The industry faces an “existential threat” with European leaders pushing for curbs on business and general aviation, industry leaders said this week during Aero Friedrichshafen. But those leaders agreed that this provides an opportunity to present a positive story and a mandate to push forward with new technologies.
Speaking during a panel hosted by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) on Wednesday, Nicolas Chabbert, senior v-p of Daher’s aircraft division, stressed that as the industry confronts threats, “We have to educate and evolve. We are not a victim. We have to consider ourselves as an industry we are proud of.”
He acknowledged the public focus on the environment but said this should not just be a look that is limited to CO2 emissions. Noting efforts industry-wide on the environment, Chabbert said, “We have to take everything [being accomplished] and we need to make our own story and to praise it.”
As for CO2 emissions, the industry needs to ensure a focus is on global emissions, saying that it is “fundamentally wrong” to say a train produces a hundred times less than an aircraft.
But this is also why new technologies are so important, added Jane Lefley, strategy associate with ZeroAvia, adding that it is particularly important to educate governments and the public on the progress of advancements. She added that it would be easier to bring new technologies such as hydrogen to the market than have everyone stop flying.
Rob Scholl, president and CEO of Textron eAviation, further agreed, saying, “We as an industry have to come together and communicate everything that we're doing because we are doing very interesting things in aviation right now.” He added that while this is providing big challenges, it also is “kind of exciting. We're being pushed to do new challenging things that have not been done in decades in aviation. And these can have real impacts on society or on the world.”
The panelists also noted that these technologies are happening now, such as the ZeroAvia first flight using a hydrogen-electric system that occurred in January.
GAMA chair and Simcom CEO Eric Hinson opened the GAMA event by also emphasizing the importance of the industry and its global impact, another area where the industry needs to better communicate. “I would contend general aviation is every bit as important as other modes of transportation,” he said and noted the “myopic” view that the public, in general, can have toward it.
He pointed to the importance the industry plays in pilot training, air ambulance, firefighting, cargo, and disaster relief/humanitarian services, as examples. Hinson also discussed the environmentally positive initiatives underway and agreed that “right now is one of the most exciting times to be in the industry.”
