Aircraft deliveries at Gulfstream Aerospace are projected to reach 170 units in 2024, topping the company's previous high-water mark of 156 shipments in 2008, Phebe Novakovic—the chairman and CEO of parent company General Dynamics—said this morning during a fourth-quarter investor call. Deliveries this year are expected to marginally increase to 124 aircraft—up from 119 last year—due to supply chain restraints, and then climb to 148 units in 2023 before increasing further in 2024, she said.
The 119 Gulfstreams handed over last year was down by eight aircraft from 2020, largely the result of fewer super-midsize G280 deliveries. Last year’s mix included 103 large-cabin jets and 16 G280s, compared with 105 large-cabin jets and 22 G280s in 2020.
According to Novakovic, demand for Gulfstreams remains robust, with backlog for in-production large-cabin aircraft—the G600, G650, and G500—currently in the “sweet spot” of 18 to 24 months. She said there is “solid demand” for Gulfstreams going forward and noted that book-to-bill is expected to remain at least 1:1 even as the aircraft manufacturer is set to ramp up production in the coming years. Book-to-bill last year at Gulfstream was 1.7:1, and backlog grew 40 percent year-over-year.
General Dynamics’ aerospace unit, which includes Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, “will be a significant growth engine [for General Dynamics] in 2023 and 2024,” Novakovic concluded.
Embraer has signed an agreement with Avian Inventory Management to handle the purchasing, marketing, and distribution rights for Embraer’s commercial and business aircraft surplus spare part inventory. The deal will begin by the end of the first quarter and will see Avian consolidate the airframer’s worldwide surplus spare part inventory in its new Orlando, Florida facility.
“With this long-term agreement with Avian, we will be able to increase our reach and accessibility in parts distribution, at the same time allowing us to increase performance and efficiency with focus on customer needs,” said Johann Bordais, president and CEO of Embraer Services and Support.
Customers will continue to have access to all of Avian’s inventory through their regular Embraer sales channels, as well as through its designated sales channel partners such as DASI, Unical, and Regional Airline Support Group.
“This partnership is an example of Embraer’s ability to adjust its long-term strategy while keeping a complete focus on its customers,” said Avian CEO Ian Gurekian. “Avian was able to work together with Embraer to design a solution that meets both their financial and operational goals while creating a platform that keeps Embraer close to and integrated with its customer base.”
The saga over New York’s embattled East Hampton Airport (KHTO) reached a new phase last week when the East Hampton town board voted unanimously to close down the field to public use beginning March 1. According to the plan favored by town supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, who was re-elected in November, the airport serving the wealthy communities on the East end of Long Island would reopen several days later as a private-use facility, subject to prior-permission requirements.
The airport’s fate had been in jeopardy for the past several years as activists railed against the noise of what they said was an increasing volume of aircraft using it. Yet, for those individuals who own their own aircraft, KHTO remains a convenient and vital link for their comings and goings.
While the move would preclude regular use by charter and air-taxi operations, the town board, in a nod to those owners, noted that the new system would allow it to impose restrictions on air traffic “without foreclosing the ability of certain operators to continue operating out of the new airport.”
The move is being opposed by groups such as NBAA that wish to see it remain open for public access.
Tamarack Aerospace named ASG Aerospace as its newest authorized service center partner. Under the authorization, ASG can provide sales and services for the Tamarack Active Winglet System for the Citation 525, 525A, and 525B series, including all eight variants that range from the CitationJet to the CJ3+. ASG provides a range of maintenance, avionics, and inflight connectivity services from its base at Miami Executive Airport, which Tamarack said is ideally located for the fleet of more than 150 CitationJets modified with its winglets.
“ASG has built an excellent reputation in the industry, being known for providing high-quality maintenance along with world-class customer service,” said Tamarack sales director Eric Cunningham. “With their location at Miami Executive Airport, ASG provides a convenient location for servicing Tamarack Aerospace customers across the Southeast.”
The MRO joins a dozen other Tamarack authorized service centers in the U.S., along with seven others in countries including Brazil, the Channel Islands, Sweden, Serbia, and the UK. In addition, two “transformation centers” in Aiken, South Carolina, and Oxford, England, join Tamarack’s Sandpoint, Idaho headquarters in the installation and servicing of active winglet modifications.
Noting that Tamarack continues to expand its market reach, CEO and founder Nick Guida said, “Adding ASG to our authorized service center network ensures that we are able to offer excellent customer service for our growing fleet of active winglet-modified aircraft.”
Airbus Helicopters posted a 40 percent order increase in 2021 over 2020, but a considerable portion of that was driven by public-sector stimulus, and CEO Bruno Even warned that it would be two to three years before order volume recovered to pre-pandemic levels. He added that the offshore energy market remains largely stalled and “will take time to recover.”
Nevertheless, Even characterized 2021 as a “turning point” and said the company would onboard 500 new employees in 2022, mainly in engineering to support military programs. “We’re seeing the first signs of recovery,” he said.
