Gogo Business Aviation is extending the coverage area of its 5G network into Canada, the in-flight connectivity provider announced today during the Aircraft Electronics Association’s annual Convention and Tradeshow in Orlando, Florida. Having completed a critical design review of the 5G chip earlier this year, Gogo anticipates that its 5G service will launch commercially in the contiguous U.S. in the fourth quarter and expand to Canada next year.
“Building on our nationwide network in the contiguous United States, expanding into Canada will allow our customers to realize enhanced in-flight connectivity in more destinations and routes where they fly,” said Gogo president and COO Sergio Aguirre. “We have been planning for this and I know our network deployment and field operations teams are ready to execute.”
Gogo’s 5G service is expected to provide speeds of about 25 Mbps on average, with peak speeds between 75 and 80 Mbps, facilitating heavy-data applications such as videoconferencing, live TV, and gaming.
The service is provided through Gogo’s Avance L5 platform, which enables customers who have invested ahead of time to easily upgrade to 5G. In addition, Avance users will have an easy upgrade path to Gogo’s global low-earth-orbit satcom solution in the future, the company said.
Billy Nolen, who stepped into the role of acting FAA administrator in April 2022 just months after he joined the agency, announced late Friday that he will be stepping down. Nolen initially joined the FAA at the beginning of 2022 to serve as associate administrator for aviation safety but took over the acting role after former FAA Administrator Steve Dickson left halfway through his five-year term.
“I will depart as a new nominee [for FAA Administrator] is named this summer,” he said. “I have given everything to this agency, and now it’s time to do the same for my family, who have sacrificed so much and supported me during my time at the FAA.”
Nolen brought a more than 30-year aviation career with him to the agency, having served in operations, regulatory, and corporate roles with airlines and with Airlines for America. During his short tenure with the FAA, the agency faced intense scrutiny as the airlines struggled to emerge from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and as a number of close safety calls became widely reported in recent months.
At the same time, Nolen had earned respect on Capitol Hill, with Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) suggesting that he would face an easy confirmation should the White House nominate him for the administrator’s role on a permanent basis.
The number of business jets available on the market is continuing to slowly increase, according to the latest report from Jefferies Equity Research. The 922 available aircraft this month represented a 59 percent rise from the near-record lows seen a year ago, with inventory now accounting for 3.6 percent of the total fleet, including all models and vintages.
According to Jefferies’s analysts, that inventory is still well below the five-year average of 5.6 percent. For aircraft currently in production or out of production for less than seven years, inventory increased by 93 percent year-over-year, standing at 2.9 percent of that segment.
While the number of aircraft on market has increased, so too has the pricing in many cases. The report also noted that average asking prices rose 15 percent from a year ago across most manufacturers, led by Cessna and Embraer (+23 percent), Bombardier (+20 percent), and Dassault Falcon (+14 percent).
Among the major five OEMs, only Gulfstream saw a drop in asking prices, which fell 6 percent. The report stated there were 17 G650s for sale with an average price of $49.4 million, a slight decline from the $51.5 million average last year. For the G550, inventory jumped from three in 2022 to 18 this year, or nearly 3 percent of the model produced, with the average list price down by 32 percent year-over-year.
EASA has updated its Third Country Operator (TCO) requirements, which apply to non-European-registered aircraft operators conducting commercial flights into, within, and out of any European Union nation. Such flights include unscheduled business aircraft charters. Private flights remain exempt and TCO authorization is not required for operators overflying EU nations without intending to land.
The agency's revisions, effective with TCO authorization applications submitted after mid-April, cover three broad areas: technical requirements and administrative procedures; acceptable means of compliance and guidance material; and TCO authorization procedures. EASA emphasized that the updates are intended to enhance understanding of the current rules, not to fundamentally change them.
In addition to “cleaning, clarifying, and removing inconsistencies, and improving coherence,” EASA said, the revisions are being made to foster the risk-based approach to help the agency develop an improved level of confidence in the processing, assessment, compliance, and suspension of authorizations awarded to third-country operators.
Under the heading of “new or amended text,” EASA clarified when a TCO authorization is required other than for flights to “embark or disembark passengers or cargo for remuneration.” For example, TSO approvals are needed by commercial operations making technical stops—such as for fueling or crew changes. Operations do not require TCO authorization in emergency or other situations that force an unplanned landing or a diversion to a flight-planned designated alternate airport.
