Business Aviation Faces The Same Concerns Worldwide, He
Says
Cessna chairman, president, and CEO
Jack J. Pelton said business aviation faces similar issues around
the world that will require operators to cooperate across regional
lines if the business is to thrive. Pelton's remarks came during
his keynote address at the 10th annual Regional Aviation
Association of Australia Convention held in Sunshine Coast,
Queensland Wednesday.
"We have our work cut out for us - here in Australia, in the United
States and around the globe," said Pelton. "Every region of the
world has its own issues to deal with and each issue is complex,
requiring dedicated and reasoned discussion among the
principals."
Pelton said the three primary issues facing general aviation are
requirements to enhance security and safety, the need to modernize
the world's air traffic management system and rising environmental
concerns. "In all three cases, we know there will be new
regulations," Pelton said. "But we must work closely with the
government to ensure the regulations make sense for the way general
aviation operates while providing real benefits. And we must make
sure these issues are considered on a global scale; it's imperative
we create multilateral policies to create a cohesive global
industry."
Pelton also addressed the primarily American issue of the
image of business aviation which came under attack the past year.
"The main reason for the inaccurate portrayal of business aircraft
use is a lack of understanding of the benefits and scope of
business aviation," Pelton said. "The truth is that there's an
increased importance on business jets. Companies of all sizes, all
around the world, fly many types of aircraft as they compete in a
global marketplace that demands speed, flexibility, efficiency,
security, confidentiality and productivity. For all of these
reasons and more, general aviation has become essential to the
world's transportation system and the global economy."
Pelton, in his first visit to Australia as Cessna CEO, said the
company has had a long relationship with aviation in Australia. In
addition to attending the RAAA event, Pelton used his visit to meet
with dignitaries, customers and the company's authorized sales
partners - Aeromil Pacific and Airflite Pty Ltd. "It's clear that
general aviation is a critical component of the national
infrastructure in Australia, and it's wonderful to see groups like
RAAA working to promote and maintain the industry," Pelton
said.
"There's no doubt general aviation faces many near-term
challenges, but in taking a long-term perspective, my outlook for
the industry is positive and my vision is that the best is yet to
come for the businesses, communities and families benefiting from
general aviation," Pelton said. "Organizations such as RAAA here
and GAMA, NBAA and AOPA in the U.S. are an important part of the
solution - but they rely on participation from businesses and
aircraft owner/operators. We all must be active in shaping future
legislation in a way that protects our industry."