Aviation News
Aviation-News
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Opponents Unite Against EU Carbon Tax
Government representatives from at least 26 countries are meeting in Moscow to discuss their opposition to the European Union's controversial aviation carbon tax. The group, which includes the U.S., China and Russia, says the carbon tax is really a trade barrier disguised as an environmental incentive and many, including the U.S., have passed legislation against participating in the scheme. But the EU says its plan, which sees airlines pay escalating taxes for going over diminishing allotments of emissions over the...
22 Feb 2012
Jet Aviation Basel adds Tail & Wing Dock Certified for BBJ and Airbus …
Intended to facilitate the 12-year BBJ inspection, Jet Aviation Basel has added a tail and wing-docking platform to its wide-body hangar, enabling complete access to all areas of the tail on all four levels, as well as full structural inspection of the wings.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
22 Feb 2012
EPIC Aviation Selects ARGUS’ Market Intelligence Programme TRAQPak FBO
ARGUS Market Intelligence is welcoming EPIC Aviation as the latest customer of TRAQPak FBO. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
22 Feb 2012
Stratos Jets Analyzes Europe’s Move to Impose a Carbon Emissions Tax o…
Stratos Jet Charters, Inc., a worldwide air charter agency based in Orlando, Fla., published an article analysing the Europe Union's move to implement the carbon emissions tax on European air travel:Read the full story hereRead Full Story
22 Feb 2012
Record Sales for FAI in 2011
German operator FAI rent-a-jet AG achieved record sales in 2011, generating operational revenues of more than € 50m (US$ 68m), which reflects an increase of around 20 % vs. 2010. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
22 Feb 2012
ABS Jets Adds Embraer Phenom 300 to its Fleet
ABS Jets has added a new Embraer Phenom 300 to its fleet.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
22 Feb 2012
Bonus Depreciation Stripped From Bill
An extension of 100 percent bonus depreciation was stripped from the bill to extend payroll tax relief. The bill, which was approved by both houses last week and is now ready for the President's signature. It's a derivative of the same legislation that caused a major political crisis before Christmas as the polarized Congress finally agreed to a short term extension of the tax cut and put off consideration of the entire bill for two months. In its original form,...
22 Feb 2012
Hubbard Plans European Tour of Hush-kitted Gulfstream III
Hubbard Aviation Technologies will conduct a European airport tour in the runup to Ebace 2012. The St. Paul, Minn.-based company said it will offer demo flights at four leading European airports on a Gulfstream III outfitted with Hubbard Aviation Technologies’ QS3 Noise Suppression System. The noise-suppression system, which does not impose any operating restrictions, is approved by the FAA and EASA to meet Stage 3/Chapter 3 noise standards. ...
22 Feb 2012
JPMorgan: Bizjet Deliveries To Rise 8 Percent in 2012
“We sense an eagerness for a pickup in the long-depressed business jet market, particularly at the lower end, but we continue to observe mixed signals,” JPMorgan Investment Research notes in its latest market report. Despite the conflicting signals, the investment research firm still predicts an 8-percent rise in business jet deliveries this year. Keeping with recent trends, large-cabin jets will be driving much of this increase, with only “modest pickup for smaller jets.” JPMorgan saw a “few pockets of strength” in...
22 Feb 2012
Abace 2012 Sells Out Exhibitor Spaces, Chalets
According to NBAA, exhibitor chalets are sold out for the 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (Abace), which will be held late next month at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. “Due to limited space on the ramp, NBAA offered for the first time a standardized structure and layout for OEM exhibitors at Abace,” said NBAA senior manager for regional forums and static displays Joe Hart. “Aircraft manufacturers have reserved these chalets to provide hospitality to their prospective customers, in close...
22 Feb 2012
Aviator Hotel Prepares for Olympic Arrivals
With the London Olympics rapidly approaching this summer, the Farnborough Airport-based Aviator Hotel owned by TAG is preparing to welcome sponsors, crew and businesses throughout the Summer Games. While the hotel has already received bookings during the event, there are still vacancies. Working in partnership with the airport, Aviator can also provide a complete “accommodation solution” for crew and visitors by coordinating information about the accommodation requests, aircraft handling and flight schedules, it said. ...
22 Feb 2012
FlightSafety Opens Gulfstream Training Center in Hong Kong
FlightSafety International and Gulfstream Aerospace celebrated the grand opening of the new Hong Kong Learning Center last week. The facility will initially offer training programs for the Gulfstream G450 and G550 using a new level-D qualified flight simulator and other training devices. The number of training events provided by FlightSafety in the Asia Pacific region to Gulfstream operators increased by 230 percent over the past five years. ...
22 Feb 2012
Are we Approaching the Turn?
J.P.Morgan senses an eagerness for a pickup in the depressed bizjet market, particularly at the lower end, but continues to observe mixed signals. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
21 Feb 2012
Ocean Sky Extends its International Reach
Following a steady growth in 2011, London-based private jet company, Ocean Sky has plans to develop its international reach in 2012, with a focus on extending its charter, handling and engineering services into Asia.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
21 Feb 2012
Reynolds Jet Management Adds New Aircraft
Reynolds Jet Management added a new managed customer with the signing of a Part 91 managed Beechjet 400A based in York, PA. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
20 Feb 2012
AVIC Leasing and Bombardier Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Aircr…
Bombardier Aerospace and AVIC International Leasing Co., Ltd. (AVIC Leasing) of the People's Republic of China today announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for an expanded co-operation to support the financing of commercial aircraft sales in China and globally.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Airline Orders up to 24 Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen Airliners
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that an airline, which has requested to remain unidentified at the present time, has signed a firm order for six CRJ1000 NextGen regional jets and has taken options on another 18.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
China Express Airlines to Operate up to Eleven Bombardier CRJ900 NextG…
Bombardier Aerospace today identified China Express Airlines as the undisclosed Chinese customer in the previously announced CRJ900 NextGen transaction of October 26, 2011.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Airline Orders Five Q400 NextGen Airliners
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that an airline that has requested to remain unidentified at the present time, has signed a firm purchase agreement for five Q400 NextGen airliners.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Bombardier Confirms Ethiopian Airlines as Buyer of Five Q400 NextGen A…
Bombardier Aerospace confirmed today that Ethiopian Airlines is the customer that placed the firm order for five Q400 NextGen airliners announced on February 13, 2012.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Bombardier Increases Commercial Aircraft Sales and Marketing Support t…
Bombardier Aerospace today announced the establishment of a Bombardier Commercial Aircraft regional sales and marketing office in Singapore to serve the Asia-Pacific region.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Bombardier Establishing OEM-Owned Service Centre in Singapore for Busi…
Bombardier Aerospace today announced that it will open a full-scale company-owned and operated service centre in Singapore in 2013.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Bombardier's ZEFIRO Very High Speed Train Tops Design Awards
Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation has won the iF Product Design Award as well as the Good Design Award for its groundbreaking very high speed (VHS) train currently being developed for leading railway markets in Europe, Asia and North America.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Horizon Air Orders Two Bombardier Q400 NextGen Airliners
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Horizon Air of Seattle, Washington has signed a firm purchase agreement for two Q400 NextGen airliners.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Garuda Indonesia Confirmed as Previously Unidentified Bombardier CRJ10…
During a joint press briefing at the Singapore Airshow today, Bombardier Aerospace and Indonesian flag carrier, PT. Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. confirmed that the airline is the unidentified customer that ordered the six CRJ1000 NextGen regional jets and placed 18 options, announced by Bombardier on February 10, 2012.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Exciting and Productive Week for Bombardier Aerospace at the Singapore…
Bombardier Aerospace wrapped up its participation at the Singapore Airshow after an exciting and busy week during which it revealed the identity of two key airlines that had placed orders for its proven CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet and fuel-efficient Q400 NextGen turboprop as well as announced an order for two Q400 NextGen aircraft.Read Full Story
18 Feb 2012
Eurocopter Designates Asia Pacific Training and MRO Hub
Eurocopter South East Asia (ESEA) unveiled its new Dauphin AS365 N3/N3+ full-flight simulator (FFS) at the ESEA Training Centre.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
17 Feb 2012
Embraer and Premiair Renew Partnership
Embraer and Premiair have renewed their partnership for the VIP charter flight and aircraft management operator in Indonesia to continue as an Authorized Sales Representative (ASR) in that country. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
17 Feb 2012
Gulfstream to Open Beijing Service Centre
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has established a joint venture (JV) with Beijing Capital Airlines Co. Ltd. (Deer Jet) and Grand China Aviation Technik (GCAT) to operate a business jet service centre at Beijing Capital International Airport. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
17 Feb 2012
JetCorp connects its customers with addition of a Learjet 60 WiFi STC
JetCorp has added an Aircell Cabin Telecommunications Router (CTR) on a Learjet 60. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
17 Feb 2012
GAL Aviation Receives NADCAP Accreditation
GAL Aviation has been accredited for anti-corrosion surface treatment passivation and chemical processing conversion/phosphate coatings, including painting and application of dry film coatings for aluminum alloy and stainless steel structural parts manufactured internally at GAL Aviation. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
17 Feb 2012
300th Phenom Jet is Delivered
Embraer recently delivered its 300th Phenom jet in the US. While recently shifting global operations for its business jets from Brazil to Melbourne, it has created 200 engineering and technical jobs in an area hard hit by reductions in the Space Shuttle program. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
17 Feb 2012
Embraer Delivers 300th Phenom
Embraer recently delivered its 300th Phenom jet, some three years after the first Phenom 100 was handed over. Appropriately enough, the milestone aircraft was a Phenom 300. To date, half of the Phenoms delivered have been taken by North American customers, with Latin American operators accounting for another 30 percent; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), 17 percent; and Asia, 3 percent. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer delivered 98 Phenoms in 2009, 126 in 2010 and 83 last year. ...
17 Feb 2012
Gulfstream G280 and G650 on Final Approach
Gulfstream’s super-midsize G280 and wide-cabin G650 are making “significant progress” toward full type approval in the second quarter and entry into service by midyear, the company said this week at the Singapore Airshow. The G650 obtained provisional type certification from the FAA in November; the G280 received similar approval from Israeli authorities in December. As of January 25, the four flight-test G650s had logged more than 2,675 flight hours over 820 flights. Final testing of the G650’s PlaneView II avionics suite,...
