WestAir First To Offer PC-24 for Charter in U.S.

Western Aircraft has added a Pilatus PC-24 to the Part 135 certificate of its WestAir division, which makes it the first in the U.S. to offer the Swiss-built business jet for charter, the company said today. “This aircraft has superior speed, range, and runway performance,” according to Phil Winters, Western Aircraft's v-p of aircraft sales and charter management. “It is also the first business jet in the world that has a standard pallet-sized cargo door, making the loading of even the bulkiest of items, such as a kayak, easy. It’s a true benefit for our charter customers.”

The Boise, Idaho-based FBO and MRO provider said the PC-24 is in WestAir’s aircraft management program. Western Aircraft noted WestAir’s experience operating Pilatus’ legacy and NG PC-12 turboprops, as well as its role as a Pilatus dealer and authorized service center.

WestAir has aircraft based in California, Idaho, and Washington, and provides service to more than 5,000 airports in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. 

Industry Watcher: Bizjet Shipments To Climb 10% in 2019

Business jet deliveries this year could see more than a 10 percent jump over 2018, primarily driven by several new models simultaneously coming to market, according to industry analyst Brian Foley of Brian Foley Associates. That would amount to some 705 jets this year, if 2018 shipments remained flat at 641 units, as many forecasters expected.

However, he warned, “The duration of the upturn will be challenged as the novelty of the new aircraft wears off and economic reality sets in.” And the increase would still be a far cry from the 1,300 jets delivered in 2008, though Foley said that high point was unsustainable. But, he added, “Anything to the upside after nearly a decade of flat deliveries would be more than welcome.”

New models stimulating the market this year include the Gulfstream G500 and G600, Bombardier Global 7500, and Cessna Citation Longitude. “I feel 2019 will be a better year than last as these additional jets move the needle upwards on overall industry delivery values and units,” he noted.

But, Foley cautioned, several factors question the sustainability of this increase: emerging markets, which once accounted for 40 percent of all business jet deliveries and are struggling to take 15 percent today; weaker consumer sentiment and other metrics in the dominant U.S. market; and more normalized depreciation rates for new jets.

NATCA Takes Case to Traveling Public—and Courts

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association is continuing its urgent call for an end to the partial U.S. government shutdown, now the longest in history, this time turning to the general public at select airports with a leaflet campaign. Air traffic controllers and other safety professionals will discuss the safety and efficiency ramifications of the shutdown directly with travelers through the leaflet campaign.

These leaflets, detailing the effects on controllers, staffing, and modernization projects, initially will be distributed at airports in Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Raleigh/Durham. This is to expand to 50 airports nationwide in the following days.

This campaign comes as NATCA is scheduled to appear before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for a hearing on its motion for a temporary restraining order against the U.S. government. On Friday, NATCA filed a lawsuit alleging violation of the Fifth Amendment for unlawfully ceasing wages without due process and for violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for failure to pay at least the minimum wage to controllers who are working during the shutdown. NATCA had requested an expedited hearing, which is now scheduled for tomorrow at noon.

Bell 525s Fly North for the Winter

The first of two flight-test Bell 525s will depart Arlington, Texas, for Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NWT) Canada (CYZF), 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle, within the week for more cold-weather testing, according to Bell. The first helicopter is expected to remain on site for six weeks, while the second is expected to arrive at the end of this month and remain on site for approximately two weeks.

High temperatures this week in Yellowknife are expected in the -27 degree F range, with windchill down to -43 degrees F with a “risk of frostbite” during the day, according to Environment Canada. During cold-weather testing last year, a 525 was tested at temperatures down to -37 degrees F in Northern Manitoba and was also cold soaked down to -31 degrees F.

To date, the 525 fleet of four test aircraft has accumulated more than 1,200 hours, with 850 hours of flight time. Bell is aiming to obtain FAA certification of the 20,500-pound, fly-by-wire, super-medium twin later this year. A Bell spokesman told AIN that the company will be releasing an updated product specification book on the helicopter at the Heli-Expo show in Atlanta in March.

FAA Provides Short-term Relief for Lost Certificates

In one of its final regulatory acts before the shutdown took effect, the FAA issued a new operations specification (OpSpec)/management specification (MSpec) notice and associated guidance for Parts 91K, 121, or 135 operators to gain temporary relief when an airman or medical certificate is lost, stolen, or damaged. The OpSpec/MSpec A063 notice and Advisory Circular, AC 00-70-Flightcrew Member Certificate Verification Plan, pave the way for operators to develop an approved certificate verification plan that would enable the use of temporary documentation for flight crewmembers who have missing airman or medical certification.

