Dassault Aviation delivered 32 Falcons last year, falling short of its forecast of 35 but two aircraft more than it handed over to customers in 2021, according to its preliminary financial report issued yesterday. The French aircraft manufacturer also shipped 14 Rafale fighters, one more than its guidance of 13 for the year but down from 25 in 2021.
Meanwhile, Dassault logged 64 net Falcon orders, inclusive of Russian cancellations due to Ukraine war-related sanctions, up from 51 in the previous year. This brought Dassault’s year-end business jet backlog to 87 units, a 58.2 percent increase from the 55 Falcons on the books as of Dec. 31, 2021.
On the defense side, the company booked 92 net orders for Rafales, almost doubling the 2021 intake of 49 units. Backlog for Rafale fighters is now at 164 aircraft, compared with 86 at the end of 2021.
Dassault Aviation will release its full 2022 financial results, as well as 2023 delivery guidance for Falcons and Rafales, on March 9.
Following the surge in private flying from newcomers with the onset of the pandemic, demand looks to be diminishing from that group, according to industry analyst and consultant Brian Foley.
Supporting his thesis are data from WingX and Amstat that show slowing activity in branded charter and an increase in preowned aircraft inventory. Those metrics “indicate the peak has passed for the general public’s discovery and fascination with private aviation,” Foley wrote, adding that many of them are returning to the airlines. Furthering that dampening of demand are concerns over a recession and the expiration of 100 percent bonus depreciation in the U.S.
At its peak, Foley noted, charter operators were reporting as much as 50 percent of their business coming from people who had never chartered before. OEMs such as Textron Aviation reported 20 percent of their customers were new to aircraft ownership. The decline in private flying demand could affect orders that fractional and charter companies placed for new aircraft to address the pandemic-induced clamor.
Foley estimated that less than 10 percent of those new to private aviation will remain. However, he said, “It still favorably raises the baseline obtainable market for the industry from this point forward. This is frankly a relief for an industry that was never scaled to be a mass-transit system and has been overwhelmed over the last couple of years.”
The Meridian FBO at California’s Hayward Executive Airport (KHWD) is the latest to join the Avfuel Network. As a branded dealer, the location will participate in Avtrip—the fuel provider’s customer loyalty program—and offer Avfuel contract fuel.
Situated between San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, Meridian's West Coast FBO is one of two service providers on the general aviation-only airfield. The KHWD facility is the company's second in its more than 75-year history and opened in 2016. Its 6,300-sq-ft terminal and office building feature a passenger lobby and lounge, business center, conference room, pilot lounge, a snooze room, pilot briefing room, shower and locker facilities, kitchen, on-site car rental, and crew cars.
Along with 3.5 acres of ramp space, the IS-BAH Stage 2-registered location also has a 30,000-sq-ft hangar capable of sheltering the latest class of ultra-long-range business jets. The company plans to add an additional 30,000-sq-ft hangar.
"As part of the Avfuel network, we look forward to raising the visibility of our brand while also growing our fuel sales volume,” said Carlos Rodriguez, the FBO’s general manager. He added that Avfuel’s focus on increasing the flow of sustainable aviation fuel into the supply chain will dovetail with his own company's efforts to provide it. Meridian's flagship location at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport is the last remaining independent FBO at that airport.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) yesterday proposed rules to enable wireless communications for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) use in the 5030 to 5091-MHz band. They include mandatory radio licenses for UAS operators.
A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)—developed by the FCC in collaboration with the FAA and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)—seeks comment on rules for the 5030- to 5091-MHz band that would provide UAS operators with access to the licensed spectrum with the reliability necessary to support safety-critical communications links. The agency is seeking comment with regard to the sufficiency of FCC rules regarding potential interference or performance degradation between terrestrial mobile operations and UAS on flexible-spectrum bands.
The NPRM also proposes to require UAS operators to obtain an FCC license to communicate with ATC and other aircraft on the aeronautical VHF band “to further promote the safe integration of unmanned aircraft operations in controlled airspace.” Currently, UAS primarily operate under unlicensed and low-power wireless communications rules or experimental licenses.
