Kenn Ricci Says the Private Aviation Industry is No Longer Aligned

Is private aviation really one industry anymore?In this special edition of The VIP Seat, Kenn Ricci argues that the interests of charter operators, aircraft manufacturers and FBOs are increasingly pulling in different directions — while the organizations lobbying Washington have traditionally tried to represent them all.Kenn gets into why airlines have access to a robust market for PMA replacement parts while business aviation operators face far fewer options, including manufacturers’ reluctance to provide the technical data needed to develop alternatives. He also takes aim at soaring FBO landing, handling and special-event fees — costs that ultimately hit operators and their customers.For large companies, those pressures may be manageable. For smaller charter operators, Ken argues they’re making an already difficult business even harder to compete in.His bigger question: when manufacturers, FBOs and operators have competing economic interests, who is actually standing up solely for the operator?