Lenexa, Kansas-based fractional ownership provider Airshare is ordering up to 20 Bombardier Challenger 3500s, potentially doubling its fleet of super-midsize Challengers, Bombardier announced this morning. Airshare in May 2021 placed an order for up to 20 Challenger 350s, the predecessor to the 3500, moving into larger aircraft after building its fractional program around Embraer Phenom 300s.

That original Challenger order included three aircraft and 17 options, but Bombardier noted that Airshare is placing the follow-on order as it exercises all the options from the initial deal. The latest contract includes firm orders for four Challenger 3500s and options for 16 more. The latest deal could be worth $544 million, if all options are exercised.

“The response we have received to the Challenger entering our fractional program has been tremendous, from both new and existing customers,” said Airshare president and CEO John Owen. “The strength of our partnership made it easy for us to accelerate our plans to order more of these aircraft to meet customer demand.”

Airshare offers 1/16th shares in the Challenger, which includes 20 days and unlimited flight time during those days up to a maximum of a 14-hour crew duty day. The Airshare program also provides a 25 percent discount on the hourly rate when shareowners begin and end flight days at the same location.

Gulfstream Aerospace delivered 45 aircraft (35 large-cabin and 10 super-midsize G280s) in the first half of 2023, down from 47 (38 large-cabin and nine G280s) a year ago, and will miss its 2023 delivery forecast of 145 by five or six units, Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO of parent company General Dynamics, said this morning during a quarterly investor call. In the second quarter, the Savannah, Georgia-based aircraft manufacturer handed over 24 aircraft (18 large-cabin and six G280s), up from 22 jets (17 large-cabin and five G280s) in the same period last year.

According to Novakovic, Gulfstream expects to deliver 27 aircraft in the third quarter, meaning almost half of this year’s aircraft handovers—approximately 68—will be in the fourth quarter. Nineteen of these will be for the G700, which is now slated to receive FAA certification in the fourth quarter and allow “sufficient time” for delivery by year-end, she said. The five or six jets that will not be delivered this year “are not G700s,” Novakovic noted, and their delays are related to supply-chain issues.

Meanwhile, order intake for Gulfstreams remains strong, with a book-to-bill of more than 1.3:1 in the second quarter. Novakovic said demand for its business jets is “robust” in North America, specifically citing Fortune 500 companies as the biggest driver, in addition to the Middle East and Asia.

Business aircraft MRO and FBO provider West Star Aviation has enlarged its facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This marks the completion of the first of several expansion projects, including ones at its East Alton, Illinois, and Grand Junction, Colorado shops.

West Star celebrated the completion of its work in Chattanooga with a ceremony on July 19 attended by local officials and company employees. The project, which took about a year to complete, added 57,000 sq ft of hangar, shop, and support space, bringing total square footage to 262,816.

At Chattanooga, the company now operates from five hangars, one of which it has dedicated to Gulfstream work. It has also added finish and upholstery modification support and a customer design center.

“This Chattanooga [KCHA] expansion will ensure that West Star Aviation will be well-positioned to meet our growing customers’ needs,” said West Star CEO Jim Rankin. “The new hangar and additional space show our continued commitment to implementing sustainable growth that benefits our customers, employees, and the surrounding communities.

West Star Aviation specializes in the repair and maintenance of airframes, engines, and APUs, avionics installations and repair, major modifications, interior refurbishment, exterior paint, accessory services, and parts.

Dallas-based Aero Star Aviation has added the Embraer Praetor 500 and 600 to its maintenance services, adding to its established FAA approvals for the Phenom 100 and 300.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer the expanded services to new and current customers that may be upgrading from the [Phenom] 100/300 to the [Praetor] 500/600 or are already a current owner," said Aero Star Aviation owner and president Chris Grinnell. “We have invested heavily in this expansion of these added services with specialized technicians, specific tooling, and additional hangar space to accommodate all of our current and new valued customers.”

Founded in 2013, Aero Star Aviation specializes in the maintenance and repair of Embraer jets at its locations in Dallas and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Its offerings include scheduled maintenance, pre-purchase and 10-year inspections, engine change, line maintenance, wheel assembly exchange, and AOG support. The company also offers in-house aircraft consulting and management, providing customers with information on the acquisition process while providing daily aircraft management of operations and regulatory requirements. 

