Fractional-share giant NetJets took delivery of the first of an order for 20 Bombardier Global 7500s, which also marks the aircraft manufacturer's delivery of the 1,000th Global. Accepting the 7500 at a delivery ceremony at the Canadian airframer’s Montreal facility was NetJets president of sales, marketing, and services Patrick Gallagher.
“The Global 7500 adds a new dimension to our long-range aircraft offerings,” said Gallagher. “At a time when demand for our aircraft is at its highest, our strategy is focused on continuing to deliver solutions that meet our owners’ needs and expectations.”
Bombardier’s series of long-range, large-cabin jets began with the Global Express, which first flew in 1996 and started deliveries in 1999. Since then, Bombardier introduced additional variants of the twinjet, starting with the Global Express XRS and followed by the 5000, 6000, 5500, 6500, and the largest in the series, the 7500, which has a 7,700-nm range.
“This double celebration sees our flagship aircraft become NetJets’ flagship business jet, and it’s a signature moment for all of us, as we cap off a remarkable year in aviation,” added Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel.
The Global 7500 is set to become the flagship and largest jet in the NetJets fleet.
AINsight: Wealth and New Attitudes Toward Air Travel
During the pandemic, there has been an unimaginable shift to private air travel as wealth increases and people who can afford it eschew airline travel. This shift is stretching every corner of the business aviation industry to its most difficult ends: charter and fractional providers are having to fulfill unprecedented lift; the price of fuel and business aircraft pilot salaries are increasing; and there are no longer multiple preowned business aircraft of each type for sale.
The wealth created will not go away and the aversion to flying commercially will most likely not subside. What will change will be who is in the market transacting aircraft.
We have largely been working without the benefit of corporate clients since March 2020. This critical industry has been virtually grounded by the pandemic. This means that the huge unparalleled growth of first-time buyers has depleted available inventory.
I predict that in 2022 this important transacting segment will be back. Once these corporate clients are back, inventory levels will start to regenerate. Then current owners will start getting back to the idea it is safe to sell and not hold back until replaced, adding more inventory. And when more airplanes are sold, the charter pool will also grow.
Once all of this happens, we will start to enjoy as an industry the new lasting demand rather than be daunted by it.
North American business aircraft flight activity logged its strongest November, as well as its busiest single day on record, Argus International reported today. Citing its TraqPak data that tracks IFR business aircraft flights, Argus said operations in North America jumped 45.1 percent year-over-year (YOY) last month, topping 300,000. This also represented a 20.9 percent increase from two years ago. November 28, the Sunday following Thanksgiving, accounted for 13,000 flights—a single-day record level.
Fractional activity was up 51 percent from a year earlier, followed by Part 91 and Part 135, which jumped 48 percent and 40.1 percent YOY, respectively. Large-cabin jets are returning to the sky, with flights up 72.9 percent in November from a year earlier; flights by midsize jets climbed 55.2 percent and light jets rose 43.1 percent.
In Europe, last month's flight activity—at 73,000 departures—surged 96.8 percent YOY and 39.8 percent from November 2019. Large-cabin operations in Europe marked a 186.9 percent jump YOY. Other regions of the globe logged 46,000 business aviation flights last month, a 71 percent YOY improvement.
Argus anticipates that December flights will continue to grow in North America. It predicts that they'll increase 37.4 percent over the same month in 2020 and 17.7 percent from December 2019. European operations are projected to rise 49.9 percent YOY this month.
ExecuJet MRO Services, through an agreement with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, will build its own 144,000-sq-ft maintenance facility at Subang Airport, replacing the 64,000 sq ft of leased facilities from which it currently operates. The new facility will encompass 125,000 sq ft of hangar space and about 19,000 sq ft of office and shop space.
More importantly, the new building will give ExecuJet “full operational control” of its Malaysian site. “These facilities we’ve been operating out of have limitations,” Ivan Lim, ExecuJet v-p of MRO services in Asia, told AIN. “They’ve not been built to purpose. They are built actually to hangar aircraft, not 100 percent to cater for MRO operations.” Lim added that ExecuJet also has the right of first refusal on land at the airport for future expansion.
The new facility, which is expected to be completed in 2023, will accommodate a mix of up to 10 to 12 midsize to large-cabin, long-range jets. “It’s an ideal size for us,” Lim said. Plans for Execujet MRO Services' own facility have been in the works for a couple of years, he added, but were put on hold with the emergence of Covid-19.
The Malaysian site currently employs a staff of 70. That number is expected to reach 80 once the new facility is ready to occupy, Lim said.
A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 that flew from Chicago O’Hare Airport to Washington Reagan National Airport on Wednesday afternoon marked two important milestones in the aviation industry’s effort to qualify 100 percent drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): the flight carried passengers and was the first fueled by 100 percent drop-in SAF (on its right engine; the left engine burned traditional jet-A).