17 Feb 2012
Bizav Flying Recedes for Second Consecutive Month
Business aircraft flying activity in the U.S. slid 0.9 percent in January versus the year-ago period, according to TraqPak data from aviation services company Argus. This marks the second consecutive month of erosion on a year-over-year basis. While Part 91 flying climbed by 4.5 percent over January 2011, it wasn’t enough to offset losses of 6.3 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively, at the fractional and charter providers. Flying activity at Part 135 charter operators has now declined for 12 consecutive...
17 Feb 2012
Lion Air Signs for Two Hawker 900s
Hawker Beechcraft has sold a pair of Hawker 900XP midsize business jets to Jakarta, Indonesia-based Lion Air, with options for two more. The airline says it intends to use the jets to meet growing demand for executive charter services throughout Asia. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the second and third quarters of this year. Business Aviation Aircraft...
17 Feb 2012
Jetcraft calls on banks to support bizav
Aircraft broker Jetcraft is calling on banks to work more collaboratively with the business aviation industry to support growth in the sector. According to Jahid Fazal-Karim, shareholder and board member of the U.S.-based company, it has been increasingly difficult to obtain credit because of the worldwide economic downturn. Only high-net-worth individuals or companies that are asset rich, such as AAA-rated entities are able to secure loans to buy aircraft. He said, “Clients who don’t need financing are offered loans,” Fazal-Karim...
16 Feb 2012
Bombardier Opens New Singapore Service Center
Bombardier Aerospace (Chalet CD61) is to open a company-owned and operated business aircraft service center at Singapore’s Seletar Airport in 2013. The new regional center will offer light maintenance tasks for all Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft, and will be the OEM’s customer services hub for the Asia Pacific region. The facility forms part of Bombardier’s future customer service strategy. “We want to ensure our customers in the Asia Pacific region have access to the full range of customer support and...
16 Feb 2012
Qatar Executive Business Jet Debuts at Singapore Airshow
Qatar Airways’ corporate jet division, Qatar Executive, is showcasing its Bombardier Global 5000* business jet at this week’s Singapore Air Show. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
16 Feb 2012
Descourouez Joins Jet Works Air Center
Jet Works Air Center has named aviation veteran Blair Descourouez as Regional Sales Manager. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
16 Feb 2012
Cessna Citation Latitude’s First Asian Visit
Cessna is exhibiting a cabin cross-section mockup of its new mid-size, $14.9 million Citation Latitude jet in Asia for the first time. The U.S. airframer recently announced a 15-percent range extension for the aircraft, which is scheduled to enter service in 2015. Speaking at the Singapore Airshow, Trevor Esling, Cessna’s vice president sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, said specifications of the Citation Latitude had been revised to increase maximum range from 2,000 to 2,300 nmi. “The extended range...
16 Feb 2012
Embraer upgrades Legacy 650
Embraer announced at the Singapore Airshow that it has made substantial interior improvements to the Legacy 600/650 family, which will be available for aircraft produced this year. “Key to this is our effort to reduce cabin sound levels, which set a new benchmark for the Legacy 600 and 650 class of aircraft,” said Embraer Executive Jets president Ernie Edwards. The new cabin features Honeywell’s Ovation Select cabin management system (CMS), with full high-definition video, iPod and iPhone docking systems, plus a...
16 Feb 2012
Asian Debut for Falcon 2000S Cabin
Dassault Falcon Jet (Chalet CD41) is showing off its award-winning BWM Group Designworks cabin for the Falcon 2000S here at the Singapore Airshow for the first time. The interior is installed in the Falcon 2000LX on the show’s static display. The French airframer’s latest variant of the Falcon 2000 program, the 2000S recently received the prestigious 2011 Good Design Award for its cabin design. The award comes from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, and the European Center...
16 Feb 2012
Asian Debut for Falcon 2000S Cabin
Dassault Falcon Jet (Chalet CD41) is showing off its award-winning BWM Group Designworks cabin for the Falcon 2000S here at the Singapore Airshow for the first time. The interior is installed in the Falcon 2000LX on the show’s static display. The French airframer’s latest variant of the Falcon 2000 program, the 2000S recently received the prestigious 2011 Good Design Award for its cabin design. The award comes from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, and the European Center...
16 Feb 2012
Minsheng Orders Three Embraer Lineage Jets
Brazil’s Embraer (Chalet CD51) announced here yesterday that China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing (MSFL) is to purchase three of the company’s flagship Lineage 1000 bizjets, which are based on its best-selling E-Jet airliner family (the E190). According to Ernest Edwards, president of Embraer Executive Jets, the first jet may be delivered as soon as the first quarter of 2012. The latest deal follows an order for 13 Legacy 650s from MSFL, announced last October. Kong Linshan, MSFL’s chairman, said, “Embraer is one...
15 Feb 2012
Lion Air Orders Two Hawkers
Hawker Beechcraft has sold a pair of Hawker 900XP midsize business jets to Jakarta, Indonesia-based Lion Air, with options for two more. The airline says it intends to use the jets to meet growing demand for executive charter services throughout Asia. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the second and third quarters of this year. Indonesia, in particular, is a rising regional hotspot thanks to the growth in personal wealth in the country. “Our fleet is continuing to grow in...
15 Feb 2012
Viking Sells 8 Aircraft
Viking Air (Chalet CD39) revealed here at the show yesterday that it had sold eight of its new $7 million Twin Otter Series 400 turboprops. Two will go to Papua New Guinea’s OK Tedi Development Corp., while the other six will go to Turkey’s Seabird Airlines as the floatplane variant. Viking launched the new DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 production program in 2007 and now has an order backlog worth $350 million. The first aircraft for OK Tedi was formally delivered...
15 Feb 2012
OEMs Laud Asia's Aerospace Future
Cessna says China will be in the top ten of business jet markets by 2025 and other Asian countries will combine to take a significant share of production. In a presentation at the Singapore Air Show, Trevor Esling, Cessna's VP of sales for the region said the performance of of the Asian market through the global recession has positioned it for major growth in medium to long term. "The region's economic resilience during the global financial crisis, rising national prosperity...
15 Feb 2012
FCC To Suspend LightSquared Plans
The FCC will indefinitely suspend LightSquared's authority to carry terrestrial broadband signals on frequencies close to GPS frequencies after receiving a report that concludes the two systems cannot currently coexist. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) wrote the FCC on Tuesday (PDF) saying there was no immediate solution to interference problems found in testing GPS units in the presence of the types of signals that LightSquared is proposing. The FCC conditionally allowed LightSquared to use frequency bands it owned...
15 Feb 2012
Jet Aviation Hong Kong Gains Multiple FAA Approvals for Dassault Falco…
Jet Aviation Hong Kong has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to support Dassault Falcon 900 LX/DX/EASy, Falcon 7X and Falcon 2000EX aircraft.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
Flexjet Fractional Free Fuel Offering
From now until April 30, 2012, Flexjet is offering new and existing customers free fuel when they purchase fractional shares. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
Hawker Beechcraft and Lion Air Ink Order for Two Hawker 900XP Aircraft
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation received an order for two Hawker 900XP mid-sized business jets from Jakarta-based Lion Air, with options for two additional aircraft. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
US Fractional Aircraft Activity Sees Decline Across the Board
TRAQPak data indicates that January 2012 business aircraft flight activity remained relatively stagnant from the previous month, down 1.0%. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
Bombardier Establishing OEM-Owned Service Centre in Singapore
Bombardier Aerospace will be opening a full-scale company-owned and operated service centre in Singapore in 2013. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
FlightSafety Opens Hong Kong Learning Centre
FlightSafety International and Gulfstream Aerospace celebrated the grand opening of the new Hong Kong Learning Centre on February 14, 2012. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
Air Engiadina Orders S-76D
Sikorsky Aircraft has received an order for a S-76D helicopter from Swiss-based Air Engiadina.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
FL Technics Jets to Provide Maintenance for Russian Federation Registe…
The Federal Air Transportation Agency of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has granted the business jets line and base maintenance company FL Technics Jets the certificate allowing to serve aircraft registered in the Russian Federation. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
15 Feb 2012
Singapore Air Show On
The biggest aviation event in Asia opened Tuesday and as the world industry looks to that part of the world for much of its future growth, the Singapore Air Show has loomed in importance for manufacturers and suppliers. Boeing grabbed the spotlight with the signing ceremony for a 230-plane deal with Lion Air worth almost $23 billion. That easily eclipsed the $10 billion previous record for this show. Of course all the majors and most of the business jet OEMs...
15 Feb 2012
Piaggio’s Chinese Distributor Makes First Two Sales
Piaggio Aero (Booth D11) has appointed CAEA Aviation Investment Co. as its exclusive sales agent in China. The Italian manufacturer also has announced CAEA’s first sale here at the Singapore Airshow, comprising two P180 Avanti II turboprops, to an unnamed customer. The two 1,500-nmi-range aircraft will be delivered in Beijing in July 2012. CAEA, which is carving out a niche in business aviation sales, states on its website that it “plans to introduce 300 business jets to China within 10 years.” “This...
15 Feb 2012
Embraer Lines up Five Jets
Embraer is at the show with five aircraft–a record number for the Brazilian manufacturer’s presence here at the Singapore Airshow. On the static display are the E190 narrowbody airliner (in the 100-seat category), the Lineage 1000 large-cabin business jet (derived from the E190) and the Legacy 650 super-midsize business jet, as well as the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 light jets (four and six seats, respectively). The Legacy 500 is being exhibited in the form of a mock-up. The midsize aircraft...
15 Feb 2012
Dallas Airmotive Confident in Singapore Move
Dallas Airmotive, a BBA Aviation company that officially opened its Singapore Regional Turbine Center (RTC) at Seletar Airport on Monday, expects business to come from some 650 jets in Asia including a mix of pre-owned jets and an ever-increasing new general aviation planes being purchased by China and emerging economies. There are many opportunities for growth in Asia, said BBA Aviation president Hugh McElroy, and Singapore’s business climate makes it the right place from which to achieve this growth. The RTC...
