Textron Aviation’s Covid-19 Response Includes Furloughs

Textron Aviation will furlough most of its U.S. employees for four weeks in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that it’s also adjusting its production to align with anticipated market demand. Furloughs will be staggered and occur over a roughly 10-week period, beginning March 23 and ending May 29.

“This decision will allow us to do our part in mitigating and containing the spread of the Covid-19 through social distancing, while continuing to support our customers,” the Cessna and Beechcraft airframer said in a statement. “As tough as this situation is, the safety and well-being of our employees and customers remains our top priority.”

Textron officials declined to say if the furloughs were limited to production and non-production employees, or if they extend to workers at the Wichita-based company’s 11 U.S. service centers. In Kansas, the company employs 10,000 people. Other measures the company has taken in response to the pandemic have included limiting large group meetings, increasing daily cleaning of its facilities, restricting travel, and canceling its participation in several global meetings and events.

“This is a rapidly evolving situation and we continue monitoring the guidance of the CDC and local governing health authorities to ensure we are developing the best policies and practices for our company,” Textron Aviation said in its statement.

NBAA Webinar To Offer Covid-19 Update

NBAA will host a webinar on updated Covid-19 guidance from medical and international operations experts at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday. The webinar will focus on limiting exposure and reducing the risk of spreading Covid-19 onboard aircraft.

The webinar is based on a recently released Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) by the FAA. The SAFO, informed in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, was primarily developed for airlines. “But they do have implications for the business aviation community,” NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen said in a video message posted to Twitter.

The free, hour-long webinar will feature a discussion on the new guidance by NBAA v-p for international and regulatory operations Doug Carr, MedAire’s Dr. Paulo Alvez, and OpsGroup Team Members representative David Mumford. They also will discuss further considerations for protecting the health and safety of passengers, crew, and flight department personnel. Registration is required.

Alabama Airport Starts On New Terminal

Alabama’s city-owned Enterprise Municipal Airport held a groundbreaking this week for its new FBO terminal. The nearly $1 million project, which will replace the three-decade-old, outdated airport-operated FBO, will be more than double the size of the existing structure, which will be retained for use by airport-based businesses.

FAA funding will account for roughly one-quarter of the cost of the project, with the city of Enterprise picking up the remainder.

According to airport manager Staci Hayes, the new facility, which is expected to be completed by August, is needed to serve the increased traffic resulting from the region’s growing economic development. To accommodate parking larger aircraft, a section of the asphalt ramp was recently replaced with concrete.

The new terminal will include amenities such as a private pilot lounge, flight-planning area, A/V-equipped conference room, and outdoor restrooms for transient customers.

The airport is currently in the land-acquisition process in preparation for expanding its runway from 5,100 feet to 6,000 feet.

EASA Bulletin Warns of ELT Battery Fire Hazards

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published a safety information bulletin (SIB) addressing certain brand ELTs to ensure that the presence of fire (in case of a lithium ELT battery failure) cannot propagate from the battery compartment to surrounding material. The specific ELTs in question are approved on various models from H.R. Smith and Techtest Ltd., installed in numerous small and large airplanes and helicopters.

According to the SIB, the affected ELT and battery packs, in case of a thermal runaway, may release gases on fire. As this fire eventually self-extinguishes, the design remains compliant with the criteria of technical standard orders. However, the presence of fire may affect the performance of surrounding equipment if an approved ELT has not been installed under a TC or STC.

Therefore, EASA recommends “operators of aircraft that have any affected ELT or battery pack(s) carried on board which are not part of the approved aircraft type design, or design change, as applicable, to ensure that the presence of fire (in case of an ELT battery failure) cannot propagate to the surrounding material.”

The assessment should “explicitly include the effect of fire or hot gases impingement on any stowed safety equipment installed in proximity of the battery such as life rafts, life jackets or emergency flotation systems.”

