Gallery: Bizav Gathers At Northeast Regional Forum | Aviation Week

The 2026 NBAA White Plains Regional Forum convened on May 20 at Westchester County Airport near White Plains, New York, drawing 3,400 registered attendees and representatives from nearly 200 companies. Hosted inside a Million Air hangar, the event featured a 25-aircraft static display spanning the full spectrum of business aviation hardware — from light jets to long-range widebody cabins — alongside ground support equipment and vendor exhibits. The forum served as a regional counterpart to NBAA's flagship annual convention, bringing the association's industry engagement directly to the Northeast corridor, one of the densest concentrations of business aviation activity in the world.

The static display offered a snapshot of where the market is currently focusing product attention. Textron Aviation showcased the new Cessna Citation Ascend, which received FAA type certification in November 2025 and entered service in December, making this among its first major public appearances at a regional industry event. The Ascend features a Garmin G5000 flight deck, positioning it competitively in the light jet segment with modern avionics that align with current pilot and operator expectations for connectivity and situational awareness. At the opposite end of the range spectrum, a Dassault Falcon 8X anchored the display, its three-engine configuration and 6,450 nm range capability at Mach 0.80 representing the kind of ultra-long-range asset increasingly in demand among high-net-worth and corporate flight departments operating transatlantic missions out of Northeast airports. The HondaJet's presence reinforced continued manufacturer interest in the owner-flown and fractional segments, while a Bombardier Global Express XRS rounded out the heavy-iron contingent.

Market conditions dominated the panel discussions. Moderator Rolland Vincent characterized the current environment as "a vibrant seller's market with enduring demand," with panelists from Mesinger Jet Sales and Avpro highlighting an "extremely tight supply of young, pedigreed, pre-owned aircraft." For flight departments and Part 135 operators evaluating fleet acquisitions or replacements, this framing carries direct operational consequences: acquisition timelines are extended, pricing pressure remains elevated, and the leverage traditionally available to buyers in a softer market is largely absent. Operators seeking to upgrade or expand fleets should expect that delivery slots on new production aircraft and competitive pre-owned inventory will remain constrained, reinforcing the strategic value of long-term manufacturer relationships and early-position deposits.

A notable emerging player at the forum was Flyte, whose CEO Marc Sellouk outlined plans to build a regional air mobility network across the Northeast using the Cirrus Vision Jet. The company describes its model as an AI-supported network designed to activate underused airports and reduce regional travel times, explicitly positioning itself as a bridge toward the next generation of air mobility. The Vision Jet's single-engine turbofan configuration and relatively modest operating costs make it a plausible platform for high-frequency, short-sector operations between secondary airports — precisely the kind of underserved connectivity that has historically been difficult to sustain commercially. Whether Flyte's model proves economically durable will depend heavily on load factors, regulatory approval for its operational structure, and pilot staffing, but its presence at an NBAA forum signals growing industry recognition that the gap between traditional Part 135 charter and the nascent advanced air mobility sector is beginning to close.

Westchester County Airport itself provides important context for understanding why the Northeast remains a focal point for business aviation advocacy and product development. The airport handles approximately 175,000 operations annually, with 85 percent classified as corporate or general aviation — a utilization profile that makes it one of the more purely business-aviation-oriented reliever airports in the country despite its proximity to the New York metro area. Its location 35 miles north of Manhattan places it squarely within the catchment zone for corporate campuses, financial institutions, and private equity firms that collectively generate substantial demand for on-demand and scheduled charter services. For operators and pilots based in or regularly transiting the Northeast, forums like this one offer a direct channel to manufacturer updates, market intelligence, and regulatory developments that shape day-to-day operational and procurement decisions.