Bombardier yesterday marked the opening of its service center at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (KOPF), which at 300,000 sq ft is the Canadian airframer’s largest standalone maintenance facility. The new complex, construction of which began in 2018, is replacing Bombardier's maintenance facility at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (KFLL), with full migration to the Opa Locka facility expected by year-end.
Comprising two hangars with capacity for up to 18 Global 7500 ultra-long-range jets, the center also features capabilities for interior refurbishment, scheduled and unscheduled heavy maintenance, aircraft modifications, avionics installations, and paint enhancement services. “Today, we do not have a paint facility here,” Bombardier v-p of products and services Chris Debergh told AIN. “However, we provisioned land to be able to go and build one.”
Four mobile maintenance vehicles will be based there for AOG support, with expectations to add more in the future. About 140 people will initially work at the center, including those employees from Bombardier’s KFLL facility.
The service center will serve Global, Challenger, and Learjet customers from Latin America, the Southeast U.S., and Canada, the latter of whom often travel to the state in the winter months, Debergh explained. He added that about 70 Bombardier customers are based at KOPF.
Having acquired several hangars at Montana’s Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (KBZN), Million Air has established an FBO there. This makes it the third service provider on the field and the 34th location in Million Air's mainly North American network.
The company recently began fueling operations at KBZN and plans to renovate a 4,940-sq-ft hangar and convert it into an avant-garde, two-level terminal with a CSR and concierge desk, club-like lounge area, refreshment bar, pilot lounge, snooze rooms, and flight planning area. Million Air expects the $2 million project to be completed by the end of next year.
Around that time it will break ground on a $10 million, 600,000-gallon fuel farm, which it anticipates will be finished by the fourth quarter of 2024.
To accommodate based and transient aircraft up to a Gulfstream G550 or Bombardier Global 6500, the Houston-based company also acquired 60,000 sq ft of rentable hangar space.
California-based aircraft charter and management firm Schubach Aviation has added a new hangar and office space and expects to grow its managed fleet to 20 by year-end as it rides the wave of demand experienced by Part 135 operators across the country.
Based at McClellan-Palomar Airport (KCRQ) in San Diego County, the 45-employee company has seen a 30 percent increase in demand and revenue over the past year, owner and CEO Kimberly Herrell told AIN. At the same time the company has added a second 23,000-sq-ft hangar at KCRQ and built out offices from its existing space there that Herrell said is aimed at creating “somewhere people want to work, that just feels modern” and “to attract new talent.”
Of the 20 jets it plans to have in the managed fleet by year-end, 12 will be available for charter, according to Herrell. One of Schubach’s challenges, like other Part 135 operators, is the pilot shortage. Schubach has countered that with “pretty decent raises” and extra days off, Herrell said. The company also has tapped into another resource: recently retired airline and cargo pilots. “It’s a part-time program,” she explained. “They fly about eight to 10 days a month. They love it. We love it. I know we’ve got them for two or three years so that’s been really successful.”
GE Honda Aero Engines (GHAE) has partnered with sustainability specialist 4Air to offer carbon offsets to its customers. Through 4Air, GHAE can offer a range of offset programs, depending on the goals of its customers.
One program option is carbon-neutral, which enables operators to balance emissions with a verified reduction program involving carbon-offset projects. While not a direct reduction in an operator’s footprint, the projects reduce the net footprint to zero, making them carbon-neutral.
Emissions-neutral is another option that combines the carbon-neutral program with verified carbon offsets for non-CO2 emissions. This involves conversions through emissions indexes. And beyond-neutral combines an emissions-neutral program with the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to reduce emissions. Finally, Climate Champion combines a beyond-neutral program with a pledge to the Aviation Climate Fund, which is designed to support research on sustainable aviation technologies and improved operations.
“Sustainability solutions remain at the forefront of our product offerings and as demonstrated by our recent 100 percent SAF testing with the HF120 engine,” said Melvyn Heard, president of GE Honda Aero Engines. “As part of our sustainability strategy, we are committed to working for and with our customers to help them achieve their sustainability goals.”
GHAE stressed its belief that as private aviation continues to grow, environmental offset commitments will be critical to meeting industry and global climate goals.
SmartSky is Live Nationwide and Everyone’s Talking
SmartSky is the leading innovator of connectivity for business aviation with the only ALL NEW airborne network that is available NOW, giving customers a choice of provider, hardware and services. “Of the next-gen systems coming online, SmartSky Networks has the only one available to install today,” said Seth Miller, IFEC, Aviation Analyst.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) 12th annual Watchlist highlights eight key safety issues that it said “require government and industry attention that are the result of hundreds of investigations.” Watchlist 2022 again contains two specific aviation concerns: runway incursions and runway overruns. The list also includes three areas encompassing all transportation modes: fatigue, safety management, and regulatory oversight.
“Despite millions of successful movements on Canadian runways each year, airplanes sometimes go past the end of a runway surface during landings or rejected takeoffs,” the TSB said. “While some action has been taken since this issue was added to the Watchlist in 2010, the number of runway overruns in Canada has remained constant since 2005.”
