Your essential weekly digest of International Business and Private Aviation Industry news
Southeast Asia:VoltAero expands its market scope to Southeast Asia with Global Sky’s pre-order for 15 Cassio electric-hybrid aircraftAt the opening of this week’s Farnborough International Airshow in the UK, Global Sky signed a Memorandum of Understanding with VoltAero for the pre-order of 15 Cassio aircraft, becoming a candidate launch customer in Southeast Asia for VoltAero’s family of electric-hybrid airplanes.It enables the two companies to collaborate on actions that will bring Cassio to Southeast Asia for efficient and sustainable regional air mobility, including the definition of routes and operations for the hybrid-electric aircraft, the identification of airport compatibility and establishment of recharging infrastructure at such facilities, and the development of a Cassio distribution network.
“Cassio is a perfect match for the regional air mobility ambitions of Southeast Asia, bringing together the aircraft’s flight range with the designed-in safety of our patented parallel electric-hybrid propulsion system,” said Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO & Chief Technology Officer. “We look forward to a mutually beneficial collaboration with Global Sky.”
Duluth, Minnesota:Limited edition aircraft celebrates 10,000th Cirrus SR Series deliveryCirrus, the world’s best-selling high-performance single-engine piston aircraft manufacturer, revealed a one-of-a-kind, Limited-Edition SR Series aircraft to commemorate 10,000 SR Series deliveries.The 10,000th SR Series aircraft celebrates Cirrus’ past, present and future as well as the team who made this milestone possible. Since the first delivery of the SR Series in 1999, Cirrus has pursued its guiding principles of delivering an aviation experience that is the pinnacle of innovation, quality and safety to its customers. This commitment is a testament to Cirrus’ perseverance and the SR Series’ continued evolution and success in delivering the next generation of personal aviation.
“The SR Series has reached a monumental achievement with 10,000 deliveries and owners that live the Cirrus Life,” said Zean Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer. “From the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS) to the Perspective Touch+ flight deck, Cirrus continuously innovates to provide owners with personal aircraft that set the industry standard for aviation safety, luxury, convenience and ease of ownership. We are honored to celebrate 10,000 SR Series aircraft deliveries with our team members, partners and stakeholders.”
Fargo, North Dakota:Spectrum Aeromed obtains FAA approval for Daher Kodiak ambulance solutionsSpectrum Aeromed, a leading designer and manufacturer of air ambulance solutions and medical interiors, has announced FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for the installation of ambulance modules and cabinetry on the Daher Kodiak 100 aircraft.The newly acquired STC permits the integration of up to two ambulance modules, one of which may be powered, along with a versatile four-drawer cabinet featuring mounting rails on the top. This certification marks a significant milestone for Spectrum Aeromed, solidifying its commitment to enhancing medical transport capabilities within the aviation industry.
Kodiak with patient loader and stretcher. "This STC approval represents a pivotal achievement for Spectrum Aeromed and underscores our dedication to advancing aeromedical solutions," said Justin Mahler, VP of Design and Certification at Spectrum Aeromed. "With the Daher Kodiak 100 now equipped to accommodate our ambulance modules and cabinetry, operators can optimize their aircraft for medical missions without compromising on efficiency or safety." |
In Week 29 (15th-21st July), there were 76,434 business jet sectors flown, 35% from managed and private flight departments, these two operator types respectively trending up by 2% and down by 10% compared to last year.According to WINGX`s weekly Global Market Tracker published today, 15% of worldwide flights were operated by branded charter fleets, these sectors trending down by 6% but up 12% compared to 5 years ago. Fractional operations are trending up by 18% YOY this month a new record high. In the broader context of fixed wing flight activity, there were 642,690 scheduled sectors flown globally in week 29, up 2.1% compared to last year, up 8% versus 2019. Regional airlines are flying 16% less than 5 years ago, 3% more than last year. Cargo traffic trended down 0.6% but up 18% vs same dates 5 years ago. North America Ninety five percent of bizjet flights in North America are originating in the US, with 50,366 bizjet sectors in the last week up by 4.6% compared to same period last year, well above the month-to-date trend of 2%.
Oxford, UK:London Oxford Airport plays host to world leaders at the European Political Community meetingLondon Oxford Airport was delighted to play a small part in the bringing together of 47 European leaders, including newly elected UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the King, for the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace on 18th July.
Heads of State jets at London Oxford Airport. Having in recent years also hosted the US President for a dinner back in 2018, Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill, is one of the world’s great venues for VVIP meetings. “Arguably it has its own international airport here at London Oxford Airport, just 1.75 miles away,” said Head of Business Development James Dillon Godfray, whose work preparing for all these Heads of State aircraft started many months ago.
Wichita, Kansas:Beechcraft King Air special “Crimson Edition” unveiled in honor of 60th anniversaryTextron Aviation has announced a special edition 60th anniversary option for the iconic Beechcraft King Air 260 and 360 turboprops to celebrate the aircraft’s proud history of being the best-selling business turboprop family in the world.The new “Crimson Edition” King Air features a striking new interior and a vibrant red and silver exterior paint scheme, inspired by six decades of legendary Beechcraft customers and operators.
