Gulfstream Aerospace fell short of its projected 124 aircraft deliveries last year, handing over 120 jets as three were deferred from the fourth quarter to early this year, parent company General Dynamics said this morning. The company shipped 96 large-cabin jets and 24 midsize G280s, up from 119 units (103 large cabin and 16 G280s) in 2021.
General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic is projecting 145 Gulfstream deliveries this year, with aerospace division revenues expected to reach $10.4 billion. She also reaffirmed the forecast for 170 aircraft shipments next year.
Despite the less favorable mix in deliveries last year, revenues at General Dynamics’ aerospace division—which also includes FBO/MRO Jet Aviation—climbed 5.3 percent year-over-year, to about $8.6 billion, while earnings rose 9.6 percent, to $1.13 billion. That’s thanks to higher service revenue at both Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, according to Novakovic.
She noted that aerospace backlog was $19.516 billion at the end of 2022—up 20 percent year-over-year and 68 percent higher than two years ago. Aerospace book-to-bill in the fourth quarter was 1.2:1, and 1.5:1 at Gulfstream alone. “Gulfstream took in 430 new aircraft orders over the last two years, with 400 net orders after cancellations,” Novakovic said, adding that aircraft sales remain strong in North America and continue to grow in the Middle East and Southeast Asia (outside of China).
Despite ongoing supply-chain issues, Textron Aviation saw more jet and turboprop deliveries, revenue, and profit in the fourth quarter, parent company Textron reported today. Cessna Citation deliveries during the quarter totaled 52 versus 46 in the same period a year earlier while turboprop deliveries—Cessna Caravans, Beechcraft King Airs, and Cessna SkyCouriers—rose to 47, up from 43 in late 2021.
In the most recent quarter, Textron Aviation earned $1.6 billion in revenue, a $223 million year-over-year increase. Profit increased by $32 million from fourth-quarter 2021 to $169 million. Backlog was $6.4 billion at the end of 2022, up from $4.1 billion in late 2021.
Textron CEO Scott Donnelly admitted on an earnings call with analysts that the supply chain affected the number of aircraft Textron Aviation delivered. “We were a few hundred million dollars light versus our initial guide, based on the fact that we continue to see supply-chain challenges,” he said. “I think we’ve had a number of suppliers that were challenged [but] are getting better. But you always have a couple out there that are still struggling.”
Covington Aircraft Engines has received certification renewal as a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) designated overhaul facility. The certification allows Covington to carry out factory-authorized maintenance, warranty, and parts support work on 59 variants of the P&WC PT6A turboprop engine.
“Today marks the third renewal of our agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada, and we simply could not ask for a better collaborator,” said Covington president Aaron Abbott. Covington’s history with P&WC extends to serving as a repair and overhaul facility for the Canadian engine manufacturer’s R-985 and R-1340 radial engines—a capability Covington continues to maintain.
Covington’s focus on the PT6A has given the company a depth of knowledge and technical expertise on the turbine engine series. In addition to its headquarters in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Covington has a facility in Brazil and plans to add another one in the UK. Covington has a multimillion-dollar parts inventory, a fleet of PT6A rental engines, test cells, and mobile repair teams.
Aviation data specialist JetNet is remaining on the acquisition trail, extending its reach into flight information with the purchase of ADS-B Exchange, the company announced today at the NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference. Founded in 2016, ADS-B Exchange operates a network of ADS-B, Mode S, and MLAT feeders and provides real-time and historical flight data. The company aggregates some 750,000 messages per second through receivers hosted by aviation enthusiasts worldwide.
Calling the acquisition one of several anticipated, JetNet said the addition of ADS-B Exchange will enable it to expand its flight data offering with real-time information. “ADS-B Exchange was founded as the go-to resource for aviation and flight-data enthusiasts,” said Dan Streufert, president and founder of ADS-B Exchange. “Joining forces with JetNet is the perfect match as we look to meet the business needs of our users while maintaining our enthusiast roots and unfiltered data.”
