With the global pandemic, most of the airshows that we attend have been canceled this year. Some are being replaced by virtual shows, and aircraft manufacturers are devising innovative new ways to reach their customers.
This is the week we normally would be at NBAA, immersed in the world of business aviation. But with the show canceled, NBAA has scheduled a virtual show for December, which they have named VBASE, as a replacement for various global shows that have been canceled. That event is now scheduled for December 2-3, and registration will open later this month. The show will be free for NBAA members.
Many of the manufacturers also have things to talk about today, and Bombardier is keeping with the original show schedule this week and offering its own virtual events, featuring different airplanes each day during a four-day event. Today they will walk-through the new Learjet 75 Liberty at 3 pm EDT, with the Challenger 350, Global 6500, and the flagship Global 7500 coming later this week. Bombardier has also introduced a virtual showroom to help customers configure their aircraft during the pandemic.
Despite cancellations, our industry continues to be creative in finding ways to get the word out to potential customers for new airplanes. We hope that by MEBASE in Dubai in February that the pandemic will have waned, and we can all physically be at airshows again.