15 Feb 2012
Dassault Offers ADS-B Out STC for Falcon 50EX
Dassault Falcon has developed a supplemental type certificate (STC) to install automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast out (ADS-B Out) on the out-of-production Falcon 50EX business jet. The STC is available for those aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics. List price for the STC data package is $9,995, which does not include the cost of labor, GPS receiver or transponder. ...
15 Feb 2012
Minsheng Signs for Three Embraer Lineage 1000s
Embraer announced today at the Singapore Airshow that China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing placed a firm order for three Lineage 1000 bizliners, with deliveries slated to start sometime this year. In July, the two parties forged a memorandum of understanding in which Minsheng intended to purchase Embraer executive jets, ranging from the entry-level Phenoms to the Lineage 1000 bizliner. In October, Minsheng finalized a firm order for 13 super-midsize Legacy 650s. ...
15 Feb 2012
Obama’s Call for Aviation User Fee Lands with a Thud
As members of Congress are fond of saying when an onerous bill hits their desks, President Obama’s renewed call for a $100 user fee for turbine aircraft flights in “controlled” airspace probably will be “dead on arrival” on Capitol Hill. The per-flight user fee is included in the White House’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget of $3.8 trillion that was released on Thursday. “Proposals from the White House are serious business–particularly if, like the user fee plan and the proposal to change...
15 Feb 2012
Cessna Aircraft Bullish on China
Cessna Aircraft said today at the Singapore Airshow that it expects “accelerating demand” for light and midsize business jets across the Asia-Pacific region in the next decade. Speaking at the show, vice president of sales for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMAA) Trevor Esling said, “The Asia-Pacific region already accounts for 10 percent of Cessna’s business jet sales, and we anticipate demand increasing further in the medium to long term. The region’s economic resilience during the global financial crisis,...
15 Feb 2012
EU-ETS Could Cost Bizav Operators Dearly
A U.S. Part 91 corporate flight department flying a Gulfstream G450 could pay nearly $35,000 annually to comply with the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), according to a preliminary report released exclusively to AIN by UK-based EU-ETS consultants SustainAvia. This cost estimate assumes 15 long-haul (New York City to UK) round-trip flights per year; a carbon credit (also referred to as European Union Allowances, or EUAs) price of €25 ($32); free 27 allotted EUAs; and emissions monitoring, reporting and...
15 Feb 2012
Dassault Falcon 7X Fleet Hits 100K-hour Milestone
The Dassault Falcon 7X fleet has accumulated more than 100,000 flight hours, marking a significant milestone for the French aircraft manufacturer’s 5,950-nm, large-cabin business jet. It delivered the first 7X in June 2007, and since that time 133 of the trijets have entered service in 31 countries. According to Dassault, the 7X fleet leader has accumulated more than 3,500 flight hours. The Falcon 7X was the first traditional business jet to incorporate a fly-by-wire control system, the company said, which “provides...
15 Feb 2012
Hawker Beechcraft Delivers Five King Airs to Royal Doctor Flying Servi…
Hawker Beechcraft and Asia-Pacific distributor, Hawker Pacific, today announced the delivery of a fleet of five King Airs–two Model 350Cs (cargo-door variant) and three B200Cs–to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Eastern Division in Australia. The turboprops will join a fleet of air ambulance aircraft operated on contract for New South Wales Department of Health for aeromedical primary response and inter-hospital transfers. The King Air 350C is the first one in the region that is fully dedicated to the air...
15 Feb 2012
Viking Air Makes Debut On Singapore Static Display
When the Singapore Airshow was last held two years ago, Canadian airframer Viking Air had yet to receive certification for its Twin Otter 400, the twin-engine turboprop formerly produced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) and a continuation of the series that ceased production in 1988. Today the British Columbia-based manufacturer will hand over its ninth production model to Papua New Guinea-based OK Tedi Mining at a ceremony at its chalet (39). While Viking has attended the two previous Singapore Airshows, this...
14 Feb 2012
Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park is booming
According to Singapore government figures, the aerospace industry here comprises more than 100 companies employing 18,000 people. Over the past 20 years, it has grown by a compound 12 percent. The total annual output is now $5.8 billion and the value added to the economy is $2.25 billion. The totals do not include airline or airport activity. Ninety percent of the activity is MRO, and Singapore claims a quarter of the regional market for such work. Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero)...
14 Feb 2012
Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park is booming
According to Singapore government figures, the aerospace industry here comprises more than 100 companies employing 18,000 people. Over the past 20 years, it has grown by a compound 12 percent. The total annual output is now $5.8 billion and the value added to the economy is $2.25 billion. The totals do not include airline or airport activity. Ninety percent of the activity is MRO, and Singapore claims a quarter of the regional market for such work. Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero)...
14 Feb 2012
The G450 Elite Cabin Experience
Gulfstream Aerospace comes to Singapore with, among other things, a G450 demonstrator aircraft fitted with its new Elite interior. The all-new optional package features elements from the company’s flagship G650, and is also available for G550 aircraft as well. AIN got a taste of the new cabin during a pre-show demo flight, courtesy of the U.S. manufacturer. The sleek design features clean lines and white leather seats, offset by black high-gloss woods and matte silver finishes. Each element–up to the tiniest...
14 Feb 2012
Milestone Aviation Inks $400 million-plus Deals with Eurocopter, Sikor…
In two separate deals here yesterday, global aircraft finance company Milestone Aviation Group (Booth No. 7010) announced with OEMs Eurocopter (Booth No. 1917) and Sikorsky Aircraft (Booth No. 6148), respectively, orders for 16 Eurocopter EC225s and three Sikorsky S-92s. The EC225 order is valued at $480 million. Terms of the S-92 contract were not disclosed. Deliveries of the EC225s were said to commence next year with Milestone taking approximately three aircraft per year. In the Sikorsky deal, Milestone will take...
14 Feb 2012
Milestone’s financing model brings new capital for industry
Milestone Aviation Group (Booth No 7010), a helicopter financing company, made a splash at Heli-Expo this year, announcing a $480 million deal with Eurocopter (Booth No. 1917) for 16 EC225s, a contract with Sikorsky Aircraft (Booth No. 6148) for three S-92s (terms not disclosed), and a $125-135 million leasing agreement with major operator Bristow Group for five large helicopters. Milestone chairman Richard Santulli is used to catching the aviation industry’s attention. His previous job was as founder and CEO of...
14 Feb 2012
CAE to Deploy Three new Helicopter Simulator Training Programmes
CAE announced on the eve of the Helicopter Association International (HAI) Heli-Expo conference that it will deploy three new simulation-based training programs for helicopter pilots and maintenance engineers. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
14 Feb 2012
Avinode Demand Index Down
This week’s Avinode Business Intelligence report shows trip demand across Europe down 4.83% this week, and average price per hour (taxi rate + fuel surcharges) for all active aircraft in Avinode’s marketplace down 2.51% for this month.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
14 Feb 2012
Cessna Foresees Demand Gathering Pace in Asia-Pacific Region
Cessna Aircraft Company said at the Singapore Airshow that the company anticipates accelerating demand for light and mid-size business jets across the Asia-Pacific region in the next decade. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
14 Feb 2012
Digital Digest - Week 3 of February 2012
Here's this week's FC Bizav News Roundup, linking to industry highlights from around the Web:Read the full story hereRead Full Story
14 Feb 2012
EASA Grants Air Works MRO Approval for GA
Mumbai-based Air Works India Engineering’s Delhi facility has become the first independent general aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organization in India to be awarded Part 145 approval covering for general aviation aircraft from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). “[This] opens our Delhi hangar doors to carrying out maintenance on European-registered aircraft,” said Nick White, Air Works vice president of general aviation. “This beginning will allow us to release Hawker family aircraft [from 750s to 900XPs] to European operators, but...
14 Feb 2012
ExecuJet Appointed as China Honeywell Dealer
ExecuJet Haite Aviation Services China, which provides maintenance, technical support and aircraft-on-the-ground services in Tianjin and Beijing, has been appointed an authorized avionics dealer for Honeywell in mainland China. Under the agreement, the Tianjin-based business aviation specialist will promote, sell and support the full range of Honeywell’s avionics products, warranties and protection plans for Chinese business jets. “This partnership gives customers more local and readily available technical support and parts,” the company said. The operation is a joint venture between Swiss-based...
14 Feb 2012
Jackie Chan’s Embraer Legacy Takes a Bow in Singapore
Film star Jackie Chan’s new Embraer Legacy 650 executive jet is on display in the static park here at the Singapore Airshow. The aircraft touched down on Sunday evening, making its first public appearance since the actor and philanthropist took delivery on February 3 in São Paolo, Brazil. “I am looking forward to flying in this marvelous aircraft. China has become a very important market for executive aircraft and I am honored to be a part of Embraer’s efforts in my...
14 Feb 2012
King Air 350ER In Singapore Debut
Hawker Beechcraft is exhibiting its King Air 350ER special-mission demonstrator in the Singapore Airshow static display, the first time the type has appeared in the Asia Pacific region. The twin-engine turboprop is outfitted with high-density seating, medevac stretchers, a belly-mounted search radome and electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensors. Dan Keady, the company’s vice president of sales for Asia Pacific and India, reported that the 350ER had been proving increasingly popular locally, particularly in China. He said, “We are selling most aircraft in China,...
14 Feb 2012
Dassault Offers Falcon 50EX ADS-B Out
Dassault Falcon has developed a supplemental type certificate (STC) to install automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast out (ADS-B Out) on the out-of-production Falcon 50EX business jet. The STC is available for those aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics. List price for the STC data package is $9,995, which does not include the cost of labor, GPS receiver or transponder. ...
14 Feb 2012
Gulfstream to Broker Business Aircraft Sales
Gulfstream Aerospace is set to expand its preowned aircraft sales division to include aircraft brokerage services. The company will draw on its worldwide customer and sales prospect database to facilitate its new offering, and says it will keep tabs on the global used aircraft market to ensure listings it sources are “competitively priced.” Jim Ross, vice president preowned aircraft sales, will oversee the brokerage services group. He said, “With international demand for large cabin aircraft at an all-time high, it made...
