NBAA-BACE: The Complete Guide to Business Aviation's Biggest Event

What is NBAA-BACE?

NBAA-BACE is the Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, the National Business Aviation Association's flagship annual show and the largest gathering of business aviation professionals in the world. The event runs three days in mid-to-late October and combines an indoor exhibit hall of 1,000-plus companies with a static aircraft display of 50 to 100 jets, turboprops, and rotorcraft parked on an active ramp at a nearby airport. Attendance typically lands between 20,000 and 25,000, with a record 27,000+ in pre-pandemic years.

The audience is the entire business aviation supply chain: Part 91 flight departments, Part 135 charter operators, OEMs (Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault, Textron, Embraer, Honda Aircraft), engine makers (Pratt & Whitney Canada, Rolls-Royce, GE), avionics suppliers, MROs, FBO chains, fractional and jet card programs, finance and insurance, and a heavy contingent of corporate flight department directors and chief pilots making capital decisions.

When and where does NBAA-BACE take place?

NBAA-BACE rotates primarily between Las Vegas and Orlando, with occasional stops in Henderson-adjacent venues, and lands in mid-October almost every year. The Las Vegas edition uses the Las Vegas Convention Center for the exhibit hall and Henderson Executive Airport (KHND) for the static display. The Orlando edition uses the Orange County Convention Center with the static display at Orlando Executive Airport (KORL).

Recent and upcoming editions: 2023 Las Vegas (LVCC/HND), 2024 Las Vegas (LVCC/HND), 2025 Las Vegas, 2026 scheduled for Las Vegas. Orlando has historically rotated in on a two- or three-year cycle. NBAA publishes confirmed dates roughly 18 months in advance on its convention site.

How do private arrivals work for NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas?

Aircraft flying in for the Las Vegas edition arrive at Harry Reid International (KLAS), Henderson Executive (KHND), or North Las Vegas (KVGT), with KHND functioning as the de facto convention airport because the static display itself occupies the ramp. NBAA and the FAA publish an event-specific NOTAM each year covering arrival/departure procedures, reservation requirements, and parking allocations.

Henderson parking sells out first and is allocated through Atlantic Aviation (the on-field FBO and static display host) on a first-come basis once reservations open, typically 60 to 90 days pre-event. Expect ramp fees, handling, and overnight parking to run 50 to 100 percent above baseline for the convention week. KLAS imposes a slot reservation system during BACE — the airport is already slot-restricted in busy periods, and the combination of BACE plus any concurrent Vegas convention traffic makes slots scarce by T-minus 30 days. Signature, Atlantic, and the Howard Hughes FBO at KLAS all run premium pricing.

KVGT to the north is the overflow option, less crowded but a 35-to-45-minute drive to the LVCC depending on Strip traffic.

How do private arrivals work for NBAA-BACE in Orlando?

For the Orlando edition, Orlando Executive (KORL) hosts the static display, Orlando International (KMCO) handles wide-body and heavy-jet traffic, and Orlando Sanford (KSFB) and Kissimmee Gateway (KISM) absorb overflow. KORL is the closest option to the Orange County Convention Center — roughly 15 minutes by car — and parking is tight the entire week.

Atlantic Aviation and Sheltair operate at KORL and manage the static display ramp. Reservations open at the same 60-to-90-day window. KMCO requires PPR for GA traffic during high-volume periods and charges substantial peak handling fees. Sanford and Kissimmee are the value plays: 30-to-45-minute drives to OCCC, materially cheaper parking, and far easier slot availability.

What does the static display actually show?

The static display is where OEMs put metal on the ramp in front of buyers, and it is the single most important sales venue in business aviation. Expect Gulfstream's current production line (G500, G600, G700, G800), Bombardier's Global and Challenger families, Dassault's Falcon 6X and 8X, Embraer's Praetor and Phenom range, Textron's Citation lineup and King Air turboprops, Pirates Aircraft's HondaJet, and rotorcraft from Bell, Airbus Helicopters, and Leonardo.

Static display access is included with BACE registration. Demo flight slots — actual right-seat time in a new airframe — are coordinated directly with OEMs and book out months in advance for serious prospects only.

Who actually goes to NBAA-BACE?

The attendee mix is roughly 40 percent flight department personnel (pilots, chief pilots, directors of aviation, dispatchers, maintenance), 30 percent supplier and OEM commercial staff, 15 percent service providers (FBOs, MROs, charter, fractional), and 15 percent finance, insurance, legal, and consulting. C-suite buyers attend but tend to fly in for one day, take OEM meetings, and leave.

If you are evaluating fractional shares, jet cards, or a whole-aircraft purchase, BACE is the most efficient three days you can spend — every program (NetJets, Flexjet, VistaJet, Wheels Up, FlyExclusive, jet card programs from Sentient, Magellan, and Airshare) staffs booths with senior commercial leadership.

How should charter operators and brokers prepare?

Charter operators see two distinct revenue streams around BACE: inbound charter to LAS/MCO from corporate clients attending the show, and the harder-to-price demand for repositioning aircraft into the static display. Inbound charter peaks the Sunday and Monday before the show opens and on the final day, with departures stacked into a four-hour window that drives ramp congestion and creates real risk of slot or fuel delays.

Pricing into Las Vegas during BACE week typically runs 30 to 60 percent above baseline for light and midsize jets and 20 to 40 percent for heavy iron, with the premium concentrated on the Tuesday morning arrival and Thursday afternoon departure peaks. Book aircraft and crew lodging by mid-August for an October event — Vegas hotel inventory near the LVCC and the Strip is consumed by BACE plus whatever concurrent convention is running.

What are the key dates to track?

Registration opens in the spring (typically April or May) with early-bird pricing through summer. Exhibitor move-in begins the weekend before the show. The NBAA event NOTAM is published 30 to 45 days prior. FBO parking reservations open 60 to 90 days prior. Hotel blocks at NBAA-contracted properties sell through by mid-summer; secondary blocks remain available later but at materially higher rates.

The show itself runs Tuesday through Thursday, with the static display open all three days and the exhibit hall closing mid-afternoon Thursday. Most attendees fly out Thursday evening or Friday morning — plan accordingly if you are managing aircraft positioning.