Dassault Aviation has consolidated its MRO sales operations into a single organization for customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, the French airframer announced this week. Led by Thierry Salaün, the new organization brings together the MRO sales operations of Dassault Falcon Service (DFS), TAG Maintenance Services (TMS), and the Falcon segment of ExecuJet MRO Services, the latter two of which Dassault acquired in 2019.
“We are leveraging the combined strengths of our various MRO businesses, creating greater efficiencies and synergies across the group,” said Jean Kayanakis, senior v-p of Dassault Aviation’s worldwide customer service and service center network. “This means customers will no longer be wedded to any particular service location but can access any center capable of accommodating the work scope, resource, and scheduling requirements of the job at hand.”
Dassault said the consolidation will enable operators to choose from a wider range of C-check venues, such as DFS Le Bourget and Bordeaux-Mérignac; TMS Geneva and Farnborough; and ExecuJet in Dubai, Lanseria, and Kuala Lumpur. Further, the consolidation allows Dassault to provide operators more information on the availability of modifications and cabin, avionics, and other upgrades across its MRO footprint. The new organization will also coordinate non-Falcon aircraft MRO sales for its TMS operation.
CDC Calls for Negative Tests for Pax Flying into U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order on Tuesday requiring all air passengers entering the U.S. to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test or recovery of the virus. Effective January 26, passengers will be required to provide written documentation (either electronic or paper) of a negative result from a test taken within three days of the flight's departure or recovery of Covid-19. The order builds on requirements in place for UK commercial passengers.
Operators must confirm the negative result or documentation of recovery before a passenger boards, and operators must deny boarding to any passenger who fails to provide such documentation or refuses the test. The order applies to “any airline or operator with an aircraft arriving into the U.S.” Crewmembers are exempt. “It’s important to note this order applies to all aircraft operators, including non-commercial aircraft operators,” said Brian Koester, director of flight operations and regulations for NBAA.
Noting the U.S. is already in surge status for the virus and new international variants are showing increased transmissibility, the CDC said testing before and after travel is critical to slow the introduction and spread of Covid-19.
JetSupport Amsterdam has opened a maintenance facility at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport (EDMO) in southern Germany that will carry full EASA and FAA line station approvals, the MRO provider announced today. Calling it a new chapter in the 19-year-old company’s history, the facility represents JetSupport’s first expansion outside of The Netherlands.
Oberpfaffenhofen puts JetSupport close to customers in Munich, as well as the rest of Europe. It will operate from a 24,200-sq-ft (2,250-sq-m) hangar at EDMO. Along with the expansion, JetSupport has introduced an “all-in care package” for new customers. This package includes parking, servicing, cleaning, and maintenance “to enhance ease of use for the customer and to facilitate maximum availability of their assets,” the company said.
JetSupport's line and base maintenance capabilities include Cessna Citation, Dassault Falcon, Bombardier, Beechcraft King Air, and Dornier types through aircraft and component approvals from the FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada.
NBAA Lauds IRS Rule Exempting Managed Aircraft from FET
NBAA is praising issuance of a pre-publication final rule by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that clearly exempts owners who conduct flights on their own aircraft with a management company’s assistance from paying the 7.5 percent federal excise tax (FET) for commercial flights. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed in 2017 included language specifying this exemption, but now the IRS’s final rule, which is pending publication in the Federal Register, will codify it.
“NBAA and its Tax Committee—led by Chair John Hoover, a partner with the law firm of Holland & Knight—championed industry efforts to work with the Department of the Treasury and IRS on regulations that correctly implement the TCJA management company provision,” NBAA said. “That effort has now resulted in a final rule from the IRS that represents the successful conclusion of the NBAA-led campaign to prevent the improper and retroactive application of FET to management companies and aircraft owners.”
In its final rule, the IRS adopted several significant changes suggested by NBAA, including the exemption for common business aircraft ownership structures, including owner trust arrangements used to register thousands of business aircraft for regulatory compliance purposes. The rule also eliminates a complicated allocation method that would have been required when owners take flights on a substitute aircraft, as well as clarifies that aircraft owners qualify for the FET exemption regardless of whether flights on their own aircraft are conducted under FAR Part 91 or 135.
Duncan Aviation is looking to hire as many as 33 interns this summer at its trio of full-service aircraft maintenance facilities in Michigan, Nebraska, and Utah. The paid positions in its airframe, engine, install, and interior production departments will enable students to gain hands-on experience while learning more about the company and exploring career paths in the business aviation industry. This past summer, while many such programs were canceled by the Covid-19 pandemic, Duncan continued its relationship with its technical school partners and accepted 14 interns.
Treated like any other hire by the company, those interns participate in a two-day welcome orientation, intended to provide a solid understanding of the company and its culture. They are then placed into teams, paired with an experienced technician mentor, and given actual projects to work on.
The program also enables them to build relationships and network with those in the industry. “It plays a critical role in the recruitment and development of future Duncan Aviation technicians,” said senior talent acquisition specialist Jennifer Monroe, adding the company has seen many long-term hires as a result. “One of the most valuable benefits of the program is once interns get the chance to experience Duncan Aviation’s culture, they are sold on the company and want to stay.”
