EBACE, Geneva’s Business Aviation Show, Abandons Static Aircraft Displays For 2025

Each year, EBACE, Europe's leading business aviation event, attracts over 400 exhibitors and 12,000 trade visitors from every continent. In September 2024, EBAA announced that it was taking over exclusive management of the show, after buying out the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). This transition goes hand in hand with an overhaul of the event's strategy, centered on a new vision: to transform EBACE into a meeting place for business and exchanges, primarily for industry professionals. In a press release published last Friday, EBAA justifies this decision by “its commitment to reimagining the event, while redefining the event's strategy for the future”.

While EBAA claims strategic reasons for this new turn, some media suspect that the absence of major aircraft manufacturers such as Bombardier and Gulfstream could be the main reason. These major players would have preferred to adopt a different regional marketing strategy and select other events. Gulfstream was the first to withdraw at the end of 2023.

Until now, the static exhibition, located close to the halls of the Geneva exhibition center, had been a major asset of the show, enabling visitors to discover the aircraft without having to travel, unlike the NBAA model. Yet, based on feedback from attendees of previous editions clamoring for change, EBAA has opted to refocus EBACE on a strengthened conference program and networking opportunities for attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and the media.

“Whilst there will be no static display this year, we are actively exploring opportunities for the future to be as flexible as possible in meeting the ever-changing needs of our industry” expressed Holger Krahmer, EBAA Secretary General, in a press release.

The 2025 edition will thus focus on key industry themes, including an AIR OPS zone (European air operations regulation), dedicated sessions and educational workshops to meet the needs of ground handlers, airports, FBOs (Fixed Based Operators), travel planners and operators.

The business aviation sector is going through a period of transformation. According to a study by MarketsandMarkets, the private jet market is set to grow from $95.8 billion in 2024 to $156.99 billion in the years ahead. However, this growth comes with major challenges, not least environmental pressure from CO2 emissions, which have been rising sharply since 2019, with over 4 million annual flights and a 28.4% increase in the number of private jets in four years, according to a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

In France, another major issue concerns the proposed increase in the solidarity tax on airline tickets (TSBA), which could impact business aviation companies already subject to the same taxes as commercial aviation.