Central European Private Aviation (CEPA) has become the first aviation body to hold its conference in Prague Castle, located in the heart of the Czech capital.

The fifth annual CEPA Expo was held on 19 and 20 November and hosted key industry figures from across the globe, alongside senior local government officials. The aim of the congress was to build bridges between east and western Europe, and to help shape the future of business aviation.

Speaking at the event were Fabio Gamba of EBAA, Doug Carr of NBAA, Kurt Edwards of IBAC and Pete Bunce of GAMA. OEMs including Gulfstream, Bombardier, Embraer, Dassault, Beechcraft, Cessna and Honeywell also lent their support to the expo. Helicopters were featured at the show for the first time, with Bell Helicopters in attendance.

Patrick Moulay, Bell's vp Europe and Russia at Bell, told the conference that 80 per cent of the company's customer base owns a fixed wing aircraft, 15 per cent of its aircraft were in central and eastern Europe, and the countries with the largest fleets were Poland and Ukraine. He added that the number of units in the area had doubled in the last ten years and that the region's aircraft were much older, providing a huge opportunity for aircraft sales. This point was echoed by David Vandenberg of Bombardier.

Phil Brockwell, director of Centreline Air Charter, moderated a panel on operating cost control, fleet upgrading and charter. One of the main points arising from this panel, which included Bernhard Fragner of GlobeAir, was the continuing issue of crewing costs.

“It is incredible to see how successful the expo has been this year and the quality and calibre of the people that have been drawn to Prague and its beautiful castle,” says CEP chairman Roger Whyte. “These people have come because they see the value of doing business in central and eastern Europe, and recognise the skill and education of the people they could employ within their organisations.

“The impact of the eastern Ukraine unrest is being managed well and there is an air of positivity surrounding the hopes for the future of the industry here,” Whyte concludes.