Story ID: 
AINsight: A Grand Science Experiment
By: Jay Mesinger
Caption: The talk of not wanting to travel on public transportation will turn into real action on the part of perspective business aircraft buyers.
Word Count: 583
I do not mean to minimize the Covid-19 pandemic by calling it a grand science experiment. I am referring to the reopening of our economy. I believe that we will have a strong sense of the success of this in the next four weeks. Either the reopening will create a new virus wave or spike or our economy will find a safe balance that will allow for confidence to return to us even if some new realities are associated with opening, such as lighter capacity for restaurants and other gathering places.
I believe that if we can create confidence around getting out and about, many if not most segments of our wonderful business aviation industry will rebound. Once air charter begins to really come back and operators start to use their aviation assets again, fuel sales will come back.
Taking to the skies in private jets and commercial airplanes will spur spending again. This is what we need. Sometimes I feel as if this is all a bad dream. I know the 100,000+ lives lost are no bad dream. The 40 million jobs lost are also no bad dream. Getting our economy reopened in some fashion will be a step toward a better night’s sleep and feeling better about most everything.
As I listen to the numerous webinars and look at industry periodicals, I read and hear story after story about the tragedy imparted on our industry. Layoffs, groundings, cutbacks.
I am a huge proponent of making sure we do this right, including social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting gatherings for safety reasons. Let's all do our part in making sure that after we turn the “open for business” signs around in our windows, we don’t have to come back in the near term and turn them around again.
As much as I appreciate the community being formed by our regular webinars, I will much prefer the opportunity to be back out in the air and in the client hangars and in the maintenance facilities. I miss all my friends and breaking bread with you all.
I have tremendous confidence about the return of our industry. I believe that as we gain our confidence back during this responsible reopening the increased calls our office has been getting in the last two weeks will begin to be about actual offers for aircraft.
The talk of not wanting to travel on public transportation will turn into real action on the part of perspective business aircraft buyers. Not just whole aircraft ownership but also the collateral solutions like fractional and charter will rebound and come alive again.
Let’s all be patient and continue to be positive. I believe our future is right before us. Soon, we will be traveling again. And although there might be adjustments from what we knew pre-Covid, the world will not look completely different and we will be able to adjust and operate profitably within this post-Covid-19 industry. See you soon in person someplace!
Jay Mesinger is the CEO and Founder of Mesinger Jet Sales, an international aircraft brokerage firm. With 46 years of successfully buying and selling aircraft, Mesinger Jet Sales has a global reputation for personalized, transparent service.