Atlantic Aviation will make $40 million in improvements at its FBO at Florida’s Boca Raton Airport (KBCT) as part of a 40-year lease renewal it recently inked with the airport authority. Under the agreement announced yesterday, Atlantic Aviation will upgrade, enhance, and expand existing airport infrastructure at the location over the next seven years.
Planned upgrades to its 41-acre Boca Raton campus include building an additional 52,000 sq ft of hangar space and 12,000 sq ft of new shop/office space; repaving some 710,000 sq ft of existing ramp space and expanding that by another 50,000 sq ft; renovating the executive terminal; and constructing a new 90,000-gallon fuel farm. These projects will boost Atlantic’s existing ramp and hangar capacity at Boca Raton, it said, especially in light of traffic at the FBO more than tripling since the beginning of the pandemic.
“Atlantic Aviation is committed to Boca Raton for the long haul and we’re proud to be participating in the city’s efforts to stimulate further economic development and attract new business,” said Atlantic Aviation COO Tim Bannon. “Our continued presence, coupled with these new facilities, will provide best-in-class service to visitors and everyone who proudly calls Boca Raton home.”
AINsight: Greening Up the Homegrown Grass
This is a story about the wisdom of greening up the grass in your own backyard, rather than gazing over the fence at your neighbor’s lawn. My tale begins in 2019, with an Atlanta-based pilot who was lured into leaving his coveted, top-tier corporate aviation job to fly for a major airline.
In that pre-Covid era, his corporate flight department had been very busy and his job demanding. He was struggling with the fact that he had a wife and three-year-old at home, whom he felt he wasn’t seeing often enough. So his main motivation to switch jobs was to establish greater work-life balance—with a more predictable schedule, he reasoned that he’d be able to spend additional time with his family.
He eventually found the airline job monotonous. He also started to reminisce about all the reasons he loved working for a corporate flight department.
Finally, he received an offer to interview for a well-known Atlanta-based airline, but after a lot of thought turned it down. Instead, he accepted a position with that same corporate flight department he left in 2019. He felt like he was back home, in his own backyard.
As he noted, “The grass isn’t always greener. You only see the good stuff on social media. So my advice is, if you love your job, water the grass where you are.”
In a document issued during a Capitol Hill hearing this week, NBAA detailed business aviation’s commitment to sustainability and the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The written statement was issued to the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Aviation during a hearing focused on “examining efforts to address climate change at U.S. airports.”
“This goal builds on our proven track record of leading the way on fuel-saving technologies from winglets to highly efficient engine technology and advanced avionics,” explained NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “To achieve our 2050 goal, business aviation is making significant investments in zero-emission electric aviation, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), optimizing GPS technology to fly the most direct and efficient routes, and utilizing sustainable infrastructure at airports.”
Bolen noted the industry’s continuing efforts to educate the aviation community about the benefits of SAF, despite the market for renewable fuel still being in a nascent state. He also cited the advances being made in the advanced air mobility sector, including breakthroughs in the electrification of aviation.
Lastly, the document described the efforts of NBAA’s new Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation, which focuses on all segments of activity including flight, operations, infrastructure, and ground support. “This comprehensive accreditation program will stimulate, document, and audit how operators are making widespread investments and progress toward a carbon-neutral future,” Bolen concluded.
Jetex will operate the FBO at Hangar 510 at London Biggin Hill Airport (EGKB) under an agreement announced today with Avia Solutions Group. This marks Jetex’s 35th international FBO location and its first in the UK.
“We are pleased with our arrival in London. Jetex already has a strong presence in Continental Europe with a flagship private jet terminal at Paris Le Bourget, and the new flagship Jetex London is a natural evolution of our operations,” said Jetex founder and CEO Adel Mardini.
Jetex London’s 20,451-sq-ft (1,900-sq-m) private terminal will include passenger and crew lounges, a cigar lounge, retail and entertainment areas, conference rooms, shower suites, and a flight-planning area. Other amenities such as ground transport, hotel accommodation, catering, and concierge services will also be available. UK Border Force, which carries out immigration and customs controls, is already on site at the airport.
Biggin Hill is the second-largest airport for private jet operations in the UK, garnering 23 percent of London’s market share. More than 90 percent of the airport’s traffic is intra-Europe, while 5 percent are long-haul flights, according to Jetex.
