Gulfstream continued its pioneering use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), accomplishing the first transatlantic flight powered by 100 percent SAF yesterday. The milestone was accomplished with a G600 burning unblended SAF in both Pratt & Whitney PW615GA engines on a flight from the airframer’s Savannah, Georgia headquarters to London-area Farnborough Airport. Total flight time was six hours 56 minutes.

"Gulfstream continues to break new ground in the sustainable aviation space and we applaud them for completing this mission as we work to validate the compatibility of our engines with unblended SAF," said Anthony Rossi, Pratt & Whitney Canada's v-p of sales and marketing.

The fuel was produced by World Energy and delivered by World Fuel Services. It was derived from 100 percent hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, and the SAF provided at least a 70 percent lifecycle CO2 emissions reduction compared to the same use of jet-A.

SAF is currently approved at blends of up to 50 percent due to most legacy engines' need for the aromatic compounds in jet-A that expand their seals, forming tight seals. One of the major considerations for using 100 percent SAF is the lack of aromatic compounds. Gulfstream, along with its partners and suppliers, will use the data collected during this flight to gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold conditions in long-duration flights.

Big Island Jet Center, a new FBO at Hawaii’s Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (PHKO), is set to make its debut next month as the gateway’s third service provider.

Located at the south end of the airport, the company will begin operations on December 14 from a temporary facility on a nine-acre ramp capable of handling aircraft up to an Airbus A319. It will include indoor and outdoor passenger lobbies and a 50,000-gallon Avfuel-supplied jet fuel farm. The facility’s line staff is NATA Safety 1st-trained, and its customer service staff has completed the Ritz-Carlton training program.

“We couldn’t be happier to open just in time for the holiday season, providing exceptional service to Hawaii’s seasonal traffic and general aviation community alike,” explained Big Island senior partner David Johnston. “Kailua-Kona is home to exquisite resorts; our aim is to offer that exclusive resort experience from wheels down to wheels up as the airport’s sole independent FBO.”

The company expects to soon begin construction on its permanent 7,500-sq-ft “open concept” terminal, which will provide a passenger seating area, pilot lounge, conference room, flight kitchen with food storage area, concierge, and executive office space. Planning for the terminal began in 2018, with completion targeted by the end of 2024.

A second phase of construction will see the addition of wind- and storm-resistant hangars.

International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) director general Kurt Edwards highlighted business aviation’s commitment to sustainability and the need for innovative approaches such as book-and-claim during the third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3), which began today and runs through Thursday.

In his remarks, Edwards underscored the business aviation sector’s drive toward net zero by 2025 and its belief that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a pivotal component in achieving that goal. He also noted that book-and-claim is critical in the short term.

“Business aviation can and does fly to many more aerodromes that airlines regularly fly to. As you can imagine, SAF isn’t yet readily available in many of these often smaller aerodromes," Edwards said. In the meantime, book-and-claim “can allow for the transparent procurement of SAF—while also ensuring that SAF’s environmental credits are available even when SAF isn’t—and have proven instrumental in enabling us to effectively manage our carbon footprint.”

Also, Edwards endorsed the Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accountability’s efforts to develop a standardized accounting approach to SAF. “We are fostering a transparent marketplace for SAF procurement, bolstering confidence and trust as we collectively work towards a more sustainable and resilient future.”

Indianapolis Executive Airport (KTYQ) is celebrating the end of a construction project that increased the length of its lone Runway 18/36 from 5,500 feet to 7,001 feet, along with that of its parallel taxiway. A ribbon-cutting event for the lengthened runway held on Tuesday was attended by airport personnel, state transportation representatives, and local elected officials.

The $15.2 million project, which began in 2020, was funded mainly through FAA Airport Improvement Program grants, with state and local government contributing the remaining 10 percent, according to KTYQ manager Sam Sachs.

The additional 1,500 feet makes the runway the longest at a general aviation airport in Central Indiana and, according to the local authorities, will add a considerable level of safety for the more than 40,000 operations at the airport each year.

Sean White, executive v-p of Jet Access—the sole FBO provider on the field—noted that its customers represent a wide range of companies. “This runway extension allows those businesses and industries a safer, more consistent and reliable access point in the many varying weather conditions we experience here in Indiana,” said White. “The expanded infrastructure will continue to make Indy Exec Airport a vital tool in the growth and economic development of the many communities it serves.”

