Business & Commercial Aviation

Leonardo has pushed back the timeline for the certification of its AW609 civil tiltrotor by another year in a bid to further mature the aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force recently named Nextant Aerospace as a subcontractor to Field Aerospace on the service's T-1A Avionics Modernization Program. The T-1A is a military derivative of the Hawker Beechcraft 400A business jet.

XOJet has enhanced its XOJet Elite Access Program, giving guaranteed rates on light and midsize business jets, in addition to its super-mid business jet product.

Duncan Aviation's helicopter component repair services business rose 80% in 2017, and the growth is expected to continue through 2018, the company said.

Pratt & Whitney Canada has unveiled six new service packages as part of its growing focus on tailored after-market support.

When Duncan Aviation recently installed LoPresti Aviation "Boom Beam" high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting in a Phenom 300 light jet, the technology was described by Vice President of Sales David LoPresti as a work in progress.” Indeed it was, and is. The Sebastian, Florida-based company has already installed the HID lighting in 550 different aircraft models, from owner-flown light turboprops to widebody VIP personal jets.

Daher has introduced electrically heated seats to its 2018 production TBM 910 and TBM 930 aircraft as part of its cabin restyling.

Why would anyone want to operate a business jet into Hong Kong? Arrival and departure slots at Hong Kong and overnight parking for non-airline aircraft are among the most difficult—and expensive—to obtain of any destination in the world. And with recent changes that disconnect slot reservations from parking assignments, coordinating a stay has become that much harder.

Gulfstream Aerospace created the center dedicated to the resolution of aircraft-on-ground (AOG) issues, providing operators with integrated support and ensuring faster return to service for the aircraft, the company says.

CrewID has expanded to include ground crews with the latest release of its Web-based credentialing system.

The Hong Kong Business Aviation Center (HKBAC) attained Stage 1 of the International Standard Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) registration.

Conklin & de Decker has released its 2018 State Tax Guide for General Aviation. The guide contains the latest taxes and fees imposed on general aviation in all 50 states, and it addresses the sales and use taxes applicable to aircraft sales, ownership, leases, parts and labor.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport was the most viewed airport for business aviation users of acukwik.com in February 2018, according to a study of site traffic.

The May 31, 2014, crash of a Gulfstream IV at Hanscom Field (KBED), Bedford, Massachusetts, was a call to action for many in business aviation. These pilots threw out the book and came up tragically short.

The pilot shortage. Oh boy, it's here in spades, says Charlie Priester, chairman of Chicago's Priester Aviation charter and aircraft management firm. And my opinion is it's going to get a lot worse.

William Garvey, editor-in-chief of BCA, interviews Paula Kraft, CEO and owner of catering company Tastefully Yours and managing partner and cofounder of DaVinci Inflight Training Institute.

Garmin has introduced a helicopter flight control system designed to reduce pilot workload and increase safety. The AHRS-derived GFC 600H includes several safety features.

Gulfstream Aerospace has delivered a fourth G650ER to Qatar Airways for its Qatar Executive commercial charter service, making it the largest single owner and operator of G650ER aircraft, Gulfstream said.

Clay Lacy Aviation recorded a 23% increase in charter activity in 2017. It also has added 10 new charter jets and three cities to meet growing demand, the company said. New locations include Miami-Opa Locka Airport.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has dropped its complaint with the FAA against Waukegan National Airport outside Chicago over fees at FBOs serving three airports.

Nextant Aerospace has received the final piece of FAA certification on its remanufactured G90XT twin-engine turboprop, which paves the way for deliveries to begin.

Boutsen Aviation, based in Monaco, closed on 17 aircraft transactions in 2017, including a Bombardier Global XRS and a Falcon 7X in December, the company said.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section has ordered two modified Beechcraft King Air 350 cargo heavyweight turboprops to modernize its patient transfer and air ambulance fleet.

Gulfstream Aerospace delivered its final G450 business jet as its new G500 approaches certification. The G450 entered service in 2005. Since then the company has produced more than 360 aircraft, the company said.

Rockwell Collins and Stellar Labs have launched Stellar Cloud, a software delivery infrastructure platform for business aviation built on Amazon Web Services infrastructure.