14 Feb 2012
First Time in Singapore for Airbus ACJ318
If you’re looking to experience a touch of luxury in Singapore, you could do worse than to visit the Airbus stand on the static display where the European manufacturer is exhibiting one of its ACJ318 corporate jets for the first time here at the air show. The executive version of Airbus’ smallest regional aircraft model (the A318) can seat up to 19 people and features a lounge area and a private office / sleeping area with an en-suite bathroom and...
13 Feb 2012
EASA Grants Air Works MRO Approval for GA
Mumbai-based Air Works India Engineering’s Delhi facility has become the first independent general aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organization in India to be awarded Part 145 approval covering for general aviation aircraft from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). “[This] opens our Delhi hangar doors to carrying out maintenance on European-registered aircraft,” said Nick White, Air Works vice president of general aviation. “This beginning will allow us to release Hawker family aircraft [from 750s to 900XPs] to European operators, but...
13 Feb 2012
Dassault Offers Falcon 50EX ADS-B Out
Dassault Falcon has developed a supplemental type certificate (STC) to install automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast out (ADS-B Out) on the out-of-production Falcon 50EX business jet. The STC is available for those aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics. List price for the STC data package is $9,995, which does not include the cost of labor, GPS receiver or transponder. ...
13 Feb 2012
C&D Revises Comparator, Announces Helo Seminars
Aircraft consulting and data firm Conklin & de Decker (Booth No. 6928) is releasing a revised version of its Aircraft Performance Comparator software. It contains a simplified Help section on performance data as well as new data on the Eagle 212 conversion and updated Bell 429 images. Current subscribers will receive the release at no cost while new subscribers can obtain a 15 percent discount here at Heli-Expo. Conklin and de Decker’s Comparator compares a wide variety of aircraft cost...
13 Feb 2012
Pratt & Whitney Offers Service at Heli-Expo
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) of Longueuil, Quebec (Booth No. 3317) is not only highlighting its customer support programs here at Heli-Expo 2012, it’s delivering them. Today the company hosts Technical Briefing sessions in room C140 at the Dallas Convention Center for operators and maintenance personnel of PT6 (11 a.m.), PW200 (12 p.m.) and PT6C-67C (1 p.m.) engines. Raffaele Virgili, vice president, customer service, termed the briefings “part of our global ‘Customer Reach Out’ initiative.” Briefings will include information on maintenance...
13 Feb 2012
Dallas Airmotive Opens New Singapore Maintenance Shop
Dallas Airmotive’s regional turbine center at Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park celebrated its official opening with a ceremony on Monday led by general manager Francis Lee. The center will offer authorized Honeywell services for auxiliary power units (APUs) and business aviation engines, and respond to aircraft-on-ground (AOG) situations. The new facility will provide major periodic inspections and line maintenance for the TFE731 engine, and line maintenance for Honeywell CFE738 and HTF7000 turbofans–engines found on aircraft such as the Dassault Falcon 2000, Bombardier...
13 Feb 2012
Eurocopter Unveils EC130 T2, Announces 105 Ordered
Eurocopter unveiled the EC130 T2, the updated version of its single-engine EC130 at Heli-Expo yesterday, and announced orders for 105 of the aircraft from seven launch customers. They include: Maverick Helicopters, Papillon Helicopters, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Scandinavian Helicopter Group, Air Commander, Europavia and Enloe FlightCare. “Innovation is something that is key for us. Innovation is creating customer value,” said Lutz Bertling, president and CEO of the Marignane, France-based company, in introducing the aircraft. “The EC130 T2 is the latest step in...
13 Feb 2012
Bell Helicopter Introduces New Super Medium Helicopter
Bell Helicopter announced the “super-medium” helicopter, the Bell 525 Relentless, at the 2012 Heli-Expo in Dallas, Texas. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
13 Feb 2012
Chad Leeward is appointed DAHER-SOCATA’s TBM Sales Director
DAHER-SOCATA announced that Chad Leeward has joined the team at SOCATA North America as a Sales Director, with responsibility for developing the market for its TBM 850 very fast turboprop aircraft in the state of Florida.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
13 Feb 2012
Milestone Aviation Group Signs for 16 Eurocopter EC225
Milestone Aviation Group and Eurocopter today announced an order for 16 EC225 aircraft. These aircraft are valued at €362 million (US $480 million) and will be delivered over five years, starting in 2013.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
13 Feb 2012
Vector Aerospace Helicopter Announces Facility Expansion
Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services-North America (Vector) repair and overhaul (MRO) services announces the consolidation and expansion of its Langley, British Columbia, Canada structures and avionics facilities; which is scheduled to open for business in December, 2012. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
13 Feb 2012
Esterline CMC TacView System Selected for U.S. Coast Guard
Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) has been selected by L-3 Communications, Inc. to supply the CMC TacView® Portable Mission Display to provide a Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL) solution for U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopters.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
13 Feb 2012
ExecuJet welcomes VIP Lineage 1000 to Middle East Charter Fleet
ExecuJet Middle East welcomed its latest addition to its fleet in the region – the new VIP 19-seat Embraer Lineage. Based at Dubai International Airport it is now available for third party charter.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
13 Feb 2012
Van Horn Unveils New Bell 412/212 Tail Rotor
Rotor blade manufacturer Van Horn Aviation (VHA) of Tempe, Arizona (Booth No. 9651) is unveiling a prototype of its new Bell 412/212 tail-rotor blade here at Heli-Expo. Designed by VHA in collaboration with Bell Helicopter Textron, the new tail-rotor blade is predicted to increase tail-rotor authority while reducing pilot workload and eliminating inspections required by the current blade’s airworthiness directive (AD). “We’re building on the success of the VHA 206B/L tail-rotor blade, using the same NASA-designed laminar flow airfoil and...
13 Feb 2012
HAI Offers New Safety Program
The Helicopter Association International (Booth No. 8632) launched a safety program designed to raise the bar for helicopter operators worldwide at Heli-Expo yesterday. Based on the new rotorcraft language in the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), the HAI Accreditation Program accounts for mission-specific criteria for a wide range of helicopter operations. “The Federal Aviation Administration sets a basic standard of safety with the federal aviation regulations,” said HAI president Matt Zuccaro. “But we believe that needs to be the...
13 Feb 2012
Eurocopter Intros New Copter, Marks Anniversary at Heli Expo
Highlighting the 20th anniversary of the founding of Eurocopter, Marignane, France-based Eurocopter is introducing the latest evolution in its product line here at Heli-Expo’12. Eurocopter evolved from the 1992 merger of the helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale of France and Daimler-Benz Aerospatiale Aerospace of Germany. The new variant leads a list of innovations from the company, and will be unveiled Sunday at noon at the Eurocopter exhibit stand (Booth No. 1917), along with an announcement of launch customers. The ceremony will be...
12 Feb 2012
India’s Air Works Extends Its MRO Reach
Air Works, India’s only third-party maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in commercial aviation, is making large investments to enter the general aviation market for heavy maintenance and, at the same time, is putting down roots in Europe, with the imminent opening of a new aircraft paint facility at Bratislava Airport in Slovakia. The 60-year-old company already claims to hold a 30- to 40-percent share of the general aviation MRO sector in India. Meanwhile, Air Works (Booth No. G93) also is...
10 Feb 2012
Hangar8 acquires Malta base
Hangar8, one of Europe's operators of private jets announces that it has acquired an initial 49% interest, with an option to gain 51% control, in a new business ("the Joint-Venture") established in Malta. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
10 Feb 2012
Air Partner invests in personnel
Air Partner’s has planned on attracting and recruiting professionals to its Commercial Jets charter broking division resulting in two senior appointments.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
10 Feb 2012
Airbus Corporate Jet Centre delivers a 10th VIP cabin
Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC), has delivered its tenth cabin to an undisclosed customer in Europe. Further to the delivery in December of its ninth cabin. ACJC delivered a VIP cabin packed with state-of-the-art connectivity and telephony.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
10 Feb 2012
Airbus Corporate Jet Center Delivers 10th Bizliner
Toulouse, France-based ACJ completions firm Airbus Corporate Jet Centre outfitted and delivered its 10th bizliner to an undisclosed customer in Europe this week. Featuring a “contemporary” design, the ACJ319 welcomes passengers with a nearly six-foot-high piece of metal art embedded in the entrance partition. The cabin layout includes a large lounge and dining area with an 18-foot-wide dome, an L-shape divan, two VIP club seats, a large sideboard and a dining table surrounded by a divan and three VIP seats,...
10 Feb 2012
MEBAA Puts End To Iraq Flight Permit Monopoly
Last week, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) dissolved an exclusive flight permit contract enjoyed by Palm Jet, following protests from the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) that the agreement made operating business flights into Iraq prohibitively expensive. The contract had been in place since 2010 and meant Palm Jet had a monopoly, for a proposed 12-year term, over all rights to fly in and out of the country. After Palm Jet took over, the permit cost rose from $200...
10 Feb 2012
Jackie Chan Takes Delivery of Dragon-emblazoned Embraer Legacy 650
The Chinese Year of the Dragon is off to an auspicious beginning, at least for Jackie Chan, who took delivery of his Embraer Legacy 650 late last week. The aircraft, which is adorned with dragons and Chan’s personal logo emblazoned on the tail, is the first Legacy 650 to be delivered into China. Chan will also serve as the official brand ambassador to Embraer, promoting its entire line of aircraft in the China market and globally. ...
10 Feb 2012
Gulfstream Donates $50K to Corporate Angel Network
Gulfstream Aerospace donated $50,000 to Corporate Angel Network, which arranges free flights to treatment for cancer patients using empty seats on business aircraft. Gulfstream was one of the first corporate flight departments to join as a CAN participant in 1982 and has donated both flight time and funds to the organization. “When treatment centers are far from home CAN provides free flights, allowing patients to travel without compromising their weakened immune systems,” said Gulfstream president Larry Flynn. ...