In its just-released monthly hourly cost report, online jet charter marketplace JetASAP reported that aircraft charter rates increased on average by 4 percent month-over-month in June. The flight booking platform noted that the light jet segment experienced the largest increase in billable flight hour pricing, rising by 6 percent to an average of $7,236 per hour.

Midsize and large-cabin jets each increased by 5 percent month-over-month, averaging hourly rates of $8,176 and $13,336, respectively. Super-midsize jets saw a 4 percent boost to $11,068 per hour, while turboprops logged the smallest improvement at 2 percent to an average of $4,280.

The report listed some actual route quotes received last month through JetASAP’s website. They include Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in an Embraer Phenom 300 for $32,360, a Hawker 800XP for $23,659, or a Gulfstream IV for $45,000. From Farmingdale, New York, to Aspen, Colorado, was $26,818 in a Bombardier Learjet 60, $43,356 in a Cessna Citation X, and $40,000 in a Gulfstream G200. Meanwhile, the cost of a Dallas to Van Nuys, California trip was $19,650 in a Learjet 45XR, $19,088 in a Learjet 60, and $30,517 in a Citation X.

2Excel Engineering has secured UK Civil Aviation Authority Part 147 approval for maintenance training at its Hampshire, UK base at Lasham Airfield. Under the approval, the company’s Part 66 maintenance training school can now conduct B1 and B2 type rating courses for Boeing 727 and King Air 200-series aircraft. With the new accreditation, 2Excel can train its own licensed mechanics to ensure it has access to enough maintenance professionals to support and expand its MRO business.

“This achievement not only serves as a powerful tool for recruiting new talent but will also play a pivotal role in retaining existing employees by providing them with valuable career development opportunities and expanding their skill sets,” said 2Excel CEO Matt Caswell.

The apprenticeship program at 2Excel supports the learning progression of a new generation of mechanics. By training new maintenance technicians and offering additional qualifications, 2Excel expects to ensure the quality of its workforce at Lasham and provide career advancement opportunities for its employees.

As part of its long-term vision, 2Excel Engineering wants to offer training opportunities for other companies, which would aid the growth and development of the UK’s aerospace sector and align with the UK government’s national prosperity and STEM agendas.

New-production Cessna Caravan and Cessna Grand Caravan EX models will come with added enhancements to their Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight decks, Textron Aviation announced on Monday at EAA AirVenture. According to the manufacturer, the updated avionics software system will improve the pilots’ user experience and deliver better performance.

Garmin G1000 NXi avionics have been standard equipment on the Caravan family of single-engine utility turboprops since 2017. Beginning in 2024, additional features will include Garmin’s GDL 60 data transmitter, the GTX 345DR diversity transponder, and the touchscreen GI 275 electronic standby display.

The GDL 60 datalink provides high-bandwidth connectivity options for both the cockpit and the cabin, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE network capabilities. It gives pilots the ability to share flight data with smart devices and update databases automatically over wireless network connections.

With the GTX 345DR, users have full ADS-B Out/In capabilities with the added redundancy of a dual-diversity transponder system. Garmin has also expanded the ADS-B In applications to include CDTI-assisted visual separation and runway occupancy awareness. 

Optional upgrades include the Garmin GWX 8000 weather radar, which now has lightning and hail detection and auto mode, as well as a taxiway routing feature that provides visual guidance for pilots maneuvering around an airport.

Boston-based MRO Pro Star Aviation recently completed a 120-month airframe inspection, landing gear overhaul, and other upgrades on an Embraer Phenom 300. This aircraft also required Pro Star’s technicians to perform a “low utilization” inspection on the engines, including borescoping, compressor washing, and performance runs, the MRO said.

“As an authorized Embraer service center, our technicians are OEM factory trained to the highest standards,” said Pro Star GM Sean Peterson. “We modify and service each aircraft as if it were our own. Our team is focused on delivering high-quality maintenance and installations to get you swiftly back in the air.”

Along with completing all of the Phenom’s required inspections on time and within budget, Pro Star modified the aircraft with Whelen Engineering Boom Beam high-intensity discharge taxi and landing lights and Concorde dual lead-acid batteries using supplemental type certificates for both modifications.