Electric aircraft manufacturer Bye Aerospace says that the provisional order backlog for its eFlyer 800 twin-motor airplane has grown to include 135 purchase and option agreements. According to company CEO George Bye, it is aiming to certify and start deliveries in 2027, with plans to start flying a prototype in 2024.
In April 2021, Bye confirmed the launch of what had been called the Envoy aircraft, rebranding it as the eFlyer 800. It is expected to provide an electric-powered alternative to twin-turboprops such as Textron's King Air family.
The eFlyer 800—which the manufacturer claims will drastically reduce operating costs and noise and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional turboprops—will offer a 65-inch-wide cabin for business aviation applications. A 12-seat commuter variant with uprated motors is also under consideration.
Safran remains a supportive partner as Bye continues to assess the most efficient electric powertrain using the French engine maker’s Engineus electric motors and GeneusGrid electric distribution and network protection system.
“After two years of testing in Safran lab, we have validated all the key features and demonstrated the unrivaled performance of our Engineus 500,” said Hervé Blanc, executive v-p and general manager with Safran Electrical & Power. “This electric motor can deliver 750 kW maximum takeoff power, which is the perfect fit for the eFlyer 800.”
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.
Vista Global, the Dubai-based parent of VistaJet and XO, reported today that the two charter operators combined saw a 64 percent increase in flight hours last year versus 2020. Last year’s gain also was 57 percent higher than pre-pandemic figures.
Additionally, 2021 annual subscription hours topped 22,000, a 90 percent increase from 2020, while the companies’ members increased 26 percent globally. XO deposit members alone grew 68 percent year-over-year in 2021. More than 30 aircraft were added to Vista Global’s charter fleets in 2021, which now total more than 200 aircraft.
“2021 has been an incredibly strong year for Vista and we have delivered all-time record-breaking figures as a result of the huge demand for our subscription, membership, and on-demand offerings,” said Vista Global chairman and founder Thomas Flohr. “There is clearly a paradigm shift in the global client’s view of private aviation.”
This year, the company has increased its liquidity through the offering of $1 billion of senior unsecured notes due in 2030 through two of its subsidiaries, VistaJet Malta and XO Management Holding, an offering that was more than five times oversubscribed.
Also in 2022, Vista Global will take delivery of seven Bombardier Global 7500s, VistaJet’s flagship aircraft, bringing that model’s fleet size to 14. It also expects to complete its refurbishment of older Globals and Challengers by the end of this year.
California-based Clay Lacy Aviation has become the first company to receive a “Facilities Neutral” rating from 4Air, an industry sustainability solutions provider. With its headquarters at Los Angeles-area Van Nuys Airport, Clay Lacy has invested heavily in reducing its environmental impact through initiatives such as the installation of a 30,000-sq-ft solar energy array, the introduction of e-vehicle charging stations, switching to energy-efficient LED lighting, and the use of carbon offset credits. Through its audit process, 4Air validated that the facility has been operating in a carbon-neutral manner since 2019.
“The Facilities Neutral rating affirms the sustainability strategy and actions taken by Clay Lacy Aviation to meet a carbon-neutral level,” explained 4Air president Kennedy Ricci. “After a thorough review and audit, we offer Clay Lacy stakeholders and its customers assurance that its program has delivered in its goals of reducing its carbon footprint and procuring carbon offsets to attain carbon neutrality.”
This recognition builds on Clay Lacy's environmental resume that also includes the title of first to be certified under NBAA's new Sustainability Standard for Aviation Businesses. It will soon break ground on two additional FBOs—one at John Wayne Orange County Airport in California and on the East Coast at Connecticut’s Waterbury-Oxford Airport, each of which will also be designed to incorporate sustainable construction and operational practices.
CrewBlast, the staffing company that launched late last year to quickly match operators with contract pilots through an app, found that it drew the most response in December for crew for the Gulfstream G500, Dassault Falcon 7X, Bombardier Challenger 605, Cessna Citation XLS, and Gulfstream IV. Operator requests for crews were offering an average daily pilot rate of $3,500 for the G500 and $1,200 for the XLS, the company reported.
“While we serve all aircraft types, we anticipate that many of our requests will continue to come from these larger and longer-range aircraft,” said CrewBlast president Timothy Griffin. “It’s just much more of a challenge to staff these aircraft.”
When operators need staffing, the app sends a “Blast” notification to its database of qualified crewmembers. The blast goes directly to mobile phones, enabling the prospective pilot or flight attendant to respond immediately.
Melbourne, Florida-based jetAviva, coming off a year of record sales, is transitioning leadership with Emily Deaton taking the helm as CEO. Deaton, who had been COO, succeeds Tim White, who has led the aircraft brokerage firm since 2016. White is taking the role of vice-chairman, working alongside company founder and executive chairman Cyrus Sigari.
Deaton joined jetAviva in 2019 as v-p of sales after serving as manager of CRM strategy and customer experience for Embraer Executive Jets. She was promoted to COO in March 2020, just as the global pandemic was setting in.
The change comes as jetAviva marked the highest annual revenue in its 15-year history and reported more than 100 transactions in 2021. The company found particular success with the Citation Excel, Pilatus PC-24, and Phenom 100, among others, it said.