Issued December 19, the Ops/Spec notification follows an FAA final rule issued last summer that, among other things, authorized the regulatory relief. The temporary authorization applies to operations within the U.S. and provides relief for up to 72 hours. NBAA, explaining the change to members, said the authorizations replace exemptions No. 5487, 5560, and 11152 that had been granted to commercial operators.

The association noted that the authorization provides crewmembers time to locate missing certifications after a flight. “NBAA feels this is an important relief for those occasions when documentation cannot be found to ensure continued operation for certificated operators,” said Brian Koester, NBAA senior manager of flight operations and regulations.

Mente Group: Slightly Lower Used Bizjet Sales Ahead

Dallas-based aircraft brokerage and consultancy Mente Group’s business jet transaction volume climbed 40 percent in 2018, to nearly $500 million, but it expects 2019 to be slightly lower than the record year it just surpassed. “Our team really came through as the number of Mente’s business jet transactions increased over 20 percent on higher average aircraft values, as sales represented larger and newer aircraft in 2018,” said Mente Group president and CEO Brian Proctor.

He doesn’t anticipate similar volume gains in 2019. Prices for new and preowned jets will continue to rise in 2019, Proctor said, but there could be fewer transactions for used business jets. The volume of 2019 transactions could be depressed by a host of factors, he said, including a strong U.S. dollar, lower inventory of preowned aircraft, restricted MRO upgrade capabilities, elevated maintenance and pilot costs, higher interest rates, and an uncertain political situation.

“We see 2019 as a little slower than 2018, but still ahead of 2017,” Proctor said. Mente Group’s used jets for sale include a Gulfstream G550, G150, and G450; Bombardier Challenger 350; and Cessna Citation VII and CJ2+.

Aircraft Transactions Largely Unaffected by Shutdown

Speculation of a slowdown in the processing of aircraft transactions at the FAA on Friday could be blamed on a short-duration computer issue at the agency, according to Debbie Mercer-Erwin, president of Oklahoma City-based Wright Brothers Aircraft Title. A glitch in the system caused it do go down for about two hours, but it returned to full operation later that day, she told AIN.

“The FAA never made an announcement saying that [it wasn't] going to be able to do business or that the mainframe wouldn’t come back up,” Mercer-Irwin said, adding that the company’s contractors within the agency were likewise unaware of any major problems. “Title searches, filings, receiving of documents, flight wires, just normal, everything is going just fine.”

Mercer-Erwin did note that one possible area of concern due to the continuing partial government shutdown would be in the submitting of documentation for trust transactions to the FAA’s Aeronautical Center Counsel (ACC). “If you are going to have a trust approved, they would not be there to do that, and that would happen prior to registration, so some new business for trust companies could be affected because you cannot receive anything out of the ACC legal department, but that’s the only [related FAA] division that’s closed down,” she said.

Louisiana Airport Moves Ahead with Runway Expansion

Louisiana’s Shreveport Airport Authority has kicked off construction on a runway extension for the secondary runway at Shreveport Regional Airport. The $9.1 million project will add 850 feet to Runway 6/24, bringing it to more than 7,000 feet. The work, paid for by airport improvement grants from the FAA and the state Department of Transportation, will also include a similar extension for Taxiway C. It is expected to take 18 months to complete.

The authority will also soon launch a secondary runway and taxiway expansion at Shreveport Downtown Airport to improve safety conditions and enhance operations. To reduce the risk of runway incursions, it will displace the western end of Runway 5/23 by 200 feet, and extend the eastern end by 1,200 feet, making its new total length 4,200 feet. Combined, the two projects will cost more than $16 million in grants.

“The FAA and LADOT both recognize that both airports are huge assets to the community,” said Mark Crawford, the authority’s marketing and public relations manager. “This investment will help continue to fuel economic development growth in Shreveport and the Ark-La-Tex region.”

Count on AIN for Full Coverage of NBAA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference

As ever, you can count on AIN for full coverage of the 2019 Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference from San Antonio, Texas. Our team will publish special editions of AINalerts from the show on January 28, 29, 30, and 31. If you are an exhibiting company that wants to share news ahead of the show, please contact senior editor Curt Epstein.