Business aviation continued its rebound from the depths of the Covid pandemic last month with global flight activity up more than 40 percent year-over-year, according to February TraqPak statistics from industry data analyst Argus.
North American flights increased nearly 30 percent with gains across the entire spectrum of Part 91, Part 135, and fractional. Part 91 saw the biggest improvement with a 34.4 percent increase. Largely sidelined during the peak of the pandemic, the large-cabin jet sector saw a 51 percent jump while small-cabin jet activity was up nearly 30 percent year-over-year. “Overall, business aviation activity for February 2022 recorded more than 60,000 additional flights when compared to February 2021,” said Argus v-p of market intelligence Travis Kuhn.
European activity rose 86.4 percent compared with February 2021, and nearly 20 percent from February 2020, despite the current conflict in Ukraine. As well, large-cabin jet usage was up more than 150 percent year-over-year in Europe.
Compared with January, North American flight activity was static, with approximately 100 more flights in February. Most aircraft segments saw a slight improvement, led by large-cabin jets, which saw a 5 percent increase, though turboprops experienced a 3.7 percent decline. “February flight activity is typically down month-over-month from January, which makes the slight gain even more impressive for a month that is three days shorter,” Argus noted.
Western helicopter manufacturers are pausing their business in Russia due to the Ukraine conflict. “Under the stringent licensing review policy being implemented [by the U.S.], applications for the export, re-export, or transfer (in-country) of items now require a license for Russia and will be reviewed under a ‘policy of denial.’ Based on the above, Robinson Helicopter is not able to process, ship, or accept any orders for Russia at this time,” Robinson Helicopter said in a notice to dealers and service centers in Russia and Ukraine.
Bell parent Textron has also paused activities in Russia, saying, “Textron is no longer doing business within Russia and is closing its Russia office. We will cease sales of our aviation and other products and services in Russia.” Leonardo has responded similarly and “has already stopped sending components and spares to Russia, and has recalled its personnel.”
Airbus stopped supplying spare parts for its aircraft in Russia last week and suspended services, including those it was providing through its Airbus Engineering Center in Russia “pending further review.” A spokesman for Sikorsky parent Lockheed Martin told AIN that the company “is taking steps to help address the worsening humanitarian crisis through multiple partners…We also are offering financial support to our employees in Poland who are voluntarily hosting Ukrainian refugee families.” Lockheed Martin owns Poland-based PZL Mielec.
The Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft—which represents a mode of transportation widely billed as a force for democratizing air travel—might not seem like an obvious fit for NetJets' private aviation service. But recent discussions between the company that introduced the world to fractional ownership of aircraft and the eVTOL pioneer convinced Lilium to shift its business model from one entirely founded on rideshare shuttle flights booked on an app toward some more exclusive options.
Last week, NetJets agreed to add 150 Lilium Jets to its fleet of high-end business aircraft. Under a memorandum of understanding, the U.S.-based group has secured purchase rights for the all-electric model, which could be operated by NetJets and its affiliates. The aircraft is expected to enter service in 2024, offering a range of 155 miles at speeds of up to 174 mph.
On Tuesday, Lilium also announced that it will partner with FlightSafety International for pilot training. The company, which like NetJets is part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway investment group, will provide courseware, mixed reality training devices, and crew training.
Lilium and NetJets expect to firm up the terms of their memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the end of this year, to more precisely specify how their partnership will work.
Want more? You can find a longer version of this article at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
Satcom Direct’s (SD) Tax Reporting Service has transitioned to MySky—the AI-powered financial platform—expanding the existing strategic partnership between the two companies, they announced on Monday. The change strengthens the financial tools available for SD’s business aviation customers, resulting in a more efficient, accurate, and powerful tax reporting service, the companies said.
U.S. customers will benefit from a fully outsourced, technologically advanced tax and compliance platform for financial planning applications and reporting. The platform can be coordinated with flight departments and tax and legal teams for streamlined and consistent tax reporting and improved cost controls.
“Our aim is to always ensure the customer is having the best experience possible through the SD ecosystem,” said SD president Chris Moore. “Access to fiscal and flight operations management through a digital platform elevates industry standards through the sharing of synchronized, accurate data across all members of the organization.”
MySky CEO and founder Kirill Kim said, “Growing our portfolio of services to include specialist tax reporting signifies our desire to improve processes and increase financial efficiency in every area of business aviation.” Kim called the enhanced partnership “another step forward to making operations smoother and more transparent within our sector.”
To optimize the consolidation, SD Tax Reporting chief (and NBAA tax committee vice-chair) Ryan DeMoor is joining MySky to head its expanded tax reporting division.
Attendees at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festivals in Austin, Texas (March 11–20), can arrive on crowd-sourced flights on XO jets, thanks to a partnership announced Monday between the charter company and the influential annual event. In introducing the program for SXSW, XO noted that joining or initiating a crowdfunded flight to conferences and other gatherings can create moments of collaboration among like-minded people.
