Wheels Up has acquired U.S.-based business aircraft charter and management company Gama Aviation LLC (dba Gama Aviation Signature), creating the second-largest private aviation company in North America. Financial terms of the transaction, which closed today, were not disclosed. Gama Aviation Signature—the largest Part 135 operator in the U.S., according to 2019 Argus Traqpak data—has operated Wheels Up’s fleet of King Air 350is, Citation Excel/XLSs, and Citation Xs since 2013.
The deal follows Wheels Up’s acquisitions last year of Delta Private Jets and Travel Management Company—the respective fourth and ninth-largest Part 135 operators per Argus data—as well as software developer Avianis Systems. Including today’s transaction, Wheels Up’s owned and managed fleet now numbers more than 300 airplanes. Using Argus figures, the combined entity logged more than 160,000 flight hours last year, eclipsing number-two fractional provider Flexjet (111,189 hours).
“This transaction supports our long-term vision for the future of Wheels Up, and as we continue to build the fleet and offer aircraft management services, we are uniquely positioned in the market with a full ecosystem for all private aviation needs,” said Wheels Up founder and CEO Kenny Dichter.
Gama Aviation Signature will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wheels Up, led by current president and CEO Tom Connelly. It will also continue to serve aircraft management/charter customers out of its current location in Shelton, Connecticut.
Business aviation flight activity last year in the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean increased 0.9 percent year-over-year, matching the growth rate from 2018 and eclipsing three million flights for the third consecutive year, according to the Argus Traqpak 2019 annual business aviation review. The company’s analysts believe 2020 will be another year of positive growth, forecasting that year-over-year flight activity will rise during each month in the first half: February, up 8.2 percent; March, 5.6 percent; April, 3.9 percent; May, 3.5 percent; and June, 5.1 percent. January logged a 0.7 percent year-over-year increase.
Flight activity was positive for most of 2019 and picked up steam later in the year, rising from 0.3 percent growth in the first half to 1.4 percent in the second half, Argus said. In fact, it added, the fourth quarter experienced the strongest year-on-year rise in flying, up 1.5 percent from fourth-quarter 2018.
By operator, fractional activity soared 5.9 percent year-over-year in 2019, followed by Part 91 with a 0.7 percent gain. Part 135 flying declined 0.6 percent last year.
Aircraft segments were mixed last year, with midsize and light jet activity up 3.1 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, while large-cabin jet and turboprop flying down 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
FAA AC Outlines Limits on Web-based Flight-sharing
The FAA last week released much-anticipated guidance outlining when flight-sharing is permissible but reinforcing that holding out to the general public through a website/app without an operator’s certificate is prohibited. AC 61-142 states that “pilots may share operating expenses with passengers on a pro-rata basis.” But the agency specifies that private pilots who wish to share expenses may not “hold out” to the public as willing to offer transportation services. Advertising in any form raises the question of holding out, the agency added.
Key to this interpretation is whether the holding out is to a broad public sector or a limited group. “A pilot may invite passengers for expense-sharing flights; however, a pilot should be guided by whether he or she is reaching out to a defined and limited group comprised of people with whom he or she has an ongoing, pre-existing relationship,” the agency said. An advertisement published on the internet would not meet the criteria of a limited and defined group. The same holds true for apps, the agency said.
NATA praised the AC, saying it reaffirms longstanding precedent and policy. “This is another great example of the FAA working in concert with the industry to educate owners and pilots, and help put an end to uncertified charter operations,” said NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts.
The strong performance in 2019 business jet deliveries reported by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association highlighted bright spots across the range of categories. Cirrus's SF50 Vision Jet apparently captured the title of most delivered jet by volume, at 81 units—not surprising given that the single-engine personal jet is the lowest-cost in-production jet at $2.38 million.
Its title is apparent only in that Gulfstream does not break out deliveries of its large-cabin, ultra-long-range aircraft by individual models. Collectively, Gulfstream shipped 114 of them, a 22-aircraft jump from 2018, but one that comes as the Savannah, Georgia manufacturer ramped up on G500 deliveries and began to hand over the G600.
Bombardier, meanwhile, had bragging rights in the super-midsize category, shipping 56 of its super-midsize Challenger 350. The Canadian manufacturer said that combined with its predecessor Challenger 300, more than 800 have been delivered since 2004, more than any other in that category.
Textron Aviation’s Citation Latitude took a stronghold of the midsize category with 58 handed over, making it the top publicly revealed business twinjet delivered last year. As for the light-jet category, Embraer’s Phenom 300/300E marked another strong year with 51 deliveries. That model has reached 530 deliveries since service entry in 2009.
In the very light jet segment, Honda Aircraft’s HondaJet remained solid with 36 deliveries.
