Sabena Technics completion teams have begun the design and engineering phase to outfit its first BBJ, due to arrive at the company’s facility in Bordeaux in March 2015. “Sabena Technics has demonstrated that its in-house network of backshops, engineering office, cabin completion, maintenance and exterior paint make it a key player in the completion industry,” says Boeing Business Jets president Steve Taylor.
Sabena Technics completion teams have begun the design and engineering phase to outfit its first BBJ, due to arrive at the company’s facility in Bordeaux in March 2015. “Sabena Technics has demonstrated that its in-house network of backshops, engineering office, cabin completion, maintenance and exterior paint make it a key player in the completion industry,” says Boeing Business Jets president Steve Taylor.
Avfuel Corporation’s Booth 4634 features nine members of its Avfuel Branded FBO and Avfuel Contract Fuel networks: Avflight Belfast City at George Best Airport in Northern Ireland; Banyan Air Service at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Florida; Duncan Aviation at Lincoln, Nebraska, and Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan; Fargo Jet Center at Hector International Airport in Fargo, North Dakota; Rizon Jet, Avfuel’s latest preferred location, at London-Biggin Hill Airport, UK; the Sheltair network of FBOs in the U.S.; South Air at Akureyi Airport, Keflavik, Icel
Synthetic and enhanced vision, head-up guidance, the industry’s first touch-screen flight displays, and new flight deck features for retrofit or upgrades can all be seen here at Rockwell Collins (Booth 6129).
L-3 Platform Integration is “making significant progress” on the first two VIP 747-8s it’s outfitting, with the first scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2014, says Ken McAlpin, VIP/head-of-state programs VP for the Waco, Texas-based completion facility. “The newer technology and systems on the aircraft are allowing us to provide a better solution for our customers,” McAlpin says.
China’s TAECO Aircraft Engineering (Booth 1618) has announced the opening of a new showroom at its facilities in Xiamen, and has also recently completed construction of a static pull-test lab and commissioned a liquid print (water transfer technology) shop. Peter Murton, VP of TAECO’s commercial cabin group center, notes that the new capabilities are in addition to the existing cabinetry, upholstery and finish shops.
Several years ago, Associated Air Center in Dallas, Texas made a decision to refocus its attention on wide-body business and private jets and according to Patrick Altuna, executive sales and marketing VP, it was a good move. Since then, the center at Love Field has delivered an ACJ330 completion, has a 747-8 BBJ in the final stages of completion, and has a contract to outfit a 787 BBJ.
Middle East and North African aviation authorities force business aviation operators to follow the airline rule-book, driving local operators into the arms of foreign authorities. MEBAA senses the time is right for a specific bizav regime to emerge in the region.
Airbus has won an order from a Middle East customer for an Airbus ACJ320. The aircraft, which is being managed by Aviation Link of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will be outfitted with a VVIP interior with seating for 30 passengers. “As the operator of the largest fleet of privately owned Airbus aircraft in the Middle East, Aviation Link is the natural choice for clients seeking a large-cabin solution for their flight requirements,” says President and CEO Abdulaziz Al Rowaished. Aviation Link already manages two Airbus ACJ319s and an ACJ320 for Middle East clients.
AgustaWestland has announced an order by Kaan Air for one AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopter and one AW189 super medium twin-engine helicopter. Both helicopters will be fitted out with VIP passenger transport interiors and will be operated in Turkey. The contract expands the presence of the AW139 in Turkey and marks the entrance of the AW189 into the Turkish helicopter market. Additionally, this is the first VIP-configured AW189 ordered in Europe where the type has already enjoyed a considerable success in the offshore and SAR markets.
Embraer’s Phenom 300 has received certification from EASA for steep-approach operation, which enables increased descent angles of up to 5.5 deg. “This certification enhances the Phenom 300’s operational flexibility,” said Marco Túlio Pellegrini, president and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets.
Daher-Socata yesterday announced the first sale of a TBM 900 to a European customer, Badenwings, a subsidiary of Schmitt & Eger Holding. The company is based at Baden-Baden airport, Germany, where it will operate the airplane. This is the first TBM 900 sold to a final customer in Europe and the first sold by Rheinland Air Service (RAS), TBM distributor for Germany and Austria. “We selected the new TBM 900 for its flexibility to carry small freight or passengers for private internal flights of our holding company,” commented Nielsen Bott, CEO of Badenwings.
