Piaggio Aerospace’s extraordinary commissioners have received 18 expressions of interest (EOIs) for the purchase of Piaggio Aero Industries andPiaggio Aviation. Both operateunder the Piaggio Aerospace brand and under government-appointed extraordinary administration, the U.S. equivalent of a bankruptcy restructuring. The deadline to submit the requested documents expired yesterday.
In a joint statement, the commissioners said, “Most of the EOIs were submitted by prominent business parties. This acknowledges once again the attention for a national strategic company with significant potential, especially considering the latest developments on sustainable mobility.” Half of the EOIs were submitted by businesses domiciled in Italy. Others were submitted by entities in Europe, North America, and the Far East. Most parties confirmed their interest in buying the assets of both companies in their entirety.
The commissioners will now evaluate the submissions to determine which entities qualify for bidding. Qualifiers will be given access to Genoa-based Piaggio’s records in order to value their bids, due within 30 days. The commissioners have said they intend to identify a new owner for the company by year’s end but have until May 13, 2024, to make an award.
Piaggio has declared insolvency multiple times since 1995 and has been under extraordinary administration since 2018. The company claims an order backlog of $609 million covering 17 P.180 Avanti Evo twin-pusher business turboprops. The company is expected to reach break-even financial operations by the end of 2023.
Canada’s decision earlier this month to deny Ligado use of frequencies in the L-Band spectrum for its 5G network is fueling hopes in the U.S. that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may reverse its controversial 2020 approval to allow it in the U.S.
Aviation groups including the NBAA, HAI, and AOPA have opposed the use of portions of the L-Band for wireless communication because of its potential for interference with global positioning system (GPS) and other global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology and recently restated their opposition in a letter to President Joe Biden.
In its denial of the application, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada noted concerns from aviation OEMs and groups, in particular the ATC’s impact on aircraft safety systems, such as helicopter terrain awareness warning systems (HTAWS) at altitudes below 300 feet agl, and said that multiple Ligado ATC base stations could have related aviation impacts in ways yet to be fully understood.
Ed Bolen, NBAA's president and CEO, said the collective evidence mandates that the FCC revoke the Ligado decision. “With numerous studies now reaffirming our industries’ concerns about dangerous interference to these vital systems from the Ligado network, it’s long past time for the FCC to do the right thing and rethink this ill-considered decision,” he said.
Hamish Harding—the chairman of Dubai-based aircraft brokerage Action Aviation, an air transport pilot, and a Living Legend of Aviation—is among five individuals onboard the Titan submersible that lost contact during a visit to the Titanic site on Sunday morning.
Harding is one of four commercial “mission specialists” who paid to join the vessel’s pilot on the 13,000-foot descent to view the Titanic’s remains. The Titan is believed to have up to 96 hours of life-support reserves, and a multinational search instituted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian military has been ongoing.
A noted adventurer who flew into space as a commercial astronaut aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket last year, Harding set a world record for global circumnavigation in a Gulfstream G650ER in 2019, ventured to the South Pole multiple times, and has visited the Challenger Deep, the lowest depth on Earth.
A frequent speaker at aviation events, Harding has been a driving force in the brokerage market and full of optimism about the industry. “The business is great. The business is booming still,” he told AIN recently.
On the Action Aviation website this morning, the company and Harding’s family expressed gratitude for the continued efforts of the authorities and companies that have stepped in to aid the rescue efforts. “The team at Action Aviation are extremely proud of Hamish and we look forward to welcoming him home.”
Runway excursions are the cause of more than a third of all aviation accidents, with many resulting in substantial damage or destruction of the aircraft. It’s why FlightSafety makes sure its training keeps pilots prepared to manage these risks.
As Gulfstream Aerospace heads toward certification of the G700 later this year, international launch customer Qatar Airways unveiled its model in the presence of Qatari dignitaries yesterday on the opening day of the Paris Air Show (PAS). In 2019, Qatar ordered 10 of the ultra-long-range, large-cabin aircraft valued at $750 million. Its private jet charter division, Qatar Executive, will operate the aircraft and anticipates receiving its first copy this year.
The ceremonial unveiling was led by Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker in the presence of Qatar Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to France Sheikh Ali bin Jassem Al-Thani, and Hamad International Airport COO Badr Mohammed Al Meer. Also joining them was Gulfstream Aerospace president Mark Burns.
En route to the PAS, the aircraft established a new city-pair record, flying from the manufacturer's facility in Savannah, Georgia, to Paris in 7 hours 19 minutes at Mach 0.90, Gulfstream reported. Importantly for Qatar Executive, the aircraft can operate nonstop from Doha to New York in 13.5 hours and Doha to Seoul, South Korea, in less than eight hours.
“The technological advances, innovation, flight instruments, cabin configurability, and environmental performance make the G700 a genuine game changer and we look forward to introducing the first G700 into Qatar Executive’s fleet in 2023," Al Baker said.
Saudi Public Investment Fund-owned The Helicopter Company (THC) has acquired helicopter brokerage Rotortrade, after announcing that the two companies had entered into a strategic partnership last year, and will open a branch office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Rotortrade is the sole international distributor of Leonardo’s preowned aircraft and has offices in Fort Pierce, Florida; Los Angeles; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; London; Melbourne, Australia; Mexico City; Marseille, France; Paris; Singapore; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Shanghai, and Verona, Italy.
“The complete acquisition of Rotortrade by THC represents a remarkable milestone in our journey together. This strategic move creates more synergies, driving business growth in the Middle East and Africa region and beyond,” said Fahd Cynndy, chairman of Rotortrade. Rotortrade president Philippe Lubrano added, “The complete acquisition by THC provides us with enhanced resources and support to expand our exclusive inventory and operations.”
