NBAA-BACE 2020 Go/No-go Decision Could Come This Week

While NBAA continues to prepare for NBAA-BACE 2020—scheduled for October 6 to 8 in Orlando, Florida—it could make a go/no-go decision on whether to hold the show as early as later this week. If greenlighted, it would mark the largest trade event held to date in the Covid-19 era.

NBAA is consulting CrowdRx for expert guidance on maintaining safety at NBAA-BACE and has been in regular contact with relevant medical and government authorities. Some of the show’s proposed health safety measures include mask wearing, one-way aisles, and social distancing. “As we make preparations for the show, our overriding focus…is on the health and safety of all participants,” an NBAA spokesman said.

To date, 547 exhibitors have signed on for NBAA-BACE 2020, down from about 1,000 at the most recent annual NBAA conventions. This year’s list includes all business aircraft manufacturers except Embraer, Piper Aircraft, and Textron Aviation. Embraer confirmed it would exhibit at the show, but Textron Aviation said it “made the proactive decision back in April to postpone our participation in many upcoming industry trade shows and events.” Piper has not yet responded to AIN’s inquiry.

“We intend to come forward with an update in early July,” the NBAA spokesman told AIN. “At that time, we also intend to have detailed answers to address specific logistical and other questions about the event.”

IADA Brokers Mostly Upbeat about Preowned Bizjet Market

Participants were mostly optimistic in a recent International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) members-only webinar on the current state of the preowned business aircraft market in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the group of professional aircraft dealers and brokers. “May is generally better than April, and...we all anticipate June to even be significantly better than May. And so, the trends are all in the right direction,” said OS Partners executive v-p and IADA chairman Paul Kirby.

The ending of travel restrictions and lockdowns have had a positive effect on the industry, Kirby explained. At the same time, preowned aircraft sales prices “haven’t cratered any one specific market” and where they are lower, the price reductions are “thoughtful and strategic.” For large-cabin jets, prices have dropped but preowned inventory hasn’t increased as in past downturns, noted Leading Edge Aviation Solutions president Joe Carfagna Jr. 

Rolland Vincent, president of Rolland Vincent and Associates and director/creator of JetNet iQ, said transactions have “obviously slowed” but added that financing for aircraft deals is still available and affordable. This year will be tough for business aircraft OEMs with factory outputs down 25 to 30 points but “this will be the low point in their continued outlook,” he said.

Big Pharma Firm Donates GIVs to University Mx Programs

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company donated two Gulfstream IVs to aviation maintenance programs at Purdue University and Vincennes University. The twinjets were delivered to the Indiana schools late last week.

Undergraduate aeronautical engineering technology students at Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology will use its GIV to learn applied air vehicle maintenance and engineering principles, while graduate students will have access to it as a non-flying research platform, according to Tom Frooninckx, the school’s interim head.  

Vincennes University's Aviation Technology Center (ATC) at Indianapolis International Airport will use its GIV to expose students to corporate aircraft maintenance. “This is an area of our program that has been challenging to address in the past simply due to the expense of these types of aircraft,” said ATC director Michael Gehrich.

“Lilly is a longstanding advocate for quality education in the STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math—especially within our home state of Indiana,” said Lilly senior director of aviation operations Scott Farrar. “Through this donation to Purdue University and Vincennes University, we hope that students pursuing careers in aviation maintenance will have access to additional hands-on learning and application. It is a privilege to collaborate with Purdue and Vincennes to help prepare future aviators and aviation mechanics.”

OSHA Proposes To Fine Textron for Plant 3 Explosion

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is proposing a $13,494 penalty against Textron Aviation for the Dec. 27, 2019 explosion at its east campus Plant 3 in Wichita. Specifically, OSHA alleges that the manufacturer of Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft “failed to protect employees from autoclave explosion hazards.”

According to OSHA, Textron was operating the liquid-nitrogen pressurized vessel referred to as Autoclave 8 when the head suffered a catastrophic thermal fatigue failure as the pressure in the autoclave built. The failure “resulted in an explosion that critically injured 15, exposing employees to amputation, broken bone, concussion, crushing, laceration, and struck-by hazards,” OSHA alleges.

Further, it recommends the business jet airframer find “feasible and acceptable means” to prevent future incidents such as “developing and implementing measures to effectively monitor, control, discover, maintain, and repair pressure vessels, including autoclaves.”

In a statement to AIN, Textron noted the citation and notification of penalty and that it had posted the document for Plant 3 employees to view as required by OSHA. “Textron Aviation continues to work closely in collaboration and coordination with the investigating entities, including OSHA, as well as independent industry experts, as to the final root causes of the explosion and the implementation of additional preventative measures and programs,” Textron’s statement said.

