Business aviation is not about flying in the lap of luxury at the drop of a dime. It’s about keeping the nation moving in more ways than one.
Unfortunately a great many people in America think that corporate jets are the toys for the boys behind the desks of big companies. While it is true that corporate America does use planes to do business, they do not, for the most part, hip-hop from place to place just “because they can.” Business aviation is one of the cornerstones of what makes this great country prosper.
Many people aren’t aware of the fact that business aviation contributes well over $150 billion to our economy each year. This industry also gives jobs to over 1.2 million people; jobs that are stable and pay good wages. This can’t always be said about the rest of the economy. In addition, a large majority of the general aviation aircraft in service around the world are made, run, serviced, and taken care of in the US. That’s not exactly small potatoes when it comes to being a reliable, trustworthy, innovative, and critical industry that is part of the lifeblood of American commerce.
While there are some aviation companies that do manufacture their planes abroad, they bring them to the US to complete. The US has a sterling reputation for aircraft components, even aircraft completion centers, paint, engines, automation systems, electronics, and avionics. Think about the dollars this industry pumps into the economy.
Business aircraft manufacturing is a major source of good jobs in the US, the kind of employment that can continue well into the future. Interestingly enough, it is also one of the very few industries that still actively contributes to maintaining a positive trade balance. At this time in our economic development, we desperately need industries that boost our economy, providing some light at the end of the tunnel during this major recession.
Another fact that not too many people realize is that business aviation lets companies quickly and safely get tools and materials from one place to another; the kinds of materials that can’t be taken on board a commercial airline. Operating a business aircraft lets those doing business get from one destination to another, solving problems as they crop up during the course of doing trade. This increased mobility helps companies solve their problems rapidly, effectively and efficiently.
Don’t forget that any business aviation aircraft needs support crews, maintenance personnel, pilots, technicians, dispatchers, schedulers, and other critical employees to keep their planes in the air doing business. Overall, the big picture for business aviation is one of contributing to a growing economy, striving to stay current in the 21st century, contributing an enormously valuable service to the nation, and allowing commerce to flourish under some tough conditions.
Do corporate jets mean the big boys are playing at the taxpayer’s expense? The nation’s trade balance sheet shows otherwise.
Stewart H. Lapayowker, P.A. is an aviation attorney and aviation transaction lawyer, focusing on airplane and jet transactions. To learn more, visit Businessaviationcounsel.com.