10 Feb 2012
Bombardier Selects Aviation Performance Solutions LLC
Bombardier Aerospace has selected Aviation Performance Solutions LLC (APS) to provide Live Upset Recovery Training as part of its innovative Leading Edge Program offered to customers of Learjet, Challenger and Global business aircraft. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
09 Feb 2012
NBAA Hails Senate Passage of FAA Reauthorization
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) praised action by the US Senate to approve legislation to reauthorise the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The "FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012" now moves to the White House for the president’s signature.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
09 Feb 2012
Gulfstream Launches Preowned Brokerage Services
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. will expand its preowned aircraft sales to include aircraft brokerage services. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
09 Feb 2012
In-flight Use of iPad for Jeppesen IFR and VFR Charts Approved
Jet Aviation Dusseldorf's customers’ flight crews can download the Jeppesen Aviation iPad application to view Jeppesen’s electronic IFR / VFR charts on their iPad, eliminating the need to read paper charts while in-flight. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
09 Feb 2012
Robert S. Miller to Join Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. as CEO
The Board of Directors of Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. appointed Robert S. “Steve” Miller as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective Feb. 7. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
09 Feb 2012
Bombardier Brings its Diversified Portfolio of Industry-Leading Aircra…
Demonstrating its commitment to the vibrant Asia-Pacific marketplace, Bombardier Aerospace will arrive at the Singapore Airshow with an impressive line-up of its industry-leading aircraft. Bombardier's state-of-the-art CSeries aircraft dome will also be present and guests will have the opportunity to tour the game-changing aircraft's full-scale passenger cabin and flight deck demonstrator.Read Full Story
08 Feb 2012
Bombardier Selects Aviation Performance Solutions LLC for its Leading …
Bombardier Aerospace today announced that it has selected Aviation Performance Solutions LLC (APS) to provide Live Upset Recovery Training as part of its innovative Leading Edge Program offered to customers of Learjet, Challenger and Global business aircraft.Read Full Story
08 Feb 2012
Munzenmayer Changes Roles
Bernd MunzenmayerBernd "Munzie" Munzenmayer, a founder of ProStar Aviation, has sold his shares and is now an employee of the company. He's the new Senior Sales Advisor.Read Full Story
08 Feb 2012
Promotions at AOPA
Heidi WilliamsCraig SpenceHeidi Williams is the new Vice President of Air Traffic Services and Modernization. Craig Spence is Vice President of Operations and International Affairs.Read Full Story
08 Feb 2012
Cessna Matches Embraer With Latitude Range Increase
Cessna has increased the range of its new Latitude midsize business jet, leaving little doubt the new aircraft is a direct response to Embraer's entry to that market. When it was introduced at NBAA last October the 2,000-nm range raised eyebrows as it was the shortest of any in that segment. In a news release last week, Cessna said the new number is 2,300 nm, matching the Embraer Legacy 450 and a little better than others in that slot.Read Full...
08 Feb 2012
New CEO At Hawker Beechcraft
Hawker Beechcraft's board of directors has named high-profile corporate fix-it man Steve Miller as new CEO of Hawker Beechcraft Inc., shifting former CEO Bill Boisture to the role of chairman of the company's operating subsidiary Hawker Beechcraft Corp. Miller, who was tapped to take over as chairman of American International Group (AIG) 18 months ago to help it continue its return to profitability and pay back more than $130 billion bailout money to the U.S. government. Known as "The Turnaround...
08 Feb 2012
Pilot Sues For Lack Of IPad
A Virgin Australia pilot is suing the airline for almost $1 million, claiming he hurt his back hoisting a flight bag stuffed with 40 pounds of charts and manuals. David Kloster, 57, says it never would have happened if the airline had given him an iPad instead. In a filing with the Queensland Supreme Court, Kloster said the airline had an obligation to provide him (and presumably other pilots) with an alternative to lugging around the information he needed...
08 Feb 2012
Embraer Legacy 500 Makes First Engine Run
Embraer performed the Legacy 500 first engine run on January 17 at its headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil, the company said yesterday. Between the midsize jet’s December 23 rollout and the first run of its Honeywell HTF7500E engines, Embraer conducted several ground tests, including APU and refueling tests. The engine run allowed for the evaluation of the bleed air, electrical, environmental and hydraulic systems, as well as Fadec and integration of the engines with avionics. The Legacy 500...
08 Feb 2012
Citation Latitude Gets Longer Legs
Cessna Aircraft announced on Thursday that the range of its new midsize Citation Latitude is being extended to 2,300 nm. “The additional range is the result of refinement from wind-tunnel testing and other analysis,” a company spokeswoman told AIN. The payload will remain unchanged, she said. Cessna has not yet made the aircraft weights public. The 10-seat Latitude was launched in October at the NBAA Convention and features Garmin G5000 avionics. ...
08 Feb 2012
NBAA Regional Forum Strikes a Chord in New Orleans
The first NBAA business aviation regional forum in 2012 was held in New Orleans on Thursday, marking “a triumphant return to the Crescent City” six years after Hurricane Katrina forced the association to move its annual convention from the flood-damaged region. “NBAA is pleased with the results of the New Orleans forum,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Compared with other forums in similar-sized markets, the numbers for this one were quite strong, with more than 500 people in attendance,...
08 Feb 2012
First Engine Run for Legacy 500
Embraer performed the Legacy 500 first engine run on January 17, at the Company’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. This was the second major milestone in the development of the midsize executive jet program, following the aircraft’s roll out, on December 23, 2011. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
07 Feb 2012
ExecuJet Europe Launches First UK FBO at Cambridge Airport.
ExecuJet Europe launched its first UK FBO when it opened a full service facility at the UK`s Cambridge Airport in January.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
07 Feb 2012
Lord Sugar Moves His Legacy 650 to Air Charter Scotland
Air Charter Scotland has taken delivery of Lord Sugar’s new Embraer Legacy 650 aircraft registration G-SUGA. The $30,000,000 business jet with a range of over 4,000 NM will now be fully available for charter from its new base at London Luton Airport. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
07 Feb 2012
Avinode Demand Index Up
This week’s Avinode Business Intelligence report shows trip demand across Europe up 1.48% this week, and average price per hour (taxi rate + fuel surcharges) for all active aircraft in Avinode’s marketplace down 0.09% for this month.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
07 Feb 2012
NBAA Joins Call for US Congress to Extend Accelerated Depreciation Unt…
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has joined more than 60 businesses and organisations nationwide in signing a letter urging congress to extend "bonus" depreciation, allowing for accelerated cost recovery of strategic purchases, including business aircraft.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
07 Feb 2012
In The Works: Gulfstream G650
Gulfstream’s G650 received provisional type certification from the FAA on Nov. 18, 2011, and the manufacturer expects full FAA certification shortly, allowing planned deliveries in the second quarter. The provisional certification let Gulfstream keep the production line moving, with final-phase manufacturing, including completion activity, continuing on customer aircraft so they can be delivered on schedule. According to FAA registry records, G650s with serial numbers 6001 through 6016 had received airworthiness certificates from the FAA by the end of last year,...
06 Feb 2012
In The Works: Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 200
Hawker Beechcraft chairman and CEO Bill Boisture announced in a letter to employees on Dec. 2, 2011, that “we have determined that the prudent management decision is to slow the pace of the completion of the Hawker 200 certification program until indicators reflect a healthier light jet market.” Flight testing of the Hawker 200, the upgraded version of the Premier IA, began in March 2010 and certification was expected this year. According to Boisture, “The Hawker 200 is important to the...
06 Feb 2012
In The Works: Honda Aircraft HondaJet
Honda Aircraft’s third FAA design-conforming flight test prototype–F2–made its first flight on Nov. 18, 2011, from Honda Aircraft headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C. Stephan Johansson captained the flight, along with copilot Tom Maurer. The 44-minute first test flight reached 12,480 feet and 245 ktas and included flap and landing-gear operation and handling tests at low speed and up to 200 ktas as well as air data systems checks and an ILS approach using the flight director...
06 Feb 2012
In The Works: Embraer Legacy 500
Embraer’s next new business jet, the fly-by-wire Legacy 500, rolled out of the manufacturer’s São José dos Campos headquarters in Brazil on Dec. 23, 2011. The jet’s first flight had been planned by the end of last year, but has been delayed until the third quarter this year due to a software problem with the fly-by-wire flight control system’s remote electronic unit made by Parker Aerospace, according to Embraer. The delay means that Legacy 500 certification moves to the second...
06 Feb 2012
Sikorsky Innovations Engages in Corporate Sponsorship in Stamford Inno…
Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development organization of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is founding corporate sponsorship in the new Stamford Innovation Center. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
06 Feb 2012
Asking Prices for Jets Still Dropping
JETNET LLC, the leading provider of corporate aviation information, has released December and 2011 year-end results for the pre-owned business jet, business turboprop, and helicopter markets. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
06 Feb 2012
Citation Latitude Range Extended
Cessna Aircraft Company has increased the range capability of its planned new midsize jet, the Citation Latitude. The Latitude is now expected to have a maximum range of 2,300 nautical miles (4,259.6 kilometers). Read the full story hereRead Full Story
06 Feb 2012
Air Hamburg expands fleet with 3 new Cessna orders, including the Lati…
Just as Cessna announces the increase range capability of the Citation Latitude, Air Hamburg Private Jets is confirmed as the first European customer who will take delivery of the mid-size jet in 2016. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
06 Feb 2012
Jackie Chan Takes 1st Legacy 650 in China
Embraer delivered a Legacy 650 to celebrity Jackie Chan for the Chinese market in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Liveried with his iconic dragon logo, the aircraft provided an auspicious beginning to the Year of the Dragon in his home country.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
06 Feb 2012
EBAA Demands Fairer Enforcement of ETS for Bizav
The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has urged the European Commission (EC) to correct what it views as anti-competitive aspects of its controversial emissions trading scheme (ETS). Unlike NBAA in the U.S., which has joined calls for ETS to be abandoned altogether for non-European operators, the European group supports ETS “as part of a multi-pronged approach to mitigating the rise of carbon emissions,” but is calling on the EC to ensure “fair and equitable implementation.” EBAA’s main complaint in a January...
