Appleby aviation team at industry exhibition

Friday 12 June 2015

Appleby’s dedicated aviation team has returned from the 2015 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (“EBACE”), Europe’s largest and most important business aviation trade show in Geneva last month.

Appleby was represented by Director of Operations Brian Johnson along with Danny Cole – Senior Associate, Jersey and Camilla Neal – Counsel, Guernsey and Tom Brook – Senior Associate, Isle of Man. It was the fifth consecutive year Appleby had been among exhibitors as the only law firm to exhibit at the show.

Jointly hosted by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), this was the 15^th year for EBACE and featured more than 500 exhibitors, a static display of almost 60 aircraft and attendees from over 100 countries.

The conference reflected a generally positive attitude in aviation business, despite there being challenges ahead for the industry. The debut of six new aircraft models, including the surprise launch of the Sino-US Corporate Jet, and increased participation from emerging markets were among the reasons for optimism.

As the show continues to evolve, EBACE 2015 featured an Inspiration Zone for the first time, an area dedicated to the industry’s future. It hosted an inaugural young professionals’ networking event, a session on skills and careers, as well as a presentation on unmanned aircraft systems.

In addition to the launch of new aircraft and opportunities to network with key industry members, EBACE offers a platform for leading aviation figures to provide key updates. This year, the conference heard from the European Aviation Safety Agency executive director Patrick Ky, who outlined his plans to ensure future policymaking reflects the diversity of companies and mission profiles in business aviation.

Brian Johnson, who has attended EBACE for the past nine consecutive years, said: “We were very busy throughout the show, and took the opportunity to catch up on the latest developments in the industry, and meet with our clients and contacts. Our unparalleled expertise and global reach means we were ideally placed to advise attendees on both establishing offshore structures and importation requirements, and answer any legal queries.

“EBACE is an important platform for discussing challenges and new trends, and among the topics discussed this year were the latest International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requirements, and the impact these additional requirements will have on making private aviation more professional.”