Opinion: Setting the Record Straight on Business Aviation

Submitted by Travis Bell, founder of the Aerial Tribute Project

Recent news and opinion pieces have been critical of business aviation and community airports. These arguments, though appealing at first glance, overlook the crucial role of business aviation in our economy and transportation system.

Businesses of all sizes use general aviation aircraft to boost productivity. Notably, 85 percent of companies utilizing general aviation are small- to mid-sized businesses. These aircraft are often the most efficient way to transport people and goods, helping entrepreneurs and companies reach customers, suppliers, and partners. They carry goods, critical hardware, life-saving medical devices, key personnel, and more often, to and from small communities not frequently served by traditional airlines.

Using aircraft as business tools directly supports jobs and economic impact. Business aircraft extend the reach of companies, making them more efficient, productive, and competitive in a global economy. 

In the U.S., general aviation supports more than a million jobs and $247 billion annually to the economy. In Massachusetts alone, general aviation airports support more than $630 million in economic impact annually and more than 5,000 jobs with a total payroll exceeding $270 million.

In addition, many corporate and private operators generously donate the use of these aircraft to support significant humanitarian efforts and services for local communities. Last year, more than 12,000 volunteer pilots across the country flew about 40,000 humanitarian public benefit flights totaling four million miles. 

For example, volunteer pilots with Patient Air Lift Services (PALS) have been flying a little girl with a rare genetic mutation from rural Maine to Boston Children’s Hospital for most of her life. Without PALS, it would be an 11-hour trip by car. My organization, The Aerial Tribute Project, is helping break down the barriers surrounding aviation by providing resources to new pilots, connecting organizations across the industry, and sharing life-changing stories of how aviation continues to inspire the next generation.

A concern we often come across when working with our partners across the east coast is the increase of criticism of the existence of the airport they operate out of. These good-willed pilots are sometimes maligned because there is a blind-spot to the humanitarian and socio-economic impact that business aircraft contribute to many of these causes. 

While business aircraft carry the perception that only the “elites” are benefiting from the runway, there is a lot of public support these companies provide that goes unnoticed. Whether it’s directly sharing aircraft, providing connections that enable mission completions, or contributing financially to these causes, corporate aircraft enthusiasts want to give back and this is their means to do so.

These pieces also ignore the industry’s progress on emissions and sustainability. Over the past decade, carbon output from business aircraft has decreased by 24 percent, and today, emissions from business planes account for less than 1 percent of all transportation emissions. According to the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, the per-person carbon emissions of a reasonably full business jet are comparable to a single person driving a Ford F-150.

Even with this progress, the industry aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 through sustainable aviation fuels, electric propulsion, hydrogen power, and other technologies. These advancements promise emissions reductions, future jobs, economic growth, and opportunities for research and development. 

For example, MIT researchers are working to convert plant-based lignin into hydrocarbon molecules, potentially making jet fuel 100 percent sustainable. In addition, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will offer new, carbon-free air transportation options for people in urban, suburban, and rural areas. The surprise to most is that often these companies reside on a small, local airport.

Business aviation is a critical element of the nation’s economy and transportation system, making clear progress toward a net-zero future. Our organization is on the ground working directly with the brave nonprofits, flight schools, students (of all backgrounds), and businesses who want to use aviation as a vehicle to make a difference. These small airports and business aircraft enable life-changing stories and portray the positive spirit of general aviation… and it is our duty to provide a complete picture of why general aviation remains one of America’s most inspiring industries. 

We encourage you to engage with the selfless men and women at your local airport and help us preserve critical community services by keeping runways active!

The opinions expressed in the Opinion column are those of the writer, not The Bedford Citizen.