As a one-year moratorium on the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme moves closer to reality, implementation of EU-ETS within Europe will take place as scheduled on April 30.

In this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Lisa Piccione, NBAA Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, discusses the latest action taken by congress to oppose aviation user fees, and details a quick and easy step NBAA Members can take to make sure lawmakers remain aware of industry's opposition to such fees.

For $100, attendees of the Partnership for Corporate Aviation Training's annual Safety Smackdown get three days of training, eight hours each day. For smaller flight departments without the financial resources for a comprehensive training program, it's a valuable resource.

Courses for a new specialization in business aviation being offered at the University of North Dakota were created by industry professionals with real-world experience. In this issue of NBAA's Flight Plan podcast, Department Chairman Kent Lovelace, who also sits on the governing board of NBAA's Certified Aviation Manager program, said the program is designed to bring new blood into the industry.

Currently, purchasing an aircraft in India requires permission from the Minister of Civil Aviation, said Rohit Kapur, president of the Business Aircraft Operators Association of India. Also, infrastructure and tax issues need to be address to grow the industry, something Rohit is confident will happen.

What makes Texas unique, and well-suited for aviation, is its size and its tremendous population, said NBAA Southwestern Regional Representative Steve Hadley. Aviation brings all those entities together, and the new Texas Legislative General Aviation Caucus is a great way to bring GA's issues in front of lawmakers. Learn more about the new caucus in this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

The International Business Aviation Council has been an important partner in ongoing discussions about aircraft-emissions policy. NBAA Chief Operating Officer Steve Brown, who has participated in recent meetings on the issue, discusses the industry's position in this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

NBAA has prepared a letter on the Association's "Contact Congress" website urging Congressional lawmakers to join the GA Caucuses in their respective chambers. Lisa Piccione, NBAA senior vice president for government affairs, is urging NBAA Members to do the same via the Association's Contact Congress tool. Hear from Piccione in this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

Todd Meier, mayor of Addison, TX, says the Obama Administration's proposed $100-per-flight user fees would have huge consequences on general aviation, and communities such as his that rely on GA airports as an economic generator for the region. He recently sent a letter to the White House to voice his concerns and urged other Texas officials to do the same. Learn more in this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

A study by NEXA Advisors offers a counterpoint to a recent Forbes editorial questioning renewed use of business aircraft by GM. The study shows that companies using aviation "mitigated revenue loss and recovered more quickly than non-users."