Avfuel, Neste Ink SAF Supply Deal in U.S.

Avfuel has formed a strategic partnership with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provider Neste to further a continuous flow of the renewable drop-in fuel in the U.S. According to the agreement, Neste will supply SAF volumes to meet the growing demand of Avfuel’s FBO, airport, flight department, OEM, and commercial operators, making the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based fuel provider one of the first to be able to supply those customers on a continuous basis. Avfuel will now become a branded SAF distributor for Neste’s fuel, which will be sold under the brand name Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Monterey Jet Center in California will be the first Avfuel dealer to receive the fuel continually, with its first delivery slated by April. The two companies will work with the Monterey Regional Airport FBO to ensure the supply chain is running smoothly before rolling out the program to other locations.

“This strategic partnership is an exciting development for the industry’s sustainability initiative, and a natural next step in response to aviation’s growing demand for SAF,” said Avfuel president and CEO Craig Sincock, adding it combines the strengths of the two companies. “Together we are able to support aviation’s sustainability goals and enhance supply availability at a commercial scale, filling an immense gap in the industry’s supply chain.”

Aviation Groups Release Runway Excursion Reduction Plan

The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) and Eurocontrol today released a broad set of recommendations aimed at preventing runway excursions, which they said are now the most frequent type of accident for both small and large aircraft. Dubbed the “Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions” (GAPPRE), the report was developed by more than 100 aviation professionals at some 40 organizations, with the effort led by FSF and Eurocontrol.

“Reducing runway excursions and continuing to improve the overall safety of the approach and landing phases of flight continue to be a primary area of focus for the foundation,” said FSF president and CEO Dr. Hassan Shahidi. “We are gratified by the efforts of the many safety professionals who gave of their time and expertise to make the GAPPRE a reality, and I want to thank our partners at Eurocontrol, ACI, CANSO, EASA and IATA for their continuing commitment to safety collaboration.”

With the release of the action plan, FSF is launching a year-long campaign to focus attention on runway excursion risk and support implementation of the consensus-based GAPPRE recommendations. Overall, there are 101 recommendations outlined in the report—17 for airport operators; eight for air navigation service providers; 35 for aircraft operators; 16 for aircraft manufacturers; 17 for aviation regulators and ICAO; and eight for research and development.

Fiat Chrysler Backs Archer’s eVTOL Aircraft

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is partnering with eVTOL developer Archer to provide composite materials and engineering support for the four-passenger aircraft due to be unveiled this year, the companies announced today. The U.S.-based carmaker, which has not disclosed whether it is making a direct investment in Archer, is following the lead of Asian rivals Hyundai and Toyota, which have both made big financial commitments to the advanced air mobility sector.

California-based Archer, which was launched in May, plans to start volume production of its unnamed aircraft by 2023 and begin commercial operations it describes as “airline” service in 2024. This year, it expects to begin flight testing a full-scale prototype for the all-electric fixed-wing aircraft, which is expected to fly up to 60 miles at speeds of 150 mph.

In today's announcement, FCA—which makes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles—did not say whether it will actually manufacture Archer’s aircraft. “Archer will benefit from FCA’s low-cost supply chain and advanced composite material capability, and design and engineering expertise,” a spokesman for Archer told AIN. “We have already tapped into FCA’s extensive design expertise, collaborating with the company on elements of the cockpit design of our first full-scale aircraft.”

This story is from FutureFlight.aero, a resource developed by AIN to provide objective, independent coverage and analysis of new aviation technology, including electric aircraft developments and advanced air mobility.

IADA Sees Late 2020 Surge in Biz Aircraft Sale Closings

International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) members closed 554 preowned business aircraft sales in the fourth quarter, accounting for more than half of all transactions between April and December, the organization announced this week. “In total, IADA dealers accounted for 1,011 transactions in the April-December time period, not counting preowned aircraft sales handled by our OEM members,” said IADA executive director Wayne Starling. “Our dealers registered 285 sales in December alone, by far the most active month of the year and double any other Covid-19-impacted month.”

IADA members represent the top 7 percent of dealers and 40 percent of preowned sales globally, the organization said. Among the transactions that closed in the fourth quarter, only 36 of the 554 were at lower prices. That compares with 45 aircraft that sold for a lower price among the 174 deals closed in the second quarter of 2020.

“While it is way too early to say the industry has rebounded completely, as the pandemic is still raging, the activity in the preowned aircraft marketplace is certainly trending upwards across all of our dealers,” Starling said.

