the pandemic the tourist board incubated over 100 experiences targeting the ultra-luxury market, ranging for access to venues not normally open to the public to its world-renowned horse breeding segment. Of course, there are adventures covering everything from golf to fishing, hiking, biking, walking, antiquing, and even surfing.

While collaborations between private jet companies and travel suppliers aren’t rare, they are often limited to a press release and putting logos on each other’s websites. Generally speaking, they serve the purpose of creating awareness via public relations, but don’t necessarily drive tangible results.

Of course, that’s not always the case. In the early 2000s Visit Mexico, successfully targeted UHNWs by making private aviation a market segment like LGBT or honeymoon/romance travel and creating a fully integrated program.

Alfonso Sumano is a former executive with Visit Mexico and World Travel & Tourism Council, and now president of Zoi Media Group, a travel platform promoting high-end experiences. He says of Mexico’s campaign to attract private jets, “At the end of the day, expenditure is the most important. It means more money going into the local community. The higher the spend the better for the destination,” adding, “Our research showed the private aviation user spent 80 to 100 times more than the typical air visitor.” An added benefit, he says, is that the tourism product that private jet users seek is “low-density and sustainable.”

Similarly, Turks & Caicos was able to generate over $200 million in tourism investment by targeting developers. Its campaign pitched, “While other countries give you red tape, we give you a red carpet.” It included an invitation to contact the chief minister, which several investors did.

So far in Ireland, there has been a small promotion with European very light jet operator GlobeAir, using a video produced by the tourist board. Whether or not tourism and private aviation can come together in a meaningful way, remains to be seen. However, executives from both sides seemed eager. Finnegan told the private aviation executives, “We’re here because we want to work with you.”

CORPORATE JET INVESTOR FULL ARTICLE HERE

Let’s Put Ireland On The Aviation Map

The sense of enthusiasm was palpable among the 120 delegates in attendance at Adare Manor, County Clare for the Irish Business and General Aviation Association’s (IGBAA) first annual conference. Ultra-luxe tourism, aircraft registration, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the potential for an AAM ecosystem linking Dublin and Shannon were among the topics discussed.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton kicked off the day. “Research in 2020 confirmed while Ireland has a strong offering, it is only attracting a fraction of the luxury tourism sector,” she said. “Ireland is also regarded as one of the top EU locations to do business. We are home to hundreds of overseas companies that employs thousands of people. These companies are a natural market for business aviation.”

Naughton highlighted Ireland’s “thriving” aviation sector now active for many decades thanks to its link to transatlantic travel. Ireland was first country outside the Americas to begin pre-clearing customs for the US.

“Over 50 aircraft leasing companies are based in Ireland,” said Naughton. “We also have well developed services in MRO.”

Graham Williamson, president, ACASS Ireland, who set up the firm in the wake of Brexit, said Ireland enabled him to build a sustainable business aviation business.“When Britain left the EU, I left Britain. For me the heart of business aviation is in Europe and Ireland is at the heart of Europe, so that’s why I’m here,” he said. “It’s English speaking, English law, but you are in Europe.”

People asked Williamson: What’s your exit strategy for the market? “There is none, I’d like this to last for 50 years. I’ll come and go and it will continue to create valuable jobs in this part of the world. It is not aircraft for the Kardashians our first aircraft was for Colombian miners, we’ve done vaccines, EU delegations, air ambulance.”

Josh Stewart chairman IBGAA agreed.“We lead in so many ways, but we are missing a lot of the business aviation ecosystem. Let’s put Ireland on the map we thought. In the European market business aviation was almost a €90bn driver last year. In Ireland that was about €1bn – there is progress to be made,” said Stewart.

Future technologies, against the backdrop of the recently-launched Future Mobility Campus Ireland, featured throughout the day’s panel discussions.

“The establishment of the Future Mobility Campus Ireland puts Ireland of the cutting edge of new aviation technology,” said Naughton.

Business aviation will lead the way on sustainable technology adoption, according to Robert Baltus, chief operating officer, EBAA. “You will not see airlines flying electric in the coming years but you will see business aviation doing it. That’s because we innovate in this space.”

Last year, Future Mobility Campus Ireland conducted beyond-line-of-visual-sight flights at the Shannon Airport testbed. Campus CEO and co-founder, Russel Vickers said: “We are building gigawatts of renewable energy on the west coast of Ireland. How can we channel that into sustainable aviation? We are quite poor on the infrastructure side over here on the west coast. All roads lead to Dublin –well, all the good roads anyway.”

Vickers outlined plans to establish an AAM ecosystem, whereby transport hubs and urban centres could be linked by air taxi on Ireland’s west coast and across to Dublin in the east.

SAF fuelled conversation in one of the afternoon sessions. Sustainable fuel is about getting back to mother nature and restoring the carbon balance in the atmosphere, according to Alder Fuels, president and CEO, Bryan Sherbacow.

“There are certain transport modes that will no longer need liquid fuels, because of renewables. Aviation is not one of those modes, for the near-term the only way to decarbonise aviation will be through decarbonising the liquid fuels it uses,” said Sherbacow.

Moderating the aircraft registration panel, Aoife O’Sullivan, partner, The Air Law Firm, summed up best what Irish business aviation needs to do. ““I call it the Isle of Man example. They came out of nowhere in 2007,” said O’Sullivan. “The market is there but you need to work hard and chase it.”