“We’re open for business,” says Stanley Bugeja, European Business Aviation Association board member and president of MBAA, the Malta Business Aviation Association. “Come here.” Malta, the Mediterranean island country with the lowest taxes in the EU, is “giving London a good run for its money,” Bugeja says, with a strong presence of IT, banking and insurance firms.
The company is boosting its focus on solutions and innovation under a plan, announced this week, to quadruple its investment in R&D for product, service and technology from EUR50 million over the past five years to EUR200 million over the next four years. At the same time, it has restructured its organization to coordinate R&D company-wide for the airline and VIP markets.
The first two production ARJ21 regional airliners are being outfitted ahead of local certification, but in a surprise move on May 10, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China accepted an order for a corporate version from Shanghai Salt Merchants Group Ltd. The existence of an ARJ21-700 bizjet was unsuspected until now, although the manufacturer’s “hope that Salt Merchants Group is able to provide valuable opinions on this jet” suggests that an interior configuration is still to be defined.
The large and privately owned Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (Marshall ADG), which has a turnover of some £1.5 billion, is looking to increase its civil and business aviation work from 5% to 18%.
Altitude Aerospace Interiors marked the first quarter 2014 with the customer delivery of its first green Boeing Business Jet completion, and the center is already at work outfitting a second green BBJ at its facilities in Auckland, New Zealand.
Greenpoint Technologies of Kirkland, Washington is a long way from its home on the U.S. West Coast but, as the first completion center to take on the outfitting of an executive 787, Greenpoint and its sister companies are a major presence here at EBACE 2014. The first of two 787 BBJ completion projects is due to arrive later this year, and Greenpoint’s wide-body outfitting facility at Moses Lake, Washington is in the final stages of renovation for the big VIP variant of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
At least three VIP completions centers are making a pre-emptive strike against overcapacity in the narrowbody market by going down market with cheaper, simpler interiors.
Rosen Sunvisor Systems is promoting a fully adjustable iPad mount for monorail-equipped cockpits at Booth 6125. The new Rosen mount features “multidirectional adjustability, convenient and fully adjustable deployment presentation and one-hand tension control and locking,” the company says. “The engineering behind the mount allows the iPad to be easily stowed up and out of the way while remaining clamped to the rail, or quickly removed for use while on the ground.”
After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Akron and University of Cincinnati, respectively, Ernest spent 29 years working as an executive for GE Aviation, headquartered in Cincinnati. In the course of his career at GE, he oversaw its sourcing organization and assumed responsibility for its North American operations and large aviation services businesses located in Singapore and Strother, Kansas.
Web Manuals Sweden AB is celebrating here as its latest European customer, Zurich-based Premium Jet, goes live with its document management system. Premium Jet will use Web Manuals to digitize and distribute operational and compliance documentation, providing savings in time and administrative costs and improved regulatory compliance.
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.
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.
