Business & Commercial Aviation

Meanwhile, days earlier Cessna delivered a Citation M2 to Helitrip Charter, which is leasing it to Catreus Ltd. a British charter operator.

Dassault Aviation delivered its first Falcon 8Xon Oct. 5 to longtime Falcon operator Amjet Executive, marking the entry into service of the company's new top-of-the-line, ultra-long- range flagship. The delivery occurred at Dassault’s Bordeaux-Merignac facility. The 6,450 nm (11,945 km) Falcon received its EASA and FAA certification in June and, Dassault noted, is entering service precisely on schedule, two years after it was first announced.

TRU Simulation + Training has entered the second phase of expansion for its Pilot Training Center in Lutz, Florida. It is enlarging its facility by 30,000 sq. ft. to accommodate four additional flight simulators in order to diversify its training programs. TRU Simulation is a Textron Aviation company headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Embraer is cutting 1,463 employees from its workforce in Brazil as it moves to reduce costs in the midst of a challenging market. The departing workers represent 99.5% of those who applied for a Voluntary Dismissal Program, the company reported.

Daher recently completed its 800th TBM single-engine turboprop, a TMB 930 that rolled off the assembly line at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport in France.

The long-running fight over Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) entered a new phase recently when the FAA initiated an investigation requiring the California city to explain its rationale for issuing eviction notices to two FBOs at the key business and general aviation facility after the municipality declared its policy included closing the place.

Gulfstream says it will cease production of the G150, the smallest aircraft in its lineup, after a 10-year run; the last G150 will be delivered in mid-2017.

The Sterling Group, a middle-market private equity firm based in Houston, has acquired Destin Jet and formed a new fixed-base operator network.

Nextant Aerospace, which builds the 400XTi, and Constant Aviation, which offers MRO services, have partnered with Rockwell Collins to offer a Next Gen flight deck package for Beechcraft 400X/XP aircraft.

Acorn Growth Companies, an Oklahoma City private-equity firm, announced Sept. 26 that it has acquired Seattle-based Raisbeck Engineering from founder and Chairman James D. Raisbeck. Founded in 1982, Raisbeck's company has developed dozens of modification systems for general aviation, utility and jetliner aircraft.

The number of general aviation aircraft in China will total 10,000 in 2020, according to a new research report called "Development and Market of General Aviation in China 2015-2020." The figure comprises 7,500 fixed-wing aircraft, 2,000 helicopters and 500 other aircraft. The industry compound growth rate will total 30%, and the market size will hit $225 billion, the report predicts.

Bombardier WAVE (Wireless Access Virtually Everywhere) Ka-band high-speed internet is now available for Global business aircraft at all Bombardier Service Centers, the company said. Bombardier was awarded a supplemental type certificate for installation on all Bombardier Global 5000 and Global 600 aircraft and previous Global aircraft as a retrofit, the company said. A Global 5000 aircraft was the first customer aircraft to feature a retrofit installation of the Bombardier WAVE at Bombardier's Singapore Service Center.

Robert Sumwalt from the National Transportation Safety Board has won Bombardier's 2016 Safety Standdown Award, which was presented at the event held Sept. 27-29 in Wichita.

Citing slower business jet engine aftermarket shipments and defense and space business declines, Honeywell International said early last month it expected to report up to 2% lower core organic sales for the third quarter of 2016.

The consolidation of Europe's business aircraft charter operations continues apace. The most recent pairing is the takeover of UK's Blink by Wijet of France, to create a single fleet of 15 Citation Mustang light jets.

Blackhawk Modifications has announced details of its new engine upgrade for the King Air 350. Blackhawk is developing the STC to permit installation and operation of the Pratt & Whitney 1,200-shp PT6A-67A to replace the 1,050-shp PT6A-60A.

The first Legacy 450 mid-light business jet assembled in Embraer's Melbourne, Florida, facility made its first flight in early October and is on track for delivery to a customer in December.

Offshore helicopter operator CHC has secured $450 million from investors to rebuild the company once it emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

West Star Aviation and Aviation Fabricators are nearing completion of a cooperative effort to develop an STC for a belted lavatory modification for the Hawker 800 and XP series aircraft.

Singapore-based Zetta Jet has added a Bombardier Global 6000 jet to its fleet, which will operate out of Zetta's North America hub in Los Angeles. It is the first Global equipped with Ka-band high-speed inflight internet connectivity.

The National Business Aviation Association's annual compensation survey of members shows all Part 91 flight department positions enjoyed an increase in average salaries in 2016.

Comlux, The Aviation Group, has become the first to retrofit an Airbus ACJ319 with Sharklets, the company said. The sharklets give the aircraft a fuel savings of up to 4% and a corresponding range improvement. The retrofit was performed by TAP Maintenance and Engineering as part of the first turnkey project managed by Airbus Corporate Jets.

On-demand private jet charter operator XOJET and JetSmarter, a private jet mobile marketplace charter consolidator, have formed a partnership, saying it signals the continued evolution of private access.

Gogo is overhauling its ground-based connectivity system over the U.S. and Canada to bring inflight speeds in line with its satellite-based offering.

Rockwell Collins’ offer to buy B/E Aerospace is a pricey ploy that will take more work to see to fruition, but it could secure the former as a leading provider of aircraft content while finding a successful exit for the latter.