The Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance’s annual conference, this year
titled ‘Back to the Skies,’ kicked off at the Lynnwood Convention Center
today. Attendees across industry came together to hear from speakers,
network and share the challenges and opportunities of the aerospace industry
coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conference kicked off with good news: PNAA Board Chair Jim Lee (Tool
Gauge) announced that Nikki Malcolm was made the permanent CEO/Executive
Director at PNAA’s morning board meeting. The Center of Excellence looks
forward to continuing our work with Ms. Malcolm and all of PNAA’s staff.
Jon Ostrower, Editor-in-Chief of The Air Current, followed with a big
picture overview of the aerospace industry. Ostrower pinpointed three
categories for attendees to consider: planes, pilots and the planet. He
spoke about scarcities across the categories, pointing to the need for
engineers, the need for pilots and a shortage of new freighters. Ostrower
sees fragmentation in aviation energy strategies, with companies and
countries engaging in a wide variety of projects and programs, all trying to
tackle the challenge of greening the aviation industry.
Amanda Simpson, Vice President of Research and Technology at Airbus
Americas, closed out the opening session with a presentation highlighting
Airbus Americas commitment to sustainability. Through slides and stories,
she charted “aviation’s path towards zero emissions,†a worthy and
challenging goal.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE BY VISITING PNAA’S WEBSITE