European Business Aviation Summit 2024 puts business aviation on the map in Brussels
The European Business Aviation Summit (EBAS 2024) took place in Brussels on the 5th of December, bringing together leaders of the business aviation industry, aviation stakeholders and European policymakers. The summit's overarching theme of “Partnering for Progress” revolved around the role of business aviation in Europe’s economic fabric set against the backdrop of the beginning of the European legislative term 2024–2029, which is called to address the challenge of combining decarbonisation objectives with competitiveness.
EBAS 2024 gave a spotlight to panellists coming from the business industry and the European policy arena, offering a wide variety of perspectives on how business aviation can contribute to the European Union’s policy agenda and economic growth in the next years.
Moderating the event was Murdo Morrison, Head of Strategic Content at FlightGlobal, whose insightful questions spurred dynamic debates among the speakers.
European Union institutions were represented by officials from two of the Commission’s Directorate-Generals responsible for aviation policy: Dominik Piotrowski, Deputy Head of Unit for Aviation Policy at DG MOVE, and Damien Meadows, Adviser at DG CLIMA, European Commission. On the European Parliament’s side, representation included two Members of the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN): Jan-Christoph Oetjen from the Renew Group and Daniel Attard from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D). Notably, the inclusion of representatives from both the right and left political spectra in the Parliament provided the audience with a balanced perspective on the future of aviation policy, fostering an open dialogue on the critical challenges of decarbonisation and competitiveness facing both business aviation and the wider aviation sector.
The entire value chain of business aviation was represented across the three panels that took centre stage during the day, featuring OEM leaders such as Carlos Brana, Senior Executive Vice President for Civil Aircraft at Dassault Aviation, and Stefan Wriege, Vice President of External Communications at Rolls-Royce. Esteemed operator representatives included David Van den Langenbergh, Chief Industry Affairs Officer at Luxaviation Group and an EBAA Member of the Board of Governors. Together, these leaders conveyed a clear and united message: business aviation is a critical driver of European competitiveness, offering unparalleled connectivity and fostering innovation across the aviation ecosystem.
The summit also showcased the voice of innovation, including Beyond Aero, a company developing a hydrogen-powered business jet. Jacques-Alexis Verrecchia, Head of Product at the France-based company, highlighted the challenges aviation startups face in Europe, particularly the difficulty of accessing funding and navigating the lengthy certification processes required to bring such complex products to market. This sentiment was echoed by Sébastien Couturier, Director at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, who emphasised the role of airports as enablers of sustainable solutions in business aviation, such as providing access to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and supporting the infrastructure for electric and hybrid aircraft. Kyle Martin, Vice President of European Affairs at GAMA, underlined the importance of the European Union creating a supportive environment to retain critical technological know-how in business aviation within Europe.
EBAS 2024 marked an important moment for business aviation, anchoring its role within the European policy dialogue. The summit not only highlighted the sector’s essential contributions to European competitiveness and innovation but also underscored business aviation’s commitment to playing an active role in the European Union’s collective plans for decarbonisation and competitiveness.
