MNG: Employee Acted Alone in Arranging Ghosn Flights

Turkey’s MNG Jet has confirmed that two business jets it operates for charter flights were used by former automotive executive Carlos Ghosn to escape from Japan, where he is facing charges of serious financial misconduct. In a statement issued this morning, MNG said it has filed a criminal complaint against an unnamed employee who it alleges falsified records for two flights to conceal the fact that Ghosn was on board.

According to MNG Jet general manager Can Sasmaz, the company “leased” two aircraft to two different clients—one for a trip from Dubai to Osaka in Japan and then from Osaka to Istanbul, and the second for a flight from Istanbul to Beirut. The official statement did not specify the aircraft involved but the stated flight itineraries between December 29 and 31 exactly match those identified through flight tracking records for a Bombardier Global 6000 (tail number TC-TSR) and Bombardier Challenger 300 (TC-RZA).

MNG said that it does not own these aircraft but was operating them. It stated that the two “leases” did not appear to be connected to each other and that Ghosn’s name did not appear in any official documentation associated with them.

AINsight: Constituent Parts

A webinar hosted last month by AIN and sponsored by Duncan Aviation and Mesinger Jet Sales gave participants a road map for a successful business aircraft transaction. The hour-long event featured three industry-expert panelists—Keith Swirsky of GKG Law, Keith Hayes of PNC Finance, and Harley Davidson Aviation director Jad Donaldson.

As a webinar attendee and proponent of good planning and execution, my observation is the content rang clear and provided good takeaways for attendees. The view of the panelists was anywhere from 10,000 feet to 30,000 feet.

If we think of the transaction broken into its constituent parts, we would say a transaction is made up of the aircraft and its market value, the contract between buyer and seller, and the people. If I were going to weigh each of these parts, I would put the greatest reliance on the people, then the contract, and lastly the aircraft.

That might seem backward to many, given the number of balls in the air on any transaction, but I strongly believe if the people involved are not professional, transparent, and savvy, there will be no way to keep those balls in the air.

This webinar is still available via recorded playback, and I urge anyone who plans to buy or sell a business aircraft in 2020 to view it.

Collins Aerospace’s Ortberg To Chair AIA in 2020

Collins Aerospace CEO Kelly Ortberg is stepping in as chairman of Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors for 2020. Northrop Grumman chairman, CEO, and president Kathy Warden is taking the role of vice-chair for AIA.

In those roles, Ortberg and Warden will serve on the Executive Committee, which meets throughout the year to shape policy goals for the association and the industry.

"I feel fortunate to be coming into this role at a time when the dynamics of our industry are rapidly changing—and with that change comes opportunity,” said Ortberg. “I'm committed to working alongside the leaders in our industry to explore new and better ways to build the future workforce, drive global innovation and address regulations to drive economic growth, public safety, and national security." 

Other Executive Committee members include AIA president and COO Eric Fanning and secretary-treasurer Ginette Colot, along with the heads of Mercury Systems (Mark Aslett), L3Harris (William Brown), BAE Systems (Gerard DeMuro), Textron (Scott Donnelly), Aerojet Rocketdyne (Eileen Drake), Spirit AeroSystems (Tom Gentile), Lockheed Martin (Marillyn Hewson), GE Aviation (David Joyce), Raytheon (Thomas Kennedy), Leidos (Roger Krone), Eaton (Nanda Kumar), Aero-Mark (Mark Lee), Honeywell Aerospace (Mike Madsen), Boeing CFO Greg Smith to be succeeded later in January by incoming CEO David Calhoun, General Dynamics (Phebe Novakovic), Huntington Ingalls Industries (Mike Petters), Arconic (John Plant), and Ball Aerospace (Rob Strain). InterConnect Wiring’s Clare McGarrey is an associate member representative.

Commercial Aviation Firm Acquires Appearance Group

Wichita-based aircraft cleaning and maintenance company Appearance Group has been acquired by Texas-based The PrimeFlight Aviation Services group of companies, which specialize in airport and airline services. The transaction between privately held Appearance Group and PrimeFlight, a portfolio company of venture capital firm Carlyle Group, was completed on December 17.

“After 20 years of private ownership, we are pleased to join PrimeFlight Aviation Services and become part of their expanding aircraft appearance service network,” Appearance Group president and co-owner Matt Henry said. “This is a significant step forward for our employees and customers, and I look forward to what the future holds for Appearance Group.”

Appearance Group was purchased by Henry and his father, Don Henry, in 1999 and employs about 250 people in 16 states. Established in 1991, it is an FAA Part 145 repair station and specializes in cleaning and detailing exteriors and interiors of business jets, as well as paint restoration, paint sealant, leather refinishing, and minor repair to leather cabin seats and other leather soft goods.

Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, PrimeFlight provides major airlines and airports with ground handling services, aircraft services, into-plane fueling, deicing, and terminal services. It also offers a range of cleaning services for general aviation, including wet and dry washing, waxing, Teflon paint protection, leather protection, and interior restoration services. 

