Collins Expects Full Bizav Bounceback by Early 2022

Business aircraft production rates will be back to 2019 levels by early next year, according to Collins Aerospace. Colin Mahoney, the aircraft systems group’s v-p customer and account management, told AIN this week that the recovery from the Covid pandemic has been shorter than the 2008 financial crisis, encouraging it to make further investments in its product range.

“The build rates will be close to back to normal by early 2022, and especially for the heavy jets,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of business aircraft use, and especially with the charter and fractional operators.”

On Tuesday, Collins announced a simplified graphical interface for its Venue cabin management system and also delivered an avionics suite based on its Pro Line Fusion system for NASA’s X-59 supersonic research aircraft. Another recent boost for the company has been confirmation of its role on Dassault’s new Falcon 10X, providing the ultra-long-range jet’s primary and auxiliary electric power units, ram-air turbines, air data systems with new smart probes, potable and waste water systems, and fire protection.

Meanwhile, Collins has certified its new LuxStream connectivity platform on 18 aircraft and expects to increase that number to 40 by year-end. It holds supplemental type certificates for the system covering the Bombardier Global family and Gulfstream G350, G450, G500, and G550.

Colonial Pipeline Restarts Fuel Transport

The transport of fuel through the Colonial Pipeline resumed yesterday evening after a five-day interruption due to a cyberattack. According to reports in Bloomberg, a $5 million ransom was paid to restore control of the pipeline.

Shutdown of the conduit—which carries more than two million barrels of product a day, and supplies nearly half of the U.S. East Coast’s petroleum fuels, including jet-A—caused some areas to experience fuel disruptions as distributors scrambled to arrange logistics at alternate terminals, resulting in many cases in the trucking of fuel for longer distances. With the available outflow reduced, some Gulf Coast oil refineries decided to temporarily curtail production.

This morning, the privately-owned pipeline operator issued a statement saying it made substantial progress in safely restarting its pipeline system and reported that product delivery had commenced in a majority of the markets it services, but cautioned it could take several days for operations to normalize.

Airlines modified some flight schedules to factor in refueling stops at unaffected cities, but FBOs seem to have come through the crisis relatively unscathed. “While we continue to hear that the general aviation market is not experiencing widespread jet fuel outages, we advise operators to remain vigilant in planning and preparing for operations until normal pipeline operations return,” said NATA manager of fuel quality and safety Steve Berry.

NBAA-BACE 2021 Showing Strong Early Response

NBAA remains encouraged by early metrics for this year’s BACE scheduled from October 12 to 14 in Las Vegas, saying 90 percent of its planned exhibit space is already booked. In addition, as the association prepares to open registration soon, it noted results of a recent survey that showed 88 percent of respondents indicating plans to attend live events later in the year.

An informal AIN survey ongoing this week revealed that more than 63 percent of respondents said they planned to attend NBAA, while another 23 percent are maybes. Of the respondents, almost 97 percent had attended in the past. Meanwhile, 45 percent said they were “much more” enthusiastic about attending, while Covid concerns weigh on 38 percent of the respondents and travel restrictions on 28 percent. Almost 90 percent listed networking/seeing friends as a reason for attending the show. AIN is keeping the survey open through tomorrow.

As for show plans, NBAA noted the exhibitor lineup will include dozens of new companies joining the mainstays that will all be housed within the Las Vegas Convention Center’s new West Hall, which has 600,000 sq ft of exhibit space, 80 new meeting rooms, and a 14,000-sq-ft outdoor terrace. This year’s event will have an expanded footprint for advanced air mobility technology, a focus on sustainability, and increased programming.

Hermeus Lines Up HQ, Assembly Factory in Atlanta

Hermeus, an aerospace startup that landed a U.S. Air Force contract for the initial development of a hypersonic business jet for presidential travel, secured a 110,000-sq-ft factory in Atlanta to serve as an aircraft assembly facility. The location also will be used for light manufacturing and structures testing, the company said. In addition, the space will be the site of the Hermeus headquarters, housing hundreds of employees.

“Vertical integration is a core tenet at Hermeus,” said founder and CTO Glenn Case. “In addition to the flight-scale propulsion test capability at our Site 27 Test Facility, this factory will allow us to build our first aircraft—conducting structures, avionics, and other major subsystem testing all in-house.”

The location expands the Hermeus presence in the Atlanta region, joining a Hermeus test facility nearby at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport. “Atlanta offers us a unique opportunity to grow into a large, affordable facility within a thriving urban environment,” said founder and CEO AJ Piplica. “Georgia has a deep history in aviation, and we're committed to growing our team right here as we build the future.”

