Atlantic Aviation and Ross Aviation have completed their merger that was announced late last year. The move brought an additional 19 FBOs under the Atlantic Aviation banner, including three airports where Ross had two separate FBOs. In the interim between the announcement of the deal and its finalization, Ross also acquired the Air Service Hawaii chain and its six locations.
Former Ross CEO Brian Corbett has been named as chief commercial and sustainability officer for the combined company, which will operate under the Atlantic Aviation name.
Atlantic also confirmed the acquisition of three former TAC Air locations from Signature Aviation, which was forced to divest at airports where Signature already had the only other FBO. Those locations include Bradley International (KBDL) in Connecticut, North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham International (KRDU), and Eppley Airfield (KOMA) in Omaha, Nebraska, cementing Atlantic’s position as one of only two FBO providers with more than 100 locations in its network.
“'Local everywhere’ is more than just a slogan,” said Atlantic CEO Lou Pepper. “It’s a belief that ensures we’re not only where our customers want to be, but also that we reflect the culture of all of our local communities. It’s a meaningful point of differentiation over a cookie-cutter approach to service and it’s something our customers truly appreciate."
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has announced Avfuel president and CEO Craig R. Sincock as the recipient of the organization's highest annual honor—the William A. “Bill” Ong Memorial Award. Sincock will be presented with the award during a luncheon on November 3 at the NATA 2022 Aviation Business Conference in Miami. Established by NATA in 1984 in memory of the association’s co-founder and first president, the award recognizes the recipient for “extraordinary achievement and extended meritorious service to the general aviation industry."
“Craig Sincock is a prominent aviation business leader, philanthropist, and visionary who has spent his entire career connecting people, businesses, and cultures. It is a pleasure to honor his drive, leadership, passion, and propensity for giving back with NATA’s highest honor,” said NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts.
Sincock acquired Avfuel in 1985 and has expanded the company from a regional fuel supplier to its current position as a leading independent global supplier of aviation fuel and services. He is a member of the World Presidents' Organization and is active in several aviation groups, including NATA, NBAA, GAMA, EAA and AOPA. Sincock also holds an FAA ATP certificate and frequently pilots Avfuel’s Dassault Falcon 2000LXS and Cessna Citation XLS+.
Montreal-based Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group (IEAG) has acquired business aviation services provider Skycharter. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1968, Skycharter operates an FBO at Toronto Pearson International Airport (CYYZ) and also provides aircraft charter, management, and maintenance services. An IEAG spokesman told AIN that Skycharter recently renovated its FBO terminal and operates a 100,000-sq-ft hangar at CYYZ. He declined to comment on the number of workers employed by Skycharter.
With the Skycharter acquisition, IEAG adds two new business aircraft types—the Hawker 800A and Bombardier Challenger 850—to its managed and owned charter fleet that includes models manufactured by Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, Pilatus, and Textron Aviation.
IEAG’s group of companies provides FBO services at airports across Canada and maintenance services at CYYZ and Pierre-Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, aircraft interior and exterior refurbishment, and aircraft management and charter services through the Execaire and Image Air Charter brands.
Pratt & Whitney parent company Raytheon Technologies has acquired a printer and accompanying software from Velo3D to evaluate the technology for the additive manufacturing of production jet engine components. The engine maker previously used Velo3D’s contract manufacturer network to produce parts. The Sapphire XC printer—calibrated to print a nickel-based superalloy—and software will reside at Raytheon Technologies’ research center in Connecticut.
“Metal additive manufacturing can transform aviation and space systems by delivering unprecedented part consolidation, lighter-weight components, and more efficient systems,” said Velo3D founder and CEO Benny Buller. “We’re pleased to see Pratt & Whitney move forward with their own Sapphire XC printer. We’re eager to see how they innovate their most mission-critical designs using our end-to-end solution, and how the economies of scale of an in-house system help increase addressable use-cases.”
Jesse Boyer, a fellow in additive manufacturing at Pratt & Whitney, said the engine OEM will look at using the printer and software for collaboration with other suppliers and its Geared Turbofan and advanced engine programs.
TAG Aviation has released the TAG Flight App for all of its managed aircraft owners around the world, “simplifying and enhancing clients’ overall ownership experience.” Launched two years ago in the Asian market, where the company said it has been well received, TAG’s international IT teams have refined and adapted the application to meet requirements in other regions. The app is free for owners and available for iOS and Android devices.
With the TAG Flight App, owners can access a plethora of information about their aircraft, including any planned charter flights, past trips, flight availability, schedules, destination information, crew status, passenger lists, maintenance events, and current location. Push notifications are also available for takeoff and landing times, as well as any schedule changes.
“Once again, TAG Aviation is…providing its clients with cutting-edge solutions to their needs,” said TAG European CEO Jo Goodall. “TAG is always showcasing ideas and initiatives to improve its customer service, which is why more and more owners are trusting TAG to be their aircraft operator.”
A Piper M-series airplane used by ZeroAvia as a flying testbed for its hydrogen propulsion system crashed on April 29, 2021, after electrical power was lost to both of its motors, according to a just-released final report from the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB). The report notes that an emergency procedure to clear an inverter lockout proved to be ineffective and that the company failed to carry out an investigation of previous loss-of-power incidents also caused by inverter lockouts during three flights before the accident near Cranfield Airport in England.
