NBAA Cancels Light Business Airplane Show

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If you were looking forward to the new NBAA Light Business Aircraft show (LBA2009) scheduled for this March in San Diego, you can still catch all of those seminars and exhibits — but they’ll be moving to the site of the regular NBAA annual convention, in Orlando, Fla., in October. NBAA, faced with today’s grim economic realities, has canceled the San Diego show. “NBAA is totally committed to serving those who rely on light business airplanes, as well as those who are considering how to fit these aircraft into their business models,” Ed Bolen, president of the National Business Aviation Association, said on Wednesday. “But in this economic climate, it is difficult to launch an event that our members and exhibitors expect from NBAA. We all know that our industry is finding it necessary to limit travel and marketing expenses, so we are going to combine all of the excellent elements we’d planned for LBA into the Convention.” Merging the two shows will cut expenses for both attendees and exhibitors, says NBAA. The entrepreneurs and pilots for whom LBA was designed will still be able to participate in two full days of education sessions designed for them, including the Cessna Single-Pilot Safety Standdown, Bolen said, at the Orlando show.

“Any change in plans has consequences and we regret the inconvenience to all who finalized their itinerary for San Diego,” Bolen said. “Still, we believe the step we’ve taken is the right one for both attendees and exhibitors in this very challenging economy.” NBAA had said back in December that it would cut the inaugural LBA show down from three days to just two, and cut fees in half for attendees. The NBAA annual convention is scheduled for Oct. 20 to 22 in Orlando.

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