Euro Jet Takes on Balkan Expansion
Ground support service provider Euro Jet is opening new offices as well as refurbishing some of its facilities across the Balkan region in 2020, the company announced today. New openings include an office at Mother Theresa Airport in Tirana, Albania, which Euro Jet said is the largest one within its network, as well as at Pristina Airport in Kosovo.
It also recently opened a refurbished crew lounge at Baneasa Airport in Bucharest, Romania, which is located in the general aviation terminal there. Later this year, Euro Jet plans to open refurbished crew facilities at Franjo Tudman Airport in Zagreb, Croatia, and at Boryspil International Airport in Kiev, Ukraine.
The new offices and refurbishments come as Euro Jet—whose network spans Europe and Asia—readies to support flights related to the UEFA Football Championships June 12 to July 12, as well as increased traffic from the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Aireon, Eurocontrol Sign 10-year Agreement
Aireon will supply Eurocontrol with space-based ADS-B data under a new 10-year agreement that is expected to enhance air traffic flow management in Europe. “Full integration of Aireon space-based ADS-B data will allow us to be more accurate in our trajectory predictions and ensure higher levels of safety, predictability, and efficiency in our flow management operations,” said Eurocontrol director general Eamonn Brennan.
Eurocontrol’s enhanced tactical flow management system (ETFMS) will integrate Aireon data intended to improve complex traffic demand and slot allocation calculations that have relied on ground-based surveillance data and flight plan processing systems. When fully integrated, Aireon said its data will give Eurocontrol a full picture of aircraft arriving, departing, and crossing over Europe in an area spanning six flight hours and 3,000 nm around the 41 Eurocontrol member states.
“Eurocontrol is…the first customer to use Aireon data well beyond their own area of responsibility,” said Aireon CEO Don Thoma. “This will enable them to maximize the effectiveness of their processes and procedures by including long-range arrivals and neighboring states into their capacity and demand measures.”
Senate Bill Would Create Center to Advance Aviation
More than 130 aviation, state, education, and other organizations have issued a strong endorsement of a bipartisan bill introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) to establish a National Center for the Advancement of Aviation (NCAA) to promote and support the development of aviation and aerospace in the U.S.
S.3360 would create a federally chartered but private institution that could be funded through grants and donations and run by a board appointed by the secretaries of Transportation, Defense, and Veterans Affairs. FAA officials would be ex-officio members. The NCAA would focus on four key areas: aviation and aerospace STEM curriculum; workforce development; economic and safety data and research sharing, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Noting that the legislation was crafted with stakeholder input and support, Inhofe said, “The NCAA will advance a collaborative process to promote aviation in the United States and assist in the development of the next generation of aviation and aerospace workers."
Organizations representing nearly every facet of the industry, along with industry stakeholders, airports, and state organization gave their stamp of approval in a joint letter. “We strongly support the creation of a national, independent forum to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between all sectors of aviation and aerospace stakeholders and related partners to coordinate, promote, and support the future of aviation."
Regarding human performance in aviation, what is “base effect?”
A. The human tendency to adopt the current situation as baseline.
B. The bias shown by pilots of different airports when trying to adapt to local operating procedures.
C. The potential for a gradual erosion of safety margins in the day-to-day flight procedures of locally based operators.
D. The name given to complacency when operating at high altitude.
GAMA Promotes Martin, Joyner, Adds To Govt Affairs Team
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) bolstered its leadership team with the promotions of Kyle Martin to v-p of European affairs and Amanda Joyner to managing director of government affairs, as well as the addition of Marc Ehudin as director of government affairs.
“Over the last several years, Kyle and Amanda have proven to be exceptional leaders,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “Their expertise in government and regulatory affairs, as well as manufacturing and maintenance technical policy, have played a critical role in supporting our membership and shaping GAMA’s global policy agenda.”
Martin, who joined GAMA in 2016 as director of European regulatory affairs, is steering GAMA’s legislative, political, and regulatory strategies in Europe in his new role. Joyner, who joined GAMA in 2012 as director of government affairs, is integral in developing GAMA’s federal policy agenda and advocacy efforts on behalf of GAMA’s members.
Ehudin joins the government affairs team after spending more than 20 years with Textron and AAI Corporation handling general aviation, tax policy, and manufacturing issues. He also has served with U.S. House members representing Texas and Maryland districts.
“Marc brings a wealth of experience to GAMA. His vast knowledge of Congress, the appropriations process, and general aviation and manufacturing issues will help elevate our policy and government affairs efforts,” Bunce said.
FltPlan Go and iFly GPS are two electronic flight bag apps that pilots can use on Windows, Android, and iOS platforms. AIN Editor-in-Chief Matt Thurber walks through the features of both applications on a Microsoft Surface tablet.
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