05 Feb 2012
Where the Jetset Shops for Wings
This is The Jet Business’s new store in Mayfair, London’s fanciest neighborhood. It opened fully in January, complete with purpose-built 32-inch iPads that allow prospective clients to specify their private aviation preferences and view specifications and cabin layouts on life-size video walls. Sales discussions take place in a full-size mockup of an Airbus ACJ, featuring a living room, dining room and office. Company founder Steve Varsano tells AIN he is already busy fielding inquiries from visiting clients drawn from around...
05 Feb 2012
Basel Places Biggest Order in 116-year History with Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation has signed a contract for the delivery of up to 60 BOMBARDIER FLEXITY trams with the City of Basel's Transport Authority (BVB).Read Full Story
05 Feb 2012
Bombardier Partnership Project Outlines Green Train of the Future
Swedish "Green Train" project supported by Bombardier shows faster, less costly and more energy-efficient trains are possible on existing trackRead Full Story
05 Feb 2012
NetJets' First Bombardier Global Aircraft Ready for Completion
Bombardier Aerospace and NetJets® today celebrated the first key milestone linked to last year's historic Global aircraft sales announcement.Read Full Story
05 Feb 2012
SAM (Sustainable Asset Management) Distinctions for Bombardier
Bombardier was awarded SAM Sector Mover and SAM Gold Class in this year’s SAM Sustainability Yearbook 2012.Read Full Story
05 Feb 2012
Air Nostrum receives its 75th Bombardier Commercial Aircraft
Bombardier Aerospace and Air Nostrum of Valencia, Spain yesterday celebrated the delivery of the airline's 75th Bombardier commercial aircraft at Bombardier's Mirabel facility in Québec, where the CRJ aircraft are manufactured.Read Full Story
05 Feb 2012
Cash-strapped Italy Slaps Tax on Bizjets
Italy’s parliament has approved plans for a new tax on all business aircraft, regardless of country of registration, as part of the effort to reduce the country’s massive national debt. Business aviation interests expect to learn the details of how the legislation will work by the end of February, but it could impose a tariff of several hundred thousand dollars on the owner of a large jet that spends more than 48 consecutive hours in the country. The tax will...
04 Feb 2012
Kestrel Moving To Wisconsin
Kestrel Aircraft is abandoning plans to set up the headquarters and new production plant for its K-350 single-engine turboprop in Brunswick Landing, Maine. On January 16, the company announced a $118 million deal to locate in Richard I. Bong Airport in Superior, Wis., and begin construction in June. The agreement is being financed by a variety of grants, low-interest loans, and tax credits from the City of Superior, Douglas County and the state of Wisconsin. Assembling Sources of Capital The majority of...
04 Feb 2012
Cirrus Restructures ND Debt, Presses On with Jet
Cirrus has restructured more than $13 million worth of loan and lease obligations related to its Grand Forks, N.D. production facility with that city’s Growth Fund. Cirrus employs approximately 90 people in Grand Forks who make composite component parts for its SR-series piston aircraft, which are then shipped to the company’s assembly line in Duluth, Minn. Since 1996, Grand Forks has issued various bonds and loans in support of these activities, including construction of more than 160,000 sq ft of...
04 Feb 2012
Wichita Economic Malaise Grows
In the wake of news that Boeing plans to close its defense, space and security operations in Wichita by the end of 2013, the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition (GWEDC) has helped launch an aviation task force to develop strategies that will promote the city’s aviation industries. Boeing, which has an 83-year history in Wichita, announced in early January it would close its plant with 97 buildings, 2 million square feet of space and more than 2,160 people, by the end...
04 Feb 2012
Bizav Touches Down in Singapore En Route to Abace
Business aviation will be well represented at the Singapore Airshow, despite the fact that just over a month later, most companies will be heading to Shanghai for NBAA’s relaunched Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (Abace). Airbus will give a show debut to its ACJ318 in Singapore, as will Gulfstream with its new G280. Another newcomer will be Ruag’s 228NG business/utility aircraft (a reworking of the Dornier twin turboprop). Also on the bizav roster for Singapore are Cessna, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer,...
04 Feb 2012
Cessna, Embraer Vie for Dominance in Light, Midsize Market
Spurred by sluggish demand for light and midsize jets and the threat from Brazil’s Embraer, Cessna has enlarged its midsize cabin cross-section and refreshed one of the lightest jets it builds. The new contenders were revealed last fall in the form of the 680A Latitude midsize and the M2 update of the CJ1+. They compete with, respectively, the Embraer Legacy 450 (slated for certification in late 2014 and service entry in early 2015) and the Phenom 100 (in service since...
04 Feb 2012
Bizliner interiors biz booming
With growing demand for large executive aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, cabin completion and refurbishment centers specializing in bizliners are finding plenty of work to feather their own nests, and there’s more to come. Final numbers for Airbus and Boeing executive aircraft deliveries last year were not available at press time, but expectations were that the total for both OEMs might go as high 20 aircraft, mostly single-aisle ACJs and BBJs. Sources in the industry expect this year and next to...
03 Feb 2012
Pre-owned Update: U.S. Market Recovers Slowly, as Europe Stumbles
By most accounts the fourth quarter of last year was active. While not atypical for that period, the activity was a good sign for the market that tradition seems to be intact, or at least reestablished after being pushed off course a few years ago. With the U.S. economy doing incrementally better, the hope is that this activity will spill into the first quarter and beyond. Many eyes now are cast upon Europe, where last month S&P lowered its credit...
03 Feb 2012
First Two Raisbeck King Air Performane Systems Certified in China
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has approved the first two Raisbeck Engineering Performance Systems for the Beechcraft King Air. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
03 Feb 2012
Eurocopter Vindicated in Product Case
A Canadian court has awarded punitive damages against Textron-owned Bell Helicopter for infringing a Eurocopter patent.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
03 Feb 2012
Brendan Lodge Named as CEPA Chairman
CEPA, the three-year old Central European Private Aviation organisation, appointed Brendan Lodge as its new Chairman. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
03 Feb 2012
Alison Price Launches Bizav Catering
At 41,000 feet, catered meals are a pleasant diversion, no matter the length of the flight. London caterer Alison Price On Air has set its aims just a bit higher than a pleasant diversion. Maybe a lot higher. The London-based business aviation catering start-up is new to business aviation, but its parent company, Alison Price & Company, is well known in London’s corporate and social circles for its high-end cuisine and service at such events as Sir Elton John’s 50th birthday...
03 Feb 2012
Airport Options Abound for London Olympics
One of the airports most conveniently placed for access to the northeast side of London, where the main Olympic venue is situated, is Stansted. Located right next to the venue, London City will be in high demand, and airports such as Southend, Luton and Biggin Hill also are likely to prove popular with business/private aircraft operators and owners. Jason Hayward of flight support group Universal Weather & Aviation is the general manager for the company’s Stansted operation. He told AIN that...
03 Feb 2012
Learn More About London’s Olympic Flight Plan
The UK CAA will hold a briefing on Olympic Airspace flight planning on Saturday, March 10 in London, in conjunction with the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN). The event, part of the Airspace and Safety Initiative (www.airspacesafety.com) will be held at the Royal Geographical Society, where the RIN is based. It will feature presentations and a question-and-answer session with participants including representatives from the CAA, NATS and the UK Ministry of Defence. Specifically this will address use of “Atlas Control,”...
03 Feb 2012
GE Charts Course for Robust Bizav Business
GE Aviation, while it may still be associated largely with commercial and military powerplants, has been focusing its gaze on the business aviation market over the past several years. Shawn O’Day, head of the company’s business and general aviation marketing, told AIN that although business aviation has historically been a segment of opportunity for GE, it is an area where the engine and systems maker sees potential. In fact, the company signaled its intention to expand its business and general aviation...
03 Feb 2012
Bizav Prepares for London Olympics
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a campaign to educate those operating to and from the 2012 London Olympic Games this summer about the airspace restrictions to be imposed and how to handle them. Major restrictions will be in place centered over London and the Olympic Park from July 14 to August 15, with lesser restrictions for the Paralympic Games from August 16 to September 12. Still to come from the CAA are details of plans for dedicated airspace...
03 Feb 2012
Euro Researchers Envision ‘Personal’ Air Transport
European aerospace research organizations are close to completing a study of a personal air transportation concept that could be realized in 2030 to 2050, in which passengers would use small pilotless aircraft to fill the gaps in the scheduled air transport network. Under the PPlane concept, a passenger or small group of passengers would book a flight with an aircraft operator. Teams of “pilots” on the ground would take care of a group of automated aircraft. Air traffic management (ATM) would...
03 Feb 2012
Falcon 7X Fitted with Passenger Shower
Dassault has designed and installed a shower in the aft cabin section of a Falcon 7X, a challenging job despite the large size of the business jet. For certification, the manufacturer’s engineers demonstrated that a water overflow would not affect critical equipment. In addition, designers had to find space for the water tank, heater and redundant pumps. This required the bulkhead to be moved forward, prompting the need for a new cabin layout. In the shower, the passenger can either...
