KATE SARSFIELD
For some, Farnborough came too soon after Europe's EBACE business aviation show
For many in business aviation, Farnborough is losing its appeal as a showcase. No manufacturers were present in the exhibition halls at this year's event. Only Bombardier and Dassault had a substantial business aircraft presence in static display, Gulfstream choosing to focus on the special mission applications of its business jets.
For the absentee manufacturers, such as Cessna, Farnborough is no longer a viable business proposition. The Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer says: "Cessna has not attended Farnborough for the past eight years. Although we always evaluate attending, we have not found it to be advantageous to our business."
Farnborough's shortcomings are a combination of both timing and increased competition within the air show sector. The July event has become sandwiched between dedicated annual business aviation conventions in May and September hosted by the European Business Aviation Association (EBACE) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), respectively.
Although only in its second year, EBACE is growing in stature and is widely regarded by manufacturers and operators alike as the platform for business aviation in Europe. Also, since Farnborough was moved in 2000 from September to July, it has been forced to compete with the US Experimental Aircraft Association's hugely popular Air Venture show. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based event is no longer regarded as being reserved for kitplane makers and is an established marketing platform for business aircraft builders such as Cessna and Raytheon.
Farnborough 2002 did provide the stage for Bombardier's unveiling of two new business aircraft: the Learjet 40 light jet and enhanced performance Learjet 45XR. The Canadian company says: "We haven't used Farnborough as a backdrop for aircraft launches in the past as it is not a strong business aviation show, but the timing was right this year".
Source: Flight International