First, Happy New Year!! When starting a new year, it is always a good idea to look to the past year to see how far you have come, helping you establish where you can go next. All we need to do is look at the past year to see we are moving towards future successes in this industry.
I am hopeful, because last year was a milestone in aviation safety. 2007 marked the lowest number of aircraft accidents since 1963. This meant we saw 28 less accidents than in 2006. Since we know that zero risk doesn’t exists in flying, or driving for that matter, the fact that we are having less accidents testifies for the ever improving safety regulations being put into place (http://voanews.com/english/2008-01-02-voa24.cfm).
Growth that is what we are talking about! IATA’s director general Giovanni Bisignani spoke about the growth in passenger travel, saying “ The global economy ended 2007 on a surprisingly strong note.... airlines end(ed) 2007 with an industry profit of US$5.6 billion -- the first since 2000.” (baxter travel press 2008-01-04).
I cannot predict what will come in the next year. Some predict a fall by 5% in demand, I’m not so sure about that, but only time will tell. The year to come will see more VLJ’s (Very Light Jets) entering the market, which should have a positive impact on private air charter travel. I know I am looking forward to seeing whether or not these new “air taxis” will take off or flop.
My personal opinion is that it would be a shame if the vision of the VLJ’s just becomes a myth, as many aviation reporters predict. I look forward to looking at the year ahead with you, my readers. I sometimes feel like I’m riding a wave. But I’m like a surfer; I know that even when there is a slight dip, there is a wave that is hiding behind it. Surf’s up!
That’s it for now, I’m wheel’s up!"
