Atlantic Aviation has expanded its footprint in the Caribbean with the acquisition of Blue Heron Aviation, one of two service providers at Providenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The facility includes a 6,800-sq-ft terminal with passenger and crew lounges, refreshments, conference room, concierge, and onsite customs and immigration service, as well as 12 acres of ramp space able to accommodate aircraft up to a Boeing 757. The staff at the FBO will remain in place following the transaction.
For most of its long history, Atlantic had confined its operations to the continental U.S., but its recent merger with Ross Aviation brought an FBO on Grand Cayman Island under the Atlantic brand along with locations in Alaska and Hawaii.
“Expanding our presence in the Caribbean in this way is an important component of our ongoing strategy of being local everywhere,” said Atlantic CEO Lou Pepper. “It’s our way of continuing to ensure we’re not only where our customers want to be, but also that we respect and reflect the culture of each of the local communities we serve.”
European and North American business aircraft activity continued on a record-setting pace in the first half of the year, with Part 135 flights reaching a new high in March and Part 91 rebounding from Covid lows, according to the Argus International mid-year review.
The business aviation analyst and safety specialist noted that growth began on a strong footing in the first quarter with yearly gains averaging 24 percent per month. In fact, each month in 2022 has posted a year-over-year increase over 2021.
In North America, flight activity is up 15.8 percent in the first half, compared with 2022. Part 91 experienced the strongest growth from 2021, up 19 percent, while fractional activity followed at 14.2 percent and Part 135 at 12.8 percent.
Large cabin activity has experienced a resurgence with 271,961 flights logged this year, up 28.5 percent from a year earlier. Midsize cabin activity increased 17.9 percent, small cabins 14.5 percent, and turboprops 8.8 percent.
In Europe, meanwhile, activity has surged by 58.3 percent in the first half over the same period in 2021. Globally, business aircraft flights have increased by 29.3 percent.
Argus expects flights to remain ahead through the rest of the year, but with a slower rate of growth, averaging about a percentage point above activity in 2021 and 19.8 percent over the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The unclear future status of East Hampton Airport (KHTO) has forced the FAA to issue an interim rule that extends for four more years the regulation requiring pilots operating civil helicopters under VFR to use the current New York North Shore Helicopter Route when operating along the northern shoreline of Long Island. The regulation had been scheduled to expire on Aug. 5. The interim rule took effect immediately but the agency will accept comments on the extension through August 29.
Because East Hampton is the airport of choice for those traveling to the Hamptons due to its location and available services, particularly fueling, the facility has been a key factor in the route design.
In May the town of East Hampton was expected to have closed KHTO as a public-use facility and reopened it as a private, prior-permission facility. But, due to several lawsuits, the New York State Supreme Court issued temporary restraining orders prohibiting the town from changing the airport's status. What's more, on June 8, the town indicated that it may close the airport permanently.
Given that there is no available timeline for resolution of the airport’s operating status and subsequent route adjustments helicopter operators may have to make, the agency said the four-year extension should provide sufficient time to resolve those issues.
The UK’s Farnborough Airport has contracted with firms McLaughlin & Harvey and Gebler Tooth for the design and construction of a new $67.4 million (£55 million) hangar complex that will increase its available aircraft shelter by 73 percent.
The new project, named Domus III, will add 175,000 sq ft of hangar space that will be able to accommodate the latest ultra-long-range business jets. It will be built to BREEAM environmental standards with translucent automated doors extending the entire length of the building to optimize natural light. The unhindered access afforded by the door design will help simplify aircraft handling activities and reduce unnecessary emissions.
“We want to be known as a global showcase for airport sustainability and the new hangar has been meticulously designed with this in mind,” said Simon Geere, Farnborough’s CEO. “The investment will also provide a substantial boost for employment and economic growth in the region, while continuing our journey in providing the very best-in-class facilities to our customers.”
Construction is slated to commence this month with a plan that is not anticipated to impact operations at the dedicated business aviation airport. The hangar complex is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
Volkswagen’s Chinese subsidiary confirmed its intention to develop an eVTOL aircraft. Plans unveiled in Beijing on July 27 show an early prototype of a four-passenger eVTOL that the company says will be able to fly up to 200 kilometers (125 miles). It will feature eight rotors installed on an X-wing structure and a pair of propellers for cruise flight.
According to Volkswagen Group (China), the design has been developed by the Air Mobility Project, which the company launched in 2020. Flight testing with the first demonstrator model, designated V.MO, could start during the second half of this year, with an improved prototype to be prepared for “a higher standard of flight test” in the summer of 2023, Volkswagen said. However, the company has not published a projected timeline for certification and market entry.
According to Germany-based Volkswagen, which includes brands such as Porsche, it views wealthy Chinese customers as likely early adopters of what it calls a “high-end travel concept.” The company has not specified whether it intends to operate the aircraft itself or market them to existing or new commercial operators but refers to plans for “VIP air shuttle services” that would fly within and between cities.
Want more? You can find a longer version of this article at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
EASA recently published a regular update notice of proposed amendment (NPA) that presents changes to CS-25 large airplane type certification standards. Regular amendments are issued when data is available following an update of industry standards, feedback from certification activities, or “minor” issues raised by stakeholders. Lessons learned from accident and incident investigations may also be addressed in regular updates when the topic is “not complex and not controversial.”