THC said its strategic investment in Rotortrade will “further strengthen the collaboration between the two companies while allowing them to maintain their independent operations, with THC concentrating on developing the helicopter transport infrastructure and meeting the growing demand for helicopter services in Saudi Arabia and the region, and Rotortrade operating as a trusted helicopter dealer.” THC is the Kingdom’s first and only commercial helicopter operator and has been operating since mid-2019. Since its founding, THC has been aggressively acquiring helicopters and expects to have at least 46 by the end of 2023.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed banning most uses of perchloroethylene (PCE), a toxic solvent known to cause serious health risks, including cancer. All consumer uses would be prohibited, but many industrial and commercial uses would be permitted to continue “where strict workplace controls could be implemented,” including those related to aviation.
PCE is a solvent that is widely used for consumer purposes, such as brake cleaners and adhesives, commercial applications such as dry cleaning, and in many industrial settings. This rule proposes to continue to allow the industrial and commercial use of PCE in petrochemical manufacturing, the production of coatings for aircraft skins, and vapor degreasing with PCE to make aerospace parts and engines. The chemical is also contained in some lubricants, paints, coatings, and paint removers.
The proposal would require a gradual, 24-month shutdown in the manufacturing, processing, and distribution of PCE for all consumer uses and some industrial and commercial uses. According to the EPA, “The uses subject to the proposed prohibitions represent less than 20 percent of the annual production volume of PCE.” For the majority of PCE uses that the EPA is proposing to prohibit, it said alternative products with similar costs and efficacy are reasonably available.
There will be a 60-day comment period from the date the notice of proposed rulemaking is published in the Federal Register.
Pilot inattention while flying in a mountainous region was cited by the NTSB as the cause of a North Carolina medevac helicopter crash on March 9. The 2012 Airbus EC135 P2+ was being operated by Med-Trans as Life Force 6 for Erlanger Health System and transporting a patient from Murphy to Asheville. The patient and two-person medical crew sustained minor injuries related to the accident. The 51-year-old pilot was uninjured but has subsequently been terminated by Med-Trans.
According to the NTSB, the pilot noted that the highest obstacle en route was at 6,100 feet, but set the autopilot to 5,500 feet. He then donned the night vision goggles that were on top of the aircraft logbook that was on the co-pilot seat. While moving the logbook, he decided to check flight times in it against maintenance requirements. During this time he noticed the cloud ceiling lowering, reset the autopilot to 5,000 feet, and again went “heads down” into the logbook. The pilot looked up and saw he was headed for trees and initiated a climb, but the tailboom struck trees and the vertical stabilizer separated. He subsequently performed a forced landing on a road, substantially damaging the helicopter.
The NTSB found the cause of the accident to be “the pilot’s improper decision to review an aircraft logbook while en route, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.”
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow to consider the nomination of Alvin Brown to join the National Transportation Safety Board as a member. President Joe Biden originally nominated Brown to the post last year but the Senate failed to act on it. Brown, the first African-American to be elected mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, was renominated to the post earlier this year to fill a vacancy left by former chairman Robert Sumwalt.
If confirmed, Brown would fill the final opening on the board that also includes chair Jennifer Homendy, vice chair Bruce Landsberg, and members Michael Graham and Tom Chapman. The latter three came to the board with considerable aviation experience, including in business and general aviation, while Homendy brought a deep knowledge of rail and transportation through her service as senior staff on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Brown has a lengthy resume in urban and community affairs, including with the White House leadership team under former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. He formerly served as senior advisor for urban policy and vice chair of the White House Community Empowerment Board, leading $4 billion in community empowerment initiatives. He further has served as a senior advisor to the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, executive director of the Bush/Clinton Katrina Interfaith Fund, and executive in residence at Jacksonville University’s Davis School of Business.
People in Aviation
Guardian Jet appointed Tom Cyr as v-p for the U.S. Upper Midwest region. Cyr has four decades of experience in the industry in a broad range of roles including as A&P technician for Kaman Aerospace, field technical representative and technical sales representative for the Midwest with Pratt & Whitney Canada, director of sales at Central Flying Service, and director of business development with Jet Support Services.
Heart Aerospace appointed John Slattery as non-executive chairman of its board of directors. Slattery continues to serve as executive v-p and CCO at GE Aerospace. Prior to joining GE, he was president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation and he also has spent 15 years in various executive roles with commercial aerospace advisory, aircraft leasing, and aviation banking organizations.
Rotortrade appointed Gerard Pau as managing director of its French locations and head of the region for Europe. Pau’s aviation career spans more than 40 years and comprises various senior management positions at Airbus Helicopters, including managing director, GM, and regional head of operations.
Aero Asset hired Andrea Winning as market research director, Shaun Geng as v-p of operations, and Tristan Sandor as senior director of mission-critical services. Winning has nearly 20 years of experience in the industry having served as a project manager at EADS Deutschland and in various marketing and customer relations roles with Airbus Helicopters. Geng has 20 years of experience in business relations and previously held senior positions at InterContinental, Hyatt, Marriott, and Accor in Europe, North America, and Asia. Sandor’s background includes roles with Global Medical Response where he was responsible for financial operations, equipment finance, fleet management, procurement, and sales.
Jet East, a Gama Aviation Company, appointed Shellie Lewis as Gulfstream product director. Lewis’s career in the aviation industry spans more than 35 years and includes a 26-year tenure with Gulfstream where he held positions including senior mechanic, senior airworthiness inspector, site lead, and quality supervisor. He has also served as director of operations with Leucadia Aviation and most recently at Leviate Air Group as chief inspector, director of maintenance, and v-p of technical services.
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