Buying or leasing a $2.4 million Nextant C90XT or $5 million 400XTi just became easier with the introduction of Nextant Financing, a new division of the Cleveland-based Nextant Aerospace. The plunge in used-aircraft values, coupled with restrictive conventional financing for used aircraft, has made it difficult for many buyers to finance or lease aircraft in the $2 million to $10 million range, even if they’re fully remanufactured.
Air Hamburg signed a contract with Embraer yesterday for its third Legacy 600 aircraft. The company says that reaction to its two recently acquired Legacy 600s has been “amazing” with both aircraft averaging nearly 100 hours per month. “We are certain it is the right decision to invest and expand in this segment,” says Air Hamburg CEO Floris Helmers. The contract was signed by Air Hamburg’s main investor Simon Ebert at the Embraer booth. Delivery of the aircraft is scheduled for May 2015 in Brazil.
Bombardier’s unveiling of the Global 7000 mock-up has generated strong traffic flows through the exhibit. The thrust of the marketing campaign is more quality of lifestyle than pure business use.
Honeywell has named the first business aviation customer for its JetWave Wi-Fi connectivity system employing Jet ConneX, the Inmarsat Global Xpress–powered service. Honeywell has an MoU with Haitec Aircraft Maintenance to deliver the system for two ACJ319s operated by Tyrolean Jet Services, a Haitec customer. “Once it comes online in the first half of 2015, it will deliver passengers and operators fast, global inflight Wi-Fi across land and sea,” Honeywell says.
Pilatus Aircraft opened its order book here yesterday for the PC-24 utility jet, and by the end of the first day of EBACE had announced sales of 76. Every sale was proudly proclaimed on a scoreboard, and often named the customer as well. Launch customers included: Falcon Aviation Services, UAE: two PC-24s; Jetfly, Luxembourg: four aircraft; PlaneSense, USA: six PC-24s; Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Western Operations): three plus an option for a fourth; and U-Haul International, USA: two.
EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba is upbeat that this year’s EBACE is reflecting signs that the business aviation market in European may be stabilizing. “It’s been a tough period,” he says, but he told Tuesday’s opening ceremony that “indicators point to 2014 being a year of positive rebound.” EBAA, working with NBAA here, is “trying to be proactive” in anticipation of an improving market, with more educational sessions and announcements on access, infrastructure, runway use, flight and duty time and more.
Flying by the seat of your pants has a new meaning at Lufthansa Technik, which yesterday unveiled a new concept for the main passenger-cabin interface – the chair.
Why buy when you can lease? Why tie up $50 million in a jet – a depreciating asset – when you can lease the jet, dress it as your own, fly it as your own, yet not have it on your balance sheet? Those are the questions being asked here by Colin Steven, formerly of Embraer, who is launching Veling Tayara with partners including former Embraer Executive Jets president Ernie Edwards. “In today’s environment, there are smarter ways to invest your capital than in a depreciating asset,” the company says.
A futuristic interior for a VIP helicopter is being unveiled here this week by AgustaWestland. A mockup of the design for the AW169, by fashion studio Lanzavecchia+Wai, can be seen at EBACE. After working with the most famous and prestigious fashion houses, such as Versace and Lagerfeld, on the GrandNew and AW139 helicopters, AgustaWestland decided to do something different and avant garde for the AW169, which is to be certified this year.
Rolls-Royce’s CorporateCare engine maintenance program is growing by leaps and bounds and is making a real difference to aircraft resale values, says Stephen Friedrich, VP, Sales and Marketing, Civil Small and Medium Engines. “We now have 1,500-plus aircraft signed up, and more than 70% of all new Rolls-Royce deliveries are enrolled,” he says. “We’re no longer seeing market acceptance but market demand.” Indeed, the sign-up rate exceeds the number of new deliveries as used aircraft five, 10 or even 20 years old are enrolled.
“We wanted to match the values of AgustaWestland, and felt that helicopter interiors were not a mirror of their outsides,” says Francesca Lanzavecchia of design studio Lanzavecchia+Wai, whose unique Stream design concept for an AW169 passenger cabin is displayed in model form at the manufacturer’s Booth 6629.
Mahjong in the sky? Sure. But the Chinese owner of a BBJ2 currently being outfitted by BizJet International will have bragging rights to the first fully STC’d built-in digital board for the 500-year-old game. “It will be the first of its kind,” says sales VP Ed Harris of JBRND (the former Jeff Bonner R&D), which is exhibiting here at Booth 5339.