“The Crimson Edition of the King Air provides customers with an immersive experience that pays tribute to the turboprop’s renowned legacy, while also featuring modern luxuries and upgrades that showcase the aircraft's ongoing evolution,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Customer Experience.
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Another in the BBGA series: How to be a pilotJordan studied aviation at Stansted College and discusses his passion for aviation with GearUp TV's Liz Moscrop. |
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Columbus, Ohio:
NetJets continues real estate footprint expansion with announcement of exclusive-use facility at Teterboro
Outlines plans for Arizona, Las Vegas, Colorado, Atlanta, Bedford, Austin and Dallas.
NetJets has announced the expansion of its real estate footprint via more than a dozen projects across top markets in the United States, including the New York tri-state area and Arizona.
NetJets plans to open a new two-hangar Las Vegas FBO, shown in this rendering, in 2027. (Photo: NetJets)
By investing in both existing and new facilities, including NetJets Service Hubs, the company will continue providing its customers, who are respectfully referred to as “Owners,” with an elevated, personalized brand experience and seamless access to their aircraft.
Exploring the Top Five Fractional Aircraft Operators: Benefits and Considerations |
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Nick Copley, president of SherpaReport, does the heavy lifting when it comes to defining what you need to know about access to business aviation, whether full ownership, fractional, jet cards or charters. This week he explores the differences between the top five fractional aircraft operators.
Fractional aircraft ownership continues to gain popularity among businesses and individuals seeking the convenience and flexibility of private aviation without the full financial and logistical burden of owning an entire aircraft. It is an excellent option if you fly privately at least 50 hours a year.
You can buy a share of a turboprop, a light jet or an ultra-long-range jet - or anything in between.
This model allows for shared ownership of a type of aircraft, reducing costs and providing access to a fleet of that type of aircraft with a guaranteed number of flight hours annually. It allows you to enjoy the benefits of flying privately while leaving the management of the plane, including maintenance, crew sourcing, scheduling, positioning, and much more, to the fleet operator.
But which operator to choose? There are many. Here, we look at the top five, highlighting benefits and considerations.
Farnborough International Airshow:
ZeroAvia awarded UK Government grant to progress advanced fuel cell R&D for clean aviation
ZeroAvia has been awarded £10.5m in UK Government funding through the ATI strategic programme, to further develop its high temperature fuel cell technology, a promising pathway for delivering zero-emission propulsion systems up to and including narrowbody jets.
The Advanced Fuel Cell for Aviation Decarbonisation (AFCAD) project will see ZeroAvia collaborate with the University of Kent, Coventry University and the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, to advance this crucial technology towards commercialisation. The research will centre on developing components and the full HTPEM stacks and demonstrating previously unmatched levels of specific power and durability.
AFCAD builds on ZeroAvia’s highly successful HyFlyer I and II ATI projects which delivered breakthrough first flights of hydrogen-electric aircraft and were transformative in establishing greater confidence in the potential for commercial, zero-emission flights this decade.
During HyFlyer II, ZeroAvia also demonstrated the largest HTPEM stack module for aviation, showing technology readiness for scaling fuel cells into large commercial aircraft.
Farnborough, UK:
Farnborough Airport welcomes new Bombardier line maintenance station
Bombardier has added a new line maintenance station at Farnborough Airport, further complementing its customer service footprint in Europe.
The new facility brings Bombardier’s worldwide number of line maintenance stations to nine, providing customers with light scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, as well as AOG support.
The technical engineers supporting the new location are certified for all Learjet, Challenger and Global series business jets.
“The addition of the Farnborough Line Maintenance Station is an integral part of our overall mission to provide easy and enhanced OEM support for our customers in this very important region,” said Bombardier's Executive Vice President, Aftermarket Services & Strategy, Paul Sislian.
“We are delighted to demonstrate once again our commitment to offering the most elevated experience, providing more resources and increased flexibility to our clients, closer to their base of operations.”
United Kingdom:
Private charter flights see spike following worldwide IT outage
In the wake of last Friday's global IT problem (19th July) which caused thousands of flight cancellations, the private aircraft charter market saw an increase of more than 10% compared to the same date last year, according to leading charter specialist, Air Charter Service.
On what was predicted to be the busiest day for flights from UK airports since before the pandemic, a huge Microsoft outage saw computer systems around the world crashing, leading to the cancellation of thousands of commercial flights globally.
Determined not to have their planned holidays delayed, meetings missed, and connections made, some people chose to look for immediate alternatives.
Joe Gallimore, Director at ACS, commented: “Figures from flight data analysis specialist, WINGX, show more than a 10% increase in private flights from Europe and the US on Friday, compared to the same day last year, which is significantly ahead of the year on year figures for July so far.
United Kingdom:
Team of UK companies completes flight trials for 5G infrastructure from the sky
An advanced airborne 5G connectivity system has been successfully integrated to a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft, completing a series of demonstration flights.
