Your weekly digest of International Business and Private Aviation Industry news

Washington DC:

Latest tax, regulatory changes detailed in NBAA’s Personal Use of Business Aircraft Handbook

The National Business Aviation Association has released a comprehensive update to its Personal Use of Business Aircraft Handbook, which provides valuable tax and regulatory compliance strategies when a company makes an aircraft available for non-business use.

“Employee security concerns and ongoing pandemic-related travel changes may lead companies to occasionally make business aircraft available to employees for non-business use,” noted Scott O’Brien, NBAA senior director for public policy and advocacy.

Personal use of business aircraft is a complex policy area, governed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The NBAA Personal Use of Business Aircraft Handbook - a members-only resource - summarizes these tax rules for company reporting purposes and for governing the calculation of a company’s nondeductible expenses under the entertainment disallowance. The handbook also covers tax deduction rules for sole proprietors and employee-provided flights.

“The Personal Use Handbook helps companies, chief financial officers, advisors and legal representatives to navigate this challenging regulatory environment,” explained O’Brien. “This is an important resource for flight department personnel who often work with their company’s tax department and outside counsel to assist in the recordkeeping and classification of flights.”

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Oshkosh, Wisconsin:

New Owner-Pilot Coalition establishes key priorities

The National Business Aviation Association has unveiled five game-changing priorities that will drive the organization’s newly established Owner Pilot Association Coalition’s (NBAA OPAC’s) mission to tackle top concerns for business aviators.

The NBAA OPAC’s new imperatives were greeted with excitement and enthusiasm by owner-pilot group leaders.

“I’m excited to work together to address our shared challenges,” said Malibu Owners and Pilots Association Executive Director Jenna Reid. “Thank you to NBAA for bringing us together and vastly expanding our resources for owner operators.”

The Cirrus Vision Pilots and Owners leader Dale Huffstetler agreed, adding: “NBAA’s Owner Pilot Association Coalition has the ability to build one strength upon another. Industry wide issues often affect pilots of all aircraft types. Learning from each other and tackling those issues together will be a great benefit.”

the five key areas

United States:

Freedom II successfully receives certification for All-VIP B757-200, setting the aircraft ready for charter

ACC Aviation's all-VIP Boeing B757-200, is ready to commence charter work, newly certified by the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority and on the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) of Freedom II.

ACC Aviation is the aircraft’s dedicated sales and marketing agent, providing direct access to this VIP 62-seater for ad hoc and charter programs.

The B757 is one of Boeing’s most popular airframes, boasting impressive range and uplift capabilities, cruising speeds, and category-leading cabin comfort. This unique 62-seat configuration bridges the gap between private charter and scheduled services, providing a flexible transport solution for larger groups.

click for images.

With the upcoming autumn season, including touring programs, substantial MICE travel, and the FIFA World Cup, the aircraft will provide much needed capacity for group travelling.

Phil Mathews, CEO of ACC Aviation, commented: “We are thrilled for Freedom II to have this unique aircraft on its AOC. With high demand for private jets and large commercial aircraft, there could not be a better time to bring this aircraft back to the market, and we are excited to see first enquiries coming through.”

Los Angeles, California:

Clay Lacy completes 10th Garmin G1000 NXi upgrade on Embraer Phenom

Clay Lacy Aviation recently completed its 10th installation of the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite on an Embraer Phenom 100 at their FAA Part 145 Repair Station at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY).

“This milestone demonstrates the range of our continuously expanding capabilities in supporting Embraer owners and operators,” said Eddy Diaz, Avionics Manager at Clay Lacy. “The G1000 NXi configuration is the result of Garmin continuously upgrading its systems with an even more user friendly and intuitive interface improving situational awareness and capabilities."

The Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite in an Embraer Phenom.

“The G1000 NXi flight deck offers a host of leading-edge capabilities to help pilots fly safer and reach their destinations easier,” said Dan Lind, Senior Director Aviation Sales and Marketing for Garmin. “From enhanced guidance in visual flight conditions to SurfaceWatch runway monitoring technology, the G1000 NXi is a comprehensive upgrade for any operator."

Garmin recently delivered its 25,000th integrated flight deck since launching the G1000 avionics suite in 2003.

Farnborough:Brazil:

Embraer delivered 32 jets in the second quarter of 2022, of which 21 were executive jets (12 light and nine large) and 11 were commercial.

As of June 30, the company has delivered a total of 46 aircraft (29 executive and 17 commercial).

The firm order backlog ended 2Q22 at US$17.8bn, the highest level since 2Q18, driven by new sales of aircraft and services, an increase of 12% when compared to the US$15.9bn recorded in the same period in 2021.

ASQS

Jonathan Frey

ASQS GmbH, a leading global provider of integrated aviation safety, quality and risk management software, has announced the appointment of Jonathan Frey as Director Sales Americas.

With the opening of its subsidiary ASQS Safety and Quality Solutions Inc. in the Canadian aviation and technology hub Calgary, aviation safety specialist ASQS launched its foray into the North American market in 2021. To drive growth in the Americas and gain a foothold in the North American market in particular, the sales team has now been strengthened with Jonathan Frey.

Jonathan brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having spent several years in sales, project- and key account management. Most recently, he served for two and a half years as Director Business Development APAC, where he was responsible for the company's positioning and sales generation in the region, successfully leading its Bangkok office and team.

In his role as Director Sales Americas, he will be responsible for all sales activities in the Americas and will work with the marketing department to drive regional marketing activities.

MAAS Aviation

Malachy McEnroe

MAAS Aviation, recognised experts in aircraft painting and exterior coatings, has announced the appointment of Malachy McEnroe as Chief Financial Officer.

An experienced international CFO and board member, McEnroe has worked in finance and business for over 25 years, most recently in the international logistics equipment leasing sector. He has extensive experience in growing international businesses, spearheading transformation and has contributed to impressive value creation. As part of the company’s C-Suite Team and a board member, Malachy’s role at MAAS will focus on supporting the business growth strategy and future investments, while driving day-to-day financial and operational improvements.

McEnroe has held senior finance roles at both GE and HNA and completed seven years at TIP Trailer Services as global CFO. He has also served as a non-executive director at German-based international modular construction specialist, Cadolto GmbH.

McEnroe will be based between MAAS’ facilities in the Netherlands and Dublin but plans to have a strong presence at all of the Group’s operational facilities in Lithuania, Germany, and Alabama, USA. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant (FCA) and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business and Accounting from University College Dublin.