Results in AIN’s 2023 Product Support Survey showed a tie in the business jet category between Gulfstream and Textron Aviation, each of which posted an overall average score of 8.1—just one-tenth of a point ahead of last year’s top scorer, Embraer. Meanwhile, helicopter maker Leonardo finished in the top spot among all companies still producing aircraft with an 8.7 rating. Finally, Pilatus’s support of the PC-12 turboprop earned the highest score among all in-production fixed-wing aircraft at 8.6, equaling its score from 2022.

Virtually every company surveyed continued to feel the results of supply chain constraints, reactions to which appeared varyingly effective in mitigating its impact. Efforts to relieve the pressure took several forms among the respondents, including more communication and hands-on help for suppliers, increasing inventory levels, and maintaining closer ties with teardown agencies to help supplement its parts inventory.

Other factors included a need for more staffing as several companies added or continue the process of adding more square footage for MRO operations and parts warehousing.

A total of 593 respondents completed the survey this year, 402 of which hailed from North America. Latin America followed with 50 responses and Europe and Asia-Pacific with 46 each, with the remainder from the rest of the world.

Johann Bordais, president and CEO of Embraer Services & Support, is taking the helm of Eve Air Mobility as CEO, effective September 1. An announcement on a new leader of Services & Support is expected in the coming weeks, the Brazilian manufacturer said.

Bordais joined Embraer in 2000 and is credited with turning its services business into a global, rapidly growing, and most profitable unit—last year services accounted for $1.27 billion, or 28 percent of total company revenue. The Services & Support unit was formally established in 2016, covering commercial, executive, and defense lines. It comprises more than 2,300 employees and covers 5,700 aircraft worldwide.

Meanwhile, Embraer continues to move to broaden its talent pipeline, opening applications for 50 scholarships through its Social Tech Careers program. In its third edition, the career acceleration program is dedicated to women this year, providing an opportunity for students to learn to work with data analysis and the Python programming language for data science, artificial intelligence, and automation applications.

The initiative is conducted through Gama Academy, which trains professionals for the digital market. “Embraer Social Tech combines education and innovation to contribute to the development of a more inclusive society,” said Andreza Alberto, Embraer v-p of people, ESG, and corporate communications.

The course lasts four months, after which participants join Embraer and partner companies' talent databases for future selection processes.

Gilat Satellite Networks will develop an electronically steered antenna (ESA) in partnership with Satcom Direct, which will enable the Florida-based satcom provider to offer airborne connectivity on the OneWeb low-earth orbit constellation starting in 2025. 

The ultra-low profile ESA will become part of Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple antenna family. Adding OneWeb services and hardware to Satcom Direct’s portfolio will expand the choices that business aviation operators have for OneWeb satcom, which until this announcement included just Gogo Business Aviation. Satcom Direct’s OneWeb service will be available for business aviation, government, and military customers. 

The ESA will offer full duplex performance, according to Satcom Direct, “a key capability in a small-form [factor], power-efficient device that allows data to be sent and received simultaneously.” The ESA including radome will measure 2.5 inches thick (64 mm). 

Satcom Direct’s Canadian hardware manufacturing division and OneWeb will develop the SD Modem Unit for the OneWeb satcom. According to Satcom Direct, OneWeb system speed is up to 195 Mbps download and 32 Mbps upload.

“The ESA terminal will provide genuine global coverage and superior bandwidth performance, complemented by ease of installation,” said Satcom Direct president Chris Moore. “This most advanced terminal will also address customer requests to lower aircraft drag, weight, and fuel burn.”

Diamond Aircraft’s all-electric eDA40 light aircraft has made its first flight, marking the start of a flight test program leading to certification under EASA and FAA Part 23 rules by early 2024. On Wednesday, the Austrian manufacturer announced the first takeoff was achieved on July 20 from its headquarters at Wiener Neustadt near Vienna.

The eDA40 is powered by the EngineUs 100 electric motor developed by Safran Electrical & Power. The propulsion system also consists of a battery module provided by Electric Power Systems that features a direct current fast-charging system.

The first flight was piloted by Diamond head of flight test Sören Pedersen and covered system checks, basic maneuvers, and an initial performance evaluation. According to Diamond, the flight went as planned and delivered all the results planned for the mission.

The electric version of the two-seat DA40 training aircraft is expected to be able to fly for 90 minutes. It should take under 20 minutes to recharge the batteries, with Diamond predicting that operating costs will be 40 percent less than a comparable piston aircraft. The flight deck features a Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit.

Aircraft management and charter company Let’s Jett has become the latest member of the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF), which focuses on promoting high safety standards for aircraft operators. Let’s Jett—which began operations at Los Angeles-area Van Nuys Airport in 2021 and utilizes a Lear 70 and 75—will be joining more than 320 ACSF member companies. 

As a member, it will take part in the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), which was developed jointly between the ACSF and the FAA and encourages employees to voluntarily report safety issues they encounter without facing punishment. 

“We want to partner with the ACSF and participate in the ASAP so we can share our safety information in one centralized place,” said Brian Gaines, Let’s Jett’s director of operations. “Doing so will help us provide standardized training and safety solutions for everyone on our team.” 

CEO Conner Jadwin added that he wishes to have a safety standard comparable with that of commercial aviation. He expects involvement with ACSF will bring Let’s Jett closer to that goal. ​​“You rarely worry about safety when you get on a commercial airliner, and that’s what we aspire to for our on-demand charter customers.”

Another advanced air mobility company is seeking public stock market support as Colorado-based XTI Aircraft, developer of the TriFan 600 VTOL aircraft, announced plans to merge with Palo Alto, California-based real-time location system manufacturer Inpixon to become a publicly traded company.

XTI claims to have booked 700 “pre-orders” for the aircraft worth an estimated $7.1 billion. The combined company will be known as XTI Aerospace and trade under the symbol XTIA, with Inpixon shareholders owning 40 percent of the new entity.

The proposed merger is expected to close in Q4 of this year but already has attracted the attention of at least one law firm, Halper Sadeh, that is investigating whether the deal is fair to Inpixon shareholders.

The TriFan program has made slow progress since 2017, relying on a variety of funding sources including crowdfunding. An uncrewed, two-third scale prototype made a variety of tethered flight tests in 2019, and the company has announced a major propulsion redesign and the selection of a number of prospective suppliers and manufacturing partners. Last year the company said it was aiming to begin deliveries in 2027.

MD Helicopters (MDH) is planning to offer a retrofit of the Rolls Royce 250-C30 engine in the MD 520N (Notar tail boom model) via an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) being developed in partnership with Columbia Helicopters, the companies announced. The STC is expected to be received by year-end. 

The engine upgrade installation is anticipated to take two months to complete, will be available to the fleet of 85 MD 520Ns from select MD Helicopters-authorized service centers worldwide, and is designed to improve the single-turbine engine helicopter’s hot-and-high performance. Performance improvements include 300 pounds more useful load, a 15 percent increase in available shaft horsepower and turbine operating temperature margins at 4,700 feet density altitude, and lower maintenance costs.

“MDH’s new leadership made a commitment to strengthen and support our proven line of highly revered helicopters and this is another delivery on that promise,” said president and CEO Brad Pedersen.

Separately, MDH is also offering a maximum gross takeoff weight increase from 3,100 to 3,350 pounds for the MD 530F turbine single via upgrade and entries into its rotorcraft flight manual and placard. The upgrade applies only to internal loads and restricts Vne to 150 knots. It does not change the restrictions for external load gross weight, minimum flying weight, and center of gravity.