Air Ontario's 172 unionized flight attendants have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the company, but one that only lasts nine months. According to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the union that represents Air Ontario's flight attendants, the brief contract is seen as a ``bridge agreement'' designed to position both sides for ``integrated bargaining'' as Air Canada's regional feeders consolidate.
Stage 4 noise certification rules could be adopted by ICAO as early as 2003, predicted Bonnie A. Wilson, the senior director of airport facilities and services for the Airports Council International -- North America. Speaking at a noise symposium conducted at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., in April, Wilson said the new, more-stringent noise standards would probably be accompanied by a Stage 3 non-addition rule and eventual phase-out of Stage 3 aircraft, a process that she estimated could take up to 12 years.
Aviation consultant Conklin&de Decker has launched a series of seminars focusing on flight department financial and tax issues. Aviation tax expert Nel Saunders is organizing the seminars known as FACT (Financial Accounting Cost and Tax), which include panelists from operators, law, accounting and consulting firms specializing in aviation. Future FACT programs are planned for Washington, Minneapolis and Houston. Further information is available at www.conklindd.com.
Charles (Chuck) Millard Cox, who recently retired after a 27-year career training corporate pilots, died on March 5, at age 67. Cox most recently was an instructor at SimuFlite in Dallas, and before that worked for FlightSafety in Wichita. Before he began training pilots, he flew for several corporations. Cox is survived by his wife, three children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Aerospace Industries Association (Washington, D.C.) -- Boeing's Blair French has been elected chairman of the trade group's Supplier Management Council Executive Committee. Judy Northrup of Northrop Grumman was elected vice chairman.
This directory is a selective listing of specialized products and services not included elsewhere in the 2000 Purchase Planning Handbook. In many cases, the products or services are not available directly from the manufacturer, but from authorized distributors. Operators should contact the manufacturers shown in the address listing to obtain purchasing information. The listing of a product or service in this directory is not an endorsement or recommendation by B/CA. Compiled by Anna Santo with Chris Drapala and Kim Gilbert. CATEGORY INDEX
Last year was a record year for general aviation, as total billings soared 35.1 percent over 1998, reaching $7.9 billion for the year, according to GAMA. The 1999 growth was more than 10 percent above the 1998 increase. Put into perspective, general aviation sales in 1999 were quadruple those of 1992. Last year also marked the first time in GAMA's history that both billings and shipments increased for five consecutive years.
In the early 1970s, people began to wonder why properly functioning aircraft flown by competent pilots were flying into the ground, usually in instrument weather conditions. Several studies later, it was agreed that a GPWS could help prevent such accidents, warning the crew of impending impact with terrain in time for them to climb or take other corrective action.
It's important that worldwide aviation dialog focuses on preserving a place for business aircraft. As the business climate becomes ever more global in scope, it's necessary that tools that serve business also evolve. It is evident in production figures of business aircraft that the evolution is in place. In 1999, more intercontinental business jets were built than the industry's entire output just a few years ago.
Aviation Research Group/US (ARG/US) has launched a new safety audit program for charter operators. The new audit is modeled after the U.S. Department of Defense's Air Carrier Quality and Safety Requirements Program. ARG/US is employing ex-DOD safety inspectors to conduct on-site reviews of operators' financial records, safety training and operating policies to create a report that does more than just ``repeating the work done by the FAA FSDO office.'' Audit clients will receive detailed reports highlighting areas needing improvement and recommended solutions.
Delta Connection, Delta Air Lines' regional subsidiary, has signed a letter of intent to purchase 94 Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets (CRJs), with options for 406 more. The order is subject to the signing of definitive sales agreements with Bombardier and General Electric, whose CF34-series engines power all CRJ variants. Deliveries of the 94 firm aircraft are slated to begin in first quarter 2001, and extend through the end of 2004.
Bombardier has named Innotech-Execaire an Authorized Service Facility for Global Express aircraft. Innotech's Montreal facility already provides factory service on Challenger business jets and its Vancouver operation is a factory-authorized Learjet service center.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy David Esler, in New Orleans Global Operations Update
Sydney Olympics -- If you're planning to attend the 2000 Olympics at Sydney in September and don't have prepaid hotel reservations, parking confirmation for your aircraft, and an arrival slot by now, you probably should plan on watching the Games on TV. As of this spring, most local hotel reservations had been filled (75 percent by the International Olympic Committee), and slot allocation at Sydney Interna-tional and nearby Bankstown Airport was well underway. Without a confirmed parking reservation, you don't get a slot.
