Directional Aviation Launches Premium Air Charter FXAir

Directional Aviation today officially launched FXAir as a premium product that “redefines and rescopes on-demand air charter.” New York City-based FXAir will complement Directional’s other on-demand air services—including Sentient Jet and PrivateFly—while offering customers the same onboard experience and safety of its Flexjet fractional program.

In fact, FXAir’s initial fleet is composed of 17 former Flexjet aircraft—12 super-midsize Bombardier Challenger 300s and five ultra-long-range Global Expresses. It plans to add Nextant 400XT light jets in the coming months and FXAir president Gregg Slow expects the fleet to expand to about 40 aircraft by the end of 2021.

The new on-demand service was originally scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter, but with more people considering private jet travel to minimize their risk of exposure to the coronavirus, Directional decided to accelerate FXAir’s introduction. According to Slow, FXAir has been quietly marketed to customers for the past month and began flight operations yesterday.

While FXAir has no membership fees and offers pay-as-you-go charter, it does have an Aviator debit card program that adds benefits such as priority scheduling, fixed-cost coast-to-coast flights, and a more lenient cancellation policy, as well as included catering and deicing. FXAir is intended for Continental U.S. customers, while sister company PrivateFly will focus more on the international market.

Covid-19 Impact on Mx Will 'Haunt Aviation,' ARSA Says

Revenue for more than two-thirds of Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) members responding to the group's survey has declined an average of 45.9 percent in the first five months of 2020, mostly from the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. What’s more, aggregate employment at the surveyed companies fell nearly 27 percent— from 11,879 to 8,699—between January 1 and June 1.

“This massive loss of technical talent is going to haunt aviation for years to come,” said ARSA executive v-p Christian Klein.

ARSA v-p of operations Brett Levanto told AIN the majority of responses came from commercial aviation repair stations. According to the survey, 46.9 percent of member companies reported declines in employment while 43.2 percent reported no change. For the 54.1 percent of member companies receiving Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds, just 5.8 percent saw employment declines. ARSA said many repair stations large and small were unable to tap into federal relief from CARES and other programs.

“To prevent more job losses, as Congress gears up for the next round of stimulus, lawmakers must ensure than any company that needs help can get it,” Klein said. “That means continuing the PPP, loosening the strings, and making changes to eligibility for payroll support.”

Gulfstream 2Q Deliveries Up, but Sales Dogged by Covid

Gulfstream Aerospace deliveries in the second quarter slightly outpaced those from the same period a year ago, but fell 15 percent in the first six months as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to stall international shipments, parent company General Dynamics announced today.

In the quarter, Gulfstream handed over 32 airplanes (six super-midsize G280s and 26 large-cabin jets) versus 31 (eight G280s and 23 large jets) a year ago. For the first six months, it shipped 55 aircraft (nine G280s and 46 large jets), down from 65 (15 G280s and 50 large jets) in the same period of 2019. According to General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic, Gulfstream will meet projected deliveries of between 125 and 130 jets.

While she said interest in Gulfstreams remains steady, sales activity was “difficult” in the quarter due to the inability to travel and demonstrate aircraft to customers. “It’s impossible to sell—everything has to be done over the telephone due to travel restrictions,” Novakovic lamented during today’s quarterly investor call.

This led to a 0.54:1 book-to-bill ratio in the quarter, but Novakovic is more optimistic about sales in the second half of the year as travel restrictions further lift.

“The second quarter was the low point of the year for Gulfstream,” she added. “We entered the pandemic in a strong position and expect to emerge from it even stronger.”

Spirit Aero To Expand Work on Aerion Supersonic AS2

Aerion Supersonic continues to fill out the supply team for its Mach 1.4 AS2 business jet, expanding the role of Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems to cover design and production of the forward fuselage. Under a memorandum of understanding, Spirit will further invest in the AS2 and increase engineering.

This builds on the existing relationship between Aerion and Spirit that began in 2019, initially involving preliminary design work. Aerion said that by joining the project in the early stages, Spirit’s technical expertise has “significantly advanced the design evolution” of the supersonic jet as it prepares to kick off production in 2023.

Aerion anticipates Spirit will build 36 forward fuselage assemblies annually at full rate. The company further anticipates building 300 AS2s in the first decade of production at its final assembly facility in Melbourne, Florida.

