ABACE is increasingly becoming an international show with a uniquely Asian touch, according to NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. In its eighth edition in Shanghai, the show now features more speakers and exhibitors from China and Asia. This year, about 40 percent of the exhibitors are from Asia and a number of local speakers delivered presentations and educational sessions.
“Companies big and small come with hopes and goals on what their investment is going to do and who they are going to meet,” Bolen said. “They have told me that the show has met and exceeded expectations and, in some cases, delighted them.”
He said the presence of the various companies this year underscores their commitment to the Asian market, despite some uncertainty in the marketplace. For example, Gulfstream had its largest-ever presence at the show, and Bombardier showing off the new Global 7500 for its first airshow debut "is a strong statement,” he added. “ABACE is a big stage, and [companies] put their best people and product in the bright spotlight.”
ABACE 2019 included a panel dedicated to eVTOL technology for the first time, and Bolen said next year's show will also have some eVTOL elements. Co-organizers NBAA and the Asian Business Aviation Association said they will continue to tailor ABACE to the latest trends and technology in this dynamic region.
Beijing Bizav Group Tackles Cost of Flying in China
The Beijing Business Aviation Association (BBAA) has developed a pilot-sharing system to help China business aircraft operators not only save money on crew costs but also increase safety and efficiency. According to BBAA director general Frank Fang, the pilot-sharing effort is the first step, and during the ABACE show this week BBAA members met again to discuss possible cost savings in MRO and ground handling.
Fang said this effort will help operators in China achieve greater efficiency and lower costs, which are higher than for operators in other parts of the world despite the actual operating cost of aircraft being similar and staffing costs being, in general, lower. The BBAA Flight Professional Committee has been working on this effort for the past year, and now the agreement template is finalized and available on the association's website for members to download and use.
Being based in Beijing is ideal for BBAA as it needs to focus on influencing policy and educating politicians and regulators about business aviation and what would help it prosper, Fang said. He conceded that it is a long path but said a step-by-step approach by the association is already producing results in areas such as reducing the cost of airport ground handling, the number-one issue at present for its members.
While major aerospace manufacturers are finalizing designs for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, a number of Chinese private firms have unveiled their respective designs and begun trial flights alongside regulators.
Ehang unveiled its first eVTOL product, the Ehang 184, three years ago and just last week demonstrated the capability of the two-seat Ehang 216 in the Generali Arena in Vienna, Austria. The company is conducting trials with the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) in Taizhong and is carrying out routine ferry flights for tourists between a hotel and tourist attractions.
German-registered company AutoFlightX also took the covers off its latest eVTOL solution, the V600. Founded by Chinese entrepreneur Tian Yu in February 2018, the company hopes it can make its first air cargo delivery by 2022 and carry its first air-taxi passenger by 2025.
Shane Tedjarati, Honeywell president of the company's global high-growth regions, said the industry needs hundreds of tech entrepreneurs to make the eVTOL scene thrive and he has no doubt eVTOL will take off in China.
“I already think autonomous vehicles will become common in China before the U.S.,” he said. ”There is no worry about adoption as Chinese are willing to test and try. It's digital, and [cellphone] technology is an example [where] the adoption rate is so fast.”
Gulfstream Aerospace finalized the sale of a G650 large-cabin ultra-long-range business jet on Monday, on the eve of the ABACE 2019 show, to Jiachen Group, a steel recycling company based in Dashiqiao City, Liaoning Province, northeast of Beijing. The closest airport to the city is Anshan Teng'ao Airport, a little-served airport and military base.
Scott Neal, senior vice president of worldwide sales for the Savannah, Georgia-based U.S. aircraft manufacturer, welcomed the commitment from Jiachen Group, saying that the group’s founder, Sun Shoukan, showed “commitment to technological transformation…Mr. Sun knew the G650 would enable him to fly farther and faster.”
At a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85 the G650 can fly 7,000 nm, and at Mach 0.90 it is capable of flying 6,000 nm, while its maximum operating Mach number is 0.925. The G650 can be configured to accommodate up to 19 passengers and can sleep 10.
Ameco, Lufthansa Technik Plan East-West Cabin Design
Ameco and Lufthansa Technik have strengthened their cooperation in business aircraft services, with the addition of technical support for Chinese aircraft operators and a new VIP narrowbody bizliner cabin design called “Nature’s Touch.” Designed initially for outfitting the Airbus ACJ320, Nature’s Touch is also adaptable to the Boeing BBJ.
Their design “combines the cultures of East and West,” according to the companies, “exploring the harmonious beauty in the symbiosis of nature, technology, and human demands [and] offering a brand-new business jet traveling experience for customers.” A conceptual interior employs traditional Chinese colors, including creamy moonlight beige, bamboo green, and jade crimson, complementing a subtle striping of bamboo wood grain and bamboo elements that include knuckles, leaves, and woven artifacts, which blend with other natural materials such as marble, leather, wool, and silk.
The cabin layout features a galley that can be used for live cooking, a guest area, lounge, dining and meeting zone, cinema, and master bedroom. The lounge is fitted with a convertible sofa and coffee table, as well as a bar with transformable dividers. In the cinema, passengers can watch movies on a 75-inch roll-up/down screen.
“With this new concept, we want to showcase our joint vision for the next generation of cabin technology,” said Jan Grube, Lufthansa Technik head of Asia sales. “Here, Chinese design and German technology play hand in hand."
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