A bankruptcy subcommittee has been established by the National Air Transportation Association's Airline Services Council (NATA/ASC). Formation of the new unit was spurred by ASC members' concerns "over the state of the airline industry and bankruptcy filings among the major carriers" because of the economic impacts on fixed-base operators and other suppliers to airlines. "This is one of the greatest challenges facing our industry," said Sally Leible, president of Airport Terminal Services, St. Louis, Mo.
Priester Aviation expanded its charter fleet to 25 with the addition of three aircraft - a Gulfstream IISP, Citation Excel and Hawker 700. The Gulfstream and Hawker are based in Venice, Fla., where Priester already operates a Learjet 55. The Excel will help strengthen Wheeling, Ill.-based Priester's Midwest fleet. Priester has added 13 aircraft to its charter certificate in the past 18 months with aircraft based from Minneapolis to Florida.
TSA chief Adm. James Loy this month asked the National Business Aviation Administration and the National Air Transportation Association to urge their members to comply with the Twelve-Five and private Charter security programs ahead of the April 1 deadline.
Dassault Falcon Jet (DFJ) is in the midst of a $30 million modernization and expansion of its maintenance facility and fixed-base operation in Wilmington, Del. and has ambitious plans to more than double revenues over the next five years.
HOUSE, SENATE SCRUTINIZE FAA COST CONTROLS - Air traffic controller pay and the Federal Aviation Administration's cost accounting procedures came under fire as House and Senate aviation subcommittees last week started reviewing the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the Twenty-first Century (AIR-21) for reauthorization. "FAA needs to redouble its efforts to become performance-based in deeds as well as in words," said DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead.
UPTON SLIPS BANNER TOWING BAN INTO APPROPRIATIONS BILL - Congress last week approved a measure that rescinds for a year all waivers to a NOTAM prohibiting flights within three nautical miles and 3,000 feet of major sporting events at large stadiums with a seating capacity of more than 30,000. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) inserted the language in an omnibus appropriations bill, which provides funding for most of the federal government in fiscal 2003.
Weber Aircraft opened a new 160,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, expanding its overall capacity in Gainesville, Texas to more than 500,000 square feet. The new plant includes 77,000 square feet for additional assembly lines, 14,500 square feet for work-in-progress lines as well as storage and office space. Weber said the facility would poise the company for growth in its aircraft seat manufacturing business.
Cessna Aircraft delivered three Citation Bravos to a new Grand Rapids, Mich.-based fractional ownership provider, The Company Jet, which is expected to take delivery of two more Bravos later this year. "We have received exceptional response from prospects on our new program," said Company Jet President Charles Cox. "Ours is the only fractional program designed expressly for businesses and the business traveler.
Atlantic Aero installed and won FAA certification for its reduced vertical separation minimum package on the Cessna Citation 500 series business jet. Developed in coordination with Garrett Aviation Services, the RVSM package includes two digital altimeters or air data display units. The STC covers aircraft equipped with both single and dual flight directors. The STC also includes three equipment options: a temperature probe for true airspeed computation, a two-inch standby altimeter and a backlit circuit breaker panel.
While legislators mull FAA budgets beyond fiscal 2003, it appears FAA will finally get its budget for fiscal 2003. The House and Senate late last week approved an omnibus spending package that includes the fiscal 2003 budgets for most of the federal government, including DOT, TSA and FAA. The bill provides $13.6 billion for FAA programs, $87 million more than in fiscal 2002. Last week's passages ends a string of continuing resolutions (CRs) that allowed the government to continue operating at fiscal 2002 levels (BA, Feb. 10/67).
General Aviation manufacturers plan a concentrated lobbying effort to get Congress to approve accelerated depreciation for new aircraft purchases. Instead of the current 30 percent depreciation availability in the first year, the industry is shooting for 50 percent - 30 percent of the total purchase price, plus 20 percent of the remainder - in the first year.