Hotelier Erwin Jager is entering the luxury helicopter charter business with an eye to providing an air link between airports and high-end resort hotels, as well as sightseeing flights for guests. Jager is chairman of Barrows Hotel Enterprises, which manages some 10,000 hotel rooms in more than 10 countries, specializing in the MENA region—including West Africa.
Jager said the helicopter service will start next year with two Airbus helicopters fitted with VIP interiors, but his goal is to have 10 helicopters in service by 2025. Financing for the rotorcraft would come via a long-term bond loan, he said.
The impetus for the service came from Jager’s own experience of the long ground commutes between Barrows’ luxury properties and airports in locations such as Barbados, Maldives, Bora Bora, Mauritius, Seychelles, and the Bahamas. “The idea came because we often arrived at our hotel locations tired and stressed after hours of travel. A luxury chauffeur service offers some comfort on short distances, but certainly not if you have to travel longer than 45 minutes between the airport and the final destination,” Jager said.
Embraer is now offering the installation of Ka-band connectivity on its super-midsize Legacy and Praetor twinjets, and fractional provider Flexjet Europe is the first operator to install it as an aftermarket modification on its Legacy 500s. The new Ka-band capability is available through a service bulletin for the Legacy 450 and 500 and Praetor 500 and 600.
Ka-band is a factory option on the Praetor 500 and 600, which supersede the Legacy 450 and 500, respectively. The service provides high-speed internet access that enables customers to access e-mail, exchange files, and stream video content with several devices connected at the same time.
“We saw demand in the market for Embraer to offer this aftermarket solution, and now we are able to proceed with the installation of this feature in the field,” said Marsha Woelber, Embraer v-p of worldwide executive jets customer support and aftermarket sales. “This modification is available to customers who desire this high-speed capability, which provides the best experience and connectivity on board.”
Dassault Aviation has received a Red Dot Award for the cabin design of its newest business jet, the Falcon 10X. With an expected service entry in 2025, the 10X will be the largest purpose-built business jet on the market boasting a range of 7,500 nm and top speed of Mach 0.925. A full-scale mockup of the 10X’s 2,780-cu-ft cabin will be on display next week at EBACE 2022 in Geneva.
“Dassault Aviation stands apart in its ability to blend high technology—the company is a world leader in aerodynamics and digital flight control—with cabin aesthetics and the inventive use of modern design,” said Dassault chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “The objective is to raise the bar in terms of passenger experience, which is what you will see in the 10X.”
The company will receive the award in this year’s Red Dot Design Yearbook and be featured in the organization’s permanent exhibition. The 10X cabin also has been named a finalist in the International Yacht & Aviation Awards private jet interiors category.
Rail and aircraft leasing company Residco has purchased all assets of Brown Aviation Lease and plans to expand its leasing portfolio for flight schools and aviation universities. The assets included 31 aircraft, primarily Cessna 172s, that are already under lease, as well as five airplanes on order and scheduled for delivery this year.
Following the purchase, Residco retained one of the Brown Aviation principals as an advisor. There were no other employees of Brown other than principals, explained David Kolber, Residco director of aviation marketing. He added that the company “plans to work with flight schools across the [U.S.] to support their fleet needs.” This includes exploring the placement of additional aircraft orders.
According to Kolber, “The well documented pilot shortage has created significant stress on the entire aviation industry. To add to that, many flight training programs are facing a major re-fleeting as their aircraft approach 50 years old. There is significant demand for financing of these new aircraft and limited appetite from aviation-focused lenders. Aside from the innovative work of Brown Aviation Lease, the leasing market for this segment is not well developed, and Residco looks forward to bringing its deep understanding of the leasing product and aviation knowledge to the market.”
FlytFinanceis another recently launched company that specializes in light aircraft leasing.
Photo of the Week
It’s EBACE time! In just three days, EBACE 2022 will awaken from its three-year slumber thanks to the pandemic. On Monday, the show will be underway in the Palexpo exhibit halls and on the adjacent static display area at Geneva International Airport will once again be packed with the latest business jet offerings from various OEMs. Making their international public debuts on the static display will be the Dassault Falcon 6X and Gulfstream G700. Image taken by AIN photographer David McIntosh at EBACE 2019.
Keep them coming. If you’d like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.
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 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