An Internal Revenue Service (IRS) proposal that changes the way taxes on air charter flights are collected has incited criticism from at least one industry group. The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), which represents FAR Part 135 operators and FBOs, says cutting the filing time for excise tax credit forms from the present 60 days by half will ``severely impede the cash flow of air charter companies.'' The revised schedule, NATA says, will obligate operators to pay the government before sales revenue can be collected.
If you're planning to fly to or within Europe after January 24, 2002, your turbine-powered aircraft must be approved for reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) or you can forget about filing for a flight level between 290 and 410. On that date, vertical airspace restructuring, reducing separation from 2,000 to 1,000 feet, will go into effect over the 15 European Union members plus 24 other nations, effectively blanketing the entire Continent.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has started test and development flying of the second BK-117 C-2 helicopter in Japan. The first prototype of the helicopter was flown by its partner Eurocopter for the first time in June 1999 at Eurocopter's Donauworth facility in Germany. It is named EC145 in Europe. Certification of these two-crew plus eight-passenger helicopters is projected for midyear in Germany and by year-end in Japan. Forty EC145/BK-117 C-2s have been ordered by two unnamed launch customers, and the first aircraft is slated for hand-over in 2001.
GE Capital Aviation Training and Swiss regional Crossair are teaming up to create a regional aircraft training center at the airline's Basel headquarters. The joint venture will offer training for cockpit crews, flight attendants and maintenance personnel for both Crossair and other carriers. Crossair CEO Moritz Suter says the new facility will ``extend our leading position in European regional air transport to the training sector.'' The carrier has begun taking deliveries of 85 Embraer regional jets, which led to a re-evaluation of its existing training facilities.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Perry Bradley, in Oerias, Portugal
The first Falcon 2000 for the NetJets Europe fractional ownership program arrived in Portugal in mid-April, and is the first of two 2000s that will serve as core fleet aircraft. A total of three 2000s will be delivered to NetJets Europe this year with a fourth joining the fleet in January 2001. The first customer aircraft, which is already sold-out, will arrive in September, according to Bruce Huffman, vice president-international operations.
Investment houses Clayton, Dubilier&Rice (CD&R) and Allianze Capital Partners have completed their acquisition of Fairchild Aerospace and arranged for $1.2 billion in financing for the manufacturer. The financing comes in the form of $400 million in capital from the two companies and an additional $800 million in loans from a consortium of Germany companies. The funds will be used to further projects in development such as the Fairchild 428JET and 728JET. CD&R principal Charles P.
Kitty Hawk, Inc.'s auditors have expressed concern about the cargo and charter operator's financial ability to continue flying. The carrier says losses due to unexpectedly high maintenance costs on its Lockheed L-1011 fleet and declining values of aging DC-8s, combined with high fuel costs and decreased demand for cargo lift are causing a cash shortfall and stock price freefall. Kitty Hawk also announced that former Atlantic Coast Airlines CFO Paul Tate, who joined as CFO in late March, resigned after just 11 days with the company.
The FAA has issued a Letter to Airmen warning of flight restrictions over the Democratic National Convention this summer in Los Angeles. While specific limitations have not yet been released, the letter says access to airspace above the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles will be ``extremely limited and require positive identification and communications.'' The Democratic National Convention and temporary flight restrictions are scheduled to take place from August 14 to 17.
Keystone Helicopter Corp. will undertake completions for all new Sikorsky S-76 helicopters, under the terms of a new contract with the manufacturer. The helicopters formerly were completed at Sikorsky's West Palm Beach, Fla., facility. ``This arrangement brings together the market presence of two very strong players,'' said Mike Moran, Sikorsky's vice president of commercial marketing and sales.
Hong Kong-based Metrojet is leading an effort to create an Asian Business Aviation Association, similar to Europe's European Business Aviation Association and the United States' NBAA.
