The 2022 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition was one of the most transformative and important events ever for an industry soaring with new momentum into the future.

“EBACE 2022 has been lightning in a bottle, bringing people from across the world together to see, touch and feel the future of business aviation,” says EBAA secretary general Athar Husain Khan. “We depart Geneva driven by the innovation and enthusiasm turbocharged here at EBACE, thrilled to be part of an industry that's leading, evolving and growing.”

This year's show was co-hosted by EBAA and the NBAA.

“This entire week at EBACE was a celebration of business aviation, of the inspiring people, bold ideas, emerging technologies and new markets propelling us forward,” says NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “With every new product launched and the visionary thought leadership explored on our speaker stages, this show opened hearts and fired imaginations. EBACE 2022 made clear: This is our time.”

In countless ways it was a reimagined show according to Husain Khan and Bolen, who reference the many never-before-seen features that reflected the industry's commitment to innovation, sustainability, inclusion and excellence.

Eagerly anticipated new aircraft were unveiled or made their EBACE premiere, with Bombardier's Global 8000, the Gulfstream G700, Dassault Falcon 6X and Tecnam P2012 included among the 47 aircraft on display.

Innovation was wall-to-wall across the exhibit floor, with a host of new product introductions and announcements. An expanded New Exhibitor Pavilion showcased many of the companies exhibiting for the first time, and attendees were thrilled to connect face-to-face and do business in a strong and growing market.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova and trailblazing pilot Zara Rutherford, both record-breakers and both aviators, wowed the audience during an exhilarating opening keynote, held for the first time on the show floor. Rutherford shared her round-the-world solo journey in a Shark ultralight aircraft, while Navratilova in turn offered life lessons from her teenage defection from Czechoslovakia to tennis superstardom, to breaking stereotypes and earning her pilot's license before winning her 59th Grand Slam title. And in a special featured session, UN Goodwill Ambassador Maya Ghazal inspired attendees with her incredible story of overcoming hardship to become the first female Syrian refugee pilot.

A line up of electric and advanced air mobility aircraft was arrayed at the Innovation Pavilion, matched by a packed Newsmakers Luncheon featuring the leaders of AAM pioneers Volocopter, Lilium, FACC and Vertical Aerospace. An all-new Newsmakers Breakfast on Tuesday gave three aviation journalists the stage with entrepreneurs heading electric aircraft ventures Eviation and VoltAero.

The inaugural Business Aviation Sustainability Summit showcased the game-changing technologies and business models the industry is developing to achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Kicking off with a Newsmakers Luncheon featuring the industry innovators advancing hydrogen-powered aircraft, sustainable aviation fuel, high-performance batteries and emissions offsetting, the summit also featured the launch of the Forever Flight Alliance to Decarbonise Aviation, supported by the Lindbergh Foundation, X-Prize Foundation, NBAA and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

The sustainability summit also featured the launch of STARS, the Standards and Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability programme sponsored by EBAA and the International Business Aviation Council, and conceived at EBACE 2019 by young professionals from half a dozen European countries. This initiative goes beyond emissions reduction to include best practices for workplace diversity, gender equality and inclusion.

In another milestone, exhibited aircraft will depart the show fuelled with SAF, thanks to a partnership with Geneva airport, Jet Aviation and TotalEnergies. Available for the first time for EBACE outbound flights, SAF has the potential to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions as much as 80 per cent compared to fossil fuels. Sustainability was also in view with a new Exhibitor Green Pledge for EBACE, and an inaugural carbon-offset programme for the show, sponsored by Rolls-Royce and 4Air.

The week featured all-new initiatives for attracting the next generation of leaders. At a Careers in Business Aviation Day, students connected directly with EBAA and industry leaders about opportunities in the industry.

There was more activity than ever on the show floor and at the airport, with a new EBACE TV Live Studio capturing all the highlights with high-profile interviews and continuously streaming video footage from each day of the event. And alongside the studio and the exhibit booths, EBACE hosted key sessions right on the show floor. On social media, aviation influencer Sam Chui shared highlights from show setup to the final wrap on Wednesday.

Next year's EBACE will return to Geneva airport from 23-25 May, 2023.