Farnborough Airport has retained its long-standing position as the top FBO outside North America, according to the results of AIN’s 2022 FBO Survey. In Part Two of the survey, released yesterday, the London-area FBO earned a 4.67 average score, high enough to place among the top 5 percent of facilities in the world.
The second spot was also a UK FBO, with Universal Aviation’s location at London Stansted Airport tallying a 4.61 average, with its highest score a 4.79 in the customer service representative category. For the third consecutive year, ExecuJet’s facility in Sydney, Australia, has landed among the top finishers outside North America with its average score of 4.51.
Signature Flight Support was represented this year among the top locations by its Munich, Germany facility, which earned a 4.48 average score from AIN’s readership. Rounding out the top five slots is Jet Aviation Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, with an average rating of 4.46.
Also scoring among the top 20 percent of FBOs worldwide is MJets FBO at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok; Eccelsa Aviation, the airport-operated FBO at Italy’s Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport; and two FBOs at London Stansted Airport: Harrods Aviation and London Jet Centre.
Ross Aviation has expanded its FBO network into the Pacific with the announcement today of its purchase of Air Service Hawaii and its six facilities scattered throughout the islands. Tracing its history back to 1948, Air Service Hawaii operates a flagship location at Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, as well as on Lanai, Maui, Hilo, Kauai, and Kona. At the latter, it is developing the first FBO to include a 5,000-sq-ft terminal and a 38,000-sq-ft business jet hangar that is expected to be completed by year-end.
“Air Service Hawaii is a premier aircraft services provider and a key member of the Hawaiian aviation community,” said Ross CEO Brian Corbett. “Their unique Aloha spirit of warmth and friendliness fits perfectly with our flight hospitality standards and we could not be more pleased to now have them as a part of the Ross Aviation family.”
The addition brings Ross to 25 locations in the U.S. and Caribbean. Ross itself is currently finalizing a merger with Atlantic Aviation that is expected to conclude next month. That merger will see its locations likely rebranded as Atlantic FBOs, and including the Air Service Hawaii acquisition by Ross would make Atlantic only the second FBO chain to have more than 100 locations worldwide. A Ross Aviation spokesman told AIN the negotiations for Air Service Hawaii predated the merger discussions with Atlantic.
The EU is requiring all carriers that fly passengers into the region to register for two new entry programs that are set to take effect in September of this year and then May 2023, NBAA is advising members. Noting that the term “carrier” applies to any person whose profession is to provide transport of persons, NBAA said the new programs will apply to U.S. Part 135 and 125, along with professionally flown Part 91, operations. Owner-pilots are exempt.
Beginning in September, an Entry/Exit System (EES) will be used to electronically capture the entry and exit of visitors who require single or double-entry visas in Europe. “Essentially, the EES will verify passengers haven’t already used the number of entries authorized by their visa,” NBAA said. Operators must query the ESS to verify details of travel into the 26 countries comprising the Schengen area.
In May 2023, operators must also verify travel details in the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). Carriers must ensure, before boarding, that their visa-exempt passengers have a valid travel authorization to enter the Schengen area. Non-EU nationals who do not need a visa will still need to receive travel authorization through ETIAS.
The EES and ETIAS are designed to identify potential risks and security concerns, NBAA said while advising operators to register for access to the system as soon as possible.
Thirty attendees from the UK and Europe took part last week in the Air Charter Association’s (ACA) first Level 3 Broker Qualification training course, which is the final level of qualification that focuses on advanced broker skills. ACA reported an overall pass rate of 93 percent, with 29 percent of delegates achieving the status of distinction.
“The skills and knowledge demonstrated by our trainees is tantamount to the success of the course,” said Julie Black, ACA deputy chair and co-presenter of the training course.
According to ACA, the program is open to aviation professionals and provides expert knowledge across three levels. Level 1 training provides foundational knowledge, while Level 2 focuses on understanding operational aspects and flight management. In addition to advanced broker skills, Level 3 provides guidance for more complex charter requirements, commercial considerations, contracting, managing challenges, and developing client relationships. Successful completion of all three levels is required to become a Qualified Air Charter Broker.
“It was a pleasure to welcome our aviation professionals back to complete the final level of our Broker Qualification course, especially those who flew in from Europe to join us,” said ACA CEO Glenn Hogben. “All of the delegates are instrumental in continuing to keep standards high in our industry.”
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Means Business
Armed with an industry focus on business education, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University creates groundbreaking opportunities for those who want to launch new business careers or upgrade their current professional skills. Practical programs in collaboration with renowned global partners are just one way Embry-Riddle helps its graduates stand apart.
The Part 135 Pilot Rest and Duty Rules Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) has submitted a series of recommendations to overhaul current regulations to the FAA. Mandated through the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, the 20-member ARC was tasked with reviewing current rest and duty rules for Part 135 and related requirements of Part 121; identifying the effectiveness and/or deficiencies of those rules; developing recommendations for future rulemaking; and reporting on those findings.
“Our goal was to recommend updates to decades-old Part 135 rest and duty regulations to recognize the effects of circadian rhythm and cumulative duty time, among other variables, while considering the complexities of Part 135 on-demand operations,” Kent Jackson, Jetlaw managing partner and ARC chair, told NBAA.
