The Helicopter Company (THC) of Saudi Arabia has placed an order for 26 more Airbus Helicopters—20 five-blade H145D3 light twins and six ACH160 medium twins. THC previously signed an agreement to buy 10 Airbus H125 single-engine helicopters in August 2020 to increase access to domestic tourism destinations and provide services such as filming and aerial surveying.
Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) established THC as part of its strategy to activate new sectors in Saudi Arabia that support the realization of its “Vision 2030” campaign to diversify that country's economy away from oil and generate long-term commercial returns. THC is the kingdom’s first and only commercial helicopter operator and has been flying since mid-2019.
This latest helicopter purchase agreement is part of THC’s previously announced strategic alliances with regional partners, including the Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the current developer of a massive regenerative tourism project that encompasses 11,000 square miles that includes an archipelago of more than 90 islands, desert, and volcanic mountains. Phase One of the project, with 3,000 hotel rooms, is expected to open in 2022.
THC’s new contract for the twin-engine Airbus helicopters includes provisions for crew and maintenance technicians and will facilitate TRSDC emergency medical services (EMS) with alternate configuration change capability for passenger utility transport at TRSDC’s site on the west coast of Saudi Arabia.
The overall number of preowned business jets for sale last month fell by 53 percent from a year ago and 8 percent from October, according to data from Jefferies Equity Research and Amstat. For-sale business jet inventory sat at 795 aircraft, which equates to 3.2 percent of the active fleet. Inventory of newer-model business jets—meaning in-production or less than seven years out-of-production—fell 62 percent year-over-year (YOY), equating to 2.2 percent of the fleet for sale.
Jefferies said the decline has been broad-based across market segments, with the largest inventory draw-down occurring in midsize jets, which fell 57 percent YOY, to 2.8 percent of the active fleet. Large-cabin jet inventory dropped 48 percent from a year ago, to 3 percent of the active fleet, while light jets were down 51 percent, to 3.8 percent of the in-service fleet.
Inventory as a percentage of the active fleets last month by OEM was Bombardier, 2.4 percent; Textron Aviation (Cessna Citation), 1.9 percent; Dassault Falcon, 2.7 percent; Embraer Executive Jets, 2.1 percent, and Gulfstream, 2.5 percent. List prices rose for most manufacturers, with Gulfstream leading the way, up 27 percent YOY. This was followed by Bombardier, with pricing up 10 percent from a year ago; Embraer, up 8 percent; and Textron Aviation, up 4 percent. Dassault Falcon pricing contracted 3 percent YOY, Jefferies said.
The U.S. Senate confirmed C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger III as the U.S. ambassador and representative of the U.S. before the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Senate approval by voice vote on Thursday came almost six months after the White House announced its intent to nominate Sullenberger for the post.
Famed for his role in the successful “Miracle on the Hudson” emergency landing, Sullenberger has been serving as a safety advocate, author, and keynote speaker, and is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and retired airline pilot who has amassed more than 20,000 flight hours.
General aviation groups widely lauded the appointment of Sullenberger to the position. “ICAO plays an essential role in advancing international aviation safety and cooperation, environmental sustainability, and global interoperability of aviation products that will shape the future of the industry,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “We are confident that Ambassador Sullenberger will be a very effective representative on these critical issues and will be a strong addition to ICAO.”
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen called Sullenberger “one of the preeminent aviation figures of our time, someone whose name is synonymous with aviation safety and leadership,” and added, “He will be an exceptional U.S. representative to ICAO.”
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is now accepting comments about its newly released consultation for proposed amendments to current cost-sharing flight rules, the Air Charter Association (ACA) announced today. While ACA supports “true” cost-sharing flights, it has “serious concerns” over its being used to mask illegal charter flights.
“We recognize the UK CAA’s consultation as a step towards addressing the illegal charter issues relating to cost-sharing flights,” said ACA CEO Glenn Hogben. “We hope it will bring changes to regulation, encourage other international authorities to review their policies, and ultimately increase safety by reducing illegal charter flights.”
The cost-share element of these flights relates to direct-cost expenses—which includes fuel, airfield charges, or aircraft rental fees—that can legitimately be distributed between the pilot and others onboard the aircraft. “However, there are instances where pilots and passengers of illegal commercial air transport conspire to present illegal flights as legal cost-shared flights,” ACA noted.
According to ACA, the CAA has reviewed existing cost-sharing regulations and opened this consultation to solicit views on the proposed changes before determining its next steps.
As SmartSky nears nationwide coverage, customers lock in benefits from new Early Arrival program
Following a successful commercial launch at NBAA-BACE 2021 and demonstrated best-in-class connectivity experiences, SmartSky Networks is accelerating access to its patented, next-generation ATG network through its customer-focused Early Arrival program.
Business aviation groups paid tribute to former Senator Bob Dole following his passing yesterday at the age of 98. The lawmaker, who represented Kansas as a Republican in the U.S. Senate for 28 years and served as the majority and minority leader in the upper chamber for a combined 11 years, turned to politics after suffering serious injuries while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Elected to the U.S. House in 1960, he moved over to the Senate in 1968.
