ORLANDO, Florida:--- A team of five staff members of TLC-Aviation from St. Maarten is currently attending the NBAA Annual Convention in Orlando Florida. This Business Aviation conference is attended by 27,000 aviation professionals who have the opportunity to review 1,100 indoor exhibits featuring the latest in business aviation products, technologies and services, and participate in dozens of education and maintenance and operations sessions. An extensive and diverse selection of approximately 100 business aircraft of all sizes are shown to potential buyers on a static display area at Orlando Executive Airport.
"Our networking activities at this unique convention for this affluent market segment does not only benefit our own business, but we are literally the gate openers and greeters to our country giving these visitors the first and best impression of our island. Here in Orlando we make the contacts and create the partnerships that bring guests and investors to St. Maarten," says Steven Kong, Managing Director of TLC-Aviation who leads his team of professionals. "One should realize that every passenger arriving on a private or business aircraft is a potential investor in the island. It is a quality conscious and demanding clientele that doesn't accept mediocrity but is willing and able to honor excellent services."
The NBAA Annual convention is by far the biggest event in the business and private aviation industry worldwide. In the USA, business aviation is essential to local economies and the national interest. It plays a critical role in driving economic growth, jobs and investment across the U.S. The convention in Orlando was opened is opened on Tuesday and runs until Thursday although most attendees and exhibitors extend their schedules for discussions and negotiations before and after the show. For TLC-Aviation the timing of this annual event, approximately six weeks before the season on St. Maarten starts, is just about right.
"The owners and operators of private aircraft are well aware that flying to our region can be challenging in the peak season and that the planning of a firm trip schedule has to be done early," says Sheldon Palm, Operations Manager at TLC-Aviation. "Late requests may only allow for limited choices. We do have limited aircraft parking space at our airport and in some cases passengers may have to be dropped, the aircraft repositioned on one of our neighboring islands and return to pick-up the passengers later. It is inconvenient, impractical and costly to fly the empty aircraft to a different location just to be parked and the crew staying there in hotel. We attend this convention that is held exactly at a time when plans are made and we are there to advise operators and trip schedulers so that we can assist them in the best possible manner when they visit our island."
