International Business and Private Aviation Industry News
 United States: NBAA leads industry tributes to aviation legend Bruce Whitman Chairman, President and CEO of FlightSafety passes peacefully at home. The National Business Aviation Association has lead tributes to legendary aviation figure Bruce N. Whitman, who passed away peacefully at home yesterday morning (Wednesday 10th October) with his family by his side. He was 85. Mr. Whitman leaves a lasting legacy of tireless advocacy for business aviation safety, and a host of other important causes.  Bruce N. Whitman. “Today, the aviation community has lost a leading light in Bruce Whitman,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “He was a leader who saw the big picture, but nevertheless delighted in quietly rolling up his sleeves to help countless organizations tackle their everyday needs. He studiously applied what he learned from his mentors to inform his own life’s work, at NBAA and beyond. He surrounded himself with people who shared his values of working hard and treating people with professionalism and courtesy. His handwritten notes often wished recipients ‘blue skies and tailwinds’ - now, we wish him the same.” US Flight Activity: September slumps, posting a decrease of 5.2% year over year Slow Labor Day flight activity and impact of Hurricane Florence contributory factors. ARGUS' TRAQPak review of year over year flight activity (September 2018 vs. September 2017) published this week indicates that September 2018 recorded a decrease of 5.2%. The results by operational category were mixed with Fractional activity providing the only yearly increase, up 1.1% year over year. Part 135 activity posted a sizable drop of 10.0%, while Part 91 activity recorded a decline of 3.1% for the period. The aircraft categories were all negative with light jets posting the largest decline from 2017, down 8.1%. Large jets posted a decrease of 6.8%, while mid-size jets posted a 2.5% year over year decrease. Turboprops decreased 4.7%.
United States: GAMA and AIA call for commitment to implement key reforms The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) issued a joint statement after the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018 was signed into law by President Trump. “This is the first time since 1982 that the US government has enacted a five-year FAA reauthorization. This new law contains key reforms that can help to transform the US aerospace industry and the FAA, and secure America’s position as a global aviation leader into the future. “This new law provides direction, training, and tools for the FAA to be able to aggressively implement critical reforms that will enable new aircraft and technologies such as urban air mobility, commercial space, unmanned aerial systems, supersonics, and additive manufacturing. It will also provide our industry the budget stability and certainty we need to deliver on our extensive research and development investments." United States: FlightServ acquires land for new FBO at Trenton Mercer Airport After years of negotiation with Mercer County and the Trenton Mercer Airport Authority, FlightServ (KTTN) has acquired a new ground lease upon which it will construct a brand-new FBO and hangar facility. The ground lease is located at the end of Trenton Mercer Airport’s runway 34 off of taxiways Foxtrot and Delta. The 22-acre parcel was formerly home to the Naval Warfare Center. FlightServ, with the help of Bascon Engineering, has put together plans to demolish the existing structure and construct a new facility on the land. The facility will include a full-service, state-of-the-art FBO with private corporate offices, and 80,000 square feet of corporate and transient hangar space. The hangar will be large enough to accommodate a Gulfstream 650ER and the newest offering from Bombardier: the Global 7500. On site, there will also be general aviation tie downs, a de-icing facility, jet fuel and avgas 100LL fuel, and a 44,000-gallon fuel farm. United States: Satcom Direct modernizes flight operations with launch of SD Scheduler Ahead of this year’s NBAA-BACE, Satcom Direct (SD), the business aviation solutions provider announces the launch of SD Scheduler, a cloud-based software solution. SD Scheduler further enhances the SD ecosystem, providing centralized management of aircraft and flight information, as well as customized reporting and analytics to support the entire flight operation.
SD Scheduler optimizes work flows and simplifies communication across all parts of the operation, from pre-flight planning to post-flight reporting. Scalable and customizable, SD Scheduler meets the unique requirements of individual flight departments, making data more available to support the needs of today’s dynamic flight operations. United States: AviationManuals releases Metrics/SPI Module for ARC Identifies high-risk metrics, safety performance indicators and trending data in real time for flight departments. AviationManuals has announced the general release of its new Metrics module for the ARC SMS platform. The new module makes it easy for operators to analyze information they are collecting helping to identify potential risks and if necessary make changes to operational procedures. Operators can see both high-level and detailed data via the various Metrics dashboards providing them with information about overall trends.
