PIAGGIO delivered two more Avanti twin-pusherprop aircraft to Avantair, boosting the fractional aircraft operator's fleet of aircraft to 13. Piaggio expects to continue deliveries to Avantair at a rate of one a month over the next year, doubling the operator's fleet. The new deliveries are part of a contract Avantair signed in May to increase its Avanti fleet to 29 aircraft.
IBIS AEROSPACE pushed back the anticipated certification date of its Ae270 turboprop to the second quarter of 2005. Ibis said certification by the Czech CAA and EASA was expected later this year. Ibis added that it is considering delaying customer deliveries to give the company time to add certain customer-requested improvements to the aircraft specifications and performance. The Ae270 Spirit is designed to operate as a passenger- or cargo-carrying aircraft.
Canadian conglomerate Bombardier, Inc. said it was disappointed with a decision by Moody's to downgrade the company's debt ratings, but said the decision "should have no significant impact on its operations." In August Moody's had put Bombardier's rating on review for possible downgrade. On Nov. 11 the ratings company downgraded the senior unsecured ratings of Bombardier, Inc. and Bombardier Capital, Inc. to Ba2 from Baa3 and assigned an SGK-2 "speculative grade liquidity rating."
ELLEN ENGLEMAN CONNERS, who chairs the National Transportation Safety Board, will address the Nov. 23 meeting of the Aero Club of Washington at noon at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Conners is expected to discuss the balance between security and safety. For more information, contact Nancy Hackett at (800) 322-3761.
A congressional watchdog agency called on the Federal Aviation Administration to establish a program to evaluate all designee programs, but said the agency should focus particularly on programs that have not already been evaluated. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) made that recommendation as part of a report it recently released, FAA Needs to Strengthen the Management of Its Designee Programs. The report comes at the request of Rep.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is about to begin testing prototype identification cards for transportation workers, according to the project's manager. "We are just about a hair from beginning this program," Lolie Kull, manager of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program told the Inside ID Conference & Expo Nov. 15. She did not specify a date for the start of testing for "smart" cards that will use a variety of biometric technologies including fingerprints, facial recognition and hand geometry.
Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., last week presented its 10th annual "Spirit of Noise Abatement Awards" to based corporate operators that achieved 100 percent compliance with the airport's voluntary noise-abatement programs during 2003. The popular New York City-area corporate airport has a voluntary curfew in effect from midnight until 6:30 a.m., as well as a high-range noise event limit of 93 dBA.
A WORKING GROUP tasked with developing flight and duty time recommendations for Part 135 has completed most of its work, coming up with a proposal that has been characterized as a balance between the interests of business and labor. But the working group has not yet addressed scheduled Part 135 operations or flight attendant rules, and will meet one more time before its work is done. The working group met last week as part of a much broader meeting of the Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).
DAVID CANAVESIO was named chief financial officer of Northern Jet Management. Canavesio joins Northern Jet Management with a background in finance and administration, serving as comptroller, vice president, CFO and executive vice president for cargo and charter passenger airlines. He held the role of CFO for International Cargo Airlines and Detroit and Canada Tunnel Corporation.
ROLLS-ROYCE is establishing a University Technology Centre at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, to study what it dubbed "more electric" engine technologies. The company noted that a common electrical system across the airframe and engine could allow more efficient use of power and will reduce weight, maintenance and fuel use. The research also will involve the universities of Sheffield and Strathclyde.
Raytheon Company sold its Raytheon Commercial Infrared (RCI) business to L-3 Communications. Terms were not disclosed. RCI, based in Dallas, designs and makes a wide range of uncooled thermal imaging products serving commercial markets that include security, transportation and public safety. Raytheon said it would continue to develop uncooled thermal imaging systems for its military customers.
February 6-8, 2005 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2005, Anaheim, Calif., (703) 683-4646 February 12-16, 2005 - 16th Annual National Business Aviation Association Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, Reno, Nev., (202) 783-9000 March 8-10, 2005 - National Air Transportation Association/Professional Aviation Maintenance Association GSE Aviation Services and Suppliers AS3 Supershow, March 8-10, Sands Expos & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 845-9000
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION and the National Business Aviation Association are urging the Internal Revenue Service to provide guidance as soon as possible on the scope and ramifications of a provision included in the recently enacted American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, which essentially overturns the Sutherland Lumber court ruling on business deductions involving use of corporate aircraft for recreation, entertainment or amusement flights.
