Dassault Aviation is maintaining its full-year guidance and still expects to deliver 35 Falcon business jets and 15 Rafale fighters this year despite a weak first half. “The global context remains marked by the war in Ukraine and the associated instability,” company chairman and CEO Eric Trappier said yesterday in releasing first-half 2023 results. He conceded that the strained supply chain environment has deteriorated further since last year.
The French OEM delivered nine Falcons in the first six months, down from 14 in the same period last year. Further, it registered net orders for just 12 Falcons, less than a third of the 41 it sold in first-half 2022.
“The post-Covid upturn [in the business jet market] in growth witnessed in 2022 began to ease off in the last quarter of 2022, a slowdown that continued in the first half of this year,” Trappier noted. He touted the progress of the company’s two new models—the Falcon 6X and 10X—and expressed confidence the first 6X would be delivered this year.
Meanwhile, Dassault did not conclude any additional Rafale fighter jet contracts in the first half versus 87 a year ago. Deliveries also fell to four Rafales in the first half, compared with seven in the year-ago period.
By value, aircraft order intake fell from €16.3 billion ($18.3 billion) in the first half of 2022 to €1.7 billion.
AINsight: Training Contract Ethics and Accountability
I’ve never been a fan of pilot training contracts. Meaning a legal document that binds a pilot to a flight department for a set period of time after earning a type rating or the pilot owes his or her employer for some portion of the training investment.
I’ve always thought of these kinds of agreements as a red flag, and I know I am not alone. To many, it suggests a low-paying job or a toxic work culture where a pilot might not want to stick around. Perhaps it means the job equates to “indentured servitude.”
But given the high cost of certain type ratings and the difficulty to obtain them today, I’ve been thinking about the pros and cons of contracts for initial pilot training. And also about the moral obligation that a high-cost investment in training requires of both parties.
It’s led me to wonder: is it time to reexamine the agreement between an employer and their employee who secures an expensive type rating?
Bombardier recently handed over a sixth Global 6000 to defense supplier Saab for conversion into the GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) platform for the Swedish Air Force. Saab integrates radar, command, control, and communications systems to form a multirole airborne surveillance suite in the business jet.
A GlobalEye version of the Global 6000 first flew in 2018 and Bombardier had handed over five to Saab through late 2021. The latest delivery comes as the Canadian manufacturer continues to build up its Bombardier Defense business, which was formalized last year in Wichita as the company transitioned this site away from Learjet production.
Bombardier has dedicated engineering and support teams to the business to develop modification and integration offerings for a range of military and other special-mission use. It is also vying for the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft program, partnering earlier this year with General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada on a multi-mission and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for that program based on the Global 6500.
“Our jets are internationally recognized as modern, go-to platforms by some of the world’s largest defense contractors, such as Saab,” said Jean-Christopher Gallagher, executive v-p of aircraft sales and Bombardier Defense. “The Global aircraft family represents the right-sized solution for multi-mission, surveillance, and VIP transport. Time and time again, it has met customers’ expectations for their most demanding mission needs.”
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What is an ERJ 135, 140 & 145 Semi-Private Jet Conversion?
Looking to offer your passengers a first-class experience with a “hop-on” jet service? There’s a variety of customizable options available for converting an ERJ 135, 140, or 145 to a semi-private aircraft—from complete interior reconfiguration to unique exterior paint—to make your jet service stand out above the rest.
Safran plans to acquire the actuation and flight control businesses of Collins Aerospace, the French aerospace group announced on Friday. The company told analysts and investors it has made a cash offer based on a valuation of the Raytheon Technologies subsidiary of $1.8 billion.
According to Safran, the sale is subject to regulatory approval by financial authorities and consultation with employee groups at both companies. Safran indicated it does not expect to close what it described as a “contemplated” transaction until the second half of 2024.
“Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, regularly reviews its business portfolios to ensure the company is well positioned to meet customer requirements and drive long-term growth,” a Collins spokeswoman told AIN. “The divestiture of the Collins Aerospace Actuation Systems business will optimize resources and position Collins for future success as a business of the world’s largest aerospace and defense company.”
Collins’ actuation and flight controls business units support a wide array of civil and military aircraft. The business has around 3,700 employees across eight sites in Europe and Asia. According to Safran’s statement, it is expected to generate around $1.5 billion in revenues next year and earnings in the region of $130 million.
The comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill sailed through the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday by a 351 to 69 vote, but the path through the Senate remains unclear. The vote on the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R.3935) came after lawmakers agreed to strip out a measure to provide credit for simulator time toward the 1,500-flight-hour requisite for airline pilots and voted down an effort to add slots to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA). However, the bill retained a measure to up the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots to 67.
While the House this week removed and/or avoided changes to the 1,500-hour rule and slots at KDCA—those issues appear to remain sticking points in the upper chamber. The Senate Commerce Committee in June scratched a meeting to consider the bill after lawmakers were unable to reach an agreement on each issue. With no action in committee yet, it appears that consideration by the full Senate will push into September, past the August recess.
As the Senate bill remains under consideration, AOPA continues to push for greater visibility into airport fees charged to pilots, noting a House amendment on the issue was blocked. The association is urging pilots to continue to reach out to push for changes in the House.
On July 7, Signature Flight Support suffered an accidental fire foam discharge in one of its hangars at its Palm Beach International Airport FBO in Florida. According to the company, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. Local fire officials arriving on the scene quickly determined there was no actual fire.
In a statement, Signature said, “The material was largely contained to our location. We were in communication with the appropriate authorities, including Florida regulators, and worked diligently to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.” A company spokesperson told AIN that while three aircraft in the 30,000-sq-ft hangar were affected, there was no significant impact on its base operations. Clean-up was delayed by inclement weather in the area over the weekend but completed by Sunday, July 9.
According to a study commissioned by the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) from the University of Maryland’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering, since 2004 there have been at least 137 inadvertent hangar foam discharges—an average of one every six weeks. NATA estimates the overall clean-up and aircraft damage costs of those events at between $64 million and $235 million.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds helped cut the ribbon on the opening of Collins Aerospace’s expansion of its additive manufacturing center in West Des Moines, Iowa, yesterday. The $14 million expansion adds 9,000 sq ft to the center, which will enable Collins to explore development of additive manufacturing production for commercial and military aircraft engine components, supplementing manufacture of engine components already underway for industrial turbine engines. The West Des Moines facility specializes in design and production of engine components.
Collins began additive manufacturing at the site in 2016 with a single-laser machine that was used for research and development. The latest machine installed in the facility is a 12-laser SLM Solutions NXG XII 600 that can manufacture complex components small enough to fit inside a 600-cu-mm cube
“From supporting the backlog in commercial aircraft to enabling future platforms, and reducing carbon emissions to providing supply chain relief, additive manufacturing is poised to play an integral role in the future of the aerospace and defense industry,” said Renee Begley, West Des Moines site lead for Collins Aerospace. “Additive manufacturing has the potential to help us reduce weight, complexity, lead time, and cost in the parts we supply, and this expansion represents an investment in our business to help deliver those benefits to our customers.”
A notice published earlier this month by Mexican FBO Manny Aero regarding Mexico’s collection of overflight fees was in error, according to an update from the company. In the notice, Manny Aero mistakenly reported that Seneam, the country’s ATC provider, was issuing a new directive implementing immediately "new regulations” for aircraft operators with a balance of unpaid overflight fees.
The FBO has since clarified that “these rules have been around for over 10 years and while [Seneam] did block operators a few years ago, they stopped doing that to avoid it being considered an intimidating measurement.”
There may not be a regulatory “directive” per se, but according to international business aircraft handler Universal Aviation, “with Mexico gearing up for elections, it seems like the authorities are making noise about chasing those pending Seneam overflight and overtime fees.” Meanwhile, “The Seneam overflight and overtime fee routine is just as it’s always been.”
The companies were in agreement that paying all Seneam fees due is critical because, left settled, “you leave yourself open to being blocked from using Mexican airspace and/or detained on the ground.”
To help its customers process and obtain their Seneam ID, an essential requirement to be able to report and pay navigation fees, Manny Aero levies a $50 convenience charge. Universal makes fee payments on behalf of its customers.
Photo of the Week
Wake up—it’s AirVenture time. Marj Rose, president of aviation PR/marketing firm MarketLift, shared this photo from a previous EAA AirVenture as the next of the annual shows gets underway on Sunday. “AirVenture time always brings back great memories and photos,” she said. Thanks for sending this one in Marj, and we’re sorry to hear you won’t be there in Oshkosh next week.
Keep them coming. If you’d like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
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