The BBGA has observed that industry peers increasingly ask how the recognised voice of the British business and general aviation sector is responding to acts of trespass and vandalism of executive jets. Just last month the Just Stop Oil activist group, fresh from spraying orange paint over Stonehenge, cut through a security fence at London Stansted airport, entered a private aviation terminal and did the same to two privately owned, visiting business jets.

Its response is to tell its own story with the launch of its UK-specific Did You Know? campaign. BBGA is kicking it off with a series of 20 contemporary short videos from around the UK. They can be found under the hashtag #Bizavenables.

Produced by GearupMedia in conjunction with a viral social video specialist agency, the videos are being rolled out on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube, and can be viewed on the BBGA website. The association is also canvassing its members with new #Bizavenables LinkedIn and X platforms, inviting them to share their sustainability, innovation stories; how they are effectively recruiting new employees into aviation to highlight how it continues to lead by example.

The perception of private aviation as all champagne and caviar is wrong. Many of its aircraft have such small cabins that passengers can't stand up in them, but they do connect city pairs that scheduled airlines do not. Around 10 per cent of business jets are air ambulances; one leading London Stansted FBO handled 85 medical repatriations last year. The sector also has many King Air and Pilatus PC-12 turboprops repositioning crew and delivering AOG parts for stricken airlines or cruise lines.

Business aviation connects 3,150 city pairs, 120 metro areas and 124 airports in the UK versus 506 connections, 30 metro areas and 30 airports served by the top 16 airline (A4E and Wizz) holdings in Europe, according to latest data analysis by WingX.

Each business aircraft landing in the UK, Europe's second biggest market behind France, supports an average 100 jobs including pilots; customer service representatives at FBOs; refuellers; aircraft cleaners; inflight catering companies; concierge; hotel staff (many FBOs have adjacent hotels); and trip planners. As for clientele flying, they are diverse and invariably on a strict schedule. They may not be playing to 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, but they may well be opening a business in the UK, visiting a remote facility or closing an important deal.

They will have turned to charter because their local airport no longer offers a scheduled alternative. Business aviation is discretionary, but always reliable.

“As Europe's largest national business aviation association it is important that we build our own narrative and we are therefore pleased to have started this new campaign. Our members are innovative and increasingly environmentally conscious. We want to highlight how they are making a difference,” says Lindsey Oliver, managing director, BBGA.