Private equity group Kompass Kapital today said it made a strategic investment in private aviation company Airshare; both businesses are headquartered in Kansas City. Kompass Kapital will now lead the Airshare ownership group, with previous investors maintaining an active role with considerable equity positions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"We are thrilled to have Kompass Kapital join the Airshare ownership group and strongly believe its investment will have a material impact on our future," said Airshare CEO John Owen. "When we made the decision to raise capital in support of our strategic goals, we were diligent in defining the ideal partner for us, both professionally and culturally. We immediately received considerable interest, but it quickly became clear we had the perfect match just down the road in Kompass Kapital."

Kompass Kapital managing partner Bradley Berger added, "The executive team at Airshare is outstanding, and they inspired us with their vision to strategically expand the company's geographic footprint, fleet, and customer base. The growth prospects are very encouraging."

The companies have called the investment part of a “transformative year for Airshare.” Following the company's acquisition of the Wheels Up aircraft management business in September, Airshare doubled in size to nearly 600 employees while operating a fleet approaching 150 aircraft, becoming one of the largest fleet operators in the U.S.

The 151 business jet deliveries by the top five OEMs in the second quarter reported by aviation data firm Cirium were six higher than estimates by analyst Jefferies Equity Research. This was thanks to more aircraft handovers—37—at Bombardier, up from an estimated 31, and Embraer Executive Jets with 26 versus an estimated 23.

According to the Cirium data, Textron Aviation matched Jefferies’ estimate at 43 jet shipments, while Gulfstream Aerospace fell short by one at 39 aircraft and Dassault Falcon lagged with six aircraft handovers versus an estimated eight. Notably, 11 of Gulfstream’s deliveries in the quarter were for its recently certified G700—three more than previously counted by Gulfstream broker Hagerty Jet and analyst Baird.

Jefferies said this puts first-half business jet deliveries from the five OEMs at 256 aircraft, a 20% year-over-year increase led by large-cabin jet shipments, which grew 41% due to service entry of the G700 and ramp-up of the Falcon 6X. The analyst is forecasting the five OEMs to hand over 674 business jets this year, up from 563 in 2023.

Meanwhile, Jefferies noted that business jet flight activity is “healthily ahead” of pre-Covid levels, with departures last month up 30% from June 2019, citing WingX data. The recovery has been led by Asia-Pacific and North America, which are 80% and 29% above 2019 levels, respectively.

Bombardier completed the installation of more than 3,000 solar panels on the roof of its London Biggin Hill Service Centre in a move that the Canadian aircraft manufacturer said will provide for up to 32% of the facility’s energy. Installed in collaboration with Zestec Renewable Energy, the photovoltaic solar panel system is expected to generate more than 1.133 million kWh while lowering the facility's carbon emissions by up to 252 tons.

The nearly 250,000-sq-ft service center is equipped to provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, modifications, and avionics installations on Bombardier Learjets, Challengers, and Globals.

“At Bombardier, we are actively committed to ensuring that we are making aviation more sustainable, and this includes the design and implementation of sustainability-related projects in our service facilities around the world,” said Paul Sislian, executive v-p of aftermarket service and strategy. “This recent installation is aligned with our company’s objective to manufacture and service aircraft with the smallest possible environmental impact and demonstrates our company’s commitment to lead the way to a greener industry.”

This solar project was among many initiatives that the company has undertaken on the sustainability front, Bombardier said, citing as an example the construction of its new LEED Silver-certified facility at Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore that also includes a solar panel installation along with electric vehicle charging and sustainable aviation fuel capability.

A ruling by the Dutch Supreme Court on July 12 appears to have blocked unilateral moves to reduce the annual number of flights at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The court refused to uphold an earlier Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruling that had supported the government’s plans to limit movements to 460,000 per year as part of noise-reduction efforts.

