First ACJ TwoTwenty Fuselage Arrives in Mirabel

Less than nine months after Airbus Corporate Jets launched the ACJ TwoTwenty with six orders in hand, the first fuselage has arrived at the company's A220 final assembly line in Mirabel, Canada. This keeps the aircraft on pace for induction into completions early next year and delivery by 2023, the airframer announced today.

Kicking off the EBACE Connect media day this morning, Airbus Corporate Jets president Benoit Defforge said development of the TwoTwenty is “progressing in line with our plans,” with final assembly anticipated to begin around midyear and first flight later this year. Airbus anticipates handing over the first edition in early 2022 to Comlux, the exclusive outfitter for the first 15 aircraft. 

Defforge noted the momentum Airbus Corporate Jets is sustaining in 2021. While conceding that 2020 was a difficult year for Airbus, it marked one of the strongest at Airbus Corporate Jets, with six deliveries and orders for 12. In 2021, he added, “We started the year with the same spirit and the same customer engagement as 2020,” including an order for an ACJ319neo and delivery of two ACJ320s and an ACJ350.

He also announced a partnership with Latécoère Interconnection Systems to develop an ACJ Smart LiFi (Light Fidelity) Monitor. To be available later this year, the 4K monitor will provide for audio-video on-demand, casting, mirroring, web browsing, live TV, and videoconferencing.

Flexjet’s Operations Go Carbon-neutral in U.S., Europe

Flexjet’s year-to-date flight operations in the U.S. have been carbon-neutral and those in Europe have been carbon-negative through its partnership with 4AIR and at no additional cost to its customers, the fractional provider announced today. Flexjet has been purchasing verified credits via 4AIR that fund solar, wind, and other projects that offset carbon emissions from its flights.

In the U.S., Flexjet said, it will offset an estimated 400,000 tonnes of carbon emissions this year alone. Meanwhile, Flexjet Europe is offsetting 300 percent of the carbon dioxide equivalent for every flight to reflect CO2 emissions and other pollutants, including water vapor, aerosol sulphate, and nitrous oxides. The company is also working with 4AIR to offer shareowners the option of upgrading their environmental commitment by using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for their flights where it is available.

“Flexjet has long been on the leading edge of applying innovation to its operations, and our partnership with 4AIR brings that same spirit to protecting the environment,” said Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro. “In supporting carbon offset projects around the world, Flexjet can offer peace of mind that today’s efforts are having an immediate positive impact on the environment.”

Garmin Marks First GFC 600 Autopilot Nod on a Bizjet

Garmin has secured FAA STC approval for the GFC 600 digital autopilot in Cessna CitationJet models, marking its first such nod aboard turbofan-powered aircraft. Designed to enhance in-flight characteristics and simplify single-pilot operations, the GFC 600 digital autopilot provides capabilities such as autopilot-coupled VNAV descent, auto CDI switching, fully coupled go-around, and RVSM support.

“The GFC 600 combines [modern] flight control capabilities with hardened smart servos specifically tailored to the demands of turbofan aircraft,” said Garmin v-p of aviation sales and marketing Carl Wolf. “With this upgrade, it is easier than ever for CJ owners and operators to get the most out of their aircraft.”

The GFC 600 will be installed as part of a package encompassing single or dual G600 TXi 10.6-inch flight display(s), dual GTN or GTN Xi series navigators, and a GI 275 electronic flight instrument. In addition, Garmin is offering optional upgrades, including a dedicated PFD controller, audio panel, ADS-B transponder, Iridium datalink, weather radar, datalink SiriusXM weather, and Garmin Connext connectivity via the Flight Stream 510 wireless gateway.

Features of the system include backlit keys and a sunlight-readable display depicting autopilot status and mode selection; an intuitive built-in control wheel for adjustment of aircraft pitch, airspeed, and vertical speed modes; and a dedicated level mode button.

London Oxford Airport Invests in Facilities

London Oxford Airport (EGTK) has embarked on a major infrastructure development project, the centerpiece of which will be the airport's 15th hangar. When completed in the third quarter, the 6,000-sq-m (63,000-sq-ft) structure will include two bays with offices and workshops and will be capable of sheltering up to six large-cabin business jets.

The UK facility will be used predominantly by the airport’s established tenants, many of which are currently occupying WWII-era hangars, as well as for space to store larger business jets, which has been limited at EGTK. Those eight-decade-old hangars will be progressively replaced with new ones based on customer demand, according to the airport, which is home to several MRO operations. To further support their activities, London Oxford has bolstered its electrical grid, allowing “significantly more power onto the site.”

While the airport has also expanded its ramp to make room for more aircraft parking, it also recently added seven new ICAO/EASA/CAA-compliant helipads, which will serve tenants such as Airbus Helicopters (whose UK headquarters is on the field) and other rotorcraft operators. They also complement operations at the co-owned Edmiston London Heliport, the capitol’s only CAA-licensed heliport.

