The third edition of the IBGAA International Business Aviation Conference is fast approaching. It will feature a lineup of exciting speakers and panels with a spotlight on sustainability; future flight/advanced air mobility; Irish airports; FDI and tourism; the global perspective; aircraft finance and international insurance risk; setting up an Irish AOC; and doing business in Ireland, adding to the broadest agenda yet.

Minister James Lawless, TD, minister of state at the Department of Transportation and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications will give an opening address, and Gulfstream chief developmental test pilot Eric Holmberg will deliver a keynote presentation, sharing valuable insight on how the industry leader rigorously tests each aircraft before certification.

“We are delighted to welcome Eric and headline sponsor Gulfstream to our third annual event on 14 November,” says IBGAA chairman Josh Stewart. “With Eric, we are going straight to the heart of how innovative and awesome business aviation is. During the conference, we will explore the many challenges we face operationally and commercially and look at what is upcoming in the rear-view mirror, too, in our future flight/advanced air mobility session.”

From its new setting at Kildare’s luxurious K Club Hotel and Golf Resort, delegates will engage on various topics. Setting up an AOC in Ireland and the merits of the Irish aircraft registry will be addressed by Robert Calleja, director and head of aviation, Bargate Murray; Jim Gavin, COO of Irish Aviation Authority; Heather Gordon, legal director, Martyn Fiddler Aviation; Dave Scully, COO, Alliance Aviation Group and IBGAA vice chairman; and Brian Tuohy, director flight operations at ACASS Ireland.

Scully comments: “We have tremendous support from our regulatory authorities with the IAA senior leadership in attendance. The IAA is also exhibiting at the conference.”

Sustainability has been at the core from the first IBGAA conference in 2022. This year, platinum sponsor, 4Air president Kennedy Ricci, will be part of a discussion on business aviation innovation in sustainability.

IBAC’s director general Kurt Edwards returns to moderate an international session on global perspectives. Joined by NBAA senior vice president of safety, security, sustainability and international operations Doug Carr and Robert Baltus, COO at EBAA, IBGAA is stretching further afield to welcome Antonia Gilbert, president of the Austrian Business Aviation Association and CCO of MJet plus Lindsey Oliver, managing director of the British Business and General Aviation Association.

Mary Considine, CEO of Shannon Airport Group, and Niall MacCarthy, managing director at Cork airport, will have a fireside chat about how growth at their airports drive FDI and tourism, the backbone of the Irish economy.

Trends in aircraft finance and international insurance risk will be discussed by Simon Davies, VP sales, UK, Middle East and India at Global Jet Capital; Paul Doherty, managing director, ACASS Ireland; and Jimmy Klebovitch, aviation industry lead at AON Ireland, for a no doubt lively session moderated by Ian Petts, partner at Jaffa Privé.

For the first time, IBGAA will examine the progress of future flight, with new aircraft, technological advances and airline models all pledging affordable, sustainable flying and bolstered connectivity. Verity Richardson, director business development at Archer will provide an update on the advancing progress Archer is making on its eVTOL. The panel will be moderated by Ireland’s Future Mobility Campus CEO Russell Vickers. Also joining the panel will be Stephen Mckenna, director, sales and marketing at Pipistrel, centrepiece of Textron’s eAviation family, and Timo Zehetmayr, operations of Flyvbird, Europe’s first on demand air mobility airline, which will rely on advanced technologies like FlyAI to create customised flight networks. The panel will also include William Fanshawe, managing director at Flexjet Helicopters, part of the Directional Aviation Capital-owned Flexjet Group.

As the sector continues to battle against public misconceptions, IBGAA is adding a session on positive storytelling with Seán Earley, managing director of Creative Campaigning at Teneo. Moderating the panel is Colin Dunne, US sales director at Jetcraft. Keith McKay, operations and business development at Woodgate Aviation; Leah Hamilton, EMEA sales, business development, Universal Weather and Aviation; and Robert Plhak, CEO at VOO Flights and partner at Avinoc will also join.

“We are delighted to welcome ebullient moderator Oisin Lunny once again as our event moderator and Jetcraft as our sponsor for the Gala Dinner, which will include terrific Irish entertainment,” says Joe Buckley, IBGAA executive director.