Essentially, the court ruling requires the Dutch government to follow European Union rules if it presses ahead with environmental limits on air traffic. Last year, in the face of legal challenges, the previous Dutch government watered down and then suspended plans for cuts in aircraft movements, including a plan to limit business aviation movements to 12,000 per year from March 2024.

Earlier in July, a new government was formed around a coalition of parties that have expressed reservations about implementing environmental policies. In a parliamentary hearing, infrastructure minister Barry Madlener made it clear that the new administration has no intention of resurrecting the policy of limiting capacity at the country's main airport.

However, according to Bastiaan de Bruijne from the EU Aviation Advisory consultancy, future legal pressure from stakeholders—including airlines and local residents—could force the government to deal with the issue once again. He also pointed out that the European Commission may yet scrutinize the issue as part of its commitment to review the previous government's policy.

Singapore Changi Airport has ordered another Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) system from protective communications developer Genasys. The LRAD is a “bioacoustics deterrent,” according to San Diego-based Genasys, and Changi has employed the system since 2021 to prevent bird strikes with aircraft during takeoff and landing.

Genasys has already deployed LRAD systems at other Asia-Pacific (APAC) airports and is “working several pipeline opportunities to protect jets, passengers, and wildlife in the APAC and European regions,” according to David Schnell, v-p global hardware sales at Genasys. The annual cost of bird strike aircraft incidents is estimated at $1.2 billion.

Airports can operate the LRAD manually or integrated with remote command and control centers, according to Genasys. The systems can be “programmed to broadcast a near infinite variety of tones and predator calls to ensure against habituation and safely deter wildlife up to 3,000 meters away.”

“LRAD is a humane bioacoustic deterrent that has proven highly effective in preventing aircraft bird strikes near runways,” said Schnell. “When integrated with millimeter-band avian radar, LRAD systems automatically detect and deter birds entering runway control zones by broadcasting a wide variety of intense, directional sounds and predator calls to safely steer birds away from aircraft during takeoffs and landings.”

Conidia Bioscience has introduced a test kit that will rapidly detect microbial contamination in jet fuel. The Fuelstat One test can be used throughout the entire fuel supply chain, from storage terminal to wing tank, offering a comprehensive overview of the fuel's quality.

The simple, rapid lateral flow test can be conducted on free water or fuel phase samples to detect a broad range of microorganisms, with results in less than 30 minutes. According to the company, the test’s function is similar to the now-familiar Covid-19 tests that identify markers of infection. Fuelstat One detects markers of bacteria and fungi that can grow in jet fuel, leading to biofilms and sludge formation that can clog fuel filters and obstruct fuel lines, causing engine malfunctions or failures.

Conidia's test kit is supported by an app that provides results and generates a shareable PDF report. Users can manage results from all tests conducted by their team globally at the touch of a button.

“After years of development, the introduction of Fuelstat One represents a significant advancement in microbial detection for aviation fuel and redefines the industry benchmark,” said Jay Patel, Conidia’s head of innovation. “Fuelstat One test kits enable a single person to conduct tests at the tank using just four drops of fuel sample, following step-by-step video test instructions via the app.”

Germany-based Atlas Air Service recently announced that its aircraft sales team has been recognized as an IADA Certified Broker. Atlas Air Service is the only brokerage in Germany, and one of the few in Europe, with this certification.

"Atlas has thus underscored its outstanding expertise as a trading partner in the global business jet market,” said CEO of Atlas Air Service Nicolas von Mende.

Atlas Air Service became the first IADA-accredited dealer in continental Europe to join the network. By passing the test, Atlas Air Service's sales professionals have earned the designation of Certified Broker, following the company's certification as an Accredited Dealer and Verified Member.

Bremen, Germany-based Atlas Air Service recently completed an aircraft acquisition project for Helsinki Citycopter, with the Finnish charter operator adding a second Cessna Citation CJ4. Atlas Air Service also has offices in Ganderkesee and Augsburg, Germany, as well as Altenrhein, Switzerland.