Farnborough Airport has retained its long-standing position as the top FBO outside North America, according to the results of AIN’s 2023 FBO Survey. In Part Two of the survey, released today, the London-area FBO earned a 4.69 average score out of a possible 5, placing it among the top 5 percent of all facilities worldwide. Among all FBOs, it ranked third this year in the pilot amenities category (4.75), second in passenger amenities (4.78), and the highest for facilities (4.89).
The second spot was occupied by Universal Aviation’s location at London Stansted Airport, tallying a 4.61 average with its highest score of 4.79 in the customer service representative category. For the fourth consecutive year, ExecuJet’s facility in Sydney, has landed among the top finishers outside North America with its average score of 4.52, followed by Eccelsa Aviation, the airport-owned FBO at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport on Sardinia, which scored a 4.48.
Rounding out the top five is Signature Flight Support’s facility at Munich International Airport in Germany, which earned a 4.48 average score this year from AIN’s readership.
Also scoring among the top 20 percent of FBOs worldwide is Jet Aviation’s facilities at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and Geneva Airport in Switzerland; MJets FBO at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok; and Harrods Aviation also at London Stansted Airport.
Business aviation service group Redwings has announced plans to launch eVTOL air-taxi services, starting in Mexico City. The company signed a non-binding letter of intent to buy up to 20 of the four-passenger Journey vehicles being developed by Jaunt Air Mobility, starting with 10 units and with options for 10 more.
The aircraft, which feature both a fixed wing and a rotor, use the company’s patented slow-rotor compound technology, which reduces drag and vibration by lowering the speed of the main rotor to about 10 rpm during cruise flight. Jaunt aims to complete type certification under Transport Canada Part 529 requirements in 2027 and expects the aircraft to have a maximum speed of 175 mph on flights of up to around 100 miles.
“The elevation of Mexico City is 7,349 feet, higher than Denver, Colorado, and presents challenges for many VTOL aircraft operating at this altitude,” said Redwing president Bernardo Moreno. “The Journey’s highly efficient vertical flight capability enables this aircraft to operate at altitude with no performance limitations.”
Redwings operates a fleet of managed aircraft including Embraer Legacy 600 and Hawker 800XPi jets and a Bell 505 helicopter. It runs an FBO at Queretaro Intercontinental Airport, around 130 miles northwest of Mexico City, and provides business aircraft MRO services.
With sustainability a key area of focus for the aviation industry, design and engineering consultancy Atkins has released a white paper examining the energy requirements needed to meet future aviation demand.
Sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen, and batteries have all been identified as potential low-carbon power sources for the next generations of aircraft, but the energy pathways to generate or store those sources will need to grow dramatically over the next half-century, according to the paper’s author.
Based on estimated energy efficiencies, the forecasted fuel mix, and the anticipated growth in the aviation sector, the company predicts that 44,000 terawatt hours (TWh) per year will be required by 2070 to meet the global aircraft fuel demand, a 5,700 percent increase from current aviation energy demands as the fleet transitions from fossil fuels and nearly twice the world’s current electricity demand. The paper noted that a new, large-scale 3.2-GW nuclear power station could be expected to generate 25 TWh of electricity per year, meaning it would take 1,800 of these stations to meet that demand.
“Whilst the mix of low carbon alternative fuel is yet to be determined, the production, storage, and transportation of fuels has implications for energy and airport infrastructure, and their emissions need to be considered across the whole lifecycle, from 'source to force,’” said Andrew Caughey, Atkins’s sustainable aviation lead for aerospace.
Mack Rutherford, who in 2022 became the youngest person to fly solo around the world at age 17, will have the opportunity to share his story with high school and university students during a meet-and-greet session at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) Careers in Business Aviation Day in Geneva, on May 25.
Rutherford's five-month, 52-country, 30,000-mile, around-the-globe journey commenced in Sofia, Bulgaria, in March 2022. He began the trip at age 16 and celebrated his birthday during the flight. Flying an ultralight Shark aircraft, he also became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a microlight.
“With my around-the-world flight, I want to show that young people can pursue their dreams and achieve amazing things,” Rutherford said. “It might not be easy or smooth sailing, but with grit and perseverance, chances of success are on your side.”
“Through his remarkable achievement, Mack Rutherford embodies the spirit of determination, perseverance, and fearlessness that defines the next generation of business aviation professionals,” said EBAA chairman Juergen Wiese. “His journey will inspire and empower young people to pursue their passions and make a difference in the world."
Students attending EBACE Career Day can also take part in breakout sessions with industry professionals to learn about career opportunities and attend a guided tour to see the latest aircraft and products the industry has to offer.
The AEG Connect Network Supplies FBOs With Fuel Worldwide
Seeking one powerful bundled package for your FBO operation, consisting of competitive bulk-fuel pricing, economic fuel truck leasing, point-of-sale technology, financing support, and marketing/advertising services? Look no further than AEG Fuel’s AEG Connect Network of global FBOs.
In connection with the scheduled August 10 start of the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) mandate in Canadian airspace, Nav Canada recently issued Aeronautical Information Circular 10/23 describing fight plan filing requirements. The circular also details procedures Nav Canada will use to accommodate unequipped aircraft in ADS-B airspace.
