Business aircraft use takes to the sky

With the economy on the rise, aviation veteran and President of Embraer Executive Jets Ernie Edwards, explains why more and more businesses are utilising private air travel to boost productivity.

For many Australians the idea of owning their own jet is a dream, but in-fact it is becoming a reality. There are almost 200 jets based locally which accounts for 90 per cent of the business aircraft in Oceania. Australia has the second largest fleet of business aircraft in the region, second only to China.

We expect that the number of jets based in Australia will continue to rise in 2013 as corporations realise the increased efficiency they get from business aircraft and the direct impact on the bottom line.

A recent study, published by NEXA Capital, concluded that not only do companies using business aircraft do better but they have also recovered from the global financial crisis much faster than their non-user peers. The report, which confirmed four earlier studies, shows that companies now see corporate aircraft as a business tool critical to their success. Coupled with the increasing hassle inherent with commercial travel, these studies suggest a healthy future for the industry.

Also in recent years, some major misconceptions about who is flying aboard business jets and why has been corrected. NEXA studies show business aircraft are used by the chief executive only 15 per cent of the time. The rest of the time it is being used by mid-level managers, sales and customer service specialists. The fact that mid-level, customer-oriented employees are using these aircraft is an important distinction that is little understood.

In recent times there have been numerous industry innovations largely due to customer demand including increases in cabin volume, inflight accessible baggage compartments, larger lavatories, and more cabin zone. It has also become quicker to implement these innovations and in-fact in the time it once took to bring a single aircraft to market, Embraer Executive Jets has brought a family of seven aircraft. We’ve also been told that the innovations have delivered the same disruptive experience to the business aviation industry that smartphones brought to telecommunications.

We are seeing a strengthening interest in business aviation for access to remote or rural areas where commercial service is sparse or where schedules do not meet their needs. They are demanding upgraded interiors as they seek to emulate the high-technology and comfort levels they’ve created in their own offices and homes. More telling, perhaps, is the increasing demand for break-through technologies that will make travel more comfortable, easier and efficient, bringing tomorrow’s aircraft to the market today.

A 40-plus-year veteran of the aviation industry, Ernie Edwards was named President of Embraer Executive Jets by the Embraer Board of Directors in April 2011. A proud Welshman, Ernest was actually born in Amman, Jordan, beginning his aviation career in 1970 when he joined Hawker Siddeley as an aircraft apprentice in Chester, England. Ernest is member of the Board of Directors for General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the National Business Aircraft Association’s Associate Member Advisory Council (AMAC). He is married, has four children and lives in Boca Raton, Florida. His hobbies include skiing, fitness and listening to music.