With Boundless Enthusiasm and Opportunities, NBAA-BACE Was the Place to Be

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has concluded an electrifying week at its 2024 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), bringing together the industry’s top names, latest innovations and biggest news, ushering in the next era of aviation.

“Business aviation is transforming with new technologies and bold ideas,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “NBAA-BACE celebrated all our industry is today, and how we are shaping the future.”

Headline-making moments defined the show from the very start. At the opening keynote, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Whitaker unveiled a long-awaited regulatory framework for electric air taxis and other advanced air mobility (AAM) operations. Immediately after the keynote, Whitaker signed the SFAR (Special Federal Aviation Regulation) surrounded by the CEOs and leaders with top AAM companies, including BETA Technologies, Electra.aero, Joby, Textron eAviation, Wisk, Archer Aviation, Lilium and Supernal.

Along with the FAA’s historic news, NBAA-BACE hosted a slate of major announcements, including Bombardier’s planned production of the all-new Global Express 8000 and Textron Aviation’s unveiling of its new line Gen3 of Cessna Citation M2, CJ3 and CJ4 aircraft. The upgraded CJ4 is equipped with the Garmin G3000 PRIME all-touchscreen flight deck, released in time for the show. At the convention, Wheels Up touted a $300 million fleet modernization with acquisitions of Embraer Phenom 300 and Bombardier Challenger 300/350 jets. 

The exhibit hall was packed with more than 800 of the industry’s leading companies showcasing the latest aircraft, avionics and propulsion technologies. Bombardier displayed its prototype small-scale demonstrator aircraft, the EcoJet, which uses revolutionary blended wing body designs and other technologies that could reduce business jet emissions by 50%. A record 450 volunteers joined the 10th annual YoPro Networking Reception & Helpy Hour – nearly double previous years’ participation.

The show featured pioneers, industry leaders and policymakers alike. 

Acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson thrilled a standing-room-only audience in a discussion with pilot, Olympian and Joby Aviation executive Bonny Simi. Business aviation visionaries Laurent and Pierre Beaudoin were honored with NBAA’s Meritorious Service to Aviation Award for championing new markets, safety and sustainability at Bombardier for more than 60 years.

The show provided a unique platform for the industry to meet face-to-face with top regulators from the FAA and Transportation Security Administration at NBAA-BACE’s always-popular Meet the Regulators session.

Safety, the industry’s core value, took center stage, with important sessions led by Dr. Susan Northrup, U.S. federal air surgeon at the FAA, and National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman. The two were among the many prominent officials part of the show’s National Safety Forum, Single-Pilot Safety Standdown and Small Operators Symposium.  

Several congressional leaders joined the convention, including Reps. Sam Graves (R-6-MO) and  Rick Larsen (D-2-WA), who spearheaded this year’s FAA reauthorization, as well as Reps. Dina Titus (D-1-NV) and Ron Estes (R-4-KS). 

The show’s all-new Flight Deck on the exhibit floor drew packed crowds to hear from the industry’s top aircraft brokers, market experts and entrepreneurs on the most timely issues, such as artificial intelligence in business aviation, security in a flight tracking age and trends propelling aircraft sales and deliveries.

Leading off the week, a record-setting 350 people attended the NBAA Tax, Regulatory & Risk Management Conference – attorneys, accountants and other professionals.

The full diversity of business aircraft was on display at Henderson Executive Airport (HND) – from piston-engine airplanes, to long-range, large-cabin business jets, to helicopters. An all-new lineup of McLaren supercars showcased the latest engineering and design, on the ground and in the air. 

Also on the display: The Pink Jet, a symbol of community, resilience and hope for breast cancer survivors and families. BLADE Air Mobility offered per-seat helicopter flights between the Las Vegas Convention Center and HND, previewing a future of on-demand aerial transportation. 

Excellence was recognized throughout the show week. The National Aviation Hall of Fame announced its 2025 Enshrinement class, including former NBAA board chair, decorated veteran and iconic aviator Gen. Lloyd “Fig” Newton. The seventh class of NBAA’s 40 Under 40 emerging leaders were honored along with industry legends, and the National Aeronautic Association awarded the Clifford Henderson Trophy to MedAire founder Joan Sullivan Garrett and CEO Bill Dolny for the company’s groundbreaking medical service. 

At a special luncheon, Bolen bestowed NBAA’s Above and Beyond Award for Heroic Achievement to flight attendant Sydney Bosmans, whose professionalism and teamwork with passengers saved lives in the aftermath of a fatal business aircraft accident. Earlier, Bolen presented NBAA’s John P. “Jack” Doswell Award to Gray Stone Advisors Founder Jim Lara for his lifetime of service to business aviation.

The industry’s mission to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 was in sharp focus at NBAA-BACE. Three Las Vegas-area airports offered sustainable aviation fuel, which can reduce aircraft emissions by up to 80%. The fourth Business Aviation Sustainability Summit convened experts on thinking globally and acting locally. One of the Department of Energy’s top officials for renewables, Jeff Marootian, outlined what the federal government is doing to foster sustainable aviation.

A host of companies signed the NBAA-BACE Exhibitor Sustainability Pledge, underscoring their commitment to lowering the show’s carbon footprint. The industry’s CLIMBING. FAST. advocacy campaign kicked off its second year by welcoming a new association partner, the Canadian Business Aviation Association, to the international coalition.

NBAA-BACE also opened doors for a new generation of leaders, with a training course hosted by Bombardier for 80 students at the airport. Planned by Guinness World Record-breaking pilot and educator Barrington Irving, the special training gave students hands-on experience with a Bombardier aircraft and time to network with prospective  employers.

The job-matching and educational opportunities continued with Collegiate Connect, the second-annual Career Fair at NBAA-BACE, both attended by hundreds students, and a dozen scholarships presented at the show, including NBAA’s inaugural Young Professionals in Business Aviation Scholarship. 

“This NBAA-BACE offered a thrilling look at where our industry is headed,” Bolen said. “It was an incredible week where history was made and amazing technologies showcased an industry coming together to reach new heights.”

NBAA-BACE will return to Las Vegas next year from Oct. 14-16, 2025. Learn more about 2025 NBAA-BACE.