NEW FLIGHT OPTIONS LEADER CONFIDENT ABOUT RAYTHEON SUPPORT - John P. Nahill, who took over as chief executive officer of fractional provider Flight Options this month, believes the fractional industry will settle out into three or four major providers and says the Cleveland-based operator is well positioned to succeed even in today's challenging market.
February 17-19 - NBAA Leadership Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo., (202) 783-9000 March 13-15 - The Associao Brasileira de Aviacao Geral (ABAG)/ NBAA Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE2003), Sao Paulo, Brazil, (202) 783-9000 March 16-20 - NBAA 30th Annual International Operators Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo., (202) 783-9000 March 20-22 - 14th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, (386) 226-7996
FAA and TSA last week increased the airspace restrictions and security procedures around the Washington, D.C. area. The agencies created an Air Defense Identification Zone - usually reserved for the U.S. coastline - in airspace under 18,000 feet and about a 30-mile radius around Washington. Under the security procedures, GA pilots must maintain two-way radio communications, use a transponder and discrete beacon code, file IFR/VFR flight plans and follow standard air traffic procedures before entering the ADIZ.
AIR CRUISERS COMPANY emergency evacuation slide/rafts (Docket No. 99-NE-31-AD; Amendment 39-13035; AD 2003-03-11) - requires a one-time unpacking and subsequent repacking of the slide/raft system, identified by serial numbers, and mandates repacking of all other slide/raft systems of the same design at the next required normal maintenance schedule. This amendment is prompted by reports of separation of the lower aspirator during a number of deployments.
General aviation groups last week expressed relief that the Department of Justice finally published procedures that will allow U.S. flight schools to renew training of foreign students seeking their first type ratings, after nearly a 16-month ban on such training. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act adopted in November 2001 prohibited training of foreign students in aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more until they undergo up to a 45-day DOJ background check.
TONY BAILEY was named avionics design manager at Pentastar Aviation at Oakland International Airport in Waterford, Mich. He will manage the company's avionics design and installation capabilities. Bailey has previously worked for Lockheed Martin, DynCorp, TAC Air and Rhino Aviation. THOMAS D. GRUNBECK was named vice president, sales and marketing at Safe Flight Instrument Corporation. He was most recently vice president and group director for Barnes Aerospace Group. He previously was with BFGoodrich, Gulfstream and Grumman.
Dassault Falcon Jet officials were understandably disappointed when UAL's Avolar fractional aircraft program cratered, because Avolar had placed 46 firm orders and 76 options for Falcon business jets valued at $2.5 billion (BA, Oct. 29, 2001/199). But beyond the lost orders - Dassault reached "an amicable" agreement, according to executives of the OEM - officials say the industry also lost an opportunity to learn from UAL's approach to fractional ownership.
HELICOPTER FIVE-YEAR MARKET OUTLOOK STEADY - Honeywell estimated a three percent growth rate for the civil helicopter market over the next five years, announcing projections for 2,600 new helicopter deliveries between 2003-2007 at last week's Heli-Expo 2003 in Dallas, Texas.
GA BILLINGS, SHIPMENTS FALL AS USED AIRCRAFT FLOOD MARKET - General aviation billings for new aircraft fell for the first time in more than a decade and shipments declined for the second year in a row in 2002 as a sagging economy and a "frustratingly large" number of used aircraft on the market dampened sales, General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Ed Bolen said last week.
Corporate Angel Network called 2002 "its best year ever," with a 47 percent increase in the number of cancer patients carried by corporate aircraft. CAN volunteer aircraft flew an average of 132 patients per month in 2002, carrying a total of 1,588 for the year. CAN noted this increase came during a time when the aviation industry was feeling pinched by the lagging economy. Founded in 1981, the White Plains, N.Y.-based charity has coordinated nearly 16,000 flights for cancer patients to and from treatment centers.
Bombardier sold one 415 amphibious aircraft to the Ministry of Defense of Croatia. The order, which included an option for another 415, will boost the number of Bombardier 415s operated by the Croatia Defense Ministry to four. Bombardier has sold 57 415 water bombers to operators around the world and more than 70 of its predecessor aircraft, the CL-215.