Gogo Sees Bizav Usage Back to Near-normal

Usage of Gogo Business Aviation’s air-to-ground airborne connectivity network is almost back to pre-Covid-19 levels, reaching 3,000 daily flights last week, up from the pandemic low of 378 flights in mid-April. During that April dip the company saw 30 percent of its customer accounts suspended or downgraded to lower service plans. But now nearly 60 percent of the suspended customers have reactivated their service plans, according to Gogo, “with approximately 80 percent reverting to their original service plan.”

Business aircraft flights using Gogo are climbing and on June 25 reached 3,039, compared with the pre-pandemic average of 3,500 flights per day. More customers are installing Gogo’s high-speed Avance L3 and L5 systems and others are reactivating their service. 

“I’m encouraged because we’re seeing several positive trends taking shape in the market,” said Gogo Business Aviation president Sergio Aguirre. “We’ve strived to be a good partner with our customers to get through a very difficult time together, and we’re now in the midst of a measurable recovery as flight activity increases.

“I’ve been amazed with the level of productivity and engagement our employees have delivered to help our customers, and the company, get through this challenging time,” he added. “And from an innovation standpoint, we have several positive developments that will be released in the coming weeks that will make your Gogo in-flight experience even better.”

AOPA Joins Coalition To Oppose Ligado Network

In light of the recent Federal Communications Commission decision to permit Ligado Networks to operate a wireless network using a spectrum adjacent to those used by GPS devices, five organizations representing varying industries have formed a “Keep GPS Working” coalition to safeguard GPS end-users. AOPA joined representatives of equipment manufacturers, farmers, boat owners, and road and transportation builders in establishing the group.

As one of its first actions, the coalition is supporting legislation authored by Senate Armed Services Committee leaders Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) that would impose new conditions for Ligado and require the company to cover costs that others might incur if they lose GPS access.

“The FCC’s decision threatens GPS reliability for countless consumers, farmers, ranchers, pilots, boat owners, surveyors, construction companies, and other private GPS users who will be forced to suffer interference to their GPS devices or to pay to replace them,” the coalition said. “The FCC admits in its order that there are cases where both government and private GPS receivers—including those that power aviation, agriculture, and other key industries—will suffer harmful interference, but failed to provide a technically feasible and adequate remediation solution.”

“Reliable GPS is critical to aviation safety, a fact that was not adequately weighed by the FCC,” added AOPA senior v-p of government affairs Jim Coon.

XOJet Flexes with Pandemic’s Effects, Avoids Layoffs

While the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on business aviation are still being felt, XOJet Aviation executives decided from the onset of the virus in the U.S. that the charter operator wasn’t going to idle hundreds of workers. Many of them were new to the company, which at the time was adding new jobs and wrapping up a cross-country headquarters relocation. The privately held operating air carrier opted to hang onto its 600 employees, diversify its flight operations, and fight for as many charter bookings as it could get.

One thing that did fall victim to the effects of the pandemic was the company’s plans for the construction of a new 40,000-sq-ft building at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE). Those plans have been put on hold and, for now, it will remain in leased space at FXE. 

Financially, XOJet was strong before the Covid crisis. Between that position of strength, as well as increasing its freight flights and efforts to book as many charters as it could, it succeeded in retaining employees at XOJet. The company also was able to avoid layoffs by freezing hiring and reassigning some of its workers, mostly in its talent recruitment department, to work in other areas of the business to support administration, maintenance, training, and operations.

Bombardier Sees Progress on New Biggin Hill Hangar

The steel framework for Bombardier Aviation’s new 250,000-sq-ft maintenance hangar began going up at London Biggin Hill Airport last week. The facility will replace the airframer’s current hangars at the airport and will be capable of sheltering up to 14 of the company’s flagship Global 7500s at the same time.

Robert Walters, the airport’s commercial director, said the expansion marks “a significant extension of Bombardier’s European customer support network at London Biggin Hill, reinforcing the airport’s position as a leading aerospace hub.”

Along with the hangar, the complex will also include component repair and overhaul workshops, parts depot, training rooms, office space, and 650,000 sq ft of apron and surrounds. The project is slated for completion by mid-2022 and is expected to bring employment at the facility to more than 250.

Bombardier began maintenance operations at the airport in 2017, offering tip-to-tail heavy maintenance on its Learjet, Challenger, and Global business jets. Last year, the location added enhanced interior repair and refurbishment.

“We are delighted to be supporting Bombardier as it meets the growing demand for its services here and the hangar’s construction contributes toward our ambitious target of generating 2,300 jobs at the airport by 2030,” said Walters.