The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has published its Economic Value and Business Benefits Report, outlining the value business aviation activity is providing the European economy.
The report – commissioned by the EBAA and produced by Booz Allen Hamilton in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) – examines the economic impact of the business aviation sector on the European economy, which includes the 28 EU members and Monaco, San Marino, Gibraltar, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
The report outlines how business aviation is enabling economic growth through the jobs and investment that it makes, and how the sector is helping drive efficiencies across businesses, quantifying the time and costs savings that can arise; and demonstrates how business aviation can support better connectivity across Europe, particularly from hard to reach corners of the continent.
It found that a total of 374,000 European jobs are either directly or indirectly dependent on the European business aviation industry, exceeding the total number of jobs in Cyprus. France, Switzerland, Germany and the UK are the main players in the sector, producing 76% of the total gross value added (GVA) of the industry.
The report also found that across all European point-to-point flight routes, business aviation flights save an average of 127 minutes when compared with the fastest commercial transportation alternative. Business aviation in Europe serves 25,280 city or area pairs not connected by direct commercial flights, which represent approximately 31% of total city pairs analyzed. This means nearly one connection in three is not connected by any direct commercial flight, so connection wouldn’t exist without the private industry.
Juergen Wiese, chairman for the EBAA, said, “As we gather here in Brussels as a business aviation community, it is helpful to be reminded of the total contribution made by the sector.
“From the substantive number of jobs to the simple societal benefits – such as air ambulances and medical evacuations – the sector provides a huge amount of value for the European economy and to European business.”
Robert Baltus, chief operating officer, EBAA, added, “Up and down the European continent, business aviation is creating jobs and enabling new investment, something that is often forgotten.
“Without business aviation in some regions, business connectivity simply would not be possible, and as a result new ventures and opportunities would never be realised.
“This is something positive which we must recognise, and this report aims to quantify what specifically that benefit/value looks like.”
