Wheels Up Sees Revenues, Membership Jump in Q2

Wheels Up revenues soared 113 percent year-over-year, to $285.6 million, in the second quarter, while the number of active members has grown by 47 percent from a year ago, to 10,515, the membership-based charter services provider reported this morning.

In its first quarterly results release since going public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger last month, Wheels Up noted flight legs were also up by 146 percent, to 18,234. But at the same time, the company, which owns a fleet of King Airs and Citations, saw a $1.6 million increase in year-over-year net loss to $29 million even as its adjusted EBITDA improved by $7.6 million year-over-year to an $8.5 million loss.

"The accelerating growth in our revenue is a great way to mark our first reported results as a public company and creates a solid foundation to build upon,” said Wheels Up chairman and CEO Kenny Dichter. “Our iconic brand, combined with our compelling membership model and exclusive partnerships and experiences, has uniquely positioned us to gain market share during this time of robust demand."

Wheels up closed on its merger on July 13 with the SPAC Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle, making it a publicly-traded company. Wheels Up said the capital raised through that merger would help accelerate its investment in technology and product offerings, as well as global growth strategies.

NBAA Encourages Members about Human Trafficking Fight

NBAA is encouraging its members to learn about the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI) to see how they can help in the battle against human trafficking. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Transportation are hosting webinars on August 17 and 18 to discuss BLI, which trains frontline personnel on how to identify and report potential human trafficking situations.

“The business aviation community supports the BLI’s effort to stop human trafficking, and I hope members will join me in attending one of these webinars,” said Brian Koester, NBAA’s director of flight operations and regulations, asking members to register so they will have a better understanding on how to spot signs of human trafficking.

Congress in 2016 required air carriers to provide flight attendant training regarding recognizing and responding to potential human trafficking victims and then in 2018 expanded the requirement to include “ticket counter agents, gate agents, and other air carrier workers whose jobs require regular interaction with passengers.” More than 100,000 aviation personnel have undergone the BLI training, which involves a 17-minute module that is broken into four sections: What is Human Trafficking; Indicators of Human Trafficking Activity; Reporting Suspected Human Trafficking; and Indicator Challenge.

NBAA said DHS has reported that law enforcement continues to receive actionable tips on human trafficking, thanks in part to BLI.

Embraer Taps Pro Star Aviation as Bizjet Service Center

Embraer has named Londonderry, New Hampshire-based Pro Star Aviation as an authorized service center in the northeastern U.S., enabling it to offer line and base maintenance on the Phenom 100 and 300, Legacy 450 and 500, Praetor 500 and 600, and Legacy 600 and 650 airframes.

“Pro Star recognized the opportunity to fill the Northeast gap when the Bradley [International Airport service center] location was closed down,” Pro Star general manager Sean Peterson told AIN. “My previous experience as a service center manager at Embraer made me confident that we could partner with Embraer to fill the void. Our team and our location are a great fit to service the needs of Embraer owners.”

Located at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, Pro Star operates from several facilities totaling 43,000 sq ft. The MRO provider is also an authorized service center for the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24.

WingX: Bizjet Activity Continues Torrid Summer Pace

Global business jet activity continues to outpace its pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to the latest August statistics released today by industry data tracker WingX Advance. For the first 10 days of the month, the 91,424 private jet flights represent an 8 percent increase over the same period in 2019 and a 31 percent rise over a year ago, the Hamburg, Germany-based company reported. This is in stark contrast to commercial aviation levels that still lag comparable August 2019 numbers by 40 percent.

The European market rose 12 percent from August 2019, with business jet arrivals in Switzerland up by 26 percent and departures from Italy 22 percent higher. In the U.S., August totals thus far are 16 percent above the 2019 levels. Meanwhile, Canadian and Mexican activity still continues to creep toward normal levels, but are still down by 30 percent compared to two years ago. Activity at some Caribbean destinations is setting records.

“After seven months of trailing behind the recovery in the U.S., the recovery in business jet demand in Europe is surging ahead as we reach the peak of the summer season,“ said WingX managing director Richard Koe. “Growth in the U.S. market has softened slightly but it’s not yet clear whether the resurgence of the Delta [Covid-19] variant will put a dent in the record-breaking trend established since the spring.”

