Aerospace Industries Update
By Robert Mark on December 12th, 2007Nice lunch those AIA folks throw every year, great food and good company from all around the industry.
This year there was simply no way to avoid the sheer giddiness about the sales numbers. Incoming CEO and former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey – I think it was her at least … she was standing right in front of a bright light during her talk – told everyone that the numbers show a 16% increase in sales on the civil side of things to $53 billion, no chump change. Military side was up 10% to $54.8 billion.
A sixth straight year of growth is good for all.
The best part of the luncheon though was after Blakey finished reading her speech which concluded with her reaffirming her support for NexGen, an unfunded FAA look to the future.
Mary Kirby from Flight International stood up and asked Blakey if she had any idea why her pals in Congress were about to recess with no forward momentum on financing anything that even looked like aviation.
And, Kirby asked, what sort of advice did Blakely have about how to get those monkeys in Congress – both sides of the aisle – off their butts before the holiday or anytime before the rest of us retired to build the NexGen system she supports so dearly.
Having been administrator was obviously good training for Blakey. She completely ignored Kirby’s questions. Maybe she’s going to get back to us.
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