Iacobucci Goes Flat Out

May 20, 2014
Are you sitting comfortably? You will be if you visit the Iacobucci HF Aerospace Booth 3623, where the Ferentino, Italy–based company is launching its new double- and single-shell seats for large VIP aircraft. Named Roma and Milano, respectively, both are fully electromechanically operated, with a wide range of movements managed by the actuator software. Configurations available at the touch of an armrest-mounted button go from full upright to full horizontal flat-bed position.
EBACE

Business on Upswing for NetJets, FlightSafety

May 20, 2014
Berkshire Hathaway’s NetJets and FlightSafety International units each posted double-digit increases in the first quarter, as the fractional market and training demands continue to improve. Both NetJets and FlightSafety are part of Berkshire’s services group of businesses, which combined for a $284 million first-quarter increase in revenues to $2.4 billion. The services businesses also include TTI, Business Wire, Dairy Queen and BH Media Group, among others.
EBACE

JETS Biggin Is Getting Busy

May 20, 2014
“We’ve brought the Biggin Hill JETS operation to stability,” says 328 Group CEO Dave Jackson. “The FBO has been divested to Signature Flight Support so that we can concentrate on MRO work,” he says. “We’ve seen an increase in traffic and 30%-plus of business is coming from new customers. We believe that the aircraft types covered at Biggin Hill complement our capabilities at our JETS Bournemouth operation.”
EBACE

Comlux and Universal for Ground Handling

May 20, 2014
Comlux (Booth 5152) and Universal Aviation (Booth 6534) have a new agreement for ground handling and FBO services at 14 airports, primarily in Europe and Asia. “Comlux appreciates that by leveraging our global community they can be certain that our Universal teams on every continent will partner with them to ensure the highest levels of ground support and be able to manage even the most challenging and customized requests,” said Universal Weather and Aviation senior international VP Jonathan Howells.
EBACE

L-3’s Top Five VVIP Customer “Must-Haves”

May 20, 2014
L-3 Platform Integration’s VIP and Head-of-State Completion Center has defined the five top “must-haves” that customers request on new VVIP completions: 1. Broadband Internet. “More than ever,” says L-3, “customers want high bandwidth throughout the aircraft.”
EBACE

This FANS Solution Is Not Hot Air(cell)

May 20, 2014
Flight connectivity specialist Aircell is here in Geneva with two ready-made and cost-effective answers to forthcoming cockpit data link mandates. First deliveries are due next month.
EBACE

L-3 Does Widebodies at Waco

May 20, 2014
L-3’s Platform Integration unit reports a four-year extension of Organization Designation Authorization from the U.S. FAA, noting too that it’s been approved to modify the Boeing 787. The ODA allows L-3 to issue its own certificates of airworthiness and supplemental type certificates. The firm has made 50 VIP aircraft deliveries, of types ranging from the Boeing Business Jet to the Airbus ACJ340.
EBACE

Aircell Offers Month’s Free Airborne Broadband

May 20, 2014
Having become a single-source provider of SwiftBroadband in-flight connectivity, Aircell offers new customers a fly-before-buy evaluation of its latest service. Onboard equipment, airtime and highly rated product support are all included in the package.
EBACE

Landmark Aviation Expands Into UK

May 20, 2014
Landmark Aviation is increasing its presence in the U.K. with the acquisition of RSS Jet Center Limited. The acquisition gives Landmark three locations in the U.K. – London Luton, Manchester, and Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The newest Landmark Aviation bases expand the FBO chain’s reach in Europe to 13 locations, including ten in France.
EBACE

AMAC Turkey Wins Dassault Service Center Approval

May 20, 2014
Having become a single-source provider of SwiftBroadband in-flight connectivity, Aircell offers new customers a fly-before-buy evaluation of its latest service. Onboard equipment, airtime and highly rated product support are all included in the package.
EBACE

NBAA, Shanghai Renew ABACE Agreement

May 20, 2014
The National Business Aviation Association and the Shanghai Airport Authority (SAA) have extended their partnership for five more years, firmly planting ABACE – the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition – at Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport through 2021. NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen and SAA VP Wang Jijie formally signed the extension during ABACE2014, following up on the first five­-year pact signed in June 2011.
EBACE

EuroAirport Basel Teams Up With Avfuel

May 20, 2014
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg-based FBO and VIP handling provider Air Service Basel (Booth 1212) has partnered with Avfuel Corporation (Booth 4634) to offer its branded aviation fuels and pilot programs, and to take advantage of Avfuel's operational and training systems.
EBACE