Honeywell Nears FAA Nod for Aspire 150/350

Honeywell has become a value-added manufacturer of aviation terminals that operate on the Iridium Next network as it nears fourth-quarter FAA certification of its Aspire 150 and 350 satcom systems. They are also the first aviation satcom solutions to demonstrate connectivity at up to 700 kbps via the Iridium Certus service over the Next network, according to Honeywell.

The new Aspire systems are also more lightweight than previous generations, use small active high-gain antennas, and are simpler to install, Honeywell added. Aspire 150 provides operators with fast and reliable connectivity at lower costs, it said, while the Model 350 provides these same features but adds FANS datalink. They both provide legacy Iridium cockpit safety services and Certus high-speed voice and data connectivity.

“We have made great technological strides with our Aspire 150 and 350 systems since announcing the products in 2018,” said Honeywell Aerospace director of product management Mark Goodman. “We have successfully transmitted over the Iridium network at speeds up to 700 kbps with pre-qualification form, fit, and function aviation equipment.”

In addition to its Aspire suite of satcom systems, Honeywell provides access to Inmarsat’s GX Aviation network, which is powered by Honeywell’s JetWave hardware. Honeywell is also planning to offer air-to-ground connectivity services via SmartSky.

Helo Pilot Charged after Airlifting Ice Cream Cake

It wasn’t Warren Buffet dropping down from the rural Canadian skies for a frozen Blizzard treat at one of his fast-food franchises, but the pilot of a Robinson R44 who landed in a parking lot next to a Tisdale, Saskatchewan Dairy Queen on July 31. That helicopter pilot is now being charged with dangerous operation of an aircraft after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) determined that airlifting an ice cream cake is not an emergency.

The unnamed pilot will make an initial court appearance on September 7 after being charged August 4 with one count of violating Section 320.13(1)(a) of the Canadian Criminal Code.

The landing caused quite a commotion when the R44 touched down in the otherwise empty parking lot shortly after 5 p.m. in the small town of 3,000, and the RCMP was summoned to investigate. When later interviewed about the incident, the local mayor told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC), “I thought somebody must be hungry.” Dairy Queen ice cream cakes typically sell for $15 to $32, but given court costs and potential fines, this one will undoubtedly cost this pilot considerably more.

FAA Proposes Class C Airspace over Harrisburg

The FAA is exploring means to better manage the complexity and volume of aviation activities around Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania, including establishing a Class C airspace and expanding the areas where pilots must interact with air traffic control. The agency is holding a virtual public meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on August 18 to discuss the proposed modifications to airspace in the area. 

While the ATC procedures would change, the FAA said the existing flight paths and altitudes flown would remain intact. In addition, the agency does not expect the proposed changes to result in more air traffic. However, the agency believes the changes will increase safety “by ensuring that all flights, including aircraft operating on visual flight rules (VFR), within the proposed Class C airspace area are in direct communications with air traffic control.” The airport currently is within Class D airspace.

During the virtual meeting, FAA representatives will provide an overview of proposed changes, listen to public comments, and participate in a question and answer session. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom and on social media. Attendees can watch or register on the FAA’s Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube accounts. Preregistration is required to participate in the Zoom meeting and presentations are limited to three minutes. Attendees also will be able to submit questions via a chat function while watching it via social media.

Inflite Joins EmbraerX’s Beacon Digital Mx Platform

Aircraft maintenance provider Inflite The Jet Center has signed an agreement to join EmbraerX’s Beacon digital maintenance coordination platform. Operating from 250,000 sq ft of hangar space at London Stansted Airport, Inflite is also one of the largest privately-owned MRO component support providers in Europe.

The MRO provider answers more than 800 AOG and line cases per year and plans to take advantage of Beacon’s web and mobile application designed to accelerate aircraft return-to-service time during unscheduled maintenance events by connecting and synchronizing MROs and the aftermarket supply chain. “For us, it is a proactive shift to place digital at the core of our organization to help our teams deal with the increasing pressure in our industry,” said Inflite general manager Sébastien Albouy. “When we heard about the benefits of Beacon, the intelligence it brings to the operation, and how easy it is to get started, it was a no-brainer.”

In June, Beacon said it concluded more than 35,000 unscheduled maintenance cases by more than 1,000 users. Beacon added that it expects those numbers to grow as the business aviation industry continues its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.