02 Feb 2012
NetJets' First Bombardier Global Aircraft Ready for Completion
A special ceremony to highlight NetJets' first Bombardier aircraft, a Global 6000 jet, was attended by executives from NetJets and Bombardier as well as 1,000 Bombardier employees at the company's Toronto site. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
02 Feb 2012
Randall Groom rejoins Raisbeck Engineering
Randall Groom has reactivated his aerospace consulting firm, Groom Aviation, and taken Raisbeck Engineering as his first client, as of January 1st 2012.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
02 Feb 2012
Jet Aviation Zurich Receives FOCA Embraer Legacy 600/650 Approval
Jet Aviation Zurich gained approval from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) to perform limited line maintenance on Embraer Legacy 600/650 (EJR-135BJ) aircraft. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
02 Feb 2012
DC Aviation Expands In-flight Medical Assistance
Cooperation between DC Aviation and the med con team is to be immediately expanded to the entire DC Aviation fleet. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
02 Feb 2012
Corporate Jet and Helicopter Finance Conference Ready for Take-off in …
The second annual International Corporate Jet and Helicopter Finance Conference will play host to some 200 delegates and speakers from the global aviation industry next week (7-8th February). Read the full story hereRead Full Story
02 Feb 2012
Gama Group Appoints Neil Gibson to Senior Management Team
Gama Group has appointed Neil Gibson as a key member of its senior management team, with the task of implementing its growth strategy in the Middle East and Asia regions.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
02 Feb 2012
NBAA Applauds Congressional Progress on FAA Reauthorization Package
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) praised the House-Senate Conference Committee for reaching an agreement on a long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "reauthorisation" package of funding and programme direction for the agency. A final vote on the measure is expected soon.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
02 Feb 2012
Jooyan Joins Flexjet
FlexjetGino Jooyan is the new southwest coast fractional sales director for Flexjet. He's been in the business for 10 years and was most recently V.P. of business development for an aircraft management company.Read Full Story
01 Feb 2012
Honda Looking For A Quarter Of The Market
After working on its foray into aviation for 25 years, Honda can be expected to be looking for a return on its patient investment, but comments made by the head of the company's aviation division to Reuters turned some heads on Tuesday. Michimasa Fujino likened the almost-certified HondaJet to the introduction of the Honda Civic and said the company was going after 25 percent of the worldwide light jet market. "I'm very optimistic about our prospects," Fujino said. "We're doing...
01 Feb 2012
FAA Delays UAS Rulemaking
The FAA has further delayed publishing rulemaking on access by unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to the National Airspace System (NAS). The agency announced Monday that a proposed rule that was supposed to be ready by the end of January will instead be published "this spring." The FAA did not say why the rule was delayed. This rule will deal with drones that weigh less than 55 pounds and the delay will affect businesses that have already found numerous uses for...
01 Feb 2012
Cannes Airshow Expects 20,000 Visitors
Organizers of the sixth annual Cannes Airshow, to be held from June 7 to 9, expect to welcome more than 20,000 visitors at its Cannes-Mandelieu International Airport venue in the heart of the French Riviera. “There is nearly a 15-percent increase in participation this year compared with the 2011 show,” said event director Didier Mary. While billed as a general aviation event, the Cannes Airshow typically draws numerous business aviation exhibitors and aircraft. Past exhibitors have included Cessna, Dassault, Embraer...
01 Feb 2012
Aircraft Acquisition Seminar Guides Operators Through the Buying Proce…
In today’s business environment, making the case for business aviation is more important than ever, and that was the focus of Conklin & de Decker’s 12th annual Aircraft Acquisition and Planning seminar. The December event at the Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., drew 42 attendees from 15 states and four countries to learn about aircraft financing, tax issues and wise aircraft acquisition strategies They included representatives of fixed- and rotary-wing airframe OEMs, FBOs, charter and fractional operators, aircraft brokers, MRO, aircraft...
01 Feb 2012
Bombardier Rolls Out First Global for NetJets
Bombardier Aerospace and NetJets celebrated the rollout of the fractional provider’s first Global-series jet today, in this case a Global 6000 (neé XRS). Last March, NetJets placed an order for 50 Globals worth $2.8 billion, as well as options for an additional 70, breaking the fractional provider’s tradition of buying only Gulfstreams for its large-cabin jet fleets. Executives from NetJets and Bombardier, as well as 1,000 Bombardier employees, were on hand for this morning’s ceremony at the Canadian aircraft manufacturer’s...
01 Feb 2012
Cessna Marks Milestone with 400th Citation Mustang
The 400th Citation Mustang rolled off Cessna Aircraft’s Independence, Kan. assembly line on Friday, marking a milestone reached slightly more than five years since the first twinjet was delivered. “What an achievement for Cessna and for the employees in Wichita and Independence who engineer, design, support and manufacture this airplane,” said Citation Mustang and M2 business leader Brian Rohloff. “Mustang sales remain strong, pilots like its ease of operation and low operating costs.” According to Cessna, the entry-level jet is...
01 Feb 2012
Cambridge Professor Dispels Lift Myth
University of Cambridge Professor Holger Babinsky has created a one-minute video to dispel the myth that an airplane wing generates lift because the airflow moving over the upper surface has a longer distance to travel and “needs to go faster to have the same transit time as the air traveling along the lower, flat surface.” What actually causes lift, he said, “is introducing a shape into the airflow, which curves the streamlines and introduces pressure changes–lower pressure on the upper...
01 Feb 2012
Quest Kodiak Gets Brazilian OK
Quest Aircraft Company received type certification for its Kodiak turboprop single from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). The airplane is now certified in seven countries around the world, and the company continues to work on additional approvals. The Kodiak completed a three-week demonstration tour in Latin America last fall, and Quest is preparing to embark on another tour of the region next month. January 31, 2012, 3:15 PMRead Full Story
01 Feb 2012
Singapore Show Should Reveal Realities of Asia’s Aerospace Destiny
This month’s Singapore Airshow (February 14 to 19) is on track to surpass the previous 2010 event, with more than 900 exhibitors booked to participate from some 50 countries. What many observers will be keen to gauge is the extent to which the Asia-Pacific’s air transport and defense markets are holding up in the face of continued Western decline. As important, the show will shed light on what progress the region’s emerging aerospace players–most notably China, Korea, Japan and India–are...
31 Jan 2012
New Online Election-Year Tool to Inform as Well as Involve NBAA Member…
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is launching a new "Election 2012" web resource to help the business aviation community be informed and involved in this year's elections.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
31 Jan 2012
Avinode Demand Index Up
This week’s Avinode Business Intelligence report shows trip demand across Europe up 13.8% this week, and average price per hour (taxi rate + fuel surcharges) for all active aircraft in Avinode’s marketplace down 0.84% for this month.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
31 Jan 2012
Weston Aviation Sets Sights on Further European Expansion
UK FBO Weston Aviation is taking the opportunity at Business Airports World Expo (BAWE) in Cannes, France to take its services to Europe, with particular interest in France as a first European move. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
31 Jan 2012
HAI President Turns Focus on Passengers
Matt Zuccaro, President of HAI sent out a message to the business aviation community, questioning the way passengers are being treated after an accident occurs. Below is his open letter:Read the full story hereRead Full Story
31 Jan 2012
Al Bateen Executive to Focus on Customer Experience and World-class Ma…
Al Bateen Executive Airport is planning further developments, including new hangar facilities, an executive catering base and further MRO development in 2012. This renewed focus on customer services and world-class facilities follows a very positive 2012, including a 50% increase in business aviation traffic.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
31 Jan 2012
Jet Aviation Zurich FBO Handles Bulk of WEF Aircraft and Passengers
Jet Aviation’s Zurich FBO handled the majority of aircraft and passengers attending the 42nd annual World Economic Forum meeting, held January 25-29, 2012, in Davos, Switzerland. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
31 Jan 2012
Raisbeck Engineering's 2011 Sales Top Previous Year
Gross sales at Raisbeck Engineering continued to grow for the third straight year, following 2008’s industry-wide setback. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
30 Jan 2012
Cessna Citation Mustang Reaches 400 Aircraft
Cessna Aircraft Company rolled its 400th Citation Mustang off the assembly line at its Independence, Kan., facility. This milestone was accomplished in a little more than five years since the Mustang's first delivery in November 2006.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
30 Jan 2012
Aviation Groups Thank Clinton, LaHood for Strong Opposition to EU-ETS
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has applauded a strongly-worded letter from two high-ranking US government officials to EU President Jose Manuel Barroso, warning that Washington will take "appropriate action" if the EU continues demanding that aircraft flagged in the US participate in Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS).Read the full story hereRead Full Story
30 Jan 2012
Schubach Aviation Donates $10K for Orphaned Animals
Schubach Aviation ended its year-long “One Cent Per Mile” fundraising campaign for orphaned animals by donating $10,160.19 to Helen Woodward Animal Center. Last January, the San Diego-based air charter firm pledged a minimum of $8,000 to the animal center through this campaign. Schubach will be partnering with the animal center for the upcoming Puppy Flush Poker Tournament and Spring Fling. January 26, 2012, 3:05 PMRead Full Story
27 Jan 2012
Aviation Partners Fights Back Against Airbus Lawsuit
Aviation Partners filed a response yesterday to Airbus’s pre-emptive lawsuit that seeks to invalidate an Aviation Partners patent for blended winglets. This patent–filed on Feb. 1, 1993, and granted Sept. 20, 1994–is for technology that is the foundation of the Seattle-based company. Since patents perish after 20 years, this one will expire in about 12 months. In its response, Aviation Partners has requested that the Airbus lawsuit be either dismissed or transferred to Seattle. “Airbus’s complaint pleads legal conclusions without factual...
27 Jan 2012
‘Banner’ Quarter Boosts Gulfstream Aerospace
Jay Johnson, president and CEO of Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation parent company General Dynamics, said yesterday that Gulfstream had a “banner” fourth quarter, with deliveries of 35 green aircraft–including 12 G650s–versus 20 jets in the same period in 2010. For 2011, Gulfstream shipped 107 jets, eight more than in the previous year. Last year the company also recorded the highest number of new aircraft orders since the G650 was introduced in 2008 and “the best year ever in service...
27 Jan 2012
Cessna and Bell Find Their Footing in 2011
Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter parent company Textron yesterday reported a loss of $19 million in the fourth quarter, versus a $60 million profit in the same period in 2010, despite increased revenues and profits at the two aerospace units. Though Cessna delivered 12 fewer Citations in the quarter compared with the previous year–67 versus 79–revenue climbed by $51 million, to $1.011 billion, thanks to a higher sales volume of pre-owned jets, piston singles and Caravan turboprop singles. In addition, quarterly...
