Dassault Aims High and Long with Falcon 10X

Dassault today formally launched the Falcon 10X as a 7,500-nm competitor to the Bombardier Global 7500 and Gulfstream G700, adding the French manufacturer to the ranks of ultra-long-range business jet manufacturers. Powered by a pair of 18,000-pound-thrust Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engines, the $75 million 10X is expected to be certified and enter service in 2025.

The 10X’s 2,780-cu-ft cabin sets it apart from competitors with the largest cross-section of any purpose-built business jet, boasting an interior width of 9 feet 1 inch and height of 6 feet 8 inches. Leveraging Dassault's manufacturing capabilities for the Rafale fighter, the 10X’s highly swept wing will be made of carbon-fiber composite materials. Another big change on the 10X is the T-tail configuration, a switch away from the cruciform and downward-canted horizontal stabilizers on earlier Falcons.

Also new for the 10X is the addition of the single power-lever Smart Throttle to the digital flight control system, which will enable the addition of Recovery Mode that will return the twinjet to stable flight after an upset in any configuration. Touchscreen instrument panel displays simplify the pilot interface, which is an updated version of the Honeywell Primus Epic-based avionics that have been a Falcon staple. The FalconEye head-up display and enhanced flight vision system will also take on a new role, doubling as primary instruments.

Bombardier Steps Up Global Jet Family Deliveries

While Bombardier’s first-quarter deliveries remained flat year-over-year at 26 business jets, a shift in mix to more of its large, ultra-long-range models, including eight Global 7500s, helped lead to an 18 percent increase in business jet revenues, the company reported this morning. Release of these quarterly results also marked its first earnings report as a pure-play business aviation organization.

The company delivered 16 Globals in the first quarter, compared with nine a year earlier. Notably, this year’s deliveries included two more Global 7500s. Meanwhile, Challenger deliveries fell from 14 in the first quarter of 2020 to nine in the most recent quarter, while Learjet deliveries dropped year-over-year from three to one as Bombardier moves to end production of that product line by year-end. EBITDA from continuing operations jumped 43 percent year-over-year to $123 million.

Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel was encouraged by improving order activity with the company achieving a book-to-bill ratio exceeding 1:1 in the quarter. However, he noted that the company needs to rebuild backlog, which fell from $13.6 billion at the end of first-quarter 2020 to $10.4 billion at the end of this March. Martel said order activity started slowly in January but picked up notably in February and March, adding that this momentum has carried into the second quarter.

WingX: U.S. Continues Strong Bizav Recovery

Global business aviation activity between the start of April and through the first week of May was down 8 percent versus the same period in 2019 with similar results in the U.S. and a “gradual” but “stuttering” recovery in Europe, according to the latest data from WingX. Year-to-date (YTD), worldwide activity is up 28 percent compared with last year but down by 9 percent in the same period in 2019.

With just under a million flights in the U.S., business aviation activity was down by 8 percent YTD versus 2019 but up nearly 30 percent from the same period in 2020. Leading that activity was charter, with branded operators recording a 23.4 percent increase over 2019 YTD departures and a 37.6 percent increase in the same period last year. While all regions of the U.S. saw more activity this year than last, the Southeast and Southwest were stronger than the West Coast, Midwest, and Northeast. 

In Europe, activity was 10 percent higher than 2020 YTD but off 20 percent from the same period in 2019. France was the busiest market, up 13 percent from last year but down 22 percent from 2019.

In other parts of the world, business aviation activity was up 26 percent YTD. In China, Nigeria, and Brazil, activity—nearly all domestic—has doubled this year compared with last year.

FSF Guidance Targets Runway Excursion Prevention

Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) is taking aim at runway excursions with release of new guidance that includes more than 100 recommendations, best practices, and other preventative information developed by a global cross-section of industry and government leaders. The Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPPRE) is designed to help prevent what FSF said is the most frequent type of aviation accident and risk for small and large aircraft.

“The rate and number of runway excursions worldwide remained steady in the last decade,” GAPPRE states, adding that while the rate of commercial aviation excursions has dipped, “the absolute number of accidents and incidents and their severity still indicate a very high risk.”

Coordinated by FSF and Eurocontrol, GAPPRE includes recommendations and supporting material that is broken into separate sections for aircraft operators; aerodrome operators; air navigation service providers; aircraft manufacturers; regulators; and states, international organizations, and others in the industry.