Fractures in the sixth-stage compressor wheel triggered a catastrophic engine failure and caused the April 2022 fatal crash of a Kestrel Helicopters 1981 Hughes 369D during long-line slinging operations in British Columbia, according to a recently released report from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB). The sole-occupant pilot died after sustaining impact forces estimated at 53 g. He had 13,000 hours in helicopters and 11,000 hours in type.

The helicopter involved had accumulated 11,884 hours. At the time of the accident, the compressor on the occurrence aircraft had 15,404 hours total time in service and was due for overhaul in 353.4 hours. The sixth-stage compressor wheel, which has no life limit, had 6,646.6 hours of total time in service.

Of the two separate fractures in the Rolls-Royce 250-C20B, one was due to fatigue from shrinking voids and the other was due to resultant overstress. The TSB linked the issues to the engine’s original manufacture, and specifically the sixth-stage compressor wheels—provided by a supplier between 1986 and 2002—that were linked to two other sixth-stage failures in 1989 and 2019 due to fatigue cracks originating at shrinkage voids near the inner circumference of the wheel. The sixth-stage wheel on the accident helicopter was manufactured in 2001.

The wheel’s manufacturing process was subsequently changed, most recently in 2007, so that the part is machined from a heat-treated stainless steel alloy.

Saudia Private, a Saudia Group subsidiary previously known as Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), is the first company to receive Argus International’s Base Operations Audit Award. The Base Operations Audit, initiated by Argus, is designed to elevate FBO operational standards by focusing on reducing ground incidents and aircraft damage.

Receiving the audit “is a remarkable achievement for Saudia Private, affirming the extraordinary investments we have made to ensure the safety, well-being and convenience of our valued guests and industry partners,” said Saudia Private CEO Fahad Al Jarboa. “We continue to adhere to the strictest local and international aviation standards, in line with the Saudia Group values, and to innovate to meet and exceed the expectations of our guests."

Michael McCready, president of Argus International, noted that the standards for the audit “raise the certification level to a new height for the global fixed-base operations [FBO] industry. Having Saudia Private take action to meet these new standards affirms their dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of their valued guests.”

Saudia Private offers a range of services, including on-the-ground operations, aircraft management, maintenance, and charter flights. The company, which operates a dedicated fleet for private aviation, extends its services to both local partners and international guests, covering 28 airports within Saudi Arabia and destinations worldwide.

Florida’s Naples Airport Authority (NAA) has new leadership for its noise compatibility committee (NCC), which consists of nine citizen volunteers who help monitor the impact of aircraft noise on the local community and make recommendations on noise mitigation procedures to the airport’s board of commissioners.

Newly-elected NCC chairman Richard Krawczun represents the area to the southeast of Naples Airport (KAPF) and brings more than 35 years of experience in local and municipal government experience to the position. Meanwhile, vice-chair Andy Reed, the NCC’s county-at-large representative, previously served on the airport’s technical advisory committee for the recent Part 150 noise study.

The NAA has invested millions of dollars in noise-mitigation programs over the past two decades. In 2012, it instituted the "Please Fly Safe, Fly Quiet" campaign to encourage aircraft operators to minimize aircraft noise.

Despite these efforts, the NAA continues to field noise complaints from residents, and periodically—according to KAPF executive director Chris Rozansky—it examines the long-term possibility of relocating the growth-constrained airport entirely.

A feasibility study currently underway will provide a cost estimate, which Rozansky believes would top $1 billion. He added that the 732-acre plot the airport sits on is worth more than $1 million per acre once cleared. “Any potential relocation is sure to take place over 20 or more years, if it should move at all,” he told AIN.

Lobo joint venture Levl Leasing has closed a $54 million sale and leaseback of six Airbus H145D2 and D3 helicopters to European air ambulance operator Avincis. The helicopters are currently being operated on long-term air ambulance contracts in Italy. Levl, a Dublin-based joint venture between Lobo Leasing and EMP Structured Assets, has a portfolio of 26 aircraft deployed in EMS, search-and-rescue, and firefighting missions.

Avincis is the largest air ambulance operator in Europe and employs 2,400. Its global fleet of 200 aircraft operates from Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, and Finland. It also has operations in Chile and Mozambique.

“We are pleased to create a new, long-term partnership with Lobo with the addition of these well-equipped EMS helicopters," said Simon Chartres, Avincis group fleet director. "Avincis performs critical, life-saving EMS services throughout Europe, and these aircraft, along with our world-class personnel, help make that mission possible.”