Universal Begins Ground Handling in Beijing

Under a recently signed agreement that took effect yesterday, Universal Weather and Aviation’s Universal Aviation China is now providing on-ramp ground handling at China Capital Jet (CJet) Beijing, which operates the lone FBO at Beijing Capital Airport. Universal has had a presence in China for the past two decades and provides private aviation ground handling at Shanghai Pudong International and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airports.

"The combination of our local expertise, award-winning ground handling service, and safety standards, with CJet’s experience and commitment to improving business aviation infrastructure, will help reduce our clients’ risk and stress when operating to Beijing,” said Universal chairman Greg Evans. “We look forward to developing training and information-sharing programs with CJet that will further advance and ease the business aviation operating environment throughout China.”

CJet, the only authorized private aviation ground service and customer passage provider in the greater metropolitan Beijing area, signed a deal in 2015 with FBO chain Million Air, which saw the facility rebranded as Million Air Beijing. That agreement had seen the location move toward adopting Western FBO service and operating procedures over the past several years, with staff members brought to Million Air’s Houston headquarters for training. It is unclear what this latest deal means for that alliance. When asked by AIN, Million Air replied only that it remains in negotiations with its Chinese counterparts.

NBAA Offers Guidance To Abate Aircraft Insurance Hikes

In the face of soaring insurance rates, NBAA is advising members to emphasize their safety culture and compliance efforts to underwriters to help soften increases. NBAA and other organizations, such as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, have reached out to insurance agencies in light of ongoing shifts in the insurance market.

“The insurance market has bottomed out just as we’re seeing a skyrocketing number of catastrophic loss claims,” Joseph Braunstein, managing director and general aviation practice leader at insurance broker Marsh USA, told NBAA. “Underwriters are now pushing sizable increases because they must remain viable.”

This process is taking longer, Braunstein further said, with renewal conversations now beginning as early as six months in advance of expiration rather than the typical 120 days.

Despite the sharp increases, NBAA stresses operators can take steps to find the right insurer and buffer the rate hikes, such as inviting underwriters to their facilities so they can have a first-hand look at the safety culture.

“Highlight your safety culture, compliance with IS-BAO, safety management systems, and your training proficiency, including recurrent and additional training,” said Mike Nichols, NBAA senior v-p of strategy and innovation. “Now more than ever, operators need to sell themselves as a manageable risk to their insurers.”

Fatal PC-12 Crash Claims Nine

At least nine people, including the pilot, were killed in the crash of a Pilatus PC-12 on Saturday in South Dakota. According to reports, the fully-loaded single-engine turboprop went down in a cornfield soon after takeoff from Chamberlain Municipal Airport around 12:30 p.m. local time. Three survivors were taken to area hospitals.

The 2013 aircraft, registered to Conrad & Bischoff Inc. of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was headed there when it crashed. Local media described the passengers as members of the family that owned the company, who were returning from an annual Thanksgiving weekend hunting trip. The aircraft arrived in Chamberlain the day before the crash after a flight from Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

At the time of the accident, the area was under a winter storm warning, and visibility was a half mile. Brule County emergency manager Katheryn Benton noted that aircraft were unable to land at Chamberlain at the time of the crash due to deteriorating conditions.

NTSB investigators are now at the accident site, but their travels were hampered by the weather conditions yesterday morning, according to an agency spokesman.

Piaggio’s Avanti Delivery Marks First Evo in Canada

Piaggio Aerospace sold its first Canadian-registered Avanti Evo to Centoco Holding Corp. of Windsor, Ontario. Recently handed over to Centoco, the aircraft was produced in 2018 and used as a demonstrator in the U.S. Under the sales agreement, Piaggio will keep an option to lease-back the Evo. While the first to be based in Canada, the Avanti Evo joins a fleet of seven earlier model Piaggio Avantis that operate in the country.

“I have been looking with interest at this distinctive, Italian aircraft since its entry into service,” Centoco chairman Anthony Toldo said. “Not only is it the fastest turboprop, but it has incredibly low operational costs and is eco-friendly.” 

Piaggio’s extraordinary commissioner Vincenzo Nicastro said the sale, along with other recently announced orders for the aircraft, is “a clear sign that there is a growing interest, especially in North America…We have now a clear perception that we are doing the right things to rebuild trust around the company and its future.” 

Piaggio recently received Italian government approval to seek a buyer, following a nearly year-long restructuring process that officials say has resulted in orders and commitments totaling more than $900 million.