The groundbreaking technology is being developed by a number of UK companies led by Stratospheric Platforms Limited (SPL), a leading Non-Terrestrial Networks telecoms developer, with design, integration and demonstration flights provided by manufacturer Britten-Norman.
SPL is at the forefront of developing airborne antennas to deliver widescale high performance 5G coverage. This technology offers numerous valuable applications, such as quickly restoring networks after major disasters like earthquakes or tsunamis, where traditional mobile network infrastructure has been disrupted.
On 18th July 2024, the project team were joined by distinguished guests from potential customers and investors to observe the installation of the array under real flight conditions during an event at Britten-Norman’s Solent Airport MRO facility.
The trial, conducted by Britten-Norman’s Flight Test Organisation, aimed to demonstrate the aircraft's capability to operate safely with the large 5G phased array antenna installed.
United Kingdom:
As air transport rebuilds the need for effective slot management is rising at increasingly congested airports
With airline traffic almost back to 2019 levels, the resurgence of congestion at key airports is increasing the need for ‘slot management’ - the independent co-ordination of flight schedules and resources at the busiest gateways.
“Coordinating flight flows and the services and infrastructure supporting them has always been a delicate balancing act at the most in-demand airports,” highlights Neil Garwood, CEO of UK-based Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), the world’s largest independent slot management company.
Neil Garwood.
“However, with global demand for air travel rebounding more quickly and unevenly than expected, significant new logistical puzzles are emerging for airports and airlines, threatening critical connectivity between destinations,” he adds.
Coupled with that, a mix of local growth drivers in specific markets is expected to significantly reshape airlines’ air traffic flows in the short to medium term, requiring new, data-driven coordination measures to help maximise airport efficiency and fair access.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) categorises airports according to their ease of access, with Level 1 airports unconstrained; Level 2 facing potential congestion at peak times and Level 3 already experiencing demand which significantly exceeds capacity, requiring independent coordinators to allocate arrival and departure slots. For the current global schedule period, Northern Summer 2024, IATA has designated 386 airports as either Level 2 or 3, of which 219, or 57%, are in the higher category. This trend will continue at least until the end of next year, the current horizon for slot allocation.
ACL oversees 75 airports in 11 countries
United Kingdom:
Gearing up for ACE’24 at London Biggin Hill Airport
The Air Charter Association (The ACA) in partnership with Business Air News, will be hosting the annual Air Charter Expo (ACE’24) on Tuesday 10th September 2024 at London Biggin Hill Airport.
With more than 100 exhibitors confirmed, ACE’24 is set to be the largest Air Charter Expo to date. There is a diverse selection of aircraft on static display including the all-new Dassault Falcon 6X - on display in the UK for the first time - as well as a Gulfstream 700 from Qatar Executive. The event will host an engaging conference programme, featuring business, cargo and rotary air charter, alongside sessions on sustainability and innovation.
Robert Walters, commercial director, London Biggin Hill Airport (L), with Kevin Ducksbury, chairman, The ACA.
Kevin Ducksbury, chair of The Air Charter Association, says: “We are thrilled that ACE’24 is set to be the biggest to date, with more exhibitors confirmed than ever before. Many of our members and industry colleagues remark that ACE is the best industry networking event of the year and long may that continue.”
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ACIA Aero Leasing starts conversion of the first ATR72-600 Large Cargo Door
Dublin-headquartered ACIA Aero Leasing, a leading provider of regional aircraft leasing and lease management services, announced that it will commence the first ATR 72-600 Large Cargo Door (“LCD”) freighter conversion. This project was originally planned in 2022, but due to sustained demand for the passenger variant of the aircraft, it was postponed until now.
ACIA acquired five ATR 72-600 passenger aircraft this year and is allocating one of them (MSN 1239) to the first conversion. The project will commence in August 2024 at Empire Aerospace, Idaho in the United States and it is expected that the conversion and final certification will be completed by Q1 2025.
ATR72-600 prepping for LCD Conversion.
“We are continuing to see very strong demand for the overall ATR72 platform, as it is the most fuel-efficient regional aircraft in its class,” commented Mick Mooney, CEO of ACIA Aero Leasing.
Over the last 18 months, ACIA has delivered eight ATR 72 freighters to customers, including six LCDs. “The demand for the 72-600 LCD has been there for some time as operators have been looking to renew their fleets with the latest technology. Along with our sister company, IPR Conversions, which owns the ATR conversion STC, we have the experience and capability to meet this operator demand,” he added.
ACIA has successfully placed a substantial number of ATR72 freighters into the market. Its latest delivery was a second Bulk Freighter Conversion (“BFC”) to Thailand’s Pattaya Airways, ahead of the airline’s commercial launch. The company also delivered an additional ATR 72-212 LCD to Aerlink in Australia.
| “As the 72-500 variant becomes scarcer, it was only going to be a matter of time before the first ATR72-600 underwent freighter conversion. It is strategic for ACIA and IPR as a group to be the first movers,” Mooney added. "We see strong opportunities for growth in the cargo sector and we are already in active discussions with several prospects, existing customers and operators exploring new market opportunities, particularly in Asia Pacific." |  |
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