The Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) has undergone a leadership change, after its members voted on a new board of directors at its annual general meeting.

Jean-Noel Robert, Airbus' executive and private aviation area sales director for Greater China, Japan and Korea, is now the new chairman of the association. He replaces Chuck Woods, a long-time board director at AsBAA.

Embraer China's sales VP Lee Li and Bombardier's regional Asia Pacific VP for business aircraft David Dixon were appointed vice-chairmen of the AsBAA, says Robert.

Hawker Pacific Shanghai's business development director Helena Lang and OrientSKYs' Ekavaj Amornvivat were elected as the other two members of the executive committee, he adds.

Among the new leadership's priorities is to increase the number of members in AsBAA and to decide on the trade shows that the association will endorse. AsBAA has more than 40 members. "There are now many business aviation shows here with many different directions and we hope to define what our guidelines are before we endorse a show," says Robert.

He adds that a decision made by the former leadership of AsBAA to support ABACE in Shanghai will still stand, but did not confirm if the association will continue to support the Asian Business Aviation show. "The committee has to decide the guidelines, so it's too early to say," says Robert.

Sources familiar with the leadership change say the move was led by the OEMs in the association, who wanted the AsBAA to take a more active role in influencing policies by governments and other parties.

Woods acknowledges that there were difficulties faced in getting certain members to be more active, adding: "I applaud the members who decided they want to do something and accelerate the pace of change."

Despite the dramatic shake-up in the association's board, long fronted by Woods and former Bombardier executive Jason Liao, the former and new leaders say the change is "natural".

"Change is good, and I couldn't be prouder of the condition of the association now," says Woods, who adds that he will continue to be active in the association. He is likely to join a new sub-committee to study the trade shows that the association wants to support.

Source: Flight Daily News

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