Women in Aviation International: WAI’s Girls in Aviation Day welcomes 12 events hosted by United Airlines United Airlines' Girls in Aviation Day events span 2 continents and 6 countries.United Airlines will host hundreds of girls at a dozen airports served by the global airline in the United States and Europe as part of Women in Aviation International (WAI) Girls in Aviation Day on Saturday October 13th.
Throughout the airline’s international operation, United will welcome girls ages 8 to 17 from various nonprofit organizations to learn from women, shadow their day-to-day roles and hear about various career opportunities available in aviation. As part of the day, the girls will experience a behind-the-scenes look at United Airlines’ operations at a busy airport and see first-hand how exciting working in the aviation industry can be.
International Aircraft Dealers Association  Wayne Starling The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) has named aviation industry veteran Wayne Starling as its Executive Director. He will provide strategic direction and support for the organization while Independent.
Starling has specialized in aircraft finance for nearly 20 years and has additional decades of experience in sales, sales management, and marketing. His most recent position was as Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager for PNC Aviation Finance.
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Brussels: EBAA calls for swift implementation of new Performance-Based Navigation Rule (PBN-IR) The European Business Aviation Association is calling on the European Commission to provide the necessary additional regulatory and financial tools to help national and regional authorities implement Performance Based Navigation Rules (PBN-IR). EBAA’s Secretary General, Athar Husain Khan, issued the call while speaking at the Association’s event titled Business Aviation - Boosting Regional Opportunities and Connectivity, organised to coincide with the European Week of Regions and Cities. PBN-IR opens the door to the large deployment of European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS)-based procedures. Business aviation is an early adopter of this technology, with most business aircraft already equipped with the relevant technology. The full implementation of PBN-IR would provide a concrete, effective and cost-efficient solution to increase airport access across the European region, at a time in which airport capacity is seen as one of the main transport challenges across the EU. United States: GAMA celebrates National Manufacturing Day with workforce development video series The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has launched a new video series about careers in the general aviation manufacturing and maintenance industry in conjunction with National Manufacturing Day, an annual celebration of modern manufacturing in the U.S. meant to inspire the next generation workforce.
The launch video, entitled, 'Manufacturing is Not an Assembly Line' features current employees of GAMA member companies discussing what modern general aviation manufacturing is, and their careers in an industry they say is high-tech, innovative and exciting. Canada: Flying Colours Corp delivers 100th Bombardier Challenger retrofit Ahead of this year’s NBAA-BACE Flying Colours Corp. has reached a significant milestone as its Peterborough facility re-delivered its one hundredth major retrofit of a Bombardier Challenger model.
The Peterborough design team worked with the new owner and current operator to create a stylish interior featuring a black and gold palette. In response to the request for a contemporary cabin including seats with improved comfort, the design team adapted Challenger 650-style seat frames, purchased from Rockwell Collins - Interior Systems, to feature molded armrests that arch perfectly to fit the curves of the arm. United States: Gulfstream opens Manhattan Sales and Design Center Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has opened a Sales and Design Center in Midtown Manhattan. The nearly 8,500-square-foot/790-square-meter space expands Gulfstream’s portfolio of showrooms and sales offices intended to enhance the customer experience with centralized locations and white-glove sales and design service.
Gulfstream’s Manhattan Sales and Design Center serves one of the world’s busiest business-aviation regions. The space features dynamic digital tools and thousands of material samples that help launch the customization and personalization of every Gulfstream aircraft. Austria: Jet Aviation’s maintenance facility in Vienna has received Russian State Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) approval, authorising its support of Russian-registered aircraft alongside other approvals. Jet Aviation Vienna established its MRO and FBO facility at Vienna International airport in September 2014. From a 4,000 square meter hangar facility, the company operates a Cessna Authorized Service Center that provides scheduled and unscheduled maintenance to Citation aircraft, in addition to off-site AOG services. The facility also supports line and base maintenance and AOG services for Bombardier Learjet 60 and Challenger 300/350/604/605 aircraft, as well as line maintenance for Bombardier Learjet 45; Challenger 650; Global 5000/6000, Global Express and Global Express XRS series aircraft; and the Gulfstream G550.
The MRO facility has 2,000 square meters of shops and office space. FBO amenities include an operations office, a crew lounge and access to a VIP passenger lounge. United States: Quest Series II Kodiak to debut at NBAA Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest Aircraft Company will be displaying their newest model - the single engine turboprop Kodiak 100 Series II - at the National Business Aviation Association Convention and Exhibition in Orlando next week.
