"We think it is very important the business aviation industry keeps a positive outlook" through the current financial crisis as the future still looks good, says Peter Edwards, group CEO of Jet Aviation.

"We were predicting continued growth in business aviation, and our view remains largely unchanged," he told Show News. "We remain quite firm in our belief that business aviation will continue to grow."

In much the same vein as Franklin Rosevelt's statement that we have nothing to fear but fear itself, Edwards said strong, positive leadership and a focus on the future will prevent the industry from talking itself into a decline.

Jet Aviation can speak more confidently now that it is being purchased by the immensely strong General Dynamics, but Edwards said Jet is well enough diversified both geographically and in its businesses (completions, maintenance, FBOs, aircraft management and charter) to weather most cycles. "We're not completely immune across the board, but our core businesses remain extremely strong," he said.

While financial crisis is a grave concern, its impact on business aviation overall will be mixed, he predicted.

"It is important for us in times of uncertainty to remind ourselves of the key drivers behind business aviation and how they mitigate the impact of the cycle," he noted. Among them:

*Global distribution: growth remains strong in important regions of the world, such as the Middle East, Asia, Russia and Latin America;

*Unprecedented order backlogs: "The quality and stability of that backlog is higher than ever . . . and they will emerge largely intact;"

*New model introductions: these are at an unprecedented level and will continue to drive growth;

*Service infrastructure: this, too, is at an unprecedented level, as is the service differential between business aviation and airlines that are shrinking to cope with higher fuel prices.

Edwards said Jet Aviation has an immensely resilient business model, and the company will continue to perform well.

On completions, Jet Aviation is booked solid for several years out. "We have been turning away large scale contracts due to lack of capacity," Edwards noted. "There is no sign of completions softening."

MRO, too, will continue to grow as the worldwide business jet fleet expands, even though operators--particularly in the U.S.--are cutting back on utilization. "Global MRO continues to grow," he said, "and we are continuing to invest in it as there is an unprecedented demand at present."

Aircraft management, he said, is doing "remarkably well" and continues strong in the U.S. There is, however, a softening in charter demand, especially in the U.S.

"We're extremely concerned about external conditions, but we're set to weather them well," Edwards said. "We can navigate a steady course and continue to grow in a prudent manner over time."