The biggest challenge facing the global growth of business aviation is appropriate government regulation, according to IBAC Executive Director Kurt Edwards, Director General of IBAC.

Edwards was chairing a ‘Business Aviation around the World’ panel discussion of six regional business aviation associations during the recently concluded MEBAA Show in Dubai. Hosted by the Middle East Business Aviation Association, the panel was unanimous that the respective associations enjoyed positive relationships with the various Civil Aviation Authorities, but governments still misunderstand the needs of business aviation.

“There is an image across the world that business aviation is a mode of travel reserved for the rich and famous, rather than a critical component for the corporate community which demands an increased level of productivity and connectivity” said Doug Carr of the NBAA.

Murray Law, member of the BBGA agreed, “The incorrect perception of business aviation is allowing the UK government to implement departure taxes and unfair charges on customs and immigration that is not reflective with its contribution to GDP or the nature of business aviation.”

The panel included: Rui Aquino, Chairman, IBAC Governing Board, President, Two Aviation, São Paulo, Brazil; Ali Al Naqbi, Founding Chairman, MEBAA; Scott Macpherson, Vice Chairman, IBAC Governing Board, Founding President, Trainingport.net; Kazunobu Sato, Secretary General, JBAA; Murray Law, Member, IBAC Governing Board, from BBGA, Director, Leaburn Ltd; Douglas Carr, Vice President, Regulatory & International Affairs, NBAA; Kurt H. Edwards, Director General, IBAC.

As the panellists each presented trends respective to their region, airport access and landing permits emerged as a shared challenge, partly driven by air traffic control’s priority for commercial aviation but also by a commonality to privatise airports that has removed a degree of government control and eliminated any kind of national airports plan.

Despite the challenges posed by regulation, IBAC pointed to the progress being made. In Japan the Civil Aviation Bureau has now allowed international on-demand charter operators to fly between domestic destinations within Japan.

Likewise in the Middle East, Ali Al Naqbi, Founding Chairman of MEBAA, cited the recent MOU that was signed between Bahrain and the UAE that accepts each other’s maintenance approvals and operator accreditations. “It is proof that cooperation and collaboration can work, and with this evidence we hope to bring more Middle East and North African countries into the fold.”

This is leading the Middle East Business Aviation Association to work closely with GAMA to draft common policies and procedures with the objective of getting each country to agree to a common set of regional policies and procedures.

MEBAA will be discussing these challenges as part of the wider agenda at six upcoming MEBAA conferences in the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo, Tunis, Beirut, Casablanca, Istanbul and Dubai and a new MEBAA Show in Morocco on 1-2nd September 2015.

Kurt Edwards, concluded the forum by saying; “No matter where you are in the world there are going to be shared issues and challenges but there are also shared successes as we allow the industry to grow as corporate jets begin flying long-haul into more airspaces.”