Since the announcement of the Kodiak 100 Series II model in late May, Quest has delivered ten of the new aircraft. The Series II block change incorporated numerous cockpit and interior upgrades, including the ultra-fast Garmin NXi suite and the option for a single-point refueling port. United States: Boise, Idaho-based Western Aircraft, has recently completed its 100th C-Inspection on a Dassault Falcon Jet. A C-Inspection is a comprehensive examination of the aircraft and its systems and is the largest scheduled maintenance event on a Falcon Jet.
Western Aircraft became a designated Heavy Jet Service Center in 2001, allowing it to perform C-Inspections as an Authorized Falcon Service Center. Since that time, Western Aircraft has completed C-Inspections on a wide array of Falcon aircraft including variants of the 50, 2000, 900, and 7X models. “Our team of factory-trained technicians understands these aircraft inside and out," said Director of Aircraft Services Jody Harris, "and that’s why the majority of Falcon operators in the Western US and Canada use our service center when they need a big inspection completed.” Sweden: Bromma Air Maintenance Sweden adds Tamarack Active Winglet installation approval Active Winglets upgrade for Citations now available at Stockholm-Bromma Airport Tamarack Aerospace Group has approved Bromma Air Maintenance Sweden as an authorized installer of its ATLAS Active Winglets for the Cessna Citation business jet line.
Brian Cox, President of Tamarack Aerospace, said “It’s exciting that customers can now bring their aircraft to this world-class maintainer for their Active Winglet upgrade. Many owners will prefer to combine their Active Winglet upgrade with avionics or engine work, so this is a win-win for our European customers. At the same time that they are performing an engine overhaul or a flight deck upgrade, Bromma Air Maintenance can be working on the Active Winglet installation, which minimizes overall installation downtime.” NBAA-BACE: Uber Elevate's Eric Allison to discuss eVTOL urban transport at NBAA-BACE keynote The National Business Aviation Association welcomes Eric Allison, head of Aviation Programs at Uber, leading the Elevate initiative to re-imagine urban transportation through the air.
Eric joined Uber earlier this year to spearhead development of a real-time, on-demand, global network of "aerial ridesharing" vehicles through partnerships with eVTOL manufacturers, as well as real estate and technology developers and others. The goal of this project is to launch uberAIR, which will allow consumers to push a button and get a flight. more, plus watch the UBER video |
 The WINGX Report: Owner flights boost growth in September There were 83,848 business aviation departures in Europe during September according to WINGX`s latest monthly Business Aviation Monitor published this week. The figure represents a 4% growth YOY, which is slightly ahead of YTD trend. 63% of this month´s activity was jet-operated (+3% YOY) with the last 12 month trends being strongest in Medium Jet category. UK and Switzerland had slight declines in departures this month, although both have YTD trends of around 3%. France and Germany had solid growth around 5%, with the strongest growth this month coming from Italy and Spain, respectively 7% and 9%.
Unitted Kingdom: Harrods Aviation back in 24/7 business After a temporary ban on night movements during the summer period at London Luton airport, Harrods Aviation are pleased to be offering FBO services on a 24/7 basis once again. The night time ban affected both FBOs at the busy Luton airport. Traffic wishing to arrive during the hours of 2200 -0559 GMT were required to travel further afield and out of the greater London area, often resulting in a long car journey into central London. "It has been a strange summer for us," commented Kerry Besgrove, Director of Operations. "We train our staff to offer service excellence based on a very strong can do attitude. We have never been in the business of saying no, so to have to operate for a number of months under the restrictions we have faced has been challenging." United Arab Emirates: 'Building the Aviation Capital of the World' Dubai based DBS, specialists in Business Development & Business Integration Solutions, has been selected as the first authorized partner for the Aviation District in Dubai South. The new airport city is adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai World Central (DWC) and Jebel Ali Seaport, the ninth largest seaport in the world. "We are delighted to have secured the first agency agreement with Dubai South to communicate the value proposition and facilitate leasing process within the Aviation District," said Arif Alameri, CEO and Founder of DBS. "We are perfectly positioned to offer investors and businesses opportunities for hangars, offices, storage & hospitality. DBS facilitates strategic opportunities for investors in the field of aviation, aerospace or supporting services. Our turnkey solutions support the growth of investment during its lifecycle."
