NATA Rolls the Dice …
… and comes out on top in Orlando. Each year, the National Air Transportation Association teams up with the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association and the Aviation Industry Expo trade show, bringing together aviation services companies and suppliers. In recent years, the Expo has continued to grow while NATA’s convention numbers have been declining.
The NATA board decided to change the format – turning its annual meeting into an FBO Leadership Conference and focusing more on business management issues while creating a new event, the Air Charter Summit, which will feature more discussion of regulatory matters. By all indications, the new format is a success – overall NATA numbers are up, and each session was noticeably more dynamic and better attended.
Back in the 1970s, NATA had a hard time keeping the Part 135 air taxis in the association fold, due to the inherent differences in the business – most notably a heavier emphasis on FAA regulations. But back then, many fixed base operators were still being forced via their leases to be “full service,” and charter was one of those services. Airport sponsors over time have accepted that FBOs no longer need to be everything to everybody, and one successful formula has the FBO being the line service provider and leasehold manager while having as subtenants individual services such as charter, flight training, maintenance, avionics, etc.
With the advent of fractionals came an associated growth in the demand for charter, and the business has become very dynamic. The change has been so significant that in recent years FAA has been taking a renewed review of all things Part 135. It’s a different business today, and that is certainly true of charter. Having an independent Air Charter Summit, to be held June 27-29 in Leesburg, VA, may just pan out to be a good idea. Thanks for reading. jfi
It is very important in the business world today to be prepared for the worst disaster you can think of. Have the business aviation companies asked any questions about the FAA consolidation of TRACON’s?
For instance in South Florida by May of 2008 they want to consolidate West Palm Beach TRACON in with Fort Lauderdale and Miami’s TRACONs locating all of them 1.5 nautical miles away from the backup system the ARTCC Miami Center. This will be with in 6 nm of the Port of Miami.
If Miami gets hit with a disaster and all radar goes down how long do you think it will be till any kind of business can be conducted in that area?
According to the fact sheets on the FAA site the air traffic quadrupled after hurricane Katrina went through New Orleans. But they still had their backup system and a redundant TRACON in Baton Rouge.
What will happen in South Florida? No backup system, no redundant TRACONs. It is like putting a bulls eye on Miami for the terrorist and say come get me and you can have all of Florida from Orlando on down. Forget about South West Regional rumor has it that they will also be move to Miami’s TRACON.
If you are unaware of this it does not surprise me because the FAA is trying to keep this
( no pun intended ) under the radar.
I have been fighting this since Feb 2006 and I have contacted my Senators, Congressmen, and Homeland Security. In Jan of 2007 I received a call from the Inspector Generals Office. They asked me for all the information that I had been gathering and if they thought I had a case they would let me know. Within 6 days I was sent a case number.
I want to save the lives and business of South Florida and if the IGO decides that this is ok I will leave the area. I will not be put in a worse position than the people of New Orleans.