Business jet deliveries rose by 8.5% year-over-year in the first three months of 2024, according to the first quarter delivery report released today by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Turboprops overall declined by 7.7% compared with the first quarter of 2023. Helicopter deliveries were off by 12%, while piston airplanes remained relatively static. Total aircraft billings increased by 3.2% to $4.7 billion.

“While the first three months of the year produced a mixed report, the health of the industry remains solid with robust order backlogs across all segments,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “Our industry continues to be challenged by significant supply chain issues, through forgings and castings, to basic parts availability.” He noted those effects are most evident in the engine sector.

“It is also encouraging for the industry to have a long-term authorization passed into law and the new leadership atop both the FAA and EASA working to strengthen the effectiveness of their lateral relations and work,” Bunce added. “These factors will help the industry move forward with new and enhanced technologies, products, and innovations.”

Leonardo is building up its order book for the single-turbine AW09 light helicopter through a new distributorship agreement with Universal Vulkaan Aviation in India that accompanies orders for five, as well as recent partnerships with Léman Aviation and Sloane that came with orders for 19. In all, orders for the AW09 have topped 100.

In addition, Blueberry Aviation is in the final throes of an agreement to become AW09 distributor for Central and Southern Europe. The two companies are finalizing the terms of this partnership, which will cover key European markets including Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Benelux, Spain, Portugal, and Monaco.

Representing India, Universal Vulkaan Aviation signed preliminary sales contracts for five AW09s. In addition, the company signed a contract for one AW109 GrandNew, one AW169, and one AW139 with deliveries expected between 2025 and 2026. The contract is part of a framework agreement Leonardo has for up to 10 of the latter three models.

With offices in Switzerland, France, and Monaco, Léman Aviation ordered 10 AW09s in late 2023, expanding the market for the aircraft in Europe. Meanwhile, Sloane, representing the helicopter in the UK and Ireland, signed a contract in February for nine of the light singles. 

AMAC Aerospace at Basel, Switzerland, is enjoying a bustling time in terms of widebody aircraft checks and MRO work. This month, five slots have been occupied with heavy business jets, comprising a VIP Boeing 747-8 undergoing a C-check and other annual inspections, a head-of-state Airbus A330-200 and another, from a private owner having a landing gear change, and an Airbus A350 undergoing a VVIP completion.

In June, a head-of-state Boeing 777-300ER is slated to arrive for a two-week landing gear replacement, while AMAC has also signed a contract for the major check and upgrade of a head-of-state Boeing 747-8. Part of the work will be the replacement of medical equipment within its onboard surgery suite.

The majority of the owners of these aircraft are taking advantage of AMAC’s one-stop-shop approach, with cabin and system repairs and upgrades taking place alongside the scheduled maintenance work.

One of AMAC’s largest jobs of recent times is nearing completion with the end-of-lease redelivery of five Airbus A330s to the Royal Canadian Air Force, which is leasing them. The aircraft underwent C5 heavy checks and numerous inspections and repairs. They were also fully painted.

Its installation in Bodrum, Turkey, has just landed an end-of-lease inspection covering seven Airbus A320-214 narrowbodies. AMAC Aerospace Turkey has also achieved a notable milestone by being approved for work on the Dassault Falcon 6X.

Former President Donald Trump sold his 1997 Cessna Citation X, serial number 750-0023, in March (FAA records were updated on May 13) to MM Fleet Holdings, which has an address in Farmers Branch, Texas, according to the FAA. The Citation X, which has logged more than 11,500 hours, was reportedly sold for approximately $2.5 million. 

According to OpenCorporates, a business information website, MM Fleet Holdings’ agent is Mehrdad Moayedi, who is also listed as president and CEO of Centurion American Development Group, which has the same address as MM Fleet Holdings. Centurion American is a real estate development company. 

Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show Moayedi having donated $50,000 twice to Trump Victory in 2019, $2,800 to Donald J. Trump for President in 2019, and $145,000 to Trump Victory in 2020. These are among 241 donations that Moayedi made to various politicians and causes through the end of 2024, according to the FEC.

Trump’s website still shows the sold Citation X in its aviation section, along with his Boeing 757 and fleet of Sikorsky S-76 helicopters. 

AEG offers a complete sustainability solution package designed to offset carbon emissions and provide operators with easy access to SAF. In turn, operators will receive both SAF credits and Carbon credits. The company sees this program as the gold standard in sustainability, making it easier for customers to manage their carbon footprint.

