Photos from Extinction Rebellion Belgium
The European Business Aviation Association’s (EBAA) AIROPS 2023 was interrupted when protestors stormed the stage.
Members of the group Extinction Rebellion, a climate-change activist group, rushed onto the stage with signs that said “make them pay” and “your luxury, our collapse” and threw paper planes made out of research papers into the audience. The group’s desire is to ban private jets and bring awareness to the environmental ramifications of air travel.
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This is the same group that took part in protests at 16 airports across 11 countries while the COP27 summit on climate concerns took place in Egypt. At the November protests groups around the world barricaded airports and entryways to private jet terminals, demanding a ban on private jets and taxation of frequent flyers.
The EBAA responded to the conference crashing protestors, stating that business aviation has always been a testbed for the development of new technology and key innovations, like cleaner engines, that can bring the industry closer to the goal for achieving net-zero by 2050.
The organization noted the fact that much of the technology tested and run in business aviation is later used widely in commercial aviation, contributing to the increasing efficiency and reduction of emissions across the industry as a whole.
Business aviation is often the target of protests, with many feeling that the use of private jets and travel is harmful and unnecessary. BizAv played a crucial role in the pandemic, transporting stranded individuals, medical teams, airlifting patients and delivering medical supplies. The importance of the industry negates the idea of the outright ban, especially as the industry is working forwards a sustainability goal and had already decreased emissions per hour, per flight, per business aircraft by 36 percent in the last 15 years.
The industry came together in 2009 and announced the BizAv Commitment on Climate Change which set the target of reducing carbon emission to achieve net-zero by 2050, which the industry continues to work on with new innovations and ideas constantly changing the landscape of aviation as a whole.
“Business aviation has a vital role to play in supporting the growth and competitiveness of companies across Europe, and we are determined to do so in a way that is safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible.” EBAA Secretary-General Athar Husain Khan said.
The AIR OPS conference involved 40 exhibitors and over 400 participants in Brussels, Belgium. It is the annual event for business aviation flight operations professionals, joining airports, FBOs and ground handlers to do business with trip planners and operators.
The two-day event is followed by a flightops training day and took place from Feb. 13-15.
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