“It is past time that we assess the availability of wireless communications resources for the increasingly important remote-piloted aircraft activity,” said FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The FCC must ensure that our spectrum rules meet the current—and future—spectrum needs of evolving technologies such as unmanned aircraft systems, which can be critical to disaster recovery, first responder rescue efforts, and wildfire management.”
Cogent Bank of Orlando, Florida, has launched a business aircraft lending division. Founded in 2001 as a state-chartered business and personal bank, the company will finance business aircraft ranging from turboprops to ultra-long-range business jets with values between $3 million and $25 million.
“The development of the business aviation vertical is another strong example of Cogent’s commitment to bringing innovative and forward-thinking solutions to our clients,” said Chirag Bhavsar, the lending institution’s president.
Cogent's new division is headed by industry veterans Jim Crowley, who will serve as managing director, and Margaret Francik, v-p and business aviation finance operations manager. It will provide clients with bank balance sheet credit profiles, structured financing, select floor planning, loans and leases, and credit and execution capabilities.
“While the business aviation vertical will serve clients nationally, the team will maintain a focus in the Florida market,” explained Crowley. “With Florida being home to five of the most trafficked business jet airports in the United States and being one of the five largest business jet markets, Cogent Bank is uniquely suited to servicing the needs of this industry.”
Claude Hurley, a former Transport Canada official and permanent representative of Canada to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, has taken the role of director of environment and flight operations for the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).
In this position, Hurley will lead IBAC’s environmental initiatives, including efforts to raise awareness of sustainable aviation fuel and other measures to reduce business aviation’s environmental footprint. In addition, he will represent IBAC at key ICAO bodies that set standards and guidance on environmental and operational safety matters.
“We are honored to have Claude join the IBAC team,” said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards. “Given his respected work at ICAO as Canada’s representative to the council and as an air navigation commissioner, his regulatory experience at Transport Canada, and his flying assignments around the world, he brings a depth of understanding of the environmental and operational complexities facing international business aviation.”
As the permanent representative of Canada to ICAO, Hurley has held key roles at the international body over the past nine years, including two terms as president of the Air Navigation Commission. He also worked on a range of environmental, safety, security, new entrants, and pandemic-related issues. A former officer and pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces, Hurley joined Transport Canada in 2010, leading aviation safety oversight teams.
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Though it’s been nearly two decades since Las Cruces—New Mexico’s second-largest city—has had commercial air service, that drought will end on January 16 when aircraft charter/management provider and regional airline Advanced Air begins scheduled service between Las Cruces International Airport (KLRU) and Albuquerque International Sunport (LABQ) using a nine-passenger Beechcraft King Air 350.
Under a two-year contract supported through a New Mexico Rural Air Service Enhancement (RASE) grant, Advanced, which is based out of Los Angeles-area Hawthorne Municipal Airport, will operate seven flights a week linking the two airports. Fixed pricing for the 54-minute flight will start at $85 each way, including complimentary beverages and snacks, with bulk packs of 10 trips available at an overall 20 percent discount. Drive time between the cities is more than three hours.
“Passenger air service returning to Las Cruces has been a long time in the making,” said Las Cruces Airport administrator Andy Hume. “We’re excited about having a new travel option for business, tourism, and health care.”
In addition to KLRU and KABQ, Advanced also services two other airports in New Mexico: Grant County Airport in Silver City and Gallup Municipal Airport. Last summer, the latter airfield became the first recipient of the RASE program, which was established with the goal to provide smaller communities with regular air service to large or medium-hub airports.
Airbus Helicopters finalized its acquisition of ZF Luftfahrttechnik, an MRO provider and manufacturer of helicopter components in Germany. Following the completion of the deal, announced in June 2021, the company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary under the name Airbus Helicopters Technik.
ZF Luftfahrttechnik has delivered more than 10,000 gearboxes and is a supplier of the Airbus H135 main gearbox. The company is also a major MRO for the German armed forces. It had revenues of €94 million ($98.9 million) in 2021 and employs 450 people.
“With this new entity, we will be able to improve our service offering for our customers, including key partners like the German Bundeswehr, thus addressing their MRO needs faster with an increased level of integration,” said Airbus Helicopters executive v-p of customer support and services Christoph Zammert. “Incorporating this new entity into the Airbus family opens up new opportunities in a very dynamic market.”
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