Updates to CS-Part 25 certification requirements are proposed in the following areas: ditching survivability in terms of structural analysis and flotation times; human factors assessment of installed systems and equipment in the cockpit; performance and handling characteristics in icing conditions; brakes and braking systems certification tests and analysis; installed oxygen equipment and supply; air conditioning OFF maximum time period; and cabin crew portable oxygen equipment.
The proposed updates include new requirements and amendments to current regulations. Comments on the NPA are due October 6. According to EASA, any proposed amendments that are adopted either in full or modified in response to comments will not be published as final certification standards until 2024.
With an eye on its long-term growth plan, flyExclusive is repositioning its executives to better align with the company’s long-term goals focused on customer service, innovation, and growth. Company founder Jim Segrave will continue to serve as chairman while also serving as CEO, Mike Guina will assume the role of chief strategy officer, and Tommy Sowers will continue to serve as president while also taking on the role of chief operating officer.
In his new role, Guina will be focusing on advancing strategic growth initiatives across the company including fleet composition, tools and integration, MRO sales, and more. Sowers’s responsibilities will include increasing operational efficiencies such as vertical integration of the company divisions, profitability through aircraft utilization, employee retention and growth, and ongoing technology advancements.
FlyExclusive, which now has 600 employees, is continuing to hire at its corporate headquarters in Kinston, North Carolina, as well as at locations across the country.
“Every day, each one of us wakes up and asks how we can perform better than yesterday. Good enough isn’t good enough,” said Segrave. “It’s with this commitment in mind that we’re making changes to how we drive innovation at flyExclusive. I’m proud to work alongside Mike and Tommy as we continue to make flyExclusive a go-to in the private aviation space as well as a destination for talent for generations to come.”
Metro Aviation is delivering an Airbus EC145e light twin-engine helicopter to Life Force Air Medical for its Cleveland, Tennessee base, which will be operated by Med-Trans Corp. Metro placed an order for 25 of the helicopters in 2019 for delivery over the course of four years.
The helicopter will allow Life Force to fly greater distances and provide transport to patients in need of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, as well as balloon pumps, for cardiovascular support. The EC145e is equipped with Metro Aviation’s emergency medical service kit and options under its own supplemental type certificate. It is also outfitted with the Stryker Performance Pro Gurney, which allows the aircraft gurney to interface with ground units that have the Stryker Power load system installed.
“Prior to the pandemic, and certainly during it, we recognized a need to have the ability to transport critical care patients requiring more specialized equipment and additional personnel,” said Robbie Tester, Life Force's senior director. “Our new EC145e will allow us to accomplish these highly specialized missions safely and effectively.”
Airbus Helicopters produces the EC145e at its Columbus, Mississippi assembly plant. The EC145e is a lighter and lower-cost variant of the H145 that can be ordered in a VFR-only configuration.
People in Aviation
Daher Aerospace this year resumed its internship program–which was on hiatus for two years due to the Covid pandemic—in partnership with EAA to provide an all-inclusive scholarship internship to Lauren Meyer, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a student in engineering and computer science at the University of Tennessee, and Anthony Garza, from San Antonio, Texas, who earned a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University. Both worked for five weeks in June and July at Daher’s Tarbes, France facility. Meyer was integrated into the TBM Care team to elaborate new services for customers, while Garza was tasked to digitalize the PT6 engine for the design office. Upon their return to the U.S., they participated with the Daher team at EAA AirVenture last week.
CMC Electronics has appointed Robert Kopersiewich as vice president of engineering. He succeeds Don Paolucci, who is retiring after more than 40 years at the company. Kopersiewich holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Concordia’s John Molson School of Business. His prior experience includes 10 years in aerospace and defense at CAE and nearly five years in fintech at Morgan Stanley.
Craig Radford joined Aerocare Aviation Services—the expanding UK business aviation MRO, interiors, and paint specialist, now under the ownership of Complete Aircraft Group—as head of sales and business development. Radford has more than 25 years of experience in various senior commercial aviation roles, having previously worked for regional aircraft MRO specialists Flybe Aviation Services, ATC Lasham, and the JMC Group. In his new role, Radford will focus on identifying new revenue streams for the business as it ramps up, identifying and supporting new clients, as well as exploring synergies within the group.
JetHQ has promoted David Coppock to president—North America, after previously serving as vice president of sales. Also joining JetHQ and reporting to Coppock is Sonya Sheldon, who will serve as v-p of sales—East Coast, and Cole White as v-p—Central U.S. Coppock is a combat veteran with the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard and had been focused on the western U.S. sales territory in his previous JetHQ position. He came to the company after leadership roles with manufacturers Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Hawker Beechcraft, as well as business development at Mente Group. Sheldon has spent her entire career in aviation, beginning as a corporate pilot and then moving to Gulfstream as a flight test engineer. She was most recently a senior sales engineer and has also worked for a brokerage firm, directly dealing with aircraft transactions. White, an Army veteran and U.S. Military Academy graduate, also joins JetHQ from Mente Group, most recently serving as managing director.
MAAS Aviation has appointed Malachy McEnroe as chief financial officer. McEnroe has worked in finance and business for more than 25 years, having held senior finance roles at both GE and HNA and having served for seven years at TIP Trailer Services as global CFO. He has also served as a non-executive director at German-based international modular construction specialist, Cadolto. His role at MAAS will focus on supporting the business growth strategy and future investments while driving day-to-day financial and operational improvements.
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