Wichitans heading to aviation convention as market ‘feels better’

Throughout general aviation, there’s a general sense that stability has returned to the marketplace, Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, said as the world’s largest business aviation show prepares to open next week.

“There’s a general enthusiasm,” he said. “There’s not euphoria. But there’s a belief in the future. That’s partly because the economy is getting stronger, partly because even during the downturn, there’s investment in new products. It feels as good as it has felt in a very long time.”

The business jet market has struggled since the recession struck in late 2007.

That sense that the market is improving is being reflected in fuel sales, flight hours, used-aircraft inventory and pricing, Bolen said.

“That’s true of all the different market segments,” he said. “With that kind of a backdrop going into NBAA’s convention this year, it feels pretty good.”

Scores of Wichitans are heading to Orlando for the NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, which opens to the public on Tuesday and runs through Oct. 23.

A media day opens Monday.

It’s the fourth-largest trade show in the U.S. and draws about 25,000 attendees.

About 1,100 exhibitors will showcase their products and services at the show at the Orlando County Convention Center. And about 100 business aircraft will also be on static display at the Orlando Executive Airport.

About 30 exhibitors are from the Wichita area.

Textron Aviation CEO Scott Ernest agrees the market is starting to come around.

“It’s better,” Ernest said. “It feels better.”

The company is having more discussions with customers. More of those discussions will take place at the convention.

The convention is a place for companies to announce new and upgraded products and services, which gain attention from trade magazines and other media.

Some Wichita companies will have their own exhibits or share exhibit space with the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition. Wichita City Council member Pete Meitzner is attending to meet with Wichita-area companies.

The GWEDC is hosting an event at its booth on Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, and everyone from the Wichita area is invited, said Tammy Nolan, GWEDC marketing manager.

They also can call the GWEDC booth home base at the show.

“We want people to feel that Booth 2067 is everybody’s booth,” Nolan said. “We want to hear what they’re hearing about the industry and what their takeaways are.”

Area officials say their presence at the convention is a way to promote Wichita and safeguard its position in the aviation arena.

“It’s more an opportunity to make sure we maintain our presence as the Air Capital of the World,” GWEDC president Tim Chase said of the reason for exhibiting. “There are lots of places around the country who would like to step up and say they are now the Air Capital. To a certain extent, we are reinforcing our message.”

In addition, the NBAA show is a great opportunity to interact with existing companies.

“It’s a tremendous cost-effective way for us to get up to speed on what’s going on with them,” Chase said. “Are there any opportunities to growing their business? The priority for the GWEDC is growing what we have today more so than recruiting something new. We want to make sure we don’t pass up any opportunity to help existing companies grow. That will create far more jobs for Wichita and for the region than recruiting something new.”

Wichita has struggled since the recession to regain jobs in the aviation sector.

“Manufacturing is still the most value-added business that we have in the country,” Chase said. “We are one of the highest manufacturing bases in the country. So you combine those two, and that means that we are a target.”

Chase said the GWEDC routinely hears from Wichita manufacturers that states have reached out to them in an attempt to secure an expansion or to encourage them to move their operations.

“That’s why ... our No. 1 priority is taking good care of what we have, and that means doing everything that we can to create a business environment in which they prosper,” Chase said.

He pointed to the area’s workforce as an advantage.

“We have the workforce they need to be successful,” Chase said. “Generational manufacturing has value. You don’t just plunk a manufacturing plant down and have the people punch a time clock and assume that they know how to build an airplane. ... It’s too complex.”

Bombardier and Textron

At the NBAA show, Bombardier Aerospace will showcase its Wichita-built business jets, including the Learjet 75 and the Learjet 85 flight test plane.

The company is also displaying its Challenger 350, Global 5000 and Global 6000 planes and the Global 7000 mock-up.

“The annual NBAA conference and exhibition is a key event, and we’re proud to showcase the largest portfolio of products in the industry,” Eric Martel, Bombardier Business Aircraft president, said in a statement.

Textron Aviation will take a full line-up of Beechcraft and Cessna jet and turboprop planes to Orlando.

As at other events this year, there will be a unified presence as one company, said Textron Aviation president and CEO Scott Ernest.

Cessna’s parent company, Textron Aviation, bought Beechcraft Corp. in March.

The new $16.2 million Citation Latitude, with seating for up to nine passengers, will make its debut at the show.

“It’s a great airplane,” Ernest said.

Also on display at the Orlando Executive Airport will be the King Air 350i, 250, C90GTx, Citation X, Sovereign+, XLS+, CJ4, CJ3+, M2, Mustang and Caravan EX.

This story was originally published October 15, 2014 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Wichitans heading to aviation convention as market ‘feels better’."