In addition, a new fuel farm will quadruple the storage capacity of the original facility while also providing future storage space for sustainable aviation fuel. A centrally located fire station is under construction as well.

Metrojet Opens Philippines MRO Facility

Hong Kong-based business aviation services company Metrojet held a soft opening today for Metrojet Engineering Clark’s aircraft parking and maintenance facility in the Philippines. The MRO facility at Clark International Airport is Metrojet’s largest single investment in nearly a quarter of a century.

At 7,100 sq m (76,423 sq ft), the hangar can accommodate up to 10 long-range business jets, including bizliners such as BBJs and ACJs. Located at the rear of the hangar is a 2,500-sq-m two-story annex that houses workshops, stores, staff, and customer offices and lounges, as well as available space for an FBO. A private taxiway and 11,000 sq m of apron complete the project, which Metrojet said has been designed to comply with the highest international standards, including typhoon and seismic loadings that meet current Philippine codes.

“The growing strategic and geographic importance of Clark and the Philippines enables us to provide our clients with high quality and competitive hangar parking and maintenance options in the region,” said Metrojet CEO Gary Dolski. “Hangar parking can minimize the risks of corrosion damage to aircraft and hence preserve the asset value, which is critical for aircraft owners within the Asia-Pacific region.”

Jetex Expands South American Reach

Global business aviation trip support provider Jetex has added operations in Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. The expansion builds on the company's existing Latin American footprint in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico and gives it a full suite of services in the area’s major commercial and tourism hubs.

“Our multilingual fuel and ground operations professionals are available 24 hours a day to attend, process, and coordinate any requirements for flights and to ensure a quick and effective turnaround in all major airports in the region,” said Diego Giamberini, director of the Dubai, UAE-based company’s Latin American and Caribbean operations.

“With global private aviation experiencing rapid growth post-Covid 19, we continue to develop and deliver even better solutions to our customers worldwide,” noted Jetex founder and CEO Adel Mardini. “We are broadening our reach of capabilities and commercial representation to more destinations with the aim to further consolidate our services in key markets across the region.”

Collins Aerospace Building Ram Air Turbine Wind Tunnel

Collins Aerospace broke ground Wednesday on an $18 million ram air turbine (RAT) wind tunnel facility that the company said will help streamline its testing process at its Electric Power Systems center of excellence in Rockford, Illinois. Collins’s RAT products are designed to act as the “small but mighty heart” of an aircraft emergency power system, the company said. Deploying from the wing or fuselage, the system rotates a small turbine to extract power from the airstream in cases when the aircraft loses electrical power in flight. 

Equipped with new automated technology and greater quality controls, the wind tunnel will use a fan that can create a wind speed of up to 170 knots to simulate the environment of an in-flight power loss. The wind tunnel can test RAT systems for all sizes of business, regional, commercial, and military aircraft platforms.

“By helping pilots land airplanes safely after losing power in flight, Collins’s ram air turbines have saved more than 2,000 lives to date,” said Stan Kottke, v-p of Collins Aerospace Electric Power Systems. “It’s a critical product and one that we’ll now be able to produce faster for our customers and more safely for our employees once our new wind tunnel becomes operational around summer 2022.”

Charter Broker Luna Jets Sees Stronger-than-expected 2020

After predicting a tough second-half of 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak, Geneva-based charter broker Luna Jets finished the year with “the best performance in our 14-year history, mainly fueled by an all-time-high fourth quarter,” said managing director Alain Leboursier. Revenue at Luna Jets rose 30 percent in 2020, translating to gains in market share and expectations for an even stronger 2021.

In 2020, the company organized more than 6,000 flight movements and expects that number to climb to 7,000 this year. Already, its private jet charter activity this year is 20 percent higher than pre-Covid levels, helped by a “record number” of new clients and increased demand for longer trips on larger aircraft, according to Luna Jets.

“As we see our existing clients starting to fly again and new clients taking off, we are therefore expecting a very strong summer 2021,” Leboursier added.

Clarification

The Photo of the Week in Friday's issue of AINalerts failed to give credit to the photographer, Caleb Hyatt. Apologies and thank you for the King Air 350 makeover photo, Caleb.

Plotting Runway Analysis OEI Procedures on an EFB App

Now that more pilots are using runway analysis engine out procedures, the question came up about how to depict these procedures on an electronic flight bag moving map. Runway analysis of the obstacles around an airport enables development of alternative engine out procedures, which can allow carrying more weight for the given conditions. We take a look at one way to depict a runway analysis engine out procedure using ForeFlight’s moving map, as a simple test of the concept of showing pilots what the procedure looks like graphically. This is just an experiment and not intended to be advice on how to operate an aircraft during engine failure after takeoff.