Colorado Airport Digs New Hangar Complex, Plans 2nd FBO
A new private hangar complex will rise at Northern Colorado Regional Airport after Water Valley Land Co. and the Business Aviation Group (BAG) broke ground on the first phase of what is planned as Discovery Air, an eventual 29.5-acre development at the Fort Collins gateway.
Construction is slated to be completed by year-end on the first structure, an energy-efficient 30,000-sq-ft heated hangar with 28-foor-high doors, along with more than 8,000 sq ft of customizable tenant office space. According to BAG co-founder David Vaughn, the building is already 65 percent pre-leased.
A second phase will add another 148,000 sq ft of hangar and office space, as well as a new 24,000-sq-ft FBO terminal. Vaughn told AIN that the start of the second phase will be based on demand, but the company has already secured permission to establish the FBO, which would be the second one on the field. The companies expect to select a service provider to operate it by April.
“Demand for high-quality, contemporary aviation facilities is strong in this region,” said BAG partner Barry Sherman. “We have two significant customers under contract to date. Discussions are underway with several others, and we expect interest to soar as the progress continues.”
Safe Flight Buy Expands Loar Group’s Aero Product Range
Loar Group has added flight instrumentation, guidance, and controls manufacturer Safe Flight Instrument Corp. to its aircraft component businesses. Financial terms of the acquisition were not released.
The deal for White Plains, New York-based Safe Flight expands Loar’s offerings to include stall warning and protection, automatic throttle systems, fuselage airflow angle sensors, control shakers, icing condition detectors, and aircraft lift instrumentation. Safe Flight products are installed on nearly two-thirds of the world’s aircraft, with about 75 percent of its products sold to the general and business aviation end markets.
“This acquisition of Safe Flight adds a strong management team, along with expanded engineering, design, manufacturing, repair, and overhaul talent to Loar, allowing us to address additional unique and niche manufacturing and technological challenges faced by our customers,” said Loar Group CEO Dirkson Charles. He further added that the deal permits Safe Flight to continue serving its existing customers while providing additional capital and human resources for growth.
Loar Group also owns aircraft and automotive carbon brake system manufacturer BAM, precision aerospace component supplier AGC, and multiple aerospace machining companies, among others.
Honeywell Unveils Fourth-gen Cabin Pressure System
Honeywell has rolled out a next-generation, digital cabin pressure control and monitoring system (CPCMS) that can be used by business, regional, and military aircraft. Piaggio Aerospace will use the CPCMS on its P.180 Avanti Evo, with the first delivery of the system expected to the OEM in the third quarter of this year and certification and service entry in the first half of 2022.
Honeywell said this fourth-generation CPCMS is fully electric and requires less maintenance than previous versions. It also has improved reliability and the capability to detect and report any failures or issues, including for the backup manual portion of the system. The complete system weighs less than six pounds, which makes it 30 percent lighter than the previous system, and it features a newer and smaller digital controller to accommodate upgrades.
“After listening to our customers, it was clear the industry required an update because most systems being used today rely on decades-old technology,” said Honeywell v-p and general manager of air and thermal systems Tom Hart. “We acted quickly and developed a new digital system that is significantly lighter, more reliable, and less costly to certify than products on the market today.”
Make Your Voice Heard in the 2021 FBO Survey
AIN’s FBO survey is open for year-round feedback, but the deadline to vote in the 2021 survey is February 5. The results will be published in the April issue. The survey takes only a minute, and you can do it while waiting for passengers, on the shuttle bus to/from the hotel or any other time that is convenient for you. Participants will be entered to win a $500 Amazon gift card. Log on to www.ainonline.com/fbosurvey to rate your experiences at the FBOs you visit.
Requires modification of the inward vent valves and also prohibits installation/reinstallation of affected parts. Prompted by an occurrence reported where, on the production line, a batch of inward vent valves without a chromate conversion coating on the bonding surface were installed on some PC-12s. Such inward vent valves are not in compliance with the latest approved design data. If not corrected, this condition could lead to corrosion, consequent degradation of the electrical bonding to Rib 16, and—in case of lightning strike—to arcing between the ungrounded equipment and the primary structure, possibly resulting in a fire.
Supersedes AD 2020-0156, which requires inspections of the main gearbox (MGB) magnetic plug, inspections of the MGB oil filter at reduced intervals, the application of improved instructions following the discovery of particles on the MGB magnetic plug or oil filter, and the replacement of the affected magnetic plug with an improved magnetic plug. New AD requires replacement of second stage planet gears at reduced intervals.
Requires a one-time inspection of the VHF antenna attachments to the tail boom for cracks or corrosion and any necessary modification or corrective action(s). Prompted by an occurrence where corrosion was found on the external tail boom skin under the VHF antenna. According to EASA, this galvanic corrosion cannot be detected without removing the VHF antenna.
SAF Coalition Wins Top Flight Award for Sustainability
AIN is proud to announce the winner of the 2020 Top Flight Awards Sustainability category: The Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
The coalition was launched by a group of international aviation organizations to encourage the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by increasing the awareness of its safety and availability and the use of it by OEMs, ground handlers, and aircraft owners and operators regionally, nationally, and internationally. It also seeks to promote the build out of infrastructure to increase SAF’s manufacture as well as its further development.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
AIN Alerts is a publication of The Convention News Company, Inc., 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
