The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) continues to expand its Industry Partner membership, announcing new program leaders this week at the annual NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas.
New IBAC Industry Partner companies include 4AIR, Daher, and Metrojet. Renewing business aviation operators are DuPont De Nemours, and GCI Communications.
Kurt Edwards, IBAC director general said, “We are excited to have these leading companies in the business aviation sector join the IBAC family and participate in our global efforts to promote business aviation growth, safety, and sustainability. Our Member Associations and Industry Partners provide leadership in building, through IBAC, a global venue for advocacy and thought leadership to engage stakeholders important to our industry’s growth. The entire IBAC team looks forward to working with these new Industry Partners.”
To date, the Industry Partner program features 11 companies from seven countries and four continents.
This expanding international base includes leading OEMs, service providers and operators joining this year from France, Hong Kong, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States – to unite with existing members from Canada and the United States.
In addition to the new IBAC Industry Partners announced today, other program leaders include Bombardier, CAE, Corporate Jet Investor, Jet Aviation, MedAire, and UAS International Trip Support.
4AIR helps operators large and small offset their emissions, use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and drive technological change through four simple yet comprehensive ratings. In addition, 4AIR alleviates regulatory reporting burdens for operators by managing, tracing, and documenting the use of SAF or providing turnkey reporting services for emission trading schemes (ETS) and other regulatory obligations.
“We are honored to partner with IBAC on its mission to support international business aviation and provide value to the members through our expertise in environmental sustainability solutions,” said Kennedy Ricci, 4AIR’s president.
“The rapidly evolving sustainability space is quickly creating new requirements and changing the standard operating needs of many entities; we are keen to collaborate with the international aviation community on meeting those needs and demonstrating how aviation can lead the way towards a sustainable industry.”
With its family ownership, Daher has focused on innovation since the company’s creation in 1863. In addition to designing and developing solutions for aeronautical, industrial and logistics customers and partners, Daher produces two types of single-engine turboprop-powered airplanes: the all-terrain, multi-purpose Kodiak; and the highly efficient TBM, which is one of the world’s fastest aircraft in its category. A combined total of more than 1,480 TBMs and Kodiaks have been delivered from Daher’s final assembly lines in the U.S. and Europe to owners, business operators and charter service providers around the globe.
“Daher is fully committed to promoting safety and sustainability in business aviation, bringing our expertise in aircraft design, engineering and certification – along with a focus on applying powerful digital tools to enhance pilot skills and improve operational efficiency,” said Nicolas Chabbert, the senior vice president of Daher’s Aircraft Division. “We look forward to being an active partner of IBAC, as we share common long-term goals for the industry’s growth.”
Joining as an operator affiliate, Metrojet pioneered business aviation services in Hong Kong and provides all-inclusive aircraft management, maintenance, charter, sales, and aviation consultancy services and has a regional presence with a satellite maintenance base in the Philippines. With an emphasis on its safety culture, Metrojet has voluntarily participated in the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) and maintains the highest Stage 3 level of registration.
Metrojet’s chief operating officer, Dave Yip said, “Metrojet was the first Asia-based business jet operator to develop our own Safety Management System, achieved the initial IS-BAO certification in 2011, and have been Stage 3 since 2016. We are very pleased to collaborate with IBAC to help shape international business aviation industry standards and specifically, be one of the forefront pioneers to address business jet environmental and sustainability issues in the Asia Pacific region.”
Business aviation operators, Dupont De Nemours and GCI Communications Corp have endorsed IBAC for many years and recently renewed their support. As leaders in the business aviation community, both operators are active NBAA Leadership Council members and advocates for the industry.
Elizabeth Dornak, director of aviation, Dupont said, “Supporting the critical work of IBAC is one of the most important financial contributions we make as a Flight Department. The representation and insight of the activities at ICAO brings real value to our organization.”
“GCI is the largest telecommunication provider in Alaska, and we know firsthand how vital air transportation is for Alaskans,” said GCI CEO Ron Duncan. “Many remote Alaska communities are only accessible by plane for much of the year and rely on air transportation for commerce, public safety, and health care. GCI is pleased to continue to support the great work of the International Business Aviation Council and their efforts to promote aviation growth, sustainability and, most important, safety in the U.S. and around the globe.”
