LABACE 2020 Delayed but Not Canceled

“[LABACE] will take place in 2020, but on a later date” due to the Covid-19 crisis, fair organizer Brazilian general aviation association ABAG said this week. It hopes to move forward with Latin America’s biggest business aviation event but stressed the decision is preliminary and the new dates still undetermined. This year’s fair, originally scheduled from August 11 to 13, was expected to celebrate Brazil’s recovery from its longest modern recession.

The event has been delayed before—the 2016 Olympics pushed LABACE to early September. And show exhibitors and attendees are accustomed to fair details being finalized late, which might be an advantage since the rescheduled date will depend on the battle against Covid-19.

Availability of the Congonhas Airport venue is also uncertain, but ABAG has since late 2018 quietly worked for runway resistance certification and instrument procedures for São Paulo’s other downtown airport, Campo de Marte, so that it too can host LABACE.

For now, ABAG has concentrated efforts on mitigating the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on the general aviation sector instead of planning for LABACE. Brazilian aviation agency ANAC has extended the validity of licenses and other certifications expiring through the end of June and waived required safety meetings. ABAG has also opened a WhatsApp channel for members to relate “needs and difficulties, especially those that can be addressed by government actions.”

Duncan Sees Dip in Discretionary Spending but Steady Mx

While Duncan Aviation has seen some business drop-off during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is seeing many operators use this time to catch up on maintenance, Jeff Lake, COO of the MRO provider, said during an AIN webinar yesterday. “Our shops are still pretty full in many areas,” he said, adding business has been better than the company initially thought it would be during the crisis. “We’ve been pleasantly surprised with the amount of work we have right now.”

The key down areas of business, he added, involve discretionary spending, such as avionics or interior updates and paint. “We have some shops on reduced hours,” he added, and the company has implemented flexible scheduling. But Lake said one of the lessons learned from the so-called “Great Recession” a decade ago was the need to cross-train employees. This has enabled Duncan to shift some employees from areas where business has dipped to busier areas.

Its Rapid Response teams and satellite operations are particularly busy, Lake noted. Many operators cannot or do not want to reposition aircraft during the pandemic and have requested aircraft work be conducted at their location. Another busy area, he added, has been sales and acquisition activity.

January, February Accidents Surpass All of 1Q19

All but one of the reported 13 accidents of U.S.-registered jets and turboprops in the first quarter occurred in January and February—before Covid-19 started grounding much of business aviation last month. Nevertheless, the accidents, fatalities, and incidents involving U.S.-registered turbine business airplanes in these first two months exceeded those in last year's first quarter, according to preliminary data compiled by AIN.

Although both comparable periods had a single fatal accident, the two pilots and two passengers who died in the February 8 crash of a Cessna Citation 501 was double that from the two pilots who perished in the March 18, 2019 crash of an IAI Westwind 1124.

While nonfatal accidents involving U.S.-registered turboprops increased from one in the first quarter of last year to five this past January and February, the number of fatal accidents declined. Data indicates that three people perished in the February 20 crash of a Beech King Air B200 trying to return to the departure airport after reporting an electrical problem versus seven fatalities in three turboprop crashes last year.

Meanwhile, 11 people died in two non-U.S.-registered business jet accidents in the first three months of this year compared to zero fatalities in the same period last year. There were no fatalities in non-U.S.-registered business turboprops in the quarter versus one accident that killed two in first-quarter 2019.

Honeywell Cuts Break for Mx Service Plan Customers

Honeywell Maintenance Service Plan (MSP) customers enrolled in the aircraft systems manufacturer’s engine and APU programs are getting a break on some services in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Phoenix-based company said in a letter to customers dated yesterday. “Honeywell Aerospace recognizes that these are unprecedented and uncertain times,” said the letter, which was signed by Travis Hollowell, Honeywell's v-p of business and general aviation in the Americas.

Through June 30, 2020, Honeywell is reducing the MSP minimum flight hours for engines and APUs by 50 percent for the March through June period. It also is extending the time for returns whose shipping could be affected by the pandemic, including seven additional days for rental engines and APUs, and an additional 14 days for spares exchange.

“Your well-being is important to us, both during stable environments and in more challenging times such as these,” the letter said. “This relief is Honeywell’s way of giving back to you, our customers, and thanking you for your loyalty and trust in MSP.”

