The COVID-19 pandemic has required most flight departments to make changes – some of which may be permanent – to their operations, from crew pairings to aircraft cleaning to how car rentals are vetted. For aviation directors and their teams, however, the need to reimagine the value of their flight department with company leadership is possibly one of the most consequential results of the pandemic.
“Things have changed in the aviation community,” said James Lara, principal of Gray Stone Advisors, a speaker on the recent NBAA News Hour webinar that examined the issue of a flight department’s value. “An aviation leader has to understand what the company’s post-COVID organization looks like, and the flight department’s reason for being. Be a fountain of ideas and suggestions.”
Lara encouraged webinar participants to work with their reporting executive and identify any barriers to travel. “Additionally, take a look at your company’s aircraft use policies, because what was appropriate pre-COVID may not be appropriate anymore,” he noted. See full NBAA article here