“Deaton’s role in exceeding our company objectives, despite the challenges and uncertainty of the last two years, speaks volumes about her ability to successfully lead this organization,” White said, adding that her “positive impact on our organization in her previous role as COO has well-positioned jetAviva for its next phase of growth and expansion.”
Greenpoint Technologies has inked a contract for the completion of a pair of VIP Boeing 787-9s with an undisclosed customer. The work will take place at the Safran subsidiary’s Moses Lake, Washington installation facility with the first of the aircraft slated for induction in 2023.
The company—which already has seven private Dreamliner completions under its belt including the delivery of the first private 787-8 and just last month, the first 787-9—noted that this experience has given its customers a feeling of confidence.
“This level of trust culminates from our VIP completion expertise, delivery performance, and long-standing client relationships,” explained company CEO Klaus Koester. “Our clients understand the complexity of these programs, and we value their confidence in our team to deliver aircraft on time with unmatched quality.”
Greenpoint has partnered directly with the client to develop interior designs that match their lifestyles and mission requirements for the aircraft. They will include luxury suites and distinct passenger zones featuring raised ceilings, custom IFE and communication options, and improved soundproofing. The design process began this month, and the company will manage all project aspects including engineering, manufacturing, certification, and installation.
Nav Canada has started an ADS-B service trial below FL290 in portions of the Montreal flight information region (FIR). The trial will evaluate overall system performance and assess the effectiveness of ADS-B operations in a terminal area and in high-density airspace. Nav Canada has provided ADS-B surveillance service at FL 290 and above on a voluntary basis since February 2021.
Operators intending to participate in the trial must use aircraft equipped with 1090 MHz extended squitter Mode S transponders using diverse antennae or antennae capable of broadcasting upwards towards satellites. Bottom antennas alone do not meet the requirement. Participants must also file the following ADS-B equipage information in their ICAO flight plans: 1090 MHz ADS-B “out” and “in” capabilities.
Nav Canada in 2019 suspended its plan to mandate the use of ADS-B starting in 2021 in response to feedback from stakeholders and the industry. The postponement has given Nav Canada more time to develop regulations with Transport Canada, as well as provide additional time for the equipment certification process associated with antenna diversity requirements. Nav Canada is expected to provide at least a year’s notice once a new mandate is finalized.
Mike France, who joined the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) as director of regulatory affairs and later served as managing director of safety and training, is leaving the association after 13 years.
France has accepted a position with Magpie Human Safety Systems, which provides a range of safety, training, organizational culture, systems analysis, and other services for the aviation, oil and gas, and healthcare industries.
Under France’s direction, the association’s Safety 1st team launched an extensive knowledge base and support center providing services and information on an array of safety, training, and guidance, NATA said. He also oversaw the development of the Safety 1st Clean standard in response to the Covid-19 crisis. NATA further noted that among his other efforts, he helped advocate for changes to hangar foam fire protection standards and fought to protect flight training programs and students from burdensome state requirements and predatory practices.
NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts called France “a visionary—always thinking ahead when it comes to setting and then raising the bar for aviation businesses,” and added, “Mike’s work has built a solid foundation for the association to continue to grow and expand our industry-standard training and education programs.”
NATA, meanwhile, has brought long-time FAA official Keith DeBerry on board in a full-time capacity as senior v-p of safety and education.
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First ACJ TwoTwenty Arrives at Comlux
The first Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) TwoTwenty, executive variant of the Airbus A220 single-aisle airliner, arrived in January at Comlux Completion in Indianapolis, direct from the A220 final assembly line in Mirabel, Canada. ACJ has partnered with Comlux, the Swiss VIP aircraft specialist and operator, and its U.S.-based completion facility to produce and install configurable VIP interiors for the first 15 green TwoTwenty jets. Comlux Completion engineers and designers have been working with their Airbus counterparts for two years to prepare for its arrival.
People in Aviation
Western Jet Aviation named Tom Canavera as business development manager. Canavera has more than 30 years of aviation experience surrounding MRO sales, customer service, operations, and marketing solutions, most recently as sales and marketing manager for Hampton Aviation.
Omni Aircraft Sales promoted Ryan Linn to v-p of aircraft sales. Linn originally joined Omni Air Transport as a pilot 15 years ago, moved over to Omni Aircraft Sales as a research analyst in 2015, and most recently was director of aircraft sales as well as remaining as a Challenger 604 captain.
Lufthansa Technik named Daniel Hepworth head of corporate sales for Europe and Andreas van de Kuil head of corporate sales for Eastern Europe and the CIS. Hepworth, who most recently was general manager of corporate sales for UK, Ireland, France, and Benelux, has more than 20 years of international MRO sales experience including 14 with Lufthansa Technik. Van de Kuil formerly was director of customer service and sales in the Americas for Lufthansa Technik Component Services and has served with the company since 2009.
Charles “Chuck” Gibran joined Bristow Group as director of business development for the Middle East as well as managing director for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Gibran previously was with PHI International, where he served as general manager of PHI Arabia and director of PHI Middle East operations, and also has served as program director for Saudi Red Crescent Authority’s medevac helicopter program.
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