Mx Group Seeks Monetary Relief from Effects of Covid-19

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association is seeking a relief package of tax credits and $11 billion in grants and loan guarantees from the federal government in the wake of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The association, which represents FAA-certified repair stations and parts manufacturers and distributors, outlined its request in a letter earlier this week to President Donald Trump and congressional leaders.

ARSA said it is hearing from members concerned about cash flow in light of maintenance work being canceled and customers potentially unable to pay bills. It proposes a 50 percent tax credit for airline contract maintenance work performed at repair stations in the U.S., as well as $11 billion in relief: $8 billion in grants and $3 billion in loan guarantees.

“The simple fact is that we don’t know how long the coronavirus disruptions will last and what the impacts will be,” said ARSA executive v-p Christian A. Klein. “Congress needs to act swiftly to limit damage to the aviation maintenance industry, which has both a huge impact on the economy and which is so essential to the safe operation of aircraft.”

According to ARSA, the aviation maintenance industry employs more than 250,000 workers and generates about $50 billion in direct annual economic activity.

Chilean Terrorists Allegedly Torch Air Crane

Mapuche tribe eco-terrorists are the chief suspects in the arson attack on a 1970  Erickson, Inc. S-64F Air Crane “Camille,” N159AC, on station at the helipad in Santa Juana, Chile Monday night. Santa Juana is located approximately 33 miles southeast of the city of Concepcion. The arson gutted the cockpit and the rear-facing crane operator station.

In a statement released Tuesday, Erickson said, “A group of unidentified individuals entered an Erickson operating base in Chile Last night. After gaining entry to the secure area, they caused damage to the Erickson-owned S-64 Air Crane helicopter there. No Erickson employees were hurt. Erickson personnel are cooperating with local police. We have no further information to share at this time.” Erickson did not respond to AIN’s request for comment.

According to Chilean press reports, “Camille” is one of two Erickson Air Cranes on duty in Chile for the current firefighting season. The helicopters had flown approximately 80 missions from December through February. The aircraft are operated by local partner Ecocopter on behalf of multinational forestry company Arauco, which holds 2.7 million acres of Chilean forests in an area of the country claimed by the Mapuche. The tribe’s main tool for forcibly reclaiming its lands since the 1990s has been arson attacks on small private land holders, forestry companies and their lands, and government security forces. The tribe is credited with 920 firebomb attacks between 2011 and 2018 that have killed at least 20.   

Northern Jet Management Expands to Florida

Aircraft charter, management, jet card, and fractional program provider Northern Jet Management has opened a new satellite base in Naples, Florida. Consisting of a newly-renovated 12,000-sq-ft hangar with adjoining office space and a fuel farm, it joins the Michigan-based company’s other facilities in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan, as well as in Chicago and Milwaukee.

“This facility will greatly enhance our operations and capabilities as this base solidifies our presence in this market,” said Chip Schultz, the company’s v-p of operations, adding its Private Advantage Card program is designed for passengers traveling between the Midwest and Florida. “This location will add our Midwest feel to our clients in Southwest Florida."

The location will be managed by long-time Naples resident and pilot Ginger Harding, who looks forward to hosting special events in the hangar in the future.

Sudden Tight Market Spurs Online Jobs Fair

UK-based Aviation Job Search is holding a free online job fair March 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. UTC to help aviation personnel facing sudden unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Anyone in the aviation industry can participate in the event, which will feature exhibitors with job vacancies available to communicate with job seekers via text, audio, or video chat. The event will also feature guest speakers discussing industry topics and job searching advice.

“We are deeply shocked at the extent of job losses we’ve seen over the last year within the aviation industry,” said Dave Capper, Aviation Job Search managing director. “We want to try and get as many people back into work as possible to ensure the industry continues to thrive.

“Hosting the job fair online also helps us to combat any concerns surrounding coronavirus. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into arranging this free event over the last few days following the Flybe collapse, so this is a fantastic opportunity for those who suffered a job loss to get back on their feet in a new role.” 

For more information on registering, search for "Aviation Job Search” in any search engine. 

The Thursday AINalerts calendar will resume after event schedules firm up following the coronavirus pandemic.