Miami-Dade Orders Four Leonardo AW139 Helicopters

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) signed a contract for four Leonardo AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters to be used for fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), and search and rescue (SAR). The helicopters will be equipped with a cargo hook, rescue hoist, and Bambi bucket, and will be covered by a comprehensive five-year support, maintenance, and training package with the possibility of a further extension to a total of 15 years. 

First delivery is expected from Leonardo’s Philadelphia facility in the third quarter of 2020. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the purchase price along with Leonardo-provided training and support services factored into the decision to acquire the AW139s.

Miami-Dade is the most populous county in Florida and encompasses more than 2,000 square miles. One-third of the county is located in Everglades National Park. Because of the scope of its operations, MDFR is frequently requested to provide mutual aid support to neighboring counties, including Monroe, Collier, Broward, and Lee. 

More than 1,000 AW139s have been delivered worldwide. U.S. parapublic customers also include the Los Angeles Fire Department and state police in Maryland and New Jersey. In partnership with Boeing, Leonardo is in the process of providing 84 specially-modified AW139s, designation MH-139, to the U.S. Air Force for security operations.

New Flyjets Platform To Offer Offset, SAF Use Credits

Online, on-demand jet booking platform Flyjets is expected to launch this month with aims to offer carbon offset and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) credits to set itself apart from competitors. Under its Flyrewards system and Flygreen Energy Initiative, members choosing to offset their flights or fly using SAF will earn currency-equivalent points toward future bookings.

“At its core, Flyjets is a benefit corporation—we actively endeavor to deliver positive impact, and our environmental, social, and governance goals are inherent in everything we do,” said founder and CEO Jessica Fisher. “We hope to set a standard for business model generation in the future.” 

Using a web platform—a mobile application is under development—members can post, search for, and book one-way and round-trip flights, and invite others to share a flight. It also provides for group purchasing of flights, flight bidding, route and destination searches, and messaging between users.

Fisher is a private pilot and principal at Monroe Capital. The idea for Flyjets emerged during Fisher’s introduction to a venturing course at Columbia Business School, where she earned an MBA.

Mars Developer Adds Aircraft Marketing Tech

Sutton Integrated has created a technology it calls the Dynamic Print Generator (DPG) to assist aircraft management companies in marketing their fleet using the online software developer’s My Aircraft Reporting Reporting System (Mars). DPG allows users to generate an online fact sheet or brochure to showcase each aircraft in their fleet by way of microsites.

Further, the technology allows users to print those fact sheets and brochures without the extraneous web page elements that typically appear when printing a web page. “What you see on the screen is what you get on the page,” the Sarasota, Florida-based company said.

DPG’s online features are enabled for audio, video, and photos, and links and can be shared on social media. Users can also upload to and edit their aircraft’s microsite via a desktop computer or mobile device. Mars is designed for private and fractional aircraft owners, flight departments, and charter operators that, through microsites, enables them to record operational expenses, flight activities, and charter revenue for accurate profit and loss statements.

Thora Capital Enters Helicopter Lease Market

Chicago-based Thora Capital is entering the battered helicopter finance market with an initial $50 million in capital commitments.

To date, the company has closed two transactions, the most recent a placement of two utility helicopters on long-term lease with Uniflight Global Flight Services of Grand Prairie, Texas. The helicopters will be operated by Aviation Services Unlimited (ASU) in Rome, New York. 

Thora acquired one of the helicopters from ASU via sale-leaseback and imported the other from Canada. Leases on both run for seven years. ASU will operate the aircraft in upstate New York and New England on long-term contracts with regional power companies, primarily focusing on electrical grid infrastructure. 

“Thora is well positioned to support the financing needs of the industry during this period of elevated demand for creative capital solutions,” said company CEO Matthew Rothschild. Thora is financed by limited partners, including family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and registered investment advisors. Company services include financing, asset and portfolio management, and asset disposal and divestment execution.

AIN Webinar: Key Steps to a Successful Aircraft Transaction

There are several steps where business aircraft deals can go sideways, including miscommunication, ethics issues, misunderstanding of regulations, and any number of traps for the unwary. Learn how to identify and assemble the right team early in the aircraft buying or selling process, a checklist of action items/steps, and caveats for financial stages. Join us for this free webinar on December 10 at 1:30 p.m. EST as AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber moderates a panel of experts that includes Keith Swirsky, president of GKG Law, P.C.; Keith Hayes, senior v-p and national sales manager at PNC Aviation Finance; and Jad Donaldson, past chairman of the NBAA Business Aviation Management Committee, a past co-chair of the annual NBAA Leadership Conference, and now director of aviation for Harley-Davidson Motor Company.  Sponsored by Duncan Aviation and Mesinger Jet Sales.