EBACE 2014 Day 1 Briefs

May 20, 2014
EBACE 2014 Day 1 Briefs
EBACE

Japan Makes Strides In BizJet Access

May 20, 2014
Japan is beginning to make strides in improving access for business aviation, but Masaaki Kai, senior director general for the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), concedes the operations are still relatively few and more needs to be accomplished. The number of business aviation arrivals and departures in Japan topped 13,000 in 2013, up by nearly 1,300 from a year earlier. At Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, business aircraft traffic jumped by 30%. Nagoya Airport, which had fewer than 80 business aircraft arrivals, is preparing for a steady rise in traffic.
EBACE

Qatar Executive Boosts Bombardier Maintenance Services

May 20, 2014
Qatar Executive has strengthened its position as a provider of maintenance services for Bombardier aircraft in the Middle East following approval from the Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority to conduct line maintenance on Bombardier’s Challenger 604s/605s and Globals. The company recently received a similar approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands for Bombardier aircraft registered in the western Caribbean state.
EBACE

London City Fights Off New Economics Foundation Report

Mike Vines May 20, 2014
The Press Office at London City Airport had a tough time in early April batting off a media assault that grew to epidemic proportions. It was caused by a report from the New Economics Foundation suggesting that London City Airport should be closed and re-developed for housing. NEF’s challenge: Does it make sense to locate an airport in such precious inner-city space? What if we reclaimed this historic site and built a new neighborhood, incorporating the best thinking about sustainable urban design?
EBACE

Munich Executive Open for Business

Mike Vines May 20, 2014
Munich Executive Airport is open for business and all it takes is a phone call to fly there, says Johannes Graf von Shaesberg, chairman and CEO of Rheinland Air Service. The company operates the FBO and offers complete airport passenger and crew services. “The perception is that Oberpfenhoffen/Munich Executive is still restricted to based aircraft and limited to flights booked to visit businesses here,” von Shaesberg says. “This is no longer the case.”
EBACE

Still Justifying Business Jet Usage

Mike Vines May 20, 2014
Munich Executive Airport is open for business and all it takes is a phone call to fly there, says Johannes Graf von Shaesberg, chairman and CEO of Rheinland Air Service. The company operates the FBO and offers complete airport passenger and crew services. “The perception is that Oberpfenhoffen/Munich Executive is still restricted to based aircraft and limited to flights booked to visit businesses here,” von Shaesberg says. “This is no longer the case.”
EBACE

TrueNorth Introduces Optelity Wi-Fi

May 20, 2014
TrueNorth Avionics (Booth 4441) is launching the Optelity Wi-Fi platform as an adjunct to its Simphone OpenCabin communication products. The Optelity communications suite is designed to accommodate the latest passenger devices, as well as future technology developments.
EBACE

Satcom1 for SwiftBroadband

May 20, 2014
Denmark’s Satcom1, a longtime service provider for Inmarsat SwiftBroadband equipment, has been named a distribution partner for the global business and VVIP aviation market. The agreement means that Satcom1 will be able to improve its level of support in terms of activation and airtime, real-time trouble-shooting, and diagnostics, the company says.
EBACE

Embraer Unveils Enhancements at EBACE

May 20, 2014
With Embraer’s business jet portfolio close to completion with the upcoming certification of its midsize Legacy 500 and mid-light Legacy 450, the Brazilian manufacturer is using EBACE to showcase its renewed focus on systems upgrades and improvements to the state-of-the-art interiors across its full range.
EBACE

Where Are the Investors?

May 20, 2014
The worldwide business jet market is on course for a steady return to the good times but for one major ingredient – the lack of willing investors.
EBACE

PrivateFly Predicts Instant Pricing

Mike Vines May 20, 2014
“We will see instant [online] pricing within the next few years,” says Adam Twiddell, the founder and CEO of online booking specialist PrivateFly. At the moment customers can get five quotes in five minutes if they are Europe- or U.S.-based but this only gives a market estimate of the price which still has to be confirmed by the aircraft’s operator.
EBACE

EASA Approves Raisbeck Swept Blade Propellers

May 20, 2014
Raisbeck Engineering’s Swept Blade Propellers for the Beechcraft King Air C90 series have been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency. “Our new Swept Blade Propellers were designed to the current standards of the FAA. This allowed for a quick and very smooth process when requesting the Supplemental Type Certificate from EASA,” said Bill Lally, VP, customer support.
EBACE

Gulfstream Announces G650ER

May 19, 2014
Gulfstream slapped down a new gauntlet on Monday with the introduction of the 7,500-nm range G650ER, claimed by the firm to be the world’s longest-range business jet. Just as impressively, Savannah’s new über-jet will be able to fly 6,400 nm at Mach 0.90.
Business Aviation