Ashley Smith, NBAA’s representative on the ARC and Jet Logistics president, added that the current rules are too prescriptive and do not account for human factors science. Smith further stated the ARC was mindful of the differences between Part 121 and 135.
The ARC leaned on fatigue science experts and conducted a series of risk-management exercises based on Part 135 scenarios, NBAA said, noting the panel considered factors such as numbers of legs to be flown, duty hours and time zones crossed, the impact of circadian rhythms, and duty day start time.
The FAA said it will publish the recommendations in the Federal Register for comment.
AeroBid has launched its live charter bidding platform for brokers to request and book flights nearly instantaneously and operators to receive and bid on flight requests. The platform uses data and instant communication for quick and transparent bookings, according to the company. It also provides for charter clients to secure exactly what they are looking for, such as aircraft specification, destination, and added extras.
Through the AeroBid platform, brokers submit detailed flight requests that can be viewed by operators on the Platforms Marketplace or through instant notifications via text or email. Operators can bid anonymously in real-time.
“Passengers need to feel like requesting and securing a charter via a broker is a quick, simple process, that is always going to result in exactly the flight specification they want: whether it’s a particular aircraft, travel time, or location,” said AeroBid founder and CEO Zaher Deir. “With AeroBid, we’ve created a data-driven platform that benefits brokers and operators, as well as the passengers who ultimately benefit from faster bookings.”
Salina Regional Airport (KSLN) in Kansas has completed a renovation of the northernmost section of its primary 12,300-foot Runway 17/35. The $1,782,000 project that began on April 4 saw the milling of the 4,800-foot portion and the overlaying of a 2.5-inch layer of new asphalt. The runway was closed during that period and reopened for operations last week.
The work was funded by the Kansas DOT and the airport authority, and a similar process will begin on the southern 7,500 feet of 17/35 beginning July 1, according to airport executive director Timothy Rogers. Thus, the runway will be closed again from July 1 until September 7 for the $4.3 million FAA AIP-funded project, which will also include drainage improvements.
The airport, served by the lone Avflight FBO, is a popular tech stop for transcontinental flights, handling more than 90,000 operations over the past year. Pilots using the Salina Airport are reminded to check KSLN notams for details concerning all airfield maintenance and construction activity.
“Salina will be busy with airport infrastructure projects for the next five years,” Rogers told AIN. “Future projects made possible by bipartisan infrastructure legislation grant funding for airports include the resurfacing of 6,510-foot Runway 12/30, construction of a new 202,000-gallon fuel farm, and the expansion of the airport terminal building parking lot.”
After several weather-related delays, Rocket Lab’s “There and Back Again” Electron rocket satellite launcher blasted off from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula at 10:49 a.m. local time Tuesday morning. However, the attempt to hook and return its parachuting first-stage booster midair with a Sikorsky S-92A helicopter was only partially successful.
While the helicopter did manage to snare the falling rocket stage, the pilot elected to jettison it after noticing “different load characteristics than we’ve experienced in testing,” according to a company spokeswoman. Nevertheless, she said, “This is a monumental step forward in our program to make Electron a reusable launch vehicle.”
The spokeswoman said the outcome is what “you do expect when testing anything in the field for the first time. At his discretion, the pilot offloaded the stage for a successful splashdown, where it is being recovered by our [sea] vessel for transport back to our factory. We look forward to assessing it in detail…and, of course, getting ready for more helicopter catches soon.”
The mission launched 34 low-earth-orbit satellites in sun-synchronous orbit from a variety of customers. Electron’s next launch, also from New Zealand, is tentatively scheduled for the end of this month and will carry NASA’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (Capstone). This is expected to be the first spacecraft to operate in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the moon.
Business aircraft owners and operators seeking to add current technology to an older aircraft interior can do so with Cabin Management Solutions' catalog of touchscreen display panels that can fit into existing panel cutouts. Its displays range from small, for use as switch panels, to large, for watching media. It also has a new moving-map unit that will be available later this year.
People in Aviation
Duncan Aviation appointed Shawn Andrews as airframe manager. Andrews spent 27 years with Kal-Aero and subsequently Duncan, which had acquired Kal-Aero. He also previously served with a government contractor in western Tokyo, as well as with Brooks Aero.
Cutter Aviation appointed Miranda Fernandez as client relations director based in Denver. Fernandez has more than 15 years of aviation experience, beginning with a TBM service center and also serving with Pilatus Business Aircraft.
West Star Aviation promoted Melanie Medina to NDT lead at its Grand Junction, Colorado facility. Medina, who began her aviation career while in high school tearing down engines for Western Skyways, has served with West Star since 2012.
Paragon Aviation Group hired Corianne O’Malley to serve as sales and marketing coordinator. O’Malley, who graduated from Texas State University in December 2019, has interned with The Coca-Cola Co. as a campus ambassador and since worked in the marketing department for Chick-fil-A, specializing in events and media relations.
Chad Farischon joined West Star Aviation as v-p of strategic development. Farischon has more than 30 years of operations and management experience, previously co-founding and serving as president and partner of Lynx FBO Network.
Woodward appointed William John Godsman as corporate v-p of strategy and business development. Godsman has more than 25 years of mergers and acquisition experience, most recently serving as v-p and global head of business development for GE and before that v-p of business development for GE Aviation.
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.
