Business aviation is essential to tens of thousands of companies of all types and sizes that must compete in a marketplace which demands speed, flexibility, efficiency and productivity. While the organizations that rely on business aviation are varied, they all have one thing in common; the need for fast, flexible, safe, secure and cost-effective access to destinations worldwide.
It is traditionally defined as a part of general aviation that centers on the business use of airplanes and helicopters. As a subset of general aviation (GA), business aviation is commonly defined as the use of general aviation aircraft for business purposes. The vast majority of business aircraft seat six passengers in a cabin roughly the size of a large SUV and fly average trips of less than 1,000 miles. To facilitate the conduct of business, many of these aircraft are equipped with IFE such as phones, mobile connectivity and high-speed internet access.
Among many benefits derived from business aviation, the most important is the industry’s ability to save passengers time, thereby increasing their productivity and efficiency, which includes being able to reach multiple destinations with no possibility of delay or cancellation. Business aviation can also be a very powerful tool to advance community service. Humanitarian and relief efforts often focus on the delivery of trained medical personnel and food supplies to disaster areas which can sometimes only be accessible by air using business aircraft.
Business aviation also plays an important role in boosting the country’s economy directly through aircraft manufacturing and airport-related jobs, and indirectly through the purchase of goods and services by firms involved in the manufacture, operation, repair and maintenance of business aircraft.