In a year in which aviation safety has taken centre stage, the 2025 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) will bring together the industry’s top experts for three unique, interactive programmes that will explore new technologies, new regulations and new ways of thinking about the safety of flight.
Three dedicated safety events – the 2025 NBAA National Safety Forum, Small Operators Symposium and Single-Pilot Safety Standdown, all held as part of NBAA-BACE – will put a bright spotlight on aviation safety, with sessions featuring aviation’s most informed safety leaders, complemented by peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
“This year, safety has been under the microscope, perhaps as never before,” said Mark Larsen, CAM, NBAA director of safety and flight operations.
“Over three days, NBAA-BACE will unpack the safety equation with actionable information gleaned from real-world incidents and accidents, data-driven strategies and insights from the industry’s top medical, regulatory and operational experts.”
The comprehensive focus on business aviation safety at NBAA-BACE will include the following:
- On Monday, Oct. 13, the NBAA Single-Pilot Safety Standdown will hone in on the increasing scope of single-pilot operations and ever-more capable aircraft with sessions detailing new ways to manage fatigue, plans for navigating risk in the National Airspace System and more. Under the theme, “Threat-Rich Environment: Navigating Today’s Challenges for the Single-Pilot Operator,” the standdown will culminate with an in-depth examination of actual case studies that highlight the challenges and decisions single pilots face.
- Also taking place Monday, Oct. 13, is the NBAA Small Operator Symposium, featuring conversations on safety culture and operational insights for smaller flight-support teams. Sessions include “From Hangar to Cockpit: Building a Culture That Stops Accidents,” gathering seasoned experts and leaders to identify the ways culture shapes safety in flight departments; and “Safety Unraveled: Operational Insights and Innovations,” delving into critical aviation safety topics through examination of case studies involving high-level aeronautical decision-making.
- From the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 14 through Wednesday, Oct. 15, the NBAA National Safety Forum will feature two days of expansive content in the convention’s Safety Education Center with sessions including, “The Last 1,000 Feet: Decisions, Distractions and Dynamics,” exploring procedural pitfalls, decision-making under pressure and how operators can better manage operational risk in these critical windows. Other sessions will examine aeromedical concerns, with opportunities to get direct answers from leading experts in aviation medicine in an open forum. Additional panels will address how key employees can help develop a proactive safety culture, closing the loop on the most common causes of aviation accidents and justifying safety investments to decision-makers when facing tight budgets.
The NBAA National Safety Forum also will recognise excellence in safety, with NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen hosting a special presentation recognising business aviation operators who have achieved five or more decades of accident-free flying, and the individuals who serve as pillars of professionalism in the business aviation community.
The enhanced safety focus throughout this year’s show will also include separate, stand-alone education sessions and an exhibit floor showcasing the latest technologies that are enhancing the safety of flight.
Taking place Oct. 14-16, NBAA-BACE is the world’s most powerful business aviation event of the year, showcasing the industry’s latest innovations and services, and hosting the leaders who are shaping its future.