JEPPESEN selected WhiteConcierge, a concierge and lifestyle management company, as the provider for Jeppesen’s new Concierge service. Jeppesen Concierge provides pilots and passengers services that vary from personal emergencies and reservations to a virtual private assistant. Jeppesen Concierge will be offered as part of the Jeppesen International Trip Planning Service.
FAA will hold its first International FAA Runway Safety Summit Dec. 1-3 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Co-sponsored by the American Association of Airport Executives and MITRE Corporation, the summit will assemble key aviation leaders to discuss, review and assess runway safety initiatives. The three-day event is expected to draw more than 500 representatives from airlines, pilot groups, airports, governments, regulatory agencies, labor organizations, air traffic management organizations, and engineering and manufacturing companies, among others.
AIR ROUTING INTERNATIONAL won U.S. Customs and Border Protection approval as a certified third-party vendor for the Advance Passenger Information Service (APIS). Air Routing created an APIS Solutions service that will submit private APIS manifests on behalf of Part 91 client. The APIS submission will receive a confirmation from Customs that will be passed on to the client. Air Routing also provides data review and APIS submission monitoring through its Flight Manager service.
FOUR HOUSE REPUBLICANS have drafted a measure that would place limitations under which the Transportation Security Administration could issue security directives. Sponsored by Reps. John Mica (Fla.), Tom Petri (Wis.), Sam Graves (Mo.) and Vernon Ehlers (Mich.), the measure is a response to industry uproar over the TSA’s security directive that calls for badging of all personnel with unescorted access to secure areas of commercial airports.
STANDARDAERO signed an agreement to offer TAG Aircraft Interiors Ltd. “Limited Edition” interior completions at its Springfield, Ill. facility. The Limited Edition interiors are designed by the House of Versace. Versace Interior Design Atelier provides the content, design and style, and TAG-AI manages the logistical and technical aspects of the interior design contracts, and acts as the marketing and sales agent.
The business jet industry is no longer falling off a cliff, but just “bouncing off the rocks below,” according to a new report from Sparta, N.J.-based consultancy Brian Foley Associates (BRiFO).
Cessna Aircraft has accumulated more than 850 hours in developmental and certification flight-testing for the Citation CJ4, and the company remains confident that the aircraft is on schedule to win FAA approval by the end of the year. The Wichita, Kan., plane maker also is working concurrently with the European Aviation Safety Agency to secure European approval. Deliveries are expected to begin in the first half of 2010.
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT Model DA 40 and DA 40F airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0240; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-015-AD; Amendment 39-15899; AD 2009-10-04] – Repetitively inspect the nose landing gear leg for cracks, following the instructions of Diamond Aircraft Service Bulletin No. MSB40-046/1, No. MSBD4-046/1 (dated April 25, 2007) or Mandatory Service Bulletin No. MSB40-046/3, No. MSBD4-046/3 (dated Nov. 17, 2008). If any cracks are found, replace the landing gear leg before further flight.
May 27-29 – CBAA 2009 – 48th Annual Convention, Trade Show and Static Display, Montreal, www.cbaa.ca May 29 – National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Taxes Seminar, Los Angeles, Calif., (202) 783-9000 or visit www.nbaa.org June 8 – GWAO Rescheduled – 21st Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open, Lansdowne Resort, e-mail [email protected] or go to www.gwao.org June 8-10 – NATA Air Charter Summit, Westfields Marriott, Chantilly, Va., (703) 845-9000
The House Energy and Commerce Committee last week approved 33-25 a sweeping 932-page environmental proposal that would establish a cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions (BA, April 20/181). Approval of the bill, H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy Act, followed four days of debate as the committee worked its way through hundreds of amendments.
EMIRATES-CAE FLIGHT TRAINING received four new contracts for training at its facility in Dubai. The contracts cover simulator and classroom training as well as crew resource management for Hawker and Gulfstream aircraft. The contracts include a three-year agreement with United Kingdom-based International JetClub for recurrent Gulfstream 450 and 550 training. Petroff Air, a Moscow private aircraft operator and management company, signed a three-year deal for pilot and technical training for the Hawker 800XP.