Operators planning to enter ADS-B mandatory airspace must file the following equipage codes in Item 10 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) flight plan: B1 (ADS-B Out capability) or B2 (ADS-B In and Out capability). In addition, they need to include the following new entry in Item 18: SUR/CANMANDATE.
Due to supply-chain limitations, Nav Canada says, a “small number” of operators may not be able to meet equipage requirements in time for the mandate effective date. In those cases, Nav Canada will strive to accommodate non-equipped aircraft “as system capacity permits.” Because assessing ADS-B airspace accommodation requests will be manual and time-consuming, requests must be submitted at least three business days in advance.
Requests for urgent flights (such as medevac, VIP, and rescue) will be prioritized. Nav Canada promised that “in no case will it [approval] be later than four hours prior to the expected time of departure.” A request weblink will be provided before August 10. ADS-B-equipped Canadian state aircraft, as well as foreign state aircraft covered by diplomatic or formal agreements, will not be required to provide advance notice.
Finland's Suomen Rajavartiolaitos border guard force has selected four bids using three business jet platforms—the Bombardier Challenger 650, Cessna Citation Longitude, and Dassault Falcon 2000LXS—to proceed to the next phase of its MVX fleet modernization competition. MVX is seeking a replacement for the pair of Dornier Do-228-212 turboprop twins that it operates with the air patrol squadron at Turku alongside Airbus H215 helicopters.
The upgrade to Finland’s border surveillance capability has become increasingly important in light of growing tensions with Russia, especially following the Baltic nation formally joining the NATO alliance on April 4. The ”Raja” hopes to select an MVX winner before the end of the year, with service entry targeted for 2026 or 2027. The lifetime of the two Dorniers has been extended from 2025 to cover the later MVX service entry date.
The MVX requirement—for an aircraft that can perform maritime and overland surveillance and environmental monitoring—was raised in 2019. Last April, the government allocated a budget of €163 million ($179 million). Twenty-two potential suppliers responded to the request for information. In November 2022 the Raja announced that the MVX would be a business jet and reduced the number of suppliers to nine.
Last week, the field was narrowed to three U.S. companies—Field (Challenger 650), L3Harris (Falcon 2000LXS), and Sierra Nevada (Challenger 650)—and Swedish supplier ST Airborne Systems (Challenger 650 or Citation Longitude).
Reliable Robotics has teamed with NASA to improve the safety of remotely piloted aircraft in the National Airspace System using FAA primary surveillance radar (PSR) data. Specifically, the partners wanted to explore the use of existing radar infrastructure for automated detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems on board autonomous aircraft.
Reliable Robotics is a California company developing “drop-in” autonomy kits to give legacy aircraft remote-piloting capabilities. Together with NASA, Reliable Robotics conducted a flight-test campaign in California using two of its experimental aircraft. During the flight tests, Reliable Robotics coordinated multiple encounters between the two aircraft while the FAA’s ground-based radars and commercial air-to-air radars tracked the flights and collected data.
NASA is using that flight data to analyze and characterize the accuracy of the FAA’s radars, and the results of the study will help the agency develop a safety case for DAA systems using PSR data. Reliable Robotics says making high-quality PSR data available to pilots could significantly improve situational awareness and help to prevent midair collisions.
“We appreciate the close collaboration with the FAA and Reliable Robotics to collect meaningful data from flights to improve our collective understanding of using radar for DAA,” said Brad Snelling, partner chief engineer for the AAM National Campaign at NASA. “These landmark flights will help the entire AAM industry further their understanding and future use of PSR data to enhance aviation safety.”
ITP Aero’s MRO facility in Ajalvir, Spain, has been designated as an overhaul facility for Pratt & Whitney Canada PW200 series turboshafts.
“As an independent company, this is a great opportunity for us,” said Pablo Fuentes, head of in-service support at ITP Aero. “We share strong synergies with Pratt & Whitney Canada, and...we believe there is great potential to further build on our shared capabilities.”
The PW200 family powers a range of light-twin helicopters that are used for emergency medical services, security and defense, utility, business, and other operations.
ITP Aero is the world's ninth-largest aircraft engine and components manufacturing company, with 4,500 employees and facilities in Spain, the UK, Mexico, Malta, and India. The company’s work includes research and development, manufacturing, assembly, and testing of aircraft engines, as well as MRO services for aerospace customers.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
The KASE LINDZ NINE SID has a required climb gradient of 465 feet per nm to 10,000 feet. What will be the required climb rate for an aircraft keeping a constant ground speed of 120 knots?
A. 930 fpm minimum up to 10,000 feet agl.
B. 465 fpm minimum up to 10,000 feet agl.
C. 930 fpm minimum up to 10,000 feet msl.
D. 465 fpm minimum up to 10,000 feet msl.
Last Chance: Mastering Flying in the Rockies Webinar
Join AIN on May 2nd as we explore flying in some of the United States’ toughest terrain – Colorado’s Ski Country. At this must-attend seminar for flight crews that frequent Rifle, Vail, and Aspen, we’ll break down the need-to-knows of operating safely in mountainous and snowy terrain, and share some helpful tips to keep you mission ready. Sponsored by FlightSafety International and Signature Aviation. Register today!
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
AINalerts is a publication of AIN Media Group, 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
