Importance of aviation events - General Aviation Service - commenting on AERO2025 & envisioning EBACE2025

Sadly, I was unable to attend AERO2025. I got the chance to learn more about the atmosphere, how it acrtually went, thoughts of General Aviation Service team, which enjoyed two days of the event and made every possible effort to meet clients and colleagues in business aviation. I am happy to share highlights of our conversation with Luis Hurtado Barrutia, the Commercial Director of General Aviation Service.

TO. Welcome General Aviation Services team after long kilometers made at AERO 2025. How was it? Were you happy with the visit? Tell me something, because I missed the event due to my surgery, so I could not assist. Tell me everything.

L.H.B. We miss you, we miss you, that's true. It was actually a good event. We were actually happy after the event, thinking of next year. We see that overall it was positive. We saw a lot of people. It's true that not so much people with a booth, but there was a dedicated area. So, that was nice. It wasn't in the middle of all the General Aviation hangars. It was a bit aside with the Dome and the static display. So, it was a quite nice area, limited, and so you could see everyone walking around. It's true that we miss. The meeting place was a bit bigger than just the booth

T.O. Do you think this event can become something as EBACE for business aviation people, honestly?

L.H.B. I'm not sure yet.I mean, I see that some changes must be done. It's true that there are feasible changes and I'm sure the organization will take care of them, but it still requires some time. The logistics for some big players in the industry was complicated to move big teams around. Maybe some changes in infrastructure are needed, probably, but we are sure that they are manageable. So, I don't know if it will be the next EBACE that only time will say, but we are sure it's definitely an important event.

 

T.O. Would you say that main players of business aviation were there?

L.H.B. Main players were there, but we missed some big names there, yes, also.

T.O. We all are looking forward, all of us, to see what it EBACE 2025 will look like, how it will be organized. How it wil be without a static display, which is for me absolutely unbelievable. Where is the place to get all business aviation, at least European business aviation, all together, we don't have that many choices ? Do you have something in Spain? 

L.H.B.I think it has to be a big city. If we need a quick change, you need to locate a big city, because places like AERO Friedrichshafen, I assume they need some time to adapt, to make this event as big as EBACE. It depends as well on the reaction of EBACE organizers to see what they have for the future. If nothing is changing, the overall feedback we have is not very positive for the future. But they might surprise us and they might learn from mistakes and revert it, but it's true that changes are needed. But as we saw AERO Friedrichshafen, we said, okay, if there is a quick change needed. It might be better in a place that is already, that has the infrastructure, so a big city with a good connection, so everybody can go, everybody can move big teams, because that's the specific.

 

At AERO Friedrichshafen we saw one person from each company. German operators had more people there, it's easier logistics. But of course some people were missing completely from companies, so no representation at all, or at least nothing visible as it was at EBACE. I think, as an event, like there is more market for it, so nobody can get asleep in terms of organizers. For examplea Biggin Hill with ACA, they are doing great events and short ones, so people can go. I think AERO, if you want to go the full week, it takes a bit more time to make people be there one week just for private aviation, but with two days for us was very, very positive. We did our job before going to the event, setting up meetings, and we did what we wanted there, our objectives were set and done.

T.O. I know that General Aviation Service has a habit to not just jump to the event, but to do the job before the event, to organize everything, so it could go the best way possible. So I'm not surprised with the team, it's always like that. Do you think that business aviation events need to be absolutely like, you know, the very VIP style, or it could be mixed with general public? Because it's a big question.

L.H.B. I think it can be mixed with general public, because it's a very, very specific industry. I think it's not fair if you have everyone that is really not interested in the industry, maybe seeing airplanes, but just grabbing merchandising. The event is quite expensive, we spend a lot of money, we spend a lot of time with people from the company being there. Not being at the bases, because we bring station managers to speak with customers and stuff. So we are spending a lot of money to have very, very specific meetings, and I don't think it's fair. 

 

If it would be free entrance for us, free exposition, maybe we could think about it.

T.O. Business aviation is the industry that gives to all others industries so many innovations and technologies, that maybe some people should see by themselves. That could change public opinion on business aviation, and the industry would suffer less from the bashing. 

L.H.B. Maybe we can redirect it in doing something positive out of it. Make specific things for these people, so they can understand what we do, not just walk around the booths and grabbing pens from everywhere.

T.O. I've heard that General Aviation Service have launched something new, you came up with the first newsletter about what's happening in business aviation in Spain. Do you have first feedbacks? 

L.H.B. Well, we just started, so feedbacks are limited yet, but we have good positive feedback, yes. Including from our staff, having a look at it and telling us what they think. It's good, because now we see they bring up some topics to set up for next publications. It's something positive, we'll get something positive out of it, for sure. 

T.O. So you're adding, let's say, one more service to everything you do for your clients. General Aviation team is participating in future newsletters, that's perfect. Can you share with us something, maybe even not all the secrets, but something we could expect from General Aviation Service at EBACE 2025 ?

L.H.B. Well, there will be a surprise, definitely, like every year we try to bring something new, and this year, well, we had this recent celebration at the end of last year, with the 45th anniversary. We wanted to do a little thing for our key customers and friends of the industry, but we'll see. I can't say anything else, because it's a confidential information.

T.O. OK. To conslude,what would you say two sentences to AERO organisers ? It is important to get feedback right after the show, to be able to start to work on the next edition.

L.H.B. Well, first of all, they are doing a great job. This is the first sentence, if I have to give two… There is work to do, but I am positive that they are catching up into everything. I gave them feedback, by the way, right after leaving, I wrote them a email, to make sure they have my opinion, my feedback, yeah.

T.O. Perfect, so we will get ready to see General Aviation Services with some surprises at EBACE 2025. 

L.H.B. Of course, as always. Thank you very much Tatiana and see you at EBACE 2025 !