Last year, Airbus delivered 338 helicopters, up from 300 in 2020, yielding what the company calculates as a 52 percent market share in the civil and parapublic helicopter segment. Airbus booked 414 net orders in 2021, compared with 268 in 2020, but a good deal of that was driven by public-sector orders throughout European countries where the company has operations: France ordered 40 H160 medium twins, eight H225M heavies, and two H145 light twins; Spain opted for 36 H135 light twins; and Germany bought eight H145s.
For the year, Airbus booked strong orders for long-time legacy singles and light twins, including 147 H125s, 48 H130s, 65 H135s, and 93 H145s. Even said a good portion of these orders were from established customers, particularly in the air ambulance sector.
Appareo has received an FAA approved model list supplemental type certificate (AML-STC) for its AIRS-400 Airborne Image Recording System. The AML-STC covers Part 27-certificated helicopters, including the Airbus AS350 and Bell 206 and 407. Other models will be added “in the future,” according to Appareo.
At last year’s Aircraft Electronics Association convention, Appareo introduced the AIRS-400, which records cockpit audio/video and offloads data via cellular networks. The device captures ambient audio, intercom audio, 4K ultra-high-definition video, and flight data from internal inertial measurement units (IMUs) and a WAAS GPS receiver. Weighing just 11 ounces, AIRS-400 also records altitude, latitude/longitude, groundspeed, vertical speed, attitude data (pitch, roll, yaw), rates of rotation, and acceleration data. Options include Arinc 429 input and ED-155 audio and RS-422 output.
Information is stored on 35 GB of internal memory (up to two hours of video/audio, 200 hours of flight data, and 100 hours of Arinc 429 data) and on two 128 GB SD memory cards (64 hours video/audio and the same amount of IMU and Arinc data).
Data can be offloaded using the removable SD cards or via the built-in cellular connectivity (Vodafone LTE CAT M1). Once captured, the flight data can be analyzed using Appareo’s FDM/FOQA software tools, including its EnVision web-based software. Appareo said installation and setup of AIRS-400 takes just one day.
On-demand charter provider FXAir said it offset 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide last year on behalf of its clients through the use of carbon-offset credits. Through a program administered by industry sustainability solutions provider 4Air, FXAir purchased the offsets at no cost to its customers, rendering all flights chartered on behalf of its clients carbon neutral. Those offsets support projects that have an immediate and direct impact on climate improvement such as renewable energy development and preventing deforestation.
According to the operator, some clients also voluntarily participated in additional 4Air programs to offset all emissions that affect the climate, including non-carbon emissions such as soot, water vapor, and contrails.
“Our premium charter clients understand the challenges posed by climate change and want to do their part in supporting environmental sustainability,” said FXAir president Gregg Slow. “The 4Air program gives us a simple, efficient way to offset the emissions produced by jet aircraft and, at the same time, generate real societal benefits. We have been gratified by the enthusiastic response from our clients.”
Clarification
In an item in yesterday’s AINalerts, we inadvertently described Clay Lacy Aviation as the first to be certified under an NBAA sustainability standard. The Aviation Business Sustainability Standard is actually an NATA program.
Requires a one-time inspection of certain glideslope antenna and coaxial connectors and any necessary corrective actions. AD also provides requirements for installation of glideslope antenna and coaxial connectors. Prompted by an in-flight abnormal oscillatory behavior of an AW189 that was reported during automated glideslope approaches. Subsequent investigation identified sealant on the glideslope antenna coaxial connectors that isolated it from its grounding plane.
Retains therequirements of AD 2017-22-06, which mandated repetitive inspections for fuel leakage at the engine and auxiliarypower unit(APU) fuel pumps. Updated AD adds a requirement for an inspection of the APU, repair if necessary, andmodification of the engine electrical fuel pump (EFP) installation, as well as adds airplanes to theapplicability. Promptedby reports of fuel leaks from the electrical connectors andconduits ofthe engine and APU EFP cartridge/canister and the development ofadditional actions toaddress the root cause of the fuel leaks.
Requires modifying the fuel drain pipe routing and installing a drain mast. Prompted by insufficient performance of the fuel drain system that could lead to fire and damage of the airplane.
Requires revising the rotorcraft flight manual to include a restriction on operation in falling or blowing snow in the inlet barrier filter system limitations and emergency procedures sections of the manual. Prompted by reports of engine flameout following prolonged operations in falling snow on helicopters with an inlet barrier filter system installed.
Applies to AS332 variants equipped with front upper hoist attachment fittingP/N 332A87-1116-21,rear upper hoist attachment fitting P/N 332A87-1117-20,orlower hoistattachment fitting P/N 332A87-1176-20. Requires a one-time inspection of each affectedfittingand any necessary replacement. Prompted by afrontupper hoist attachmentfittingcrackreportedon a helicopter equipped withadoublehoist design.
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