Business & Commercial Aviation

McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas received more departure requests than any other airport, and it was tied as the most popular destination airport, in Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder itineraries during February 2016, an analysis of aircharterguide.com data found.

Teterboro Airport was the business aviation airport searched most by acukwik.com visitors in February 2016, an analysis of site traffic shows. The third most searched airport overall, Paris Le Bourget Airport, was the top airport outside North America. Travel to TED talks in Vancouver caused Vancouver International Airport to soar into the top 50 in February as well.

Out of the ashes of the Hawker 4000 as well as drawing from its all-new Citation Latitude, Textron Aviation is creating a super-midsize jet with what could be a bright future.

The former head of North American sales for Bombardier business aircraft describes the market conditions, challenges and rewards of the pre-owned business aircraft business.

Jet-A and Avgas Per Gallon Fuel Prices February 2016

Enjoying a Cold One I read your Point of Law (December 2015, page 71) about the latest duty/rest legal interpretation and I thought it was great. I’ve had the same “cold beer rule” discussion with my operators on more than one occasion. Principal Operations Inspector FAA Washington, D.C. An Excellent Decision

While some fret that a down cycle is coming, there’s no sign of that at Gulfstream, according to the top executive at General Dynamics, its corporate parent. “We see no evidence at Gulfstream of a cyclical decline,” Phebe Novakovic, GD chairman and CEO, told analysts following release of the company’s fourth quarter report on Jan. 27.

The face-off between the scheduled carriers and business and general aviation in the ongoing fight over the privatization of ATC in the U.S. is hardly new.

Advent Aircraft Systems has received FAA approval of its advanced-technology GPS/digital anti-skid braking system for installation on Beechcraft King Air B300 series aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line GPS 4000S or Garmin G1000/430W/530W avionics. Installation of the system, which may be ordered through Textron Aviation service centers as well as authorized King Air service facilities, involves no change to existing braking system components and requires minimal downtime.

NAS-ExecuJet has expanded services at its fixed-based operation in Saudi Arabia. It has opened an additional facility in the Royal Terminal at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh. To facilitate the expansion, NAS-ExecuJet has added ground support equipment and increased staff from 25 to 34.

Business aviation departures in Europe fell in January when compared to a year ago, according to WINGX Advance’s Business Aviation Monitor. European flights in January totaled 47,628, down 2,220 departures or a drop of 4.5% year-over-year. Business jet and piston flights fell 5%, while turboprop flights declined 1.5%. “This disappointing start to 2016 breaks the recovering trend in Q4 2015,” Richard Koe, WINGX Advance managing director, said in a statement.

The City of Santa Monica, California, has diverted funds for SMO, its municipal airport, charged excessive and unreasonable landing fees, and denied leases on airport property, according to a new Part 16 complaint filed Feb. 5.

Privaira, a private air charter service, will relocate its Part 135 operation to Boca Raton Airport in Florida, which will allow it to have its own campus, office space and maintenance hangar facilities big enough to hold its midsize and large-size-cabin aircraft. Privaira is also partnering with Atlantic Aviation to support its operation at Boca Raton Airport and at its 70 other locations in its network. The relocation is planned for late February.

XTI Aircraft Vice Chairman and former Sikorsky President Jeff Pino along with Nick Tramontano were killed Feb. 5 when their P-51 Mustang Pino was piloting crashed near Pinal County, Arizona. Pino, 61, headed Sikorsky from 2006 to 2012. More recently he was vice chairman of XTI, a firm developing the TriFan 600, a high-speed vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for the corporate market. A retired Master Army Aviator who served in the service as well as the Reserve and National Guard for 26 years, Pino had been one of the helicopter industry’s stalwarts.

With the snowstorms in the Northeast U.S., JetSmarter, a mobile market for private jet flights, created free private jet flights for members from New York to and from cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago and other cities. JetSmarter has been swamped with calls from those interested in getting out of New York. It has also created for new members a promotion to any warm weather destination to fly free with a friend.

Jet Aviation Zurich has signed an agreement with Lufthansa Group to provide high-volume fuel uplifts through docked dispenser fueling. Jet Aviation successfully fueled its first Lufthansa Group aircraft with dispenser fueling on Jan. 1. As part of the agreement, Jet Aviation Zurich bought two new dispenser trucks and hired five new truck operators, bringing its fueling team to 18. It sent three refueling operators to Frankfurt for dispenser training.

The super-midsized Hawker 4000 (nee Hawker Horizon), in production from 2008 through 2012, suffered through one of the longest and most arduous gestations of any business aircraft yet built, requiring 12 years of development work and a $1 billion-plus investment.

Gama Aviation has signed a partnership agreement with business aviation training organization CAE. The partnership will meet European Aviation Safety Agency Part-FCL requirements regarding base training and will allow Gama Aviation to train candidates in up to 30 aircraft types. Before the agreement, the two companies had a relationship under which CAE provided a type rating simulator for Gama Aviation pilots.

News of promotions, appointments and honors involving professionals within the business aviation community

Gulfstream Aerospace has received FAA approval to install Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In (ADS-B-In) on Gulfstream G150 and G200 aircraft, the company said. The avionics will enhance situational awareness for pilots. With the installation, operators can receive traffic and weather information from ADS-B ground stations and from nearby aircraft broadcasting their positions through ADS-B Out.

BCA shares the latest products and services for the business aviation industry.

New York City and helicopter operators carrying thousands of tourists around Manhattan have reached a deal that would result in a 50% reduction in flights by January 2017. “The nonstop din of helicopters has been a major quality-of-life issue for New Yorkers living near heavily trafficked routes,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in announcing the Jan. 31 agreement.

Most professional pilots earn their instrument ratings sitting behind one or more propellers, after having learned textbook definitions of maximum endurance and range speeds.

Delta Private Jets reports its managed aircraft fleet grew from 53 Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Gulfstream and Hawker aircraft to 72 in 2015, a 34% increase. As a result, David Sneed, executive vice president and COO, says the Delta Air Lines business aviation subsidiary is now “the third largest Part 135 operator in the country in terms of fleet size.” In addition, jet card sales rose 31% in 2015 when compared to 2014.

Key Air, an Oxford, Connecticut-based aircraft management and jet charter company, has expanded to include aircraft sales. Along with the new sales group, Key Air added three new aircraft to its managed fleet of charter aircraft in January. The aircraft include a Bombardier Global 5000 Vision, Gulfstream IVSP and Learjet 45XR.