“Spirit AeroSystems has been an outstanding partner in the design and development of the AS2, and their considerable aerostructures expertise has proven a core enabler in the evolution of our program,” said Aerion chairman, president, and CEO Tom Vice.

The announced agreement follows last week’s naming of Collins Aerospace to develop the flight control actuation system for the AS2. Other suppliers include GE Aviation, Honeywell, Safran, GKN Aerospace, Aernnova, and Potez Aeronautique. In addition, Boeing has collaborated on the program.

Aerion is targeting a 2025 first flight and a 2027 service entry.

Bombardier Broadens Structural Repair Support

Bombardier has bolstered its structural repair offerings for its worldwide fleet of business aircraft. The enhanced offerings will be offered through a collaborative effort with aircraft structural repair specialist The Mobile Repair Team.

The Canadian manufacturer’s Customer Response Center (CRC) will remain the point of contact for the repair work. Equipped with the latest tooling and engineering support, CRC teams will work with The Mobile Repair Team specialists on structural repairs.

The additional capabilities are part of a larger effort to retain as much fleet support in-house as possible. “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and this extended partnership with The Mobile Repair Team will allow us to provide worldwide skilled and proficient structural repairs directly through our customer response center alongside the outstanding service experience that our distinguished Bombardier customers expect,” said Andy Nureddin, v-p of customer support for Bombardier Aviation.

Gulfstream Hits Triple Digits on G700 Flight Testing

Gulfstream is reporting progress in the testing program for its new flagship G700, completing more than 100 flights to date. The Savannah, Georgia-based aircraft manufacturer also has conducted flutter testing and expanded the flight envelope at both low and high speeds. In early May, the company announced that a third airframe had joined the flight-test program.

Powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, the G700 has an intended maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925 and a maximum cruising altitude of 51,000 feet, but as part of the test regime, the aircraft exceeded both, reaching Mach 0.99 and an altitude of 54,000 feet. The G700 will be able to fly at least 7,500 nm at a long-range cruise of Mach 0.85, Gulfstream said.

The large-cabin jet offers up to five living areas, the largest galley in the industry, a 100 percent fresh cabin air system, and the option for a master suite with shower.

“These accomplishments at this stage in flight testing point to the impressive maturity of the G700 program,” said company president Mark Burns. “We designed and developed the G700 for our customers to fly safely, securely, and efficiently while enjoying the same level of comfort as they do on the ground.”

Constant’s AOG Teams See Surge in Work

MRO provider Constant Aviation is seeing an uptick in its AOG business as more idle business aircraft return to service. The increase has prompted the Cleveland, Ohio-based MRO to expand the capabilities of its mobile response team and add technicians.

“We’ve witnessed the business aviation rebound firsthand, and it has been dramatic,” said Constant v-p of AOG line stations Paul Witt. “As flying has increased, our AOG division has been working at 120 percent capacity. That’s a big turnaround from March, when we were working at 30 percent capacity.”

Witt added that “significant hot spots” for the company have been in the Bay Area, U.S. Southeast, and Chicago. Constant also added technicians in Teterboro and Portland, Oregon. Additionally, Constant became the first provider outside an Embraer service center to acquire the needed tooling kits to address the Brazilian airframer’s service bulletin on an update of the landing gear and hydraulic control unit on Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600 twinjets. “Embraer is paying for the kits and labor, so all the operator has to do is reach out to the AOG team to schedule a date for the installation,” Witt explained.

Pennsylvania Airport Debuts New Hangar

Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) introduced its newest hangar Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by state and local officials. The $16.3 million, 54,000-sq-ft Hangar 11, which can accommodate aircraft up to a Gulfstream G650, brings the airport-operated FBO to more than 250,000 sq ft of hangar space. This project marks the first hangar addition at the Eastern Pennsylvania airport, which is currently home to 137 aircraft, since 2006.

“If you search the Northeast corridor, hangar space is extremely limited, “ said Thomas Stoudt, executive director of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, which received an $8.8 million grant from the PennDoT Bureau of Aviation to complete the new structure. “We are confident that Hangar 11 delivers a competitive advantage in attracting new tenants that strengthens economic growth within the Lehigh Valley.”

“During very challenging times in aviation across the country and especially in Pennsylvania due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the unveiling of Hangar 11 is an encouraging story that still shows the continued strong economic growth at [ABE],” added Anthony McCloskey, director of the state’s DoT.