Aircraft sales transaction platform Wingform and MRO Insider are collaborating to improve the experience of arranging aircraft detailing and pre-purchase inspections during the sales process. Brokers using the Wingform platform will have quick access to MRO Insider’s vetted maintenance facilities and can request pre-purchase inspections without leaving Wingform. 

For Wingform users, this collaboration eliminates the need to log into multiple services to book pre-purchase inspections. It could also help lower costs for brokers by helping them solicit proposals for pre-purchase inspections faster, potentially speeding up the decision-making process. "The integration will enhance proposal management and allow both hard and budgetary proposals to be requested, giving users flexibility in their planning and budgeting processes,” according to MRO Insider. 

"MRO Insider is proud to bring our network of trusted maintenance facilities to the Wingform platform,” said Andy Nixon, president of MRO Insider. “By combining our resources and technology, we can offer a superior experience for aircraft brokers, helping them save time and ensure the quality of their maintenance and inspection services to push deals forward.”

"We are very excited to partner with MRO Insider to provide our users with a more integrated and efficient solution for managing aircraft detailing and pre-purchase inspections,” said Andrew Gratton, COO of Wingform. “This partnership aligns with our mission to streamline aircraft transactions and deliver exceptional value to our clients.”

Aircraft management and charter service company FlyingGroup has added a ninth Pilatus PC-24 to its fleet. The twinjet was handed over to the company earlier this month with an exterior design featuring “elegant gray lines and Swiss edelweiss flowers.”

‟Our customers love the PC-24. [It] is the most modern jet in its class and the spacious cabin offers unparalleled comfort. Our first Edelweiss PC-24 has been in operation for several years, and we’re proud to take delivery of a second, latest-generation Edelweiss PC-24 with a higher payload and even greater range,” said Johan van Lokeren, CEO of Antwerp, Belgium-based FlyingGroup.

“In this class, there is no other business jet as versatile or capable. People who see the PC-24 for the first time are always amazed at how spacious the cabin is. And the most recent upgrade to the PC-24 delivers yet another reduction in cabin noise. We have no doubt that the passengers of our valued partner, FlyingGroup, will enjoy the flexibility and other amenities,” added Pilatus business aviation vice president André Zimmermann.

West Star Aviation has selected the the next group of 25 maintenance technician apprentices for its West Star Aviation Academy (WSAA) at the company’s facility in East Alton, Illinois. 

WSAA opened earlier this year in collaboration with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) as part of an initiative to address the shortage of aircraft mechanics. Located onsite, the WSAA consists of a dedicated classroom and a learning hangar. Apprentices get hands-on training with standard tools and other components including a Falcon aircraft while using WSAA-branded versions of Corridor aviation software and other forms and procedures to simulate on-the-job experiences. 

“Since its inception, WSAA has received a tremendous amount of recognition, reaffirming West Star’s position as a leader in the industry by offering this program and aiding in the industry’s work shortage,” said West Star Aviation COO Allen McReynolds.

WSAA expects the first cohort of 25 apprentices to graduate in August. After completing four weeks of specific job training, the graduates will begin working at West Star on the Falcon, Bombardier, and Gulfstream programs in mid-September.

The second cohort will begin training immediately after the graduation of the first cohort. Recruiting for apprentices will continue for each upcoming session. 

ForeFlight’s latest version adds inflight wake turbulence alerts for pilots with Pro Plus and Performance subscriptions while using a Sentry ADS-B In or FLARM (flight and alarm) device to provide traffic information. The alerts show as ribbons depicted on the ForeFlight moving map as the user’s aircraft approaches the path of a wake turbulence-generating heavy airplane.

Audible and visual alerts warn the user about the potential for wake turbulence including distance to the possible encounter. The ribbon is split into cyan and red areas divided by a white line with chevrons showing where the user’s aircraft will intersect with the ribbon. The wake-causing airplane’s ID and relative altitude are also shown. The red portion of the ribbon indicates potential wake turbulence within 100 feet above and 300 feet below the user’s altitude, while the cyan portion indicates an altitude that poses no immediate danger.

The new wake turbulence alerting works anywhere in the world as long as ForeFlight can identify the user’s aircraft via ADS-B Out and has a source of real-time traffic information. It also works with FLARM systems used by light aircraft flying in European and UK airspace.