“Our focus on preventing runway excursions in regions around the world has a heightened urgency, especially in light of increases in air travel toward pre-pandemic levels,” said FSF president and CEO Hassan Shahidi. “Our global campaign is to proactively raise awareness on this issue."

Florida Air Charter Provider Buys Michigan FBO

Stuart, Florida-based air charter provider Premier Private Jets has entered the FBO arena with its purchase of Oakland Air, one of six FBOs at Detroit-area general aviation hub Oakland County International Airport (KPTK). The full-service facility will be rebranded as Premier Jet Services.

Its nearly six-acre leasehold at KPTK includes a 10,000-sq-ft terminal built in 1997 and subsequently enlarged in 2006. According to Premier CEO Josh Birmingham, a $500,000-plus terminal renovation project will begin “immediately,” modernizing and opening up the lobby, installing a new air filtration system, and adding a snooze room in the pilot lounge. Taking a page from on-field rival Pentastar Aviation, the upgrade, which is expected to be completed by the third quarter, will also include the addition of a full commercial catering kitchen and café.

The FBO also includes 61,000 sq ft of heated hangar space that can accommodate ultra-long-range business jets, and the tank farm holds 24,000 gallons of jet-A and 1,000 gallons of avgas.

According to Birmingham, the Michigan FBO will not be the company’s only one, and Premier is looking to acquire another facility in the Northeast. Meanwhile, the addition of Oakland Air’s Part 135 charter certificate, which currently lists three King Air 200s and a pair of Citations, expands Premier’s fleet to 15 aircraft.

Heli-One Adds AW139 Main Gearbox Expertise

Heli-One is working with Leonardo Helicopters to develop expertise in the maintenance of the AW139’s main gearbox (MGB). The Canadian helicopter MRO provider, which is an authorized component repair center for the Italian helicopter manufacturer, will offer MGB maintenance of the intermediate twin at its Delta, British Columbia facility.

The company is working with Leonardo on MGB training and tooling, which builds on the AW139 intermediate gearbox (IGB) and tail gearbox (TGB) capability Heli-One added last year. “Our technicians have worked diligently to implement capability and perform IGB and TGB overhaul services and the MGB will be a great challenge and opportunity to develop their…experience further,” said Heli-One v-p Christian Drouin. “AW139 operators will have the added benefit of expanded service options for their gearboxes from an authorized maintenance provider.”

In addition to component repair, Heli-One is an authorized service center for Leonardo, and its services extend from small component repair to major inspections.

Amidst Covid, Journey Grows Charter Biz

South Florida-based charter operator Journey Aviation recently reported a 35 percent increase in business and the addition of seven business jets to its fleet since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S. The addition of two Gulfstream Vs, two GIV-SPs, a  Bombardier Challenger 300, Dassault Falcon 2000, and Hawker 800XP brings its mostly Gulfstream fleet to 20 jets while adding its first super-midsize and midsize jets.

“We are humbled and grateful for our company's growth and success given the climate of our industry and this worldwide pandemic,” said Fabian Bello, CEO of the Boca Raton-based private lift provider. “The spike in fleet growth and category diversification will allow us the opportunity to continue to support our clients' individual flight needs both domestically and internationally.”

Bello noted the company’s growth came even with most of its operations teams working remotely since March 2020. “We have not only been able to effectively manage the day-to-day operations, but also increase business from all facets,” he added.

Pittsburgh-area FBO Rebrands

Following its acquisition by the ownership group of Jets, Pittsburgh Jet Center, the lone service provider at Pennsylvania’s Zelienople Municipal Airport (KPJC), will rebrand to Private Jet Center. Under the new arrangement, PJC co-founder Clayton Pegher will become CEO of the company, which will continue to operate independently.

The company, which was founded in 2003, also manages the airport, and its initials were taken for the airport’s new designator. Its facility includes 24,000 sq ft of heated hangar space and a two-story 1,800-sq-ft terminal with a passenger lobby, pilot lounge, flight planning area, crew cars, and on-site car rental.

According to Pegher, a $400,000 expansion of the two-decade-old terminal is planned for later this year that will add a snooze room and a 16-seat conference room. The upgrade will be tied to the conclusion of a three-year, $6.5 million rehabilitation project on the airport's Runway 17/35, which will remove its displaced thresholds and extend its usable length to 5,002 feet by year-end.

Pegher also noted that the company is looking to add additional FBOs in other markets such as South Florida and New York.

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