The Chairman's Greetings(2007.5.11) Hoping for future gain in popularity and development of our nation's business aviation, JAPAN BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION was organized on May 14, 1996. Later on the Association changed its name to the present JAPAN BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION (hereafter JBAA), an NPO. Until the time when the JAPAN BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION was organized, Japan was behind other countries in terms of utilization of business aircraft in business activities by corporations and business individuals, even though Japan had already emerged as the second biggest economic power in the world. Among reasons of this unmatched situation between development of business aviation and nation's economy, there is a unique reason. Japan was forced to put priority on using large-sized aircraft and commercial airlines to meet the rapidly growing aviation demand on one hand, with limited number and capacity of airports on the other hand. However, many people started to realize that we should not forget about business aviation and we should take immediate action. Japan might otherwise become isolated from international structure which is needed for exchanging information concerning business aviation. With a sense of crisis of being isolated from the international structure, twenty-three corporations and organizations decided to bear their member's dues to organize the former JAPAN BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION. These twenty-three were manufacturers, trading companies, ground handling companies, and those who were interested in business aviation. Since then, eleven years have passed. When our organization was established, there was almost zero understanding and zero consideration on business aviation in Japan. However since the establishment of our organization, the environment surrounding us has changed. Government has gradually eased its regulations on business aviation and has increased airport slots for business aircraft, in spite of continued tight slot situation at airports. Some airports, such as, Nagoya, Kansai, Kobe, and Shin Kita Kyushu have positively showed their interest in business aviation. They even invited business aviation to their airports. The government recently made public its policy about how to use three airports in the Kansai region. The policy said, Itami and Kobe will not be basically used for international scheduled flights and international charter flights. However "own-use" international charter flights (such as operated with business aircraft) may be possibly permitted. We are very much delighted to know that the operations by business aircraft have been positively considered by our government. Under this policy, on 29 September 2006, JBAA made an inaugural international charter flight from Kobe to Pusan. We can say that business aviation in Japan has now entered into the growing stage from the cradle. It is not an exaggeration to say that demanding energy for business aviation in Japan has accumulated very like a huge amount of magma in a dormant volcano. Therefore, once the necessity of operations of business aircraft in Metropolitan Tokyo is recognized, discussed, and allowed operations, industry of business aviation will surely become a large industry. Needless to say, drastic solutions to various airport issues in Japan are not easily achieved as airport issues contain financial and environmental issues, of which both are difficult issues. In addition, operations of small aircraft - which include business aircraft - have been put outside of government consideration from the beginning of the time when aviation laws and operational regulations were prepared. This means that there have been numerous issues and problems which must be solved before business aircraft are permitted to freely fly in the sky in Japan. In April 2005, JBAA submitted a request for the mitigation of regulations to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. I would like to solemnly swear that I will play the role of Chairman of the Association and will wholeheartedly make great effort to solve issues surrounding our industry. ACCJ (The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan) also published recommendations concerning the same issues in August 2006, which satisfied our desire to cooperate with other associations. Lastly I would like to report that JBAA has made a presentation titled, "Business Aviation in Japan-Present and Future-"twice: first at ABACE held in Shanghai, China in August 2005; and the second time at the annual assembly at NBAA held in Orlando, Florida in November 2005. We would like to continue to take an active position by continuously releasing information about our activities to the world. On 9 February, 2007 JBAA has co-organized with NBAA " Business Aviation Forum in Nagoya ". Two panel discussions were held and ten real business aircrafts were exhibited. About 750 people attended. We are very happy to announce this Forum was very highly evaluated and we hope to have another forum in Japan in the near future. We also would like to cooperate with international associations, such as IBAC and NBAA, in order to fullfill our responsibility and perform our obligation to form international standards relating to the development of business aviation. I sincerely request your kind assistance. May 11, 2007 Yoichi Kubota |