 Paula Kraft, founder and President of Atlanta, GA-based Tastefully Yours Catering. Gluten Free catering can be life and death Is the increase in Gluten Free meal requests by choice or by necessity, or is Gluten just the enemy right now? If my kitchen is like that of others around the globe, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of orders requesting gluten free. The global gluten-free products market in the U.S. was valued at $14.94bn in 2016 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9.3% through to 2025. The growing prevalence of lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes and obesity has encouraged consumers to adopt healthier diets in an attempt to regulate their fitness. This has spurred the demand for natural foods and gluten-free products that minimize the risk of excess weight and promote higher energy levels in consumers. Something is occurring. Huge advances have been made in the flavor, texture and taste of gluten free products over the last few years. Do we see more of it in the stores and in advertising - which accounts for the increase - or is there really a need for so much growth? If you were asked what exactly is gluten, could you answer?
France: Guillaume Faury to succeed Tom Enders as Airbus CEO The Board of Directors of Airbus has selected Guillaume Faury as future Airbus Chief Executive Officer. Faury, 50, who currently serves as President Airbus Commercial Aircraft, will succeed Tom Enders, 59, who remains CEO until the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 10 April 2019, when the appointment of Faury as executive member of the Board will be submitted to shareholders.  Guillaume Faury Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus, said: “Guillaume is an excellent choice. He has gained broad industrial and aeronautic experience over many years and in many roles both inside and outside Airbus. With his strong values and international mindset, Guillaume stands for the new generation of leaders that Airbus needs for the coming decade.” Frequentis Comsoft provides NATS with essential Flight Plan Gateway UK air traffic management’s leading provider NATS, has successfully installed an essential gateway between the EUROCONTROL Integrated Flight Plan Processing System (IFPS) and their National Airspace System (NAS) thanks to technology from Frequentis Comsoft. NATS, safely and efficiently, handles over two million flights per year. The lifecycle of NATS current Flight Plan Reception Suite Automation (FPRSA) system was coming to an end, so a suitable interim replacement was needed in order to continue its reliable and efficient service, until its Deploying SESAR programme takes full effect. Hong Kong: AsBAA breakthrough on slots at Hong Kong International Airport AsBAA, Asia’s non-profit representative body for the business and general aviation industry has announced a breakthrough in securing additional slots at HKIA. Further to on-going lobbying efforts since 2016, the Hong Kong Airport Authority has increased the number of slots available between 1600-2059 UTC daily from 4 to 6. The full night period, 1400-2259 UTC, now has 9 dedicated slots for business and general aviation. In addition, the trial period, which was originally scheduled to end on 7 October 2018 has now been extended until 31 March 2019. United Kingdom: Pattonair ranked as top performing UK midmarket private company Global aerospace supply chain provider, Pattonair, has been listed for the first time in the annual Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table, which ranks the UK’s top performing midmarket private companies with the biggest sales. The Derby, UK headquartered company which employs over 1000 people worldwide, achieved a ranking of 68th in the table, published on the 6 October. Pattonair provides tailored supply chain services in C class parts to a global 2,000 plus blue chip customer base of aero engine, airframe and systems customers, including Rolls-Royce, GE, Pratt & Whitney and Airbus. It has built a global network of dedicated facilities in Singapore, China, Poland, Brazil, Canada and five cities in the USA and has recently established a presence in Japan and India.
EU Aviation Summit - amid calls for better social standards Jets Bournemouth acquired by Carlauren Group A Lower Carbon Future. Irene Lores, Global Marketing Director, General Aviation, Air BP. NBAA Social Media Musts. Ashley Bowen Cook, vice president at Greteman Group.
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Boeing teams with Robotic Skies to provide enhanced commercial UAS services
Boeing and its subsidiaries Jeppesen and Aviall have joined with Robotic Skies, a leading commercial unmanned aircraft system (UAS) support services provider, to develop and deliver industry-leading supply chain management and optimization, analytics, and MRO services for the commercial and civil UAS markets.
“Teaming with Boeing will allow both companies to elevate the commercial UAS customer experience and deliver operations solutions that would be difficult to achieve individually,” said Brad Hayden, Robotic Skies, CEO. “This agreement represents a foundational step for the advancement of commercial UAS operations that will meet the requirements of today and help shape the future of unmanned flight.”
Boeing and Robotic Skies will jointly pursue opportunities to best leverage their extensive combined experience and solutions in manned aviation programs and extend them into the UAS market, including providing services for commercially-focused regulatory compliance, ground support, training, MRO, parts distribution, field upgrades and vehicle retrofit capabilities.
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