There is a saying in the aviation business that if you’ve seen one airport…you’ve seen one airport. There may be truth in that axiom, but not when you’re talking about a shortage of hangar space among the top 200 or so airports frequented by business aviation passengers. The problem is not new to the industry, but it has become more acute over time for multiple reasons, the first being simply that large markets tend to attract large amounts of business aircraft.
“The problem is people want to be in Los Angeles, Teterboro, Miami, DFW—they want to be in specific places,” said Milo Zonka, vice president of real estate with Florida-based FBO operator and hangar developer Sheltair. “Florida, in general, is definitely constrained—everything from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Naples, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville is full. Of course, we’re really talking about those hangars that can accommodate anything. If you are scrounging for a 16- to 18-foot hangar for a light jet, you might be able to find something in a secondary market.”
Consolidation, Covid-19, unprecedented demand, and stock exchange listings—the charter industry has been on a wild ride of late, bringing both opportunities and challenges.The U.S. has dominated the global air charter market, and activity stateside is up about 55 percent over pandemic-stunted 2020, according to Colorado-based Argus International.
Both Argus and Hamburg, Germany–based WingX have reported some cooling of demand growth in the U.S., and a greater fall-off in Europe, though demand overall is expected to remain 15 to 20 percent above pre-pandemic levels.
The Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB) in March moved to “change the system,” signing off on 55 recommendations surrounding culture, recruitment, retention, advancement, and data to draw more females into the industry.
Congress established the 30-member WIAAB in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 to address the long-standing gender gap in the aviation workforce. Comprising industry and academic leaders, the WIAAB found that, with the exception of flight attendants, women represent 20 percent or fewer of most major aviation job categories.
Two large pilot-training providers—CAE and Flight Safety International (FSI)—are gearing up for the emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) market.
FSI plans to “develop eVTOL-specific pilot and maintenance training programs utilizing our experience of over 70 years in the training business,” said Kelly Reich, FSI senior v-p strategic operations. “We will leverage our existing training philosophy and focus on the unique equipment and operational needs of these new aircraft. We currently have various team members working with multiple agencies providing input on what regulatory changes should occur” and are helping “to identify the appropriate training needs, which drives the overall training curriculum.”
The closer you examine the task of establishing a green airline, the clearer it becomes that it does not begin and end with sourcing net-zero carbon aircraft. Evia Aero is a case in point—while the German startup has made provisional commitments to a pair of electric aircraft developers, it is currently more preoccupied with getting a somewhat daunting operational ecosystem in place.
“First you have to be sure that you can operate as a truly sustainable aviation company,” Evia Aero founder Florian Kruse said. The Bremen-based venture plans to invest in photovoltaic solar energy plants at the airports it intends to serve to fulfill its commitment to being self-sufficient in green energy, which could include electricity and hydrogen fuel. The next step will be installing the required refueling and recharging facilities.
Menominee, Michigan-based Enstrom Helicopter is back, though it hit a few bumps along the road from bankruptcy in January 2022 to flying the first helicopter produced under its new ownership earlier this year. That said, the company is now on a trajectory to certify significant upgrades for its piston and turbine helicopter models and have a production tempo of three aircraft per month by year-end, Enstrom v-p of sales and marketing Dennis Martin told AIN.
Last year at Heli-Expo, a group that included the owners of Midlothian, Texas-based MidTex Aviation announced an agreement to acquire nearly all of then-bankrupt Enstrom’s assets, with plans to reopen the company in mid-April. However, the main investor in this venture passed away shortly after the announcement, leaving the group without funding to close the deal.
In a bid to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, flag carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) is undergoing flight trials using two Boeing 737-800s to test the durability of “sharkskin” riblet technology to boost fuel efficiency by reducing friction drag on the airplane's skin. Applied in a specific manner, the exterior riblet coating imitates the skin of sharks and diminishes the effects of skin friction by moving vortices away from the aircraft’s surface. According to JAL, the application of sharkskin riblets can improve fuel savings by 2 percent.
The test campaign is being carried out under a joint research agreement involving JAL, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), industrial paint company O-Well, and Nikon Corp. Boeing is also working in cooperation with JAL’s engineering arm to optimize the coating application process.
Helicopter Association International wrapped its 2023 Heli-Expo on Thursday in Atlanta, drawing more than 12,400 attendees from 97 counties and featuring 639 exhibitors alongside 49 aircraft on display. The association estimated that some $2 billion in business was conducted during the event that was a forum for orders, new equipment, announced aircraft upgrades such as an IFR Airbus H125, and a preview of far-reaching projects such as the Sikorsky/GE HEX eVTOL. Noting that the international vertical aviation community gathered for the event, HAI also made a push to broaden its reach in an effort that may result in rebranding.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
AINalerts is a publication of AIN Media Group, 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
