US Manufacturers Head For Switzerland Full Of New Hope

A year ago, they were smarting from deep cuts in the labor force and even deeper cuts in orders for aircraft. Now, representatives of Bombardier, Raytheon, Ibis, Dassault, Cessna and Eclipse are among those who've flocked to Geneva, Switzerland, hoping to interest Europeans in business jet aviation.

They're attending EBACE -- the European Business Aircraft Conference and Exhibit -- a "one-stop shop for everything that they need," according to Cessna spokeswoman Jessica Myers, as quoted in the Wichita Eagle. "We're expecting it to be a very good show."

Co-sponsored by the NBAA and the European Business Aviation Association, EBACE is a showcase for both sales and new technology. There's also a lot of business-to-business news, much of which showed up in Monday's edition of Aero-News.

With more than 600 exhibits and 35 aircraft on static display, EBACE has become something of a European haven for American aircraft manufacturers who, like the American military last year, drew back from the Continent's big gala, the Paris Airshow.

FMI: www.ebace.aero