"We are making traveling with your colleagues, your network, and other leaders you meet through our crowdfunded flights profoundly convenient and more affordable across a range of aircraft classes,” said XO’s chief marketing officer, Lynn Fischer. “Our technology-forward platform is aligned with the spirit and goals of SXSW, and we look forward to flying creators, technologists, and entrepreneurs to and from Austin this March and beyond."
Entrepreneurs can use XO’s digital platform to crowdfund flights from their local cities, tapping into their network of fellow founders and leaders to purchase individual seats on a shared private jet. This allows the supply of private aircraft to be used more efficiently, XO noted, increasing availability and reducing clients' costs.
After being fully online last year, SXSW this year will present a hybrid experience combining learning, professional development, networking, film screenings, music showcases, exhibitions, and more.
Since entering service in 2015, the GE Honda Aero Engines (GHAE) HF120 has surpassed 200,000 flight hours. The 2,095-pound-thrust engine powers the 207 HondaJets operating in 42 countries. Designed with simple architecture, the HF120 uses proprietary technology to achieve low emissions targets, reduced fuel consumption, and less noise.
The engines, which are produced at the GHAE plant in Burlington, North Carolina, are maintained by a worldwide authorized service provider network supported by a 24/7 GE Honda operations center and a team of dedicated field managers.
“This engine has demonstrated best-in-class reliability and cost of ownership for our global customers,” said GHAE president Melvyn Heard, adding that the milestone is also a testament to the manufacturer's product support team. “With the engine’s exceptional record on inflight performance, efficiency, and reliability, our customers can be confident that the HF120 engine will continue to exceed their expectations.”
Richmond Executive Aviation (REA)—one of two FBOs at Virginia’s Richmond Executive Airport (KFCI)—is the latest service provider to join the Fly Louie Alliance Preferred FBO network. REA is now one of the nearly 80 FBOs nationwide to offer preferential fuel pricing with the Fly Louie Avfuel Card.
Launched in 2019, Fly Louie aims to address the major operational challenges facing independent private charter providers, among them rising fuel costs, increasing competition from larger operators, human resource issues, and growing customer service and marketing infrastructure needs. The group, which looks to bring economies of scale to a fractured charter market, has more than 230 operators enrolled with 2,300 participating tail numbers.
The FBO, which opened last year with a pair of 10,000-sq-ft hangars, plans to add a third, and the company has since launched a flight school. Its ownership is enthusiastic about what it can bring to charter operators at KFCI. “This partnership enables us to offer new levels of service and savings to our customers and alliance members,” said Mark Hackett, REA’s CEO.
Fly Louie CEO Julie Takeda remarked, “REA is an important addition to our network and with their ambitious growth plans, fuel savings may just be the start of a very fruitful partnership.”
The International Business Aviation Council is offering two scholarship opportunities to members of the Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA) organization to attend the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operators (ISBAO) and International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) workshops. Submissions for applications are being accepted through WCA until March 25, 2022.
The IBAC scholarships include one for IS-BAH Fundamentals and Auditing workshops and one for IS-BAO Fundamentals and Auditing workshops. The Fundamentals course covers implementation with a practical approach to managing an SMS based on ICAO principles and includes essential training in SMS performance validation.
IBAC auditor accreditation manager and WCA advocate Yvonne Marinus is leading the scholarship process. “I am excited to work with WCA to select and recognize the deserving recipients of these workshop scholarships. Additional knowledge and insight of Safety Management Systems and the independent auditing process can be valuable to people in our industry and is an excellent opportunity to enhance their career,” she said.
"All of us at IBAC are proud to support Women in Corporate Aviation and look forward to hosting the scholarship recipients,” commented IBAC director general Kurt Edwards. “It is crucial to the future of our workforce that we encourage and support the talented women working in this industry today and we thank the volunteers at WCA for all they do to help make that happen.”
People in Aviation
West Star Aviation promoted Leonard Lentz to aviation technical trainer at its Grand Junction, Colorado location. Lentz has more than 43 years of experience in aircraft maintenance and repair experience, 32 of those with West Star, previously as NDT Lead.
Bombardier appointed Christophe Degoumois as an independent executive advisor. Degoumois most recently was v-p of international sales for Bombardier and has more than 17 years of experience with the company.
Elliott Aviation named Paul McQuay v-p and general manager and Michael Frazier King Air service supervisor at its Moline, Illinois facility. McQuay previously spent four years at Cobham as director of operations and engineering and has held other roles involving operations supervision and management, engineering, quality, and sales. Frazier has 33 years of aviation industry experience as a crew chief, lead mechanic, line lead, and maintenance supervisor.
Glen Serra has joined business aviation technical support company Jet Diligence. Serra, an A&P mechanic and licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, has previously supported Challenger, Global, and Gulfstream aircraft based around Australia and New Zealand.
Twin Commander Aircraft hired David Allison as technical service rep. Allison has a range of maintenance management and engineering support experience, including as a field representative for aerospace component manufacturers and most recently opening and managing the GoJet Airlines maintenance base in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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