The NBAA regional forum today at Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport (KOPF) attracted more attendees and exhibitors than initially expected, reflecting optimism in the business aviation industry. Association president and CEO Ed Bolen said they had planned for 1,500 attendees and about 120 exhibitors, but the tally this morning was 2,200 registered attendees and more than 130 exhibitors. There were also 15 aircraft on static display at the forum, which is NBAA's first in-person event this year.

Addressing the optimism, Bolen noted that industry backlogs are now measured in years, not months, while preowned business aircraft inventory is less than 3 percent of the in-service fleet, far below its historical 10 percent level. That’s due to business aviation’s rising role in the pandemic as a wider audience has come to appreciate the industry’s attributes, which Bolen described in general as “on-demand air mobility—getting people where they need to be, when then need to be.”

Further, he said this is an “exciting time” for the business aviation industry as electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft are being developed to make aviation more sustainable. However, supply chain and labor shortages are headwinds for the industry, Bolen noted, but said NBAA and other groups are working to help alleviate this pinch point.

“This is our time, and we can take it forward,” he concluded.