About 50 senior business aviation executives pressed key congressional and Administration officials late last week for better promotion of the U.S. aviation industry and better access to the national airspace and airports. The executives met with some of the more influential aviation decision-makers in Washington as part of an Aviation Business Roundtable that the National Air Transportation Association assembled in an effort to raise the visibility of the industry both in Congress and at the White House.
Stephen M. Lassetter, who has held executive posts with leading fixed-base operations in the U.S. and overseas, was named president and chief operating officer of Sun Air Jets of Camarillo, Calif. Lassetter will be responsible for "the overall strategic direction of the company, as well as day-to-day oversight of Sun Air's on-demand charter, line services and property management lines of business."
Eclipse Aviation is teaming with United Airlines to develop a comprehensive flight training program for pilots of the Eclipse 500 very light jet. The program will cover initial flight skills assessment as well as type rating transition training at the United Flight Training Center in Denver, Colo. The program will use full motion simulators and a curriculum that Eclipse and United are developing jointly.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began border patrol flights using Northrop Grumman's Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) last week, according to an industry source. "They're using two RQ-5 Hunters, and they're just going to be using EO/IR [electro-optical/infrared] sensors, and they're going to make flights up and down the Arizona border near the area of Fort Huachuca," the source told BA affiliate Aerospace Daily and Defense Report.
EXECUTIVE JET MANAGEMENT recently added three aircraft to its charter fleet - a Gulfstream 200 based at Palwaukee Airport in Chicago, Ill., a Learjet 45XR at Bowling Green-Warren Airport in Bowling Green, Ky. and a Challenger 601 at Tweed-New Haven Airport in New Haven, Conn. EJM manages more than 100 aircraft based at more than 60 locations throughout the U.S. for charter and support of the NetJets fractional aircraft ownership program.
AIR BP added Flightline Services, Inc. (d/b/a Everett Jet Center) to its dealer network. Based at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., Everett Jet Center provides a range of fixed-base operation services, including fueling, transportation, cargo handling and catering.
AIR PARTNER is expanding with new offices in Venice, Italy and Minneapolis, Minn. The locations are two of 19 offices that Air Partner operates in 11 countries. The Venice office is managed by Sergio Macri, who has 30 years of aviation industry experience and has worked for six Italian airlines. The Minneapolis office provides a presence in the Midwest for Air Partner, which also is located in New York, Washington, D.C. and Fort Lauderdale. Richard Page will manage the office.
Raytheon unveiled an agreement with the Indian government to build a ground network for a satellite navigation system similar to the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) in the U.S. The contract covers the first phase of India's GPS and Geostationary Earth Orbit Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system, Raytheon's Program Manager Bob Jackson told BA affiliate Aviation Daily. The contract value has not yet been revealed.
AIR ROUTING INTERNATIONAL enhanced its Flight Manager online business aviation trip-planning program. The enhancements enable the user to view arrival and departure times for each leg of a trip in UTC Time, Local Airport Time and Home Base Time. Air Routing improved the Airport Information section and added a Trip Daily View feature, which provides an hour-by-hour listing of all departures and arrivals for a specific day.
DELTA AIRELITE BUSINESS JETS added a Learjet 31A and Hawker 700A to its Part 135 operating certificate. The Learjet 31A is based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and the Hawker 700A is stationed at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati.
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer reported sales of $936.5 million in the third quarter, an increase of 113.5 percent over the same period a year ago. Net income for the quarter was $113.7 million, which represents an increase of 487.6 percent over the same period in 2003. The company delivered 40 jet aircraft in the quarter, two business jets to the corporate market and 38 regional jets to airline customers, including 13 of the company's new Embraer 170 jets.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT Parts Inventory & Distribution (RAPID) signed a contract with PFSweb for fulfillment services in Grapevine, Texas. PFSweb will manage RAPID's inventory at the Grapevine warehouse facility. The agreement expands the relationship between RAPID and PFSweb, which also agreed to manage RAPID's new European facility in Liege, Belgium. The 205,000-square-foot Grapevine RAPID facility maintains some 100,000 shelf, flow rack and static bin locations. PFSweb will manage an inventory of more than 300,000 individual part numbers.