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Million Air will assume control of one of the two FBOs at Alabama’s Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (KBHM) after being selected as the winner in an RFP process. Atlantic Aviation previously controlled both facilities, but to foster competition the airport authority decided to place the east-side location at the field up for proposals. Atlantic will continue to operate the west-side FBO.
Houston-based Million Air was awarded a 22-year lease with an eight-year extension. In return, the company, which operates 35 FBOs mainly in North America, will spend $32 million on a new facility. This investment will include a 10,000-sq-ft terminal, a pair of 30,000-sq-ft corporate aircraft hangars, and a 24,000-sq-ft hangar dedicated to smaller, privately owned aircraft.
Incorporating iron and red brick to pay homage to the city’s brick and steel industry, the new FBO will replace the current 1960s-era facility. While the groundbreaking date for the new complex has yet to be determined, Million Air will operate from the east-side FBO starting on June 1.
“We are proud to partner with the Birmingham Airport Authority, whose commitments to the airport’s growth and development are paralleled with our own,” said Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey. “We are confident we can deliver a facility, level of service, and amenities that will be unrivaled at this airport.”
Absolute Aviation has become the first business aircraft broker based in Africa to join the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA). Founded in 2001 by CEO Neil Howard, Absolute has aircraft dealership facilities in Lanseria and Cape Town, South Africa, as well as in Maun, Botswana; Lomé, Togo; and Zurich. An authorized representative for Beechcraft, Cessna, and Leonardo, the dealer offers preowned and new aircraft sales, flight services, aircraft parts and engine distribution, and maintenance.
IADA executive director Wayne Starling said the addition of Absolute to its membership base “further advances IADA’s global reach and effectiveness.” Howard added, “Absolute Aviation is excited about becoming part of IADA’s expanding international network of aircraft resale dealers who operate with integrity.”
IADA members must commit to a code of business ethics and demonstrate their standards through an accreditation process that is renewed every three years. The association noted that just 7 percent of the world’s aircraft dealers have earned IADA accreditation, but they are responsible for 40 percent of the world's business aircraft preowned sales, averaging more than 700 transactions and $6 billion in volume each year.
Scotland’s Inverness Airport is the latest aviation gateway to stock continuous supplies of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The fuel, supplied by World Fuel Services, is a 35 percent SAF blend and available to all customers at the airport, which is operated by the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) Group.
Inverness will be the first of the company's locations to continually offer SAF and likely not its last. According to HIAL, there is an ongoing demand for SAF beyond previous trials and one-off deliveries. HIAL is said it is committed to becoming a net-zero regional airport group and the offering of SAF is a key part of that strategy. It has already taken several steps toward that goal, including the installation of solar-powered passenger boarding ramps, the acquisition of electric or hybrid ground power units, and the replacement of traditionally powered vehicles with electrically powered units.
“At HIAL we are committed to reducing our environmental impact,” said managing director Inglis Lyon. “As an operator of 11 airports, it is important to work with aviation partners to decarbonize flights within Scotland, and SAF will play a vital role to help meet the Scottish government’s target to create the world’s first net-zero aviation region by 2040.”
Aircraft systems and services provider Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG), in cooperation with the VanAllen Group, has completed the first Leonardo AW139 equipped with the newly certified Honeywell Primus Epic Phase 8 avionics for a U.S.-based customer. MAG also installed the first Honeywell RDR-7000 weather radar system on the intermediate twin-turbine helicopter as well as provisions for the Skytrac SDL-350 onboard server and satcom system.
“Along with the interior, MAG customized the AW139 with exterior cameras, sun visors, crew iPads, and additional USB charging points,” said Massimo Pugnali, president of MAG’s Bensalem, Pennsylvania Part 145 MRO and completion facility.
The AW139 completion also included the installation of a VVIP luxury cabin interior with Mecaer’s Silens sound-damping interior panels and proprietary I-Feel in-flight entertainment enhanced lounge and cabin management system. Silens (speech interference level enhanced noise system) interior panels provide limousine-style privacy and a cabin quiet enough for conversation without headsets. The I-Feel cabin system features Wi-Fi, moving maps, audio/video functions, electrochromic window controls, and ambient light controls, all of which are controllable from a user’s paired smart device or smartwatch.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
Which of the following traits have been shown to belong to pilots prone to having accidents?
A. Disdain towards rules.
B. Thrill- and adventure-seeking personality.
C. Disregard or underuse sources of information.
D. All of the above.
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