Barbara Shaw from the Martyn Fiddler Business Development Team, recently attended the Irish Business & General Aviation Association Conference in Ireland, here Barbara reflects on the event and what was learnt.

From its earliest days, Ireland has been intertwined with aviation innovation and today, the Irish Business & General Aviation Association (IBGAA) is building on that legacy with purpose. As the national voice for both business and general aviation, the IBGAA champions the growth, sustainability and global competitiveness of the sector.

Its mission is clear: to promote excellence, facilitate collaboration across the industry and advocate for the interests of its members at both the national and international level.  At the heart of this effort is the IBGAA’s annual conference, held last week at the K Club.

Key takeaways from the IBGAA 2025 conference included:

• Global Ambition, Irish Roots: The conference reinforced IBGAA’s vision of positioning Ireland as a world class hub for business aviation. The IBGAA announced the launch of a new Irish Aviation Diaspora Association, aimed at mobilising business aviation professionals with Irish heritage all over the world. This initiative is designed to deepen global ties; spotlight Irish led companies and attract investment.
• Advocacy, Influence and Expansion: With IBGAA’s membership is already linked to influential bodies like the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the conference underscored how the association is shaping policy, raising its voice on issues like regulation and sustainability, and driving strategic growth.

• A significant announcement was the strategic partnership between Alliance Aviation and daa (Dublin Airport Authority), in which daa will assume operational control of Alliance Aviation’s new purpose built terminal in early 2026 under its Platinum VIP brand. The new facility, already in use by clients, offers expedited services like car to aircraft times of under five minutes, reinforcing Dublin’s position as a key international business hub.
• The conference celebrated the successful joint advocacy efforts by IBGAA, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) to prevent a full ban on general aviation traffic at Dublin Airport. The Irish Aviation Authority ultimately opted for a seat capacity limit on commercial traffic instead, ensuring continued access for business aviation, which contributes nearly €1 billion to the Irish economy.

• Sustainability Focus: A core theme was the industry’s push for a greener future. Discussions centred on the development and availability of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), new electric, and hybrid aircraft technologies, and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

• • Gulfstream’s vice president and Chief Sustainability Officer, Smitha Hariharan joined 4Air’s Chief Operating Officer Nancy Bsales, explored the challenges and opportunities in shaping a more sustainable future.
  • While Sebastian Pupek, Airbus Helicopters and Pablo Sanchez Marchant, Airbus Corporate Jets discussed SAF and their latest innovations, including the ACJ TwoTwenty, ACJ’s first bizjet.
  • The IBGAA also announced that it was now a partner of CLIMBING. FAST., the campaign that highlights the progress and promise the global business aviation community has made toward the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

• Stronger OEM Partnerships: The 2025 conference saw increased participation from leading OEMs. Airbus Corporate Jets, Dassault, Textron and Bell Helicopters joined Gulfstream in supporting the event, highlighting IBGAA’s growing influence and its appeal as a platform for industry collaboration.

Other sessions included:

• Jetcraft Sales Director, Colin Dunne, moderated a highly engaging panel on bizav news stories which grabbed the headlines this year and their significance.
• A panel session moderated by Daniel Cheung, principal, Aviation Tax Consultants with Johnny Foster, OGaraJets; Simon Davies, Global Jet Capital, Paul Doherty, ACASS and Mary Preudhomme, Air Docs, focused on the challenges and opportunities in the pre-owned aircraft market.
• Ty Murphy, editor of The Family Office magazine, discussed what a Family Office needs to be aware of in contemplating the ownership of high-value assets.

• We had a sneak peek at the launch video for the Ryder Cup, which is coming to Adare Manor in Ireland in 2028, and discussed advancing collaboration and skill-sharing between Ireland and Saudi Arabia.
• Finally, attendees heard from Tom Lyons, author of “Aer Dogs” on how a small team of Irish trailblazers made low-cost air travel available to billions of people across Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America.

Now in its fourth year, the IBGAA conference was a powerful affirmation of Ireland’s role in global business aviation. It highlighted the association’s ability to unite the industry, facilitate real conversations and networking, and shape policy, all while retaining the uniquely Irish spirit of innovation and collaboration.