During his time in the Senate, he remained a steadfast advocate for the state’s aviation industry, including business aircraft manufacturers, NBAA said. This included playing a key role in shepherding the General Aviation Revitalization Act through the legislative process in 1994, noted GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. Dole ended his Senate service in 1996 as he ran for president for his third and final attempt.
Following this time, he became busy consulting, public speaking, and holding roles chairing groups such as the advisory committee for the Veterans Airlift Command and the World War II Memorial Campaign. “Bob Dole was one of the greats from the greatest generation,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “He was a leader for our country and a champion for our industry."
Bunce added that Dole “selflessly served his country for decades.”
Sydney Seaplanes has agreed to add 50 of Eve Urban Air Mobility’s four-passenger eVTOLs to its fleet from 2026. The provisional order, announced today, is the second commitment from a prospective Australian operator in two days, after Queensland-based helicopter operator Nautilus Aviation said it would take 10 of the all-electric aircraft from the Embraer subsidiary.
Like Nautilus, Sydney Seaplanes plans to use the eVTOLs for tourist flights from Sydney Harbour as part of its wider plan to establish all-electric, zero-emissions scheduled flights. In 2020, it announced plans to set up a new regional airline from 2022 with all-electric flights with converted Cessna Caravans using MagniX motors.
“Eve’s eVTOL technology will integrate seamlessly with our electric amphibious fleet to deliver a range of tourism and commuter journeys,” said Sydney Seaplanes CEO Aaron Shaw. “Subject to community consultation, we expect some flights will operate from our iconic Rose Bay aviation terminal in Sydney Harbour. This service will have a widespread appeal which will allow us to open new routes beyond the harbor and throughout the greater Sydney region.”
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.
Yingling Aviation has begun converting one of two former Great Lakes Beech 1900Ds into cargo aircraft for Provo, Utah-based Alpine Air Express, an on-demand Part 135 cargo operator. Based at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport, Yingling is reconfiguring the twin-turboprop in its 10,000-sq-ft hangar—one of three hangars it acquired from the former LeaseCorp earlier this year.
In all, Alpine Air has 32 Beech 1900Ds and a total of 72 aircraft in its fleet. Yingling officials said it’s not clear how many of those 32 Beech 1900Ds the FBO and MRO operator will convert with an STC acquired by Alpine Air. However, the expectation is it will be more than the two airplanes currently in its modification hangar.
“We are able to accommodate this exceptional opportunity because we have spent the past 18 months expanding facilities and upgrading our capabilities to handle this type of comprehensive program,” said Yingling president Andrew Nichols. “We will start by working on two aircraft at a time and have the capacity to add more as we gain expertise.”
Alpine Air president and CEO Michael Dancy said the 1900D passenger-to-cargo conversion will allow his company to “ship more with less. With our strategic new fleet that incorporates these re-configured Beech 1900Ds, we can now provide more efficiency for individual shipments and at more affordable costs for us and our clients.”
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Texas real estate developer, aviation enthusiast, and pilot Ross Perot Jr. has donated one of his company’s helicopters, a Bell 407GX, to the Dallas Police Department. The Dallas Police formed its aviation unit in 1969 and for many years operated a pair of Bell 206 JetRanger IIIs.
“This generous gift from the Ross Perot Jr. Family and Hillwood Aviation will help improve public safety in the city of Dallas,” Police chief Eddie Garcia said. Perot made initial inquiries in 2020 regarding the police department’s need for another helicopter, which led to subsequent discussions with city officials and the donation of the helicopter.
Perot is a former U.S. Air Force F-4 fighter pilot and world-record-setting helicopter pilot. In 1982, Perot and Jay Coburn set the then-record for around-the-world helicopter flight in a Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II, making the 26,000-mile trip in 246.5 hours over the course of 29 days.
Perot’s Hillwood Development Corp. donated the land for the Fort Worth Alliance airport in the 1980s. Today, more than 525 companies and 61,000 employees are part of the Alliance complex that includes logistics hubs and high-tech facilities for Amazon, UPS, Santa Fe Railroad, and Facebook. Perot and Hillwood have strongly advocated for the development of advanced air mobility and eVTOL service in Texas.
Top Flight Awards: Mars Ingenuity Is Best Rotorcraft
NASA’s Mars Ingenuity helicopter, which became the first aircraft to fly on another planet this past April, is the winner of the 2021 Top Flight Awards category for new rotorcraft. The aircraft has become an integral part of Mars exploration, helping scout the Red Planet in cooperation with the Perseverance rover. Ingenuity is a four-pound, $80 million dollar coaxial helicopter designed to operate in the thinner Martian atmosphere, where gravity is 62 percent lower than Earth’s. The aircraft’s four carbon-fiber main rotor blades spin at more than 2,500 rpm—10 times faster than a conventional helicopter—and are powered by solar cells and batteries.
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