NBAA has asked the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and the Irish Ambassador to the U.S. for help in combatting a proposed ban on nonscheduled flights, which includes general aviation operations, at Dublin Airport (EIDW), the second-busiest business aviation airport in Ireland. The move by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is meant to keep EIDW within its current annual passenger traffic cap of 32 million, which DAA expects to exceed this year. DAA is attempting to raise the annual limit to 40 million but said it could take up to two years to get such approval.

“In essence, this action by the DAA will result in no business aviation flights being allowed to fly in or out of Dublin Airport until planning is secured to increase passenger capacity,” NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen explained to U.S. Ambassador Claire Cronin and Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason. Bolen also emphasized NBAA’s work with the Irish Business and General Aviation Association (IBGAA) to inform government officials about the importance of business aviation on the Emerald Isle.

While NBAA and IBGAA are hopeful that the passenger cap at EIDW will be raised to 40 million, the groups also have suggested allocating 20,000 passengers from the current 32 million cap for business aviation. According to an IBGAA report using Argus International data, there were 6,515 business aircraft movements at EIDW in 2022.

Covington Aircraft Engines has opened its second overseas service center, the MRO group announced today. Located in the southwest of England near Wimborne, Dorset, Covington Aircraft EU has attained UK Civil Aviation Authority Part 145 approval.

The new facility will supply factory-authorized maintenance, parts, and mobile repair team support for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A family of engines to customers in the UK, the Middle East, and Africa. Headquartered at its North American service center in Oklahoma, Covington also maintains a support presence in Brazil.

“Covington’s sizeable new facility in the United Kingdom has the capabilities, experienced staff, and tooling to handle heavy maintenance and power section work on the PT6A family,” the company said. “In addition, Covington Aircraft EU Limited will serve as a European base for the company’s well-known mobile repair teams, which will now be able to provide more efficient and timely field service support across the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Africa.”

The company will continue to provide engine overhaul work and expanded work scope requirements for customers in North America, Central and South America, Asia, and Australia at its headquarters in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, which offers advanced test cell capabilities.

In the aftermath of the Boeing Max crashes, U.S. aircraft manufacturers have found the certification validation process has become unpredictable. Civil aviation authorities (CAAs) are requesting more and a varying amount of data, as well as extending the duration of the review process, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found.

As a result, the GAO is recommending that the FAA review its process for managing international validations to help build more predictability. The GAO reviewed the processes out of concerns that, despite long-standing bilaterals, U.S. companies “continue to report experiencing difficulties in obtaining approvals of their products in other countries.”

Stakeholders interviewed cited a reduced trust these CAAs have in FAA certification following the Boeing 737 Max 8 accidents that occurred in 2018 and 2019. At the same time, FAA staffing and resource limitations have proved challenging in its ability to resolve disputes with other CAAs, the government watchdog added.

The FAA has begun to collect more detailed information surrounding its management of international validations. “However, FAA has not evaluated the effectiveness of the validations process as a whole,” the GAO said. It further noted that the FAA is in the early stages of developing an approach to assessing the process, but has not yet identified specific steps or time frame for such an approach.

With global business leaders and heads of state set to converge next week in Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum (WEF), Jet Aviation, in partnership with Zurich Airport (LSZH), will again provide sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for aircraft arriving at its Zurich facility. 

“Since 2020, we have been offering SAF to our customers attending the WEF, either on-site or through book-and-claim,” said Joao Martins, the company’s v-p of regional FBO operations for Europe and general manager Zurich. “We have been working closely with the Zurich Airport team and our partners and are delighted to be able to make physical SAF available on-site again this year.”

While Zurich may be the primary option for some conference goers, St. Gallen-Altenrhein (LSZR) provides an alternative that is a 75-minute drive from the conference venue with no airport slot requirements. According to ExecuJet, which operates the FBO there in cooperation with People’s Air Group, LSZR—which provides on-site customs and immigration services along with passenger and baggage screening—may also have last-minute, short-term aircraft parking available.

If ramp space at either airport is no longer an option, aircraft conducting drop-and-goes can reposition to Munich Airport in Germany or Austria’s Vienna, Salzburg, or Klagenfurt airports.

A Nevada judge has approved a $100 million settlement for the parents of a passenger killed from injuries resulting from a Feb. 10, 2018 Grand Canyon helitour crash. Jonathan Udall sustained burns to more than 90 percent of his body and died in the hospital 12 days after the accident.

The Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters Airbus EC130B4 crashed in rugged terrain near Quartermaster Canyon in the Hualapai Nation in Arizona, three miles east of the Grand Canyon West Airport. All seven aboard survived the initial impact, but three of the six passengers aboard died in the post-crash fire, and another two later died of burn-related injuries. The pilot and one passenger survived.

According to the NTSB, the probable cause of the accident was “a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, the pilot’s loss of helicopter control, and collision with terrain during approach to land in gusting, tailwind conditions in an area of potential downdrafts and turbulence.” Winds at the accident site were forecasted at up to 55 mph, high enough to delay extraction and transport of the survivors into early the next morning.  

Under the settlement terms, Airbus Helicopters will pay $75 million and helicopter operator Papillon will contribute $24.6 million.