Business aviation in Europe is an important wealth generator for the region, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP commissioned by the European Business Aviation Association. The industry has generated 5.7 billion euros ($7.9 billion) a year in wages and 164,000 jobs, the report said.
CASTLE AVIATION is taking over Summit Air’s aircraft maintenance work at Akron Fulton International Airport in Ohio. Castle will provide light and heavy maintenance for general aviation aircraft and light business jets. Castle, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has a 200,000-square-foot facility and “plenty of room to grow,” said Castle President Michael Grossmann. Summit will continue to provide fixed-base operation services at the airport.
Redmond, Wash.-based Tailwind Capital LLC is joining the market of converting Bombardier CRJ-200LR regional jets specifically for business aviation use. Tailwind Capital, an aircraft financing consultancy, bought the first CRJ-200LR on speculation back in 2007, said Joel Hussey, the company’s CEO, president and founder. “Following that, we’ve been in development and the engineering completion process,” he said, adding aircraft delivery begins in May.
BAE SYSTEMS Model 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0398; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-193-AD] – This proposal would require operators to conduct repetitive inspections of the wing-to-fuselage and main landing gear door fairing panel grommets for damage. If damage were found, operators would need to make temporary repairs or replace the damaged grommets with new ones, per the instructions of BAE Systems Inspection Service Bulletin ISB.53-202, Rev. 3 (dated Dec. 10, 2008).
GARETT JERDE was appointed regional sales director for Hawker Beechcraft. Jerde, previously a senior demonstration captain for Beechcraft King Air and pistons, will be responsible for piston sales in Europe.
DALLAS AIRMOTIVE expanded its international service network with a new sales and service regional headquarters in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and regional field service centers in Johannesburg, South Africa and Mumbai, India. Located near Pampulha Airport, Dallas Airmotive do Brazil will support military, commercial, business and general aviation aircraft in Brazil, providing technical assistance, import/export management, logistics, field service and line replaceable unit (LRU) stocking.
Five aviation associations last week made another appeal to the Department of Homeland Security to scrap a Transportation Security Administration security directive that would require badging and background checks for all personnel with unescorted access to secure areas of commercial airports. The appeal came as the industry faces a June 1 deadline to meet the requirements of Security Directive 1542-04-08F (SD 08F).
HANGAR 10, which in January broke ground on a 91,000-square-foot aviation services complex, officially opened for business last week from temporary facilities at the Kansas City Charles B. Wheel Downtown Airport. A new 40,000-gallon fuel farm was installed and a ramp was put in place to accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing Business Jet. The aviation service complex will include a 28,000-square-foot executive terminal that will house several pilot overnight rooms/day quarters and a fitness center.
JAMES OWEN was appointed underwriter for the London-based aviation business of XL Insurance. Owen joins XL Insurance with 15 years of aviation insurance experience, most recently with Catlin.
PATRICK DIEKER was named regional sales director for Hawker Beechcraft. Dieker, based in Wichita, Kan., will be responsible for Beechcraft sales in Russia. He previously served with Cessna, where he supported sales and administration of Citation aircraft throughout the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
The House General Aviation Caucus now has 45 members only a month after it was created (BA, April 27/197). The GA Caucus, sponsored by the National Air Transportation Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the National Business Aviation Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association, was created to educate House members on issues important to the general aviation industry and build consensus on the important role GA plays in the U.S. economy. The caucus met for the first time last week
SIMON MURRAY joined XL Insurance’s London-based aviation business as regional manager. Murray has more than 20 years of underwriting experience, most recently as a senior aviation underwriter for Catlin.
JAMES “WOODY” WOODFORD was named director of maintenance for the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). A 27-year CAF member, he had served with the United Space Alliance since 1998. His aviation career began with the U.S. Navy, and he subsequently joined Hughes Aircraft Company. He joined CAF in 1982 and has acted as crew chief for the Tora aircraft.
PASHA SELAH joined Hawker Beechcraft as a regional sales director. Selah, based in Singapore, will oversee sales in Japan and Southeast Asia for Hawker Beechcraft. He previously was a management consultant with McKinsey and Company, and holds an ATP certificate.
