business-aviation-fact-book-2014

year for employee travel with
the commercial airlines. Many
of these companies do a sophisticated
analysis before each
mission to determine whether
airline travel or business aviation
is the mode of transportation
best suited to the mission.
The terms “business” and “corporate”
often are used interchangeably
to refer to business aviation operations
because they both entail use
of a GA aircraft to support an enterprise.
However, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) has slightly
different definitions for “business
aviation” and “corporate aviation.”
• The FAA defines “business aviation”
as “any use of an aircraft
(not for compensation or hire) by
an individual for transportation
required by the business in which
the individual is engaged.”
• In contrast, the FAA defines
“corporate aviation” as those
flights that utilize professional
pilots who operate, but do not
own, the aircraft.
Why Use Business Aviation?
A company’s decision to utilize business
aviation depends on a variety
of factors, including the availability
of commercial airline service, both at
its headquarters and travel destinations;
the number of sites to be
visited in a single day; the number
of passengers to be transported; the
need to discuss proprietary matters
en route; the requirement to move
specialized and outsized equipment;
as well as a host of other considerations.
Reasons why organizations
use business aviation to meet their
transportation challenges include:
• Saving employee time.
Efficient employee scheduling
and employee time-savings
are possible because business
aircraft have the ability to fly on
demand and nonstop between
smaller airfields that usually are
closer to a traveler’s destination
than a major airport.
• Increasing traveler productivity,
safety and security
en route. When traveling on
business aircraft, passengers can
meet, plan and work in a secure
office environment, free from
interruptions and distractions,
which enables them to discuss
proprietary information without
fear of eavesdropping, industrial
espionage or physical threat.
Travelers can strategize before
meetings and debrief afterwards
or conduct meetings en route.
Also, many aircraft are outfitted
with advanced communications
technologies – including phones,
e-mail and Internet access – that
enable travelers to remain in
constant contact throughout their
flight with colleagues on the
ground. Most importantly, business
aircraft are engineered and
built to the highest standards and
are typically flown by two-person
professional crews, all of which
has enabled business aviation to
achieve a safety record comparable
to that of the major airlines.
• Reaching multiple destinations
quickly and efficiently.
Companies that need to reach
multiple destinations in a single
day use business aviation because
that type of mission is nearly
impossible to accomplish using
any other mode of transportation.
• Accessing communities with
little or no airline service.
Business aviation serves 10
times the number of U.S. airports
(more than 5,000) served by
commercial airlines (about 500).
The ability to use smaller, lesscongested
airfields located closer
to one’s final destination is a vital
part of the utility and flexibility
2014 NBAA Business Aviation Fact Book | 7