The speed and efficiency of business flying is one of the key reasons that American companies are such strong competitors in the global economy, making business aviation one of the most important segments of General Aviation (GA). The GA fleet of 224,000 aircraft and America’s nearly 20,000 public and private airports and heliports allow key employees to be in the right place at the right time to meet the vital needs of today’s most lucrative customers.

Companies use airplanes to visit their factories and suppliers, make sales calls, transport employees between different facilities, and for hundreds of other business reasons.

Where Do They Go?
Most business flying is done regionally, although many large companies use business aircraft to transport personnel and priority cargo to a variety of far-flung company or customer locations, including sites overseas.

Where Do They Land?
General Aviation passengers have point-to-point access to 5,261 public use community airports that have the support services like fuel needed by business aircraft. These vital airports often are located near the places where America’s companies do business. There’s almost certainly a community airport located near you.

In sharp contrast, the airlines serve only 604 larger airports through an inefficient hub-and-spoke system, with 70% of airline traffic going to only 30 major hub airports. This requires business travelers to schedule extra time to clear security, make connecting flights, collect baggage, rent a car, and then make an hour-long drive to their meeting or job site.

Although most people are aware that big cities like New York City and Chicago have airports, many don’t realize that thousands of smaller towns and cities like Watertown, Wisconsin, and Greenville, Mississippi, also have their own community airports.

Who Flies on General Aviation Aircraft for Business?
Business aircraft are used by all types of individuals and companies, from private citizens who often fly rented, single-engine, piston-powered airplanes, to sales or management teams from the largest multinational corporations.

Why Do They Fly?
Most business passengers are middle managers and professional staff flying between company locations or customer sites. In addition, business aircraft are often used to fly customers to specific company locations for factory tours and product demonstrations. Corporations of all sizes, as well as many of the self-employed, use business aircraft to cover multi-state territories within several hundred miles of their home bases.

Business people fly to sales calls or to operational meetings with customers, suppliers, business partners, dealers and distributors, subcontractors, government officials, and regulators. Or they may fly managers and staff among different company-owned facilities or customer sites or to distribute high-value goods and services.

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