ADS-B Exchange has a range of clients from MRO and airport operations to aircraft leasing, research and academic, and government services. “We’ve long admired ADS-B Exchange and know how strategic the company’s real-time data offerings are to the aviation industry,” said JetNet CEO Derek Swaim. “The ADS-B Exchange platform will bring significant value to our customers.”
The acquisition is the second announced following Silversmith Capital Partners's majority investment in JetNet last year. In October, JetNet acquired aircraft valuation firm Asset Insight.
A chip necessary for Gogo 5G has successfully completed critical design review, the Broomfield, Colorado-based in-flight connectivity provider announced today, adding that production is ramping up and delivery is anticipated by the middle of the year. This helps keep Gogo Business Aviation’s 5G service on pace to launch in the fourth quarter.
“The critical design review was an important process and milestone before entering into the manufacturing cycle,” said Mike Syverson, Gogo’s senior v-p of engineering. “Given the challenges that our supplier experienced in 2022, we felt that passing this amount of review would give us the confidence necessary to deliver 5G in 2023.”
The initial supplemental type certificate (STC) has been granted for the 5G belly-mounted MB13 antennas and the X3 (5G) LRU, Gogo said, and that STC will be amended once the chip is available.
Gogo has been working with manufacturers and authorized dealers on additional STCs that will cover more than 30 aircraft models, the company added. Customers can install Gogo’s Avance L5 platform now with 5G provisions and operate on the company’s 4G network until the X3 LRU is available.
Gogo 5G is expected to provide connectivity speeds averaging 25 Mbps, with peak speeds in the 75- to 80-Mbps range. The service is designed to handle data-heavy applications such as videoconferencing, live TV, and gaming.
Jetex and Skylegs announced this week the integration of their platforms in an effort to enable aircraft operators to dispatch flights faster and easier. Under the integration, flights scheduled in the Skylegs management platform can be completed in three steps: a flight is scheduled in Skylegs; all flight services are immediately synchronized and managed by Jetex; and the operator receives a confirmed status from Jetex.
“All processes will now be automatic instead of having two separate systems running simultaneously during the flight-planning and execution phases,” Jetex said.
Further, the integration is expected to reduce errors and increase efficiency, as well as improve the management of operating costs. Jetex estimates that more than 35,000 flights will benefit from the partnership each year. “This integration is one of the many examples of how the two companies help aircraft operators modernize and automate their operations to make them more efficient,” Jetex said.
Legacy parts manufacturer and MRO Ontic closed out 2022 on a high note with acquisitions, new licensing agreements, and investments in capacity. Last year, the company fully integrated the Staverton site in Gloucestershire, UK, which Ontic acquired in 2021 through an agreement with Triumph. Now Ontic is supporting platforms that include the Saab Gripen, Airbus A330, and BAE Hawk. The Staverton site serves as one of the company’s main production facilities.
Also in 2022, Ontic added 13 exclusive licensing agreements that it said will strengthen its global portfolio of highly complex engineered products for the aerospace sector, including commercial and military customers such as Airbus and Boeing Defense.
The company also made multimillion-dollar investments in its capacity, adding 20,000 sq ft to its Creedmoor site in North Carolina, where it doubled its number of employees over the past two years. This year, Ontic will create more production floor space at its Chatsworth, California facility.
Professional Aircraft Accessories, a business, commercial, and regional aircraft services company, has signed a service agreement for the landing gear overhaul and support of Lufthansa CityLine’s fleet of 28 Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jets.
Professional Aircraft began working in 2015 with CityLine, a regional German airline and wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa. The five-year agreement is a result of that relationship. The agreement will run through October 2027. “We are very pleased to continue the good and reliable cooperation with Professional Aircraft Accessories,” said Manuel Radner, CityLine’s head of supply and contract management.
A Greenwich AeroGroup company headquartered in Titusville, Florida, Professional Aircraft is an EASA and FAA Part 145 repair station that specializes in the inspection, repair, and overhaul of instrumentation, aircraft accessories, landing gear, avionics, and airframe components. Besides serving business, commercial, and regional aviation, the company also supports government and military markets.
Requires revising the airworthiness limitations section of the existing instructions for continued airworthiness or inspection program for the airplane to establish a life limit for certain main landing gear trunnion pins.
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