27 Jan 2012
Could Pilots Holding PPLs Fill the Niche of Commercial Aviation Pilots…
According to the data gathered by Civil Aviation Administrations in 18 European countries, there are about 114 thousand pilots holding PPL, ATPL and CPL licenses for operating aircraft and helicopters in the continent at the moment. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
26 Jan 2012
Gama Aviation Opens New Sharjah FBO
Gama Aviation will take responsibility for all business aircraft handling at Sharjah International Airport with the creation of a brand new FBO. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
26 Jan 2012
Isaac: Lancair Canada Rep
Ryan IsaacRyan Isaac is Lancair's new sales rep for western Canada. He owns Aviate Consulting in Toronto.Read Full Story
25 Jan 2012
Hubner to Telvent DTN
Dave HubnerDave Hubner is now a weather services executive at Telvent DTN. He was previously director of products and services at Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.Read Full Story
25 Jan 2012
New Study Concludes EU Impact Assessment on Slots was Based on Inaccur…
An authoritative independent study, carried out for the European Regions Airline Association and the European Business Aviation Association by internationally renowned consultants Mott MacDonald, shows that the European Commission’s proposed amendments to slot allocation regulation in the EU are based on incomplete and inaccurate analyses.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
Comlux Takes Delivery of a New Airbus ACJ319
Comlux has taken delivery of a new Airbus ACJ319 under management contract for an undisclosed customer.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
NBAA Encouraged By Reports of Congressional Agreement on FAA Reauthori…
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen made the following statement in response to reports that congressional aviation policy leaders reached agreement Friday on a "reauthorisation" bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), paving the way for a final vote in the House and Senate to approve the measure, which would fund FAA programs and aviation system modernisation.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
Huntley Myrie Named President of Nexcelle
Nexcelle, the joint venture of GE’s Middle River Aircraft Systems and the Safran group’s Aircelle has appointed Huntley Myrie as its new president.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
Eurocopter Boosts Sales by 12 Per Cent
Eurocopter generated a record high annual turnover in 2011. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
EBAA and NBAA Accepting Applications for 2012 European Business Aviati…
The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) are calling for nominations for the 2012 European Business Aviation Award.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
London 2012 Airspace – Helicopter Charter Implications
A number of concerns have been raised regarding airspace regulations and rules surrounding the London 2012 Olympic Games. Helicopter movements in particular will be restricted more than any other form of air transport due to their relatively small size and ability to land almost anywhere. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
Helicopter Sales To Require More Rigorous Cost Justification
While helicopter buyers have traditionally been financially conservative and cost-conscious, the next decade will usher in a new era of tightened purchase scrutiny. General aviation analyst Brian Foley still foresees plenty of sales to be had, "But most if not all will require an indisputable, virtually airtight business-case justification. This could prolong the sales process, so smart buyers and sellers will plan further ahead.” Read the full story hereRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
No FAA Bonanza Cable AD
The FAA has decided against issuing an airworthiness directive (AD) like those issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Administration (CASA) last week grounding most Beech Bonanzas, Barons and Debonairs in the country. In a news release on Tuesday, American Bonanza Society President Tom Turner said that instead the FAA will issue a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) that will serve to remind mechanics to inspect the full length of the elevator control cables at annual inspection. CASA ordered immediate inspection...
25 Jan 2012
Indy Prepares For Super Bowl Fly-In
The business jet fly-in that is also known as the Super Bowl is shaping up to be an even larger display of shiny aluminum after the event in Dallas last year attracted 600 aircraft. According to the Wall Street Journal, jet charter and brokerage companies are touting private aviation as being more weather resistant and generally a lot more fun than holding your arms up to ensure an even dose of radiation. Perception issues surrounding the less than one percent...
25 Jan 2012
Bombardier Numbers Up
Business is picking up for Bombardier, particularly in the business jet sector where it's been ideally positioned for the continuing big jet boom. The Montreal-based company, the world's third largest aircraft manufacturer, delivered 163 business jets in the 11 months that ended Dec. 31. That compares to 155 delivered in the previous fiscal year and the trend will continue into next year. The company took orders for 249 aircraft (commercial and business) in the 11 month period compared to 201...
25 Jan 2012
Hawker 900XP Gets Russian Nod
Hawker Beechcraft received type certification for the Hawker 900XP midsize business jet from the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) Aviation Registry in Russia, the Wichita-based aircraft manufacturer announced yesterday. The twinjet can reach any point in Europe from Moscow or St. Petersburg, according to Hawker Beechcraft. With the Russian approval, the Hawker 900XP has obtained type certification from more than 50 countries. January 24, 2012, 3:10 PMRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
Bizjets Buoy Bombardier in 2011
Bombardier Aerospace delivered 163 business jets during the 11-month fiscal year that ended December 31, compared with 155 shipped during the 12-month Fiscal Year 2010. (FY2011 was only 11 months because Bombardier’s board of directors voted to change the financial year-end from January 31 to December 31, effective Dec. 31, 2011.) The 2011 deliveries included 33 Learjets, unchanged from 2010; 79 Challengers, up by seven; and 51 Globals, up one from the previous year. During this same 11-month period, the company...
25 Jan 2012
Gulfstream’s EMEA Sales Chief Assumes New Role
Tarek Ragheb–who has headed the Gulfstream sales organization in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for the past 18 years–is assuming new responsibilities for advising and supporting the group he helped develop, the company said yesterday. In his new role as senior adviser to the international sales team for EMEA, Ragheb will provide strategic guidance and counsel to the staff. Ragheb was most recently regional senior vice president of EMEA international sales. January 24, 2012, 3:15 PMRead Full Story
25 Jan 2012
Bizjet Flying Off To a Slower Start in 2012
Charter broker Avinode said today that business jet departures in the U.S. have started out somewhat slower this year. During the first 22 days of 2012, there were 99,981 business jet departures in the U.S., according to research done by the company. That number is 6.2 percent lower than in the same period last year. However, Avinode noted, it is up 0.9 percent from 2010 and 15.5 percent higher than 2009. Ultra-long-range jets have taken the biggest hit in the...
25 Jan 2012
Avinode Demand Index Up
This week’s Avinode Business Intelligence report shows trip demand across Europe up 11.2% this week, and average price per hour (taxi rate + fuel surcharges) for all active aircraft in Avinode’s marketplace up 0.09% for this month.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
24 Jan 2012
Embraer opens World Business Jet HQ
During January, 2012, Embraer's Business Jets division opened the doors of its new Global Headquarters for its Executive Jets Division in a brand new building at Melbourne International Airport in Florida, reports Rod Simpson.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
24 Jan 2012
Latitude Technologies Announces New Upgrade for Apple® Products
Latitude Technologies Corporation, a leading provider of satellite-based communication, tracking and on-board aircraft data systems, announced the release of an updated version of their popular Latitude WebSentinel iOS App.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
24 Jan 2012
328 Design and Turkish Technic Join Forces
328 Design GmbH has signed an agreement with Turkish Technic Inc to work together on design projects. The first project for this collaboration is a Gulfstream GIV interior conversion.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
24 Jan 2012
Gulfstream appoints Tarek Ragheb as Senior Advisor, International Sale…
Tarek Ragheb, who has headed the Gulfstream sales organization in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA) for the past 18 years, is assuming new responsibilities for advising and supporting the group he helped develop. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
24 Jan 2012
Khiri Travel Announces 'Millionaires' Tour of Central Myanmar
An innovative private jet tour from Bangkok opens up four days of bicycling, elephant rides, forest hikes and boat trips in the heritage-rich Bagan and Inle Lake areas of Myanmar.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
24 Jan 2012
Bombardier Aerospace Delivers 245 Aircraft and Receives Orders for 249…
Bombardier Aerospace announced today its deliveries and orders results for the 11-month fiscal year which ended December 31, 2011.Read Full Story
24 Jan 2012
FACTS und Dietmar
AIRCARE FACTS® TRAINING OFFERS NEW INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION FLIGHT ATTENDANT SERVICE TRAINING IN AMSTERDAM Olympia, WA (November 11, 2011) – Aircare FACTS Training announced today that they will begin offering a new International Business Aviation Flight Attendant Service Training course at their Amsterdam facility beginning in February 2012. The two-day international service training course is designed and instructed by Training Solutions’ Dietmar Duller, a leader in international etiquette, protocol and food service. Participants of the service training learn among other things, customs...
23 Jan 2012
Al Bateen Executive Airport Reports Strong Increase in Traffic through…
Al Bateen Executive Airport, operated and managed by Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), today reported a 11% increase in overall commercial aviation movements compared with 2010 and more than a 50% increase in visiting business aviation traffic.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
Cessna Doubles Down On Bizjet Market
The top executive at Cessna Aircraft’s parent company says the struggling business jet manufacturer needs to stay focused on its core market of small- and medium-sized aircraft and dismisses talk it could revive a project to develop a larger jet anytime soon.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
Record-Setting Exhibitor Count at 23rd Annual Schedulers & Dispatchers…
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today announced that its 23rd Annual Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference wrapped up in San Diego, CA, with a record 407 Exhibitors, as well as 2,536 registered Attendees over the course of the three-day event in the southern California city.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
Lufthansa, NetJets To Expand Private Jet To U.S.
Lufthansa and NetJets on Monday will unveil an expansion of their Private Jet offering into North America less than a year after reviving their partnership in Europe, Aviation Week has learned.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
Hawker 900XP Receives Russian Type Certification
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) today announced it has received type certification for the Hawker 900XP midsize business jet from the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) Aviation Registry in Russia. Read the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
Air Partner Private Jets sponsors Russian international footballer
Air Partner, the global private jet specialist, is sponsoring Everton Football Club’s Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
MRO Middle East Set to Address Increase of Demand
The fourth edition of the successful MRO Middle East will showcase the latest and most innovative concepts while enforcing the advancement of the airline and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul in the region.Read the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
Rockwell Collins CEO Bullish On BizJet Market
Company Reports Strong Earnings Propelled In Part By Avionics SalesRead the full story hereRead Full Story
23 Jan 2012
Aircare FACTS and Trainings Solutions announce new cooperation in Amst…
AIRCARE FACTS® TRAINING OFFERS NEW INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION FLIGHT ATTENDANT SERVICE TRAINING IN AMSTERDAM Olympia, WA (November 11, 2011) – Aircare FACTS Training announced today that they will begin offering a new International Business Aviation Flight Attendant Service Training course at their Amsterdam facility beginning in February 2012.The two-day international service training course is designed and instructed by Training Solutions’ Dietmar Duller, a leader in international etiquette, protocol and food service. Participants of the service training learn among other things, customs...
22 Nov 2011