Aero Supply Chain Becoming Key Concern During Covid

While measures were implemented early on that have enabled aircraft manufacturing to continue during the Covid-19 crisis, supply chain issues are growing and might play a significant role in the speed of recovery once the pandemic eases, warned General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce.

Speaking during an AIN-hosted webinar yesterday, Bunce said a decision by the Department of Homeland security to recognize aircraft manufacturing and maintenance as essential activity has helped companies continue to operate. While some manufacturers have disrupted production lines, many companies have had to adjust workflows and shift schedules, as well as implement other measures, to ensure worker health and safety.

But as the crisis has continued, a number of smaller suppliers have had to halt operations in the face of positive Covid-19 tests or regional restrictions. This has become particularly important because OEMs have increasingly turned to a just-in-time parts model, Bunce said. This has made the manufacturers particularly dependent on suppliers, he said, adding it is an issue globally. “The supply chain becomes very critical to what the course will be as we go through the rest of the year.”

As manufacturers grapple with supply chain issues, they have turned to other work to assist in Covid relief efforts, including switching lines and retooling to produce personal protective gear and other medical equipment, Bunce noted.

Florida Airport Looks To Attract Major MRO Tenant

Florida’s Treasure Coast International Airport (FPR) has broken ground on a 28,500-sq-ft hangar project that it believes will become the cornerstone of a new MRO campus. The $7.3 million facility is being funded jointly by the Florida Department of Transportation, a grant from the Federal Economic Development Agency, and St. Lucie County.

The airport has issued an RFP for companies looking to lease and operate the hangar, which will have a door height of 44 feet and a door width of 170 feet to accommodate bizliners and will be equipped with a wet automatic sprinkler/high expansion foam system. Located on the east side of the field, the project will include a large ramp area and is expected to be completed this summer.

The RFP reflects current planning initiatives by encouraging proposals that include development concepts beyond the hangar itself, and proposals must be submitted by Friday, May 29 at 4 p.m. Further plans call for the development of the Fort Pierce airport’s west side as a corporate hangar campus, in partnership with a private sector partner or partners.

According to the county, FPR generates more than $509 million in economic impact to the region annually.

Wheels Up Launches 'Meals Up' Covid-19 Response

Private aviation provider Wheels Up has partnered with its brand ambassador, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, and hunger relief organization Feeding America on Meals Up, a new initiative that will supply 10 million meals for those facing hunger during the Covid-19 crisis.

Feeding America has established an extensive network of food banks across the country over the past four decades, and for the 37 million Americans who experience food insecurity on a daily basis, as well as those facing the prospect of quarantine, layoffs, and lost wages, the Covid-19 pandemic will mean an increased reliance on and demand for those local food banks.

Wheels Up, along with several of its high-profile ambassadors/members, has already contributed seven million meals through the charity, on its way to the target 10 million. CEO Kenny Dichter, in an interview late last week on CNBC, referenced President John F. Kennedy’s historic “Ask not what your country and do for you, ask what you can do for your country” speech in urging his fellow CEOs and entrepreneurs to step up and lend their assistance during this time of national emergency.

He also offered the services of his company's aircraft to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to transport volunteer medics wherever they might be needed.

CCX Adds New Tester Features

After introducing its new T-RX avionics radio testers a year ago, CCX Technologies has added a GPS signal generator and VDL Mode 2 capabilities to the testers.

Avionics technicians use the GPS signal generator to generate GPS signals with specific position and track information for testing GPS navigation systems. For aircraft that fly in airspace where controller-pilot datalink communication (CPDLC) is used in non-oceanic airspace, VDL Mode 2 (VHF datalink) is the technology for that capability. The T-RX’s new features allow for testing receiving and transmitting functions of the VDL Mode 2 transceiver. The new testing capabilities can be added to existing T-RX units.

“With mandates fast approaching and operators expecting the highest standards of aircraft maintenance, we are optimistic that maintainers and techs will appreciate the ease with which they can add these new tests to their T-RX,” said CCX president Chris Bartlett. “Several users have told us that being able to do the majority of their avionics radio testing with a single device will help save them time and effort.”

The new capabilities were the result of user feedback, according to CCX. The GPS signal generator and VDL Mode 2 testing capability can be added to the T-RX with purchase of a license key.