Although there has not been a recent collision as a result of a runway incursion in Canada, “The rate of runway incursions has doubled in the past 12 years, and this issue is a global concern,” it said. “The potential consequences of such a collision could be catastrophic.”
“Some of these issues have been on the Watchlist for far too long, reflecting decades-old safety deficiencies,” noted TSB chair Kathy Fox. “While some steps have been taken to address these, more simply needs to be done.”
The French unit of UK-based global charter broker Air Charter Services saw a combined 91 percent upswing in private jet, cargo, and group charter business in the first half of the year, the company reported late last week.
ACS France CEO Alexandre Busila said the private jet division nearly tripled the amount of revenue from last year as clients chose larger aircraft and longer trips with the easing of pandemic restrictions. In all, private jet division revenue for the company’s Paris office climbed 94 percent from the first half of 2020 and 38 percent from the first half of 2019. Its group charter division also saw a 71 percent year-over-year revenue increase, partly attributed to sports travel.
In ACS France’s cargo division, flight volumes rose 78 percent during the period and are 20 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. “After the initial spike in 2020 of shipping [personal protective equipment], we are now back to charters for automotive parts, project logistics, livestock, textiles, and even perishables,” Busila explained.
Babcock and the UK’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) charity have announced a three-year contract extension. Under the deal, Babcock will continue to provide HIOWAA with an Airbus H135 air ambulance helicopter fitted with night vision, maintenance and airworthiness management, engineering, and pilots. Flight hours will also be expanded to 19 per day on a full-time basis.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight CEO Richard Corbett said: “Extending our flying hours to 19 hours a day, every day, will ensure we can continue to bring our critical care to those who need it most. With our aviation requirements in the safe hands of Babcock, our teams of doctors, paramedics, pilots, and dispatch assistants can focus on saving lives in our region.”
HIOWAA receives no government funding and relies entirely upon the generosity of individuals and organizations. It costs $17,000 a day to maintain its air ambulance service, with each mission costing the charity approximately $3,750. It flies an average of four missions per day, including scene work.
The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) recently recognized retiring NBAA chief operating officer Steve Brown for his strategic contributions to the global business aviation community, particularly for his guidance to IBAC and its direction for more than a decade. The inaugural DG award was presented to Brown during the recent NBAA/IBAC international dinner.
Brown served on the IBAC governing board as an advisor to IBAC and its director general, Kurt Edwards. “Steve has always been willing to share his sage advice and counsel that made a lasting and positive impression on me and IBAC as an organization,” Edwards said. “Steve played an important role in helping IBAC set strategic direction to guide our growth. He was willing to find resources within NBAA to build the capacities of IBAC and identified NBAA members and staff to help support many of our ICAO initiatives.”
The inaugural DG award was named after the directional gyroscope, the mechanism behind the heading indicator in the instrument panel used by pilots for navigation. DG also refers to the initials for director general. “We felt the DG reference was fitting for Steve as a visionary leader in the development and direction of IBAC. We at IBAC wish Steve the best in his retirement and thank him again for his contributions,” Edwards added.
People in Aviation
Marc Parent, CAE's president and CEO, and Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret.) Maryse Carmichael, CAE's solution lead, future aircrew training, have been inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to aviation and aerospace in Canada. The induction ceremony took place last week in Montreal.
Precise Flight promoted Bill Hoback to COO. Hoback has worked for Precise Flight for more than a decade, starting out in sales and most recently serving as general manager. Before joining Precise Flight, Hoback worked for Cessna Aircraft in assembly, quality, flight line, customer service, and special projects.
Silver Air promoted Chuck Stumpf to president of sales and acquisitions. Stumpf has over two decades of experience in business aviation and joined Silver Air in 2014, previously serving as president of business development. Before that, he founded and served as president of his own private jet sales, acquisitions, and consulting services company.
RTCA—a private, not-for-profit association founded in 1935 as the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics—named NBAA COO Chris Rocheleau to its board of directors, succeeding outgoing NBAA COO Steve Brown. Rocheleau joins Dr. Kerry Buckley, v-p for Mitre’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development, as new members.
Heads Up Technologies hired Eric Canal to serve as v-p of engineering. Canal has previously held leadership positions with aerospace companies, including 12 years at Panasonic Avionics developing in-flight entertainment, connectivity, and cabin systems (IFE&C). He also spent 13 years at Thales in roles ranging from software development to systems engineering, technical sales, and R&D for cockpit and IFE&C systems.
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) board of directors elected Josh Krotec, senior v-p of First Aviation Services, to serve as its 2023 president. Krotec succeeds Terrell Siegfried—assistant general counsel and corporate secretary of Nordam—who will remain on the board. Krotec has been engaged in the association’s volunteer leadership for several years, serving as government affairs chairman before his election to the board in 2019. Additionally, Gary Fortner, v-p of engineering for Fortner Engineering & Manufacturing, was elected for the third time to serve as ARSA v-p; Bob Mabe, director of regulatory compliance for HAECO Americas, will serve as the association’s treasurer; and Rob Roedts, Columbia Helicopters v-p of aircraft solutions, and Jonathan Silva, president and CEO of AeroKool Aviation, were elected to initial one-year terms on the board.
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.