FAA Releases Plans for Super Bowl Flight Restrictions

The FAA has released plans for general aviation flight restrictions, including a reservation program and temporary flight restriction (TFR), in South Florida in the days surrounding the Super Bowl. Designated as a National Security Special Event, Super Bowl LIV will be held on the evening of February 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. From 4 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. that day, the FAA will impose a TFR with a 10-nm inner core surrounding the stadium and a 30-nm outer ring.

A reservation program will be in effect from January 27 through February 4 for Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Miami-Opa Locka Airport, Miami Executive Airport, and Boca Raton Airport. The FAA advises that pilots contact the FBO at their airports to obtain reservations and other information.

In addition, special air traffic procedures are planned to reduce delays at those airports, as well as at Palm Beach International Airport, Pompano Beach Airpark, and North Perry Airport. These procedures include specific arrival and departure route requirements, and air traffic management initiatives might include ground delays, airspace flow programs, reroutes, and altitude restrictions, among others.

The FAA has established a web page with more information about the restrictions and will post the TFR later this month.

Southeast Aero Wins PMA for Garmin G5000 Harnesses

Southeast Aerospace (SEA) has received parts manufacturer approval (PMA) from the FAA for the manufacture and distribution of complex harnesses required for Garmin G5000 avionics installations, the Melbourne, Florida-based MRO provider announced. The cost and time involved in the manufacture of the harnesses prompted SEA to seek the PMA.

“For some avionics shops, creating their own harness could take up to 450 man-hours, adding significant time and cost to the overall installation,” SEA aircraft modification sales representative Luke Gomoll said.

The G5000 harnesses are an intricate component of the installation for Citation 560XL/XLS and Beechjet 400A, according to SEA. Because of the harness’s complexity, each one is tested using automated harness test equipment while each wire is laser-marked and connectors are tagged to ease installation for technicians. 

Located at Melbourne International Airport (MLB), SEA operates from five hangars that total 100,000 sq ft. Its primary business encompasses component repair, including an avionics shop, instrument shop with an ISO 8 cleanroom, as well as aerospace manufacturing and component sales and purchasing. 

Berry Aviation Expands Mx Capabilities with New Hangar

Following the receipt of Part 145 repair station certification from the FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Berry Aviation has opened a 31,000-sq-ft maintenance hangar at San Marcos (Texas) Regional Airport. “Overall, these improvements have increased the company’s ability to add new repair capabilities by tenfold,” Berry Aviation president and chief operating officer Stanley Finch said. “That, coupled with the new certifications, allows us to operate on a much wider range of aircraft and parts.”

The new hangar offers 19,300 sq ft of aircraft maintenance space, as well as a 3,500-sq-ft component repair and overhaul area and 2,800 sq ft for a parts department. “This new hangar adds enough aircraft capacity to give us an estimated 75 percent increase in hands-on maintenance work,” Finch added. “That added productivity expands our ability to service company aircraft and additional commercial maintenance customers.”

Its repair station certification includes airframe, powerplant, propeller, and accessories, with FAA authorization to work on Beechcraft King Airs, as well as some Cessna Citation and Bombardier Learjet models, among others. Founded in 1983, San Marco-based Berry Aviation provides a host of services, including government and defense charter services, on-demand cargo, MRO, and FBO. It operates a fleet of more than 25 aircraft, including Bombardier Dash 8s, Embraer EMB-120s, and Viking Twin Otters.

FAA To Hold Town Hall on New TEB RNAV Approach

The FAA will hold a public workshop on Wednesday in Mahwah, New Jersey, to gather comments on a proposed action to implement a new offset area navigation (RNAV) GPS arrival procedure to Runway 19 at Teterboro Airport. The workshop will take place at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel.

The agency is currently preparing a draft environmental assessment for the change that would support requests from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), which operates the airport, and the Teterboro Aircraft Noise Abatement Advisory Committee to move some Runway 19 arrivals away from Hackensack University Medical Center and nearby high-rise buildings. It would create an alternative to the primary ILS approach and have aircraft fly an offset approach roughly above state Route 17.

The notice of availability of draft environmental assessment is expected to be published on or around March 26 and the public review and comment period will remain open for 30 days from that date. Interested parties are urged to submit their comments to the agency either through an online link or at the two-hour workshop.

During the event, stakeholders will be able to view the proposed paths and expected altitudes of the preliminary designs, discuss the environmental process with FAA experts, and provide feedback.

Count on AIN for Full Coverage of the Singapore Airshow

As ever, you can count on AIN for full coverage of the 2020 Singapore Airshow. Our team will publish three of our award-winning daily Singapore Airshow News editions at the show on February 11, 12, and 13. We will also have comprehensive real-time reporting of all the top news at AINonline.com and in our daily e-newsletters. If you are an exhibiting company that wants to share news or propose pre-show interviews and briefings, please contact show editor Ian Sheppard.