In their summary of factors contributing to the nonfatal accident, in which the aircraft was badly damaged after a crash landing in a field, AAIB investigators said ZeroAvia’s flight-test team did not review the risk assessment of the testing following the loss of propulsion on previous flights. “Ad hoc changes were made to the flight test plan, including the position where the electrical power source was switched, without the knowledge of the competent person,” they concluded.
“We have embedded key learnings into both our organizational culture and structure, as well as our future technical designs,” the California-based startup said.
The report was published as ZeroAvia prepares to make the first test flight of its fuel cell-based powertrain on a Dornier Do-228 later this week from its UK base at Kemble.
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.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has awarded its first flight procedure design (FPD) certification to Aeronautical Services and Procedures (ASAP), a Slovakia-based provider of primarily air traffic control products, services, and training. According to EASA, the purpose of FPD certifications is to provide “a consistent and harmonized design of flight procedures and airspace structures” in all member states without any additional national requirements.
EASA's first of the new certificates was presented to ASAP managing director Ian Whitworth by EASA air traffic department officials Jussi Myllarniemi and Manuel Rivas Vila during the recent World Air Traffic Management Congress in Madrid.
In a 2016 EASA study, the complexity of the airspace structure between member states was identified as a safety issue that needed to be addressed. In fact, that study highlighted this as “the greatest risk in controlled airspace is airspace infringements by general aviation pilots lacking awareness of both the complex airspace structure and the services provided in different airspace types.” Hence, the flight procedure design concept was proposed in 2016 and became a certification requirement in 2020.
Leonardo unit PZL-Świdnik has received an order for 32 AW149 helicopters from the Polish Ministry of Defense. The multi-role helicopters will be assembled by PZL-Świdnik in Poland for delivery between 2023 and 2029. Including logistics, training, and simulators, the deal is valued at $1.84 billion.
Poland's helicopters will be kitted for missions such as casualty evacuation, search-and-rescue in combat operations, and the transport of goods and supplies. Installed equipment will include observation systems, small arms, guided/unguided rockets and missiles, and self-defense systems. Weapons can be installed in the cabin or on the helicopter's external hard points.
“The contract signed today is a continuation of the fulfillment of our promises to Poland regarding Leonardo's commitment to the development of the local helicopter plants and the Polish supply chain to the benefit of Polish industry,” said Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo. “By strengthening our position in the strategic Polish market as a supplier of modern defense technology, we are proud to contribute to the constant increase of the security of the Polish nation, and to strengthen the industrial capabilities which are fundamental to the country's resilience and sovereignty."
People in Aviation
Banyan Air Service has promoted Eddie Osborne from second shift supervisor to safety and training manager. Osborne holds an A&P certificate and private pilot certificate with instrument rating. He joined Banyan 15 years ago as a line service technician and was an essential part of creating the company’s training department and spearheading the on-the-job training program at Banyan.
West Star Aviation has promoted Randall Bass to satellite manager of its Conroe, Texas facility. Bass, a U.S. Navy Veteran and licensed pilot, has more than 48 years of aviation experience at a variety of levels. He joined West Star in 2017 and has served since as a technician at its Conroe location.
Gregoris Dassios has been hired by Blueberry Aviation as commercial director. With nearly 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, Dassios has previously held various roles in engineering, customer support, and sales with Airbus, and joined the company after most recently serving as CEO for Sky Express.
Wheels Up has hired Rob Cords as executive v-p of fleet operations and infrastructure. Cords has more than 20 years of experience in aviation having previously held the position of president at MRO Holdings. Before that, he was president of airlines and fleets at StandardAero. In his new role with the company, he will lead all aspects of fleet maintenance, fleet health and reliability, OEM relationships, corporate facilities and hangars, MRO services, FBO services, and supply chain, as well as contribute to overall operations integration and fleet strategy.
The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) has elected RichardBerkemeier, senior appraiser at Pegasus Aircraft Appraisal Group, to serve the organization as international president for a one-year term. Berkemeier joined ASA in 1994 and earned his accredited senior appraiser designation in 2000. He has held various leadership positions within ASA, including serving on the board of examiners and international v-p of the board of governors, as well as past chair of the international education committee, budget and finance committee, and machinery and technical specialties discipline committee.
Sören Stark has assumed the role of chairman of the executive board of Lufthansa Technik, succeeding Dr. Johannes Bussmann, who has left the company after 23 years of service. Harald Gloy will assume the role previously held by Stark as the company's COO and will head the executive board department human resources as chief human resources officer and labor director, previously part of the area of responsibility held by Bussmann. Stark joined the company in 2004 as managing director of Lufthansa Technik Logistik in Hamburg, Germany. He has previously held management roles in the aircraft overhaul division, as well as served on the board of operations for Lufthansa Cargo before joining the executive board in 2019. Gloy was most recently labor director and a member of the executive board of Lufthansa Cargo. Prior to that, he held various management positions at Lufthansa Technik.
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