As a 50 percent partner in the CFM International joint venture, which makes the Leap-1B engines powering the 737 Max 8, GE Aviation has provided key support to United’s December 1 SAF demonstration-flight initiative. GE has been working on SAF development and standardization for commercial flights since 2007.
Gurhan Andac, GE Aviation’s fuels and additives leader, told AIN that as the first-ever flight fueled by 100 percent SAF to carry passengers rather than only essential personnel, it should help encourage other airlines, operators, and industry partners to focus strongly on SAF operational initiatives. The United flight also marked the first fueled by 100 percent drop-in SAF, not just 100 percent SAF. In this context, “drop-in” means the 100 percent SAF is identical in composition to conventional jet fuel.
According to Andac, the demo flight will further the case for blending of different SAF components since the fuel developed for the flight was produced by two conversion pathways: HEFA-SPK, a synthetic paraffinic kerosene produced from hydroprocessed fatty acids and esters, and SAK, a synthetic aromatic kerosene.
Partners In Aviation (PIA), which has developed an aircraft brokerage concept that brings together suited buyers into a managed shared ownership structure, has become an accredited product and services member of the International Aircraft Dealers Association. To be named such a member, PIA said, IADA rigorously vets the application and then requires sponsorship by at least three current members and a positive vote from the existing members.
The company is immediately becoming involved in IADA, spearheading the development of educational content on its structured co-ownership model niche. PIA vets and matches aircraft customers, who can then split costs of ownership.
"We are very pleased that Partners in Aviation has become one of our newest products and services members,” said IADA executive director Wayne Starling. “PIA's thoughtful business model permits more individuals and companies to realize the benefits of private flying."
PIA praised IADA’s efforts to create and promote professional standards, fostering an open exchange of information, and striving for transparent and ethical standards. It noted that only 7 percent of aircraft dealers are IADA members but they combine for $6 billion in volume, more than the rest of the world’s dealers collectively.
Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association now exceeds 250,000, a record for the organization that was established in 1953 to represent recreational aviation. “EAA’s founder, Paul Poberezny, created a culture nearly 70 years ago where anyone who wished to enjoy the freedom of flight was welcome to participate, and our mission of growing participation in aviation has thrived under that vision,” said EAA chairman and CEO Jack Pelton. “The dedication of EAA’s members, chapters, and staff have made it possible to grow the organization to new levels.”
EAA has seen its membership increase 25 percent over the past five years, including through the pandemic when some people turned to flight training and aircraft building. Numbers of individual and lifetime members reached new highs during that period, EAA said, adding that this growth came as EAA and its chapter network worked to expand its services and programming, as well as to entice more youth into aviation. EAA now has 900 local chapters.
This growth also comes as the association's annual AirVenture in Oshkosh fly-in came roaring back this year, with attendance surpassing 600,000 for only the third time in its history and some 10,000 aircraft arriving for the event.
Moog subsidiary Genesys Aerosystems has now delivered more than 1,000 S-TEC 3100 autopilots since starting production of the avionics unit in April 2018. The digital three-axis autopilot is STC’d for more than 200 single- and multi-engine aircraft, including 90, 100, and 200-series King Airs and the Piper Meridian/M500.
Features of the S-TEC 3100 include automatic trim, envelope protection/alerting, straight and level recovery, indicated airspeed hold, and altitude preselect. The unit is compatible with digital sources and EFIS displays from Garmin, Aspen, and other avionics manufacturers, according to Genesys Aerosystems.
“We are excited that so many aircraft owners have selected the latest Genesys autopilot to bring more safety-enhancing features to their flying,” said Genesys Aerosystems director of sales and marketing Jamie Luster. “Genesys is committed to continued advancement of our autopilot features, and we value the feedback received from current customers to assist us in prioritizing our research and development efforts.”
Now Hiring: Join the AIN Editorial Team
AIN Media Group is hiring two more people to our growing editorial staff: a copy editor and a junior editor. The copy editor position requires strong experience in search-engine optimization and social media, as well as editing skills. The junior editor job involves researching and writing content (including video scripts) for our FutureFlight website on cutting-edge aviation technology topics such as eVTOL aircraft, advanced air mobility infrastructure, and avionics, among others. Aviation experience is helpful, but both positions require accuracy in writing, grammar, and spelling; the ability to ask detailed questions; and interest in the subject matter. These positions are available as in-office or remote positions and will involve occasional travel.
Photo of the Week
Art, car, or airplane? Even the Ferraris seemed impressed by the flying art car making its American debut inside TheArsenale gallery at Art Basel Miami Beach this week. Aeromobil claims its flying car will transform from road to sky in three minutes and be able to drive/fly for more than 278 nm. Test flights began last September and the flying car has already reached its targeted top airspeed of 139 knots. Service entry is pegged for 2023. The flying car will remain on display at TheArsenale through this month.
If you’d like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.
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