John was editor of Aviation Week's ShowNews for nearly two decades. He retired in 2020. His background in business journalism before joining Aviation Week includes stints at Reuters, the American Banker daily banking newspaper and as business news editor at the Milwaukee Journal and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, John has been a private pilot for 34 years and won an award at EAA Oshkosh for his restoration of a vintage British Auster army spotter aircraft. He is currently building a 1920s Staaken Flitzer biplane from plans. John attended his first Farnborough Air Show in 1952, when just eight months old.
For the last decade, analysts have predicted growth in Europe’s business aviation market. And every year their forecasts have proven over-optimistic as the giant stirs but never really wakes up.
Gone is the famous deer-head logo at Jet Aviation, which is taking the opportunity of its 50th anniversary to reconstitute itself for the years ahead. “We will celebrate the past while focusing on the future,” says Group CEO Rob Smith.
Carl Hirschmann observed that clients from the Middle East tended to travel with a large number of family members, friends and staff. He believed that they would begin to buy larger aircraft. And he saw a future in converting airliners, by adding custom VIP cabins.
