EBACE Wrapped Up With New Aircraft Global Focus

Well, EBACE has wrapped up, and the biggest news this year surrounded shiny new airplanes and their respective new onboard technologies. Here are some highlights:

• Cessna announced its newest long-range, large-cabin jet, the Citation Longitude, and surprised many by choosing French-made engines instead of their "go-to" GE engines.
• Gulfstream flew the new G280 and G650 into EBACE, both of which are in the testing phase of development. The G280 is new and sleek, and, well...a Gulfstream -- and it stood out as the only new jet that wasn't equipped with the new G5000. It will have the PlaneView280 flight deck instead. It's expected to enter service this year. I can't wait to see this one.
• Bombardier announced the development of the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75, the chosen models that will take over for the Learjet 40 and 45. With more power and updated interiors, these jets will perform better and look nicer. Oh, and it has the G5000.
• Big win for Garmin: Their G5000 flight deck has made it into multiple new aircraft, and the industry is buzzing about how cool it is!
• Hawker Beechcraft shut everyone out with the most aircraft orders. The company gained 11 orders at EBACE, including three Hawker 4000s, one Hawker 400XPR, and seven King Air models.

Now, every year, the organizers say that the current year's EBACE was a huge success. And I guess the numbers tell us that it was close to, if not as good as, last year's event. But there was some negative chatter about the slow, if not struggling, markets in Europe and the United States. Business owners commented about the disappointing sales numbers in the U.S. and Western Europe, and how they've turned their attention to Asia and the Middle East, where business is good. It's an exciting time for Asia and for international business.

I wasn't at EBACE, but from the industry chatter, I get the feeling we're on the cusp of a major global aviation overhaul, and it's kind of thrilling to think about where the business aviation world will take us in five, ten, or 25 years.

Were you at EBACE? Tell us what you thought!