According to additional data from IADA in the April to December 2020 period, dealer-members reported 84 new commitments to buy, entered into 347 acquisition agreements, and noted 131 deals that fell apart.

Blade To Start Westchester County-NYC Helo Service

Urban air mobility platform Blade has announced plans to begin helicopter rideshare service between the Westchester/Connecticut corridor and New York City in a strategic alliance with Ross Aviation. Denver-based Ross currently operates 17 FBOs under the Ross Aviation, Rectrix Aviation, Alaska Aerofuel, Island Air, and Great Circle Aviation Services banners.

Under the deal, Ross will work with Blade to build a vertiport at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, New York. The new vertiport will include all the necessary infrastructure to support future eVTOL aircraft. Blade expects the new five-day-per-week Westchester service to begin as early as March, transforming a typically one- to two-hour hour drive to/from New York City into a 10- to 15-minute flight. One-way flights are expected to be approximately $175 per person, though Blade plans to offer commuter passes that would reduce the per-seat cost to $95.

Meanwhile, investors will soon be able to buy publicly-traded stock in Blade. Last month, Blade agreed to merge with publicly-listed Experience Investment Corp. (EIC). “When our sponsor KSL Capital Partners and I launched EIC, our goal was to leverage longstanding relationships, our network of industry connections, and other KSL assets to help uncover attractive opportunities and expedite the growth plan for our merger partner, Blade,” said EIC CEO Eric Affeldt. KSL Capital Partners is a private-equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises.

Missouri FBO Alpha Air Calls it Quits

Missouri’s Joplin Regional Airport has been reduced to a single FBO with the shuttering of Alpha Air Center, which had been in operation for nearly a decade. Alpha Air occupied 6,000 sq ft of the airport’s 20,000-sq-ft general aviation terminal (GAT), which also houses a small aviation museum, Civil Air Patrol offices, and community event room. The GAT facility includes a passenger lobby, pilot lounge with snooze room, kitchen, conference room, and coffee bar.

Alpha will continue to operate its 12,000- and 6,000-sq-ft hangars, which are not part of the FBO leasehold. Alpha’s Part 145 aircraft maintenance operation closed as well, while the status of its flight school was undetermined at press time, as AIN's attempts to reach company ownership were unsuccessful.

According to airport manager Steve Stockham, the company still had approximately three years left on its FBO lease and the airport now plans to issue a request for proposal for the property within the next two months. The closure means Mizzou Aviation, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, will handle all general aviation traffic and airline fueling on the field, which in a typical year sees 25,000 to 30,000 operations.

Waltzing Matilda Acquires Montana Charter Operator

Part 135 operator Waltzing Matilda Aviation (WMA) has acquired majority ownership in and management responsibility of Exec Air Montana’s charter and aircraft management business at Helena Regional Airport (HLN), the Bedford, Massachusetts company announced today. The acquisition occurred in concert with Leading Edge Jet Center’s acquisition of Exec Air Montana’s FBO and other business aviation services at HLN that was announced last week.

According to WMA, Exec Air Montana is the only charter operator at HLN. It operates a fleet of six aircraft.

“This acquisition positions WMA with a great platform for growth,” said WMA CEO John Thomas. “Our partnership with Leading Edge Jet Center provides an opportunity to expand WMA's presence in both the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West regions, strengthening our resilient value offering for customers. We are proud to bring WMA's charter services, which grew over 80 percent above 2019 levels in 2020, to a new customer base at the Helena Regional Airport.”

Report Targets Means To Reduce Leaded Avgas

A broad-based and sustained commitment across the aviation industry, along with the FAA and other government agencies, is necessary if significant progress is going to be made on reducing lead emissions from aviation-gasoline-powered aircraft, according to a new report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Developed by a Committee on Lead Emissions from Piston-Powered General Aviation Aircraft with the support of the Department of Transportation, the congressionally-mandated report found that questions surrounding current efforts to develop a drop-in replacement unleaded aviation fuel mean other steps will be necessary to begin reducing lead emissions and exposures. “The committee came to realize that currently there is no individual, certain solution to the aviation lead problem, and therefore a multi-pathway mitigation approach offers the greatest potential for tangible and sustained progress,” the report says.

These recommendations center on training and education, efforts to increase the use of lower-octane fuels, fostering expansion of infrastructure, and easing of certification requirements. However, the committee decided that restricting leaded avgas use by high-performance piston aircraft is not a viable option.