Founded in 2018 and developing a team comprising aerospace veterans of SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA, Boeing, GE, and Honeywell, Hermeus has ambitions to develop a Mach 5 aircraft. In addition to working with the U.S. Air Force, the company is collaborating with NASA on high-speed technologies.

Dallas Charter Broker Opens Paris Office

Dallas-based charter broker, jet card provider, and aircraft sales consultancy Status Jet has opened a base in Paris that is its first satellite office. Founded in 2014, Status Jet chose Paris for its first international location because of its reputation as a “hub of European jet travel.”

Located on Paris’s well-known commercial street, Rue de Saint Honoré, the office will be led by regional marketing manager Julian Barera, who has more than eight years of experience in aviation and is fluent in French, Spanish, English, and Italian, and conversational in German.

“We will provide consultancy services in the sale and acquisition of airplanes and continue to arrange charter flights within Europe, the USA, and other countries,” said Status Jet president David Gerard Henry. “Our Parisian office is specifically and solely designed to cater to the sales, project management, and support needs of our European clients.”

Dubai South Sees 236% Rise in Bizav Movements in Q1

Private jet movements at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport/World Central grew 236 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, according to official figures published Saturday. Movements reached 4,904 in the quarter, eclipsing the 1,460 and 1,676 movements in the first three months of 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) at Dubai South, the landlord at the massive development area located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the city center, said the movements passed through four FBOs operating at the site: Jetex Executive Aviation, Jet Aviation, DC Aviation, and ExecuJet Middle East. Jetex and Jet Aviation are both located at the facility’s VIP terminal, while the other two companies operate standalone FBOs on the airport.

“Our private jet movements at the VIP terminal in the MBRAH have been increasing steadily since last July, which is a testament to the successful national vaccination campaign and the Emirate’s status as a preferred destination for tourists from across the world,” said MBRAH CEO Tahnoon Saif. In the second half of last year, Jetex reported business at its FBO at the VIP terminal was up 150 percent due to the lack of scheduled airline options facing travelers who wished to visit Dubai.

Another California Destination Opens the SAF Tap

California’s Truckee Tahoe Airport District (KTRK) is the latest location in the state to offer a continuous supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The airport-operated FBO received its first delivery of SAF, produced by Neste and provided by Avfuel, late last month.

Each 8,000-gallon truckload of the blended, drop-in fuel provides a 22-tonne reduction in carbon emissions over its lifecycle, with the neat SAF component—produced from renewable waste and residues such as used cooking oil—offering an 80 percent reduction in carbon over the same amount of conventional petroleum jet fuel it supplants.

Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the airport provides access to year-round outdoor recreational activities. “Truckee Tahoe Airport District has long practiced good stewardship with its community, helping to protect our serene environment,” said Kevin Smith, KTRK’s general manager. “As such, the airport has implemented a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Initiative, which now includes SAF—the most effective way to directly reduce emissions."

Bell Delivers 300th Jet Ranger X

Bell delivered its 300th Bell 505 Jet Ranger X turbine light single helicopter this week. The delivery was made to the Jamaican Defense Force (JDF), a longtime customer, and is the JDF’s sixth 505.

The first Bell 505 was delivered in 2017. Today, 300 copies of the model are in operation across six continents, with customers who have logged more than 70,000 hours. The five-seat 505 has a top speed of 125 knots and a useful load of 1,500 pounds. New 505 platform advances include the Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite, Flight Stream wireless gateway, autopilot, lightweight EMS interior, Bell public safety configuration, Pulselite, FliteStep, a left-hand side baggage door, and moveable ballast. 

Earlier this month, EASA approved the 505 for operations to carry external loads up to 2,000 pounds, giving the aircraft an external gross weight of 4,475 pounds. “The Bell 505 is one of Bell’s fastest-growing commercial programs to date,” said Michael Thacker, executive vice president, innovation and commercial business. “As we continue to see interest for the aircraft in public safety, utility, and corporate transport, Bell has invested in new products and technologies to expand the Bell 505’s capabilities.”

Count on AIN for Full Coverage of EBACE Connect

You can count on AIN for full coverage of EBACE Connect. Our team will publish one issue of our award-winning EBACE Convention News in early June. We will also have comprehensive real-time reporting of all the top news at AINonline.com and in our daily e-newsletters. Companies that wish to share news or propose pre-EBACE Connect interviews and briefings can contact show editor Chad Trautvetter.