Abu Dhabi Aviation To Add Five More Leonardos to Fleet

Commercial helicopter operator Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) is expanding its Leonardo fleet with contracts for three intermediate AW139s and two light-intermediate AW169s, the companies announced during the Dubai Airshow. Scheduled for delivery next year, the helicopters mark the addition of the AW169 to the ADA Leonardo fleet, which currently includes 16 AW139s that primarily support the oil-and-gas industry. ADA and Leonardo in 2015 reached an initial agreement that would see the operator take delivery of a range of Leonardo aircraft.

The ADA/Leonardo joint venture AgustaWestland Aviation Services will provide support for the new AW169s, along with its continued support for the AW139. 

The additional helicopters will enable ADA to expand its services in the region, said H.E. Nader Ahmed Al Hammadi, ADA chairman. “This agreement has come to support the oil and gas industry inside and outside the UAE and to satisfy the transport, air-ambulance, and other needs,” he said. “It is in line with the company’s strategy to expand its fleet of new-generation aircraft in order to meet its customers’ needs, in light of the expected high demand in 2020.”

ADA’s contracts feed a growing order book for the AW169. Leonardo holds orders for more than 200 of the light twin.

VistaJet Set To Go Global 7500

VistaJet, the flagship brand of Dubai-based business aviation holding company Vista Global, is preparing for the impending arrival of the Global 7500 for its all-Bombardier large-cabin fleet. Plans call for Vista Global to take the first of a 30-aircraft order by year-end. 

VistaJet, which saw Middle East flights rise 38 percent last year, foresees strong regional growth and recently bolstered its Dubai office, established in 2010 at the Dubai International Financial Centre, with three local staffers. “The focus is on developing the region further, and this is best done by people inside the region,” said VistaJet COO Ian Moore. “We really want to be talking to all corners of the world, and Dubai is one of its most important hubs.”

With their size and range, the Global 7500s could be one of the keys to attracting more charter customers in the Middle East. VistaJet will take at least six of the new jets from Vista Global, with the first scheduled to join its fleet in January, making the company the first to operate the 7500 commercially. All systems are “positioned for seamless introduction,” Moore told AIN. 

Upward-migrating current customers will be first aboard, and given the 7500’s long legs—some 7,700 nm—block time program minimum may be in the 150- to 200-hour range, rather than the current 100 hours for the access program’s Global 6000. 

Group Seeks To Unite Independent Charter Operators

Seeking to bring innovation and economies of scale to the heavily fragmented aircraft charter industry, New York City-based air shuttle provider Fly Louie has established the Fly Louie Alliance.

The organization aims to address the major operational challenges facing independent private charter providers, among them rising fuel costs, increasing competition from larger operators, human resource issues, and growing customer service and marketing infrastructure needs.

The alliance currently offers discounted fuel rates at 30 FBOs across the country in a structure similar to the one the Corporate Aircraft Association uses to offer benefits to Part 91 flight departments. According to the organization, FBOs are willing to join the program expecting higher fuel volumes through patronage by Fly Louie’s membership, which totals more than 30 operator members, representing 231 aircraft. The alliance has existed for less than two months.

“Our experiences in the charter industry have made it abundantly clear that operators face common challenges, and these challenges can be overcome with scale and leverage,” said CEO Julia Takeda. “We’re proud to help operators overcome those challenges while preserving and encouraging their independence.”

The program currently has no enrollment fees or fuel purchase minimums, and among its next targets will be addressing employee travel costs, easing pilot recruitment and retention, and improving cooperation between charter providers to provide better matches for customer demand.

Jet Aviation Plans 1Q Move To Upgraded Riyadh FBO

Jet Aviation expects to move into its new and larger facility at the shared FBO terminal at Saudi Arabia's Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in the first quarter, the company said on Sunday. This news comes as the company marks its 40th anniversary in Saudi Arabia.

The 600-sq-m/6,458-sq-ft, two-story FBO will include a ground-floor reception area and three VIP lounges, while the upper floor will accommodate a crew lounge. Amenities also include a refreshment pantry and buffet, conference room, duty-free shop, prayer room, weather and flight-planning facilities, and an airside office for handling and line crew.

“The more spacious facility is designed to accommodate future traffic volume increases in Riyadh while continuing to ensure the highest safety, comfort, and design standards,” said  Khaled Al-Ghamdi, general manager of Jet Aviation in Saudi Arabia.

Jet Aviation Saudi Arabia, a joint venture company with local partners, was the first company to set up an FBO in Saudi Arabia. It operates four FBOs under this joint venture in the country—at Jeddah, established in 1979, Riyadh (1983), Medina (2012), and Yanbu (2018). The Jeddah facility holds Saudi Arabian GACA 145 and FAA Part 145 approvals for business jet line maintenance and AOG services and on Sunday received a GACA nod for its wheel and battery shops there. Its new Jeddah battery shop is also FAA approved, with agency assent pending for the wheel shop.

Stopgap Ex-Im Measure Likely with Long Term in Limbo

The long-term future of the U.S. Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank remains uncertain with the House and Senate at odds over a full reauthorization. The House last week passed the 10-year reauthorization package that drew strong support from the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), which said it will provide long-term certainty for the aerospace sector and support jobs.  

But that bill was approved largely along party lines in a 235-184 vote, and the Republican-led Senate has shown little appetite for a longer-term reauthorization. Lawmakers have criticized the House bill for not going far enough in implementing reforms and placing restrictions on sales to China.

The Senate, instead, is continuing to push for short-term extensions, and lawmakers are expected to include such a temporary measure in a stopgap funding bill that will come under consideration this week. Congress in September had provided the bank an extension through November 21 as part of the previous stopgap bill that extended the budgets of most of the government. AIA CEO and president Eric Fanning, however, appealed to the Senate to take up the House bill, which he said, “sends a clear message that America is serious about taking the necessary steps to ensure our exporters can compete on a level playing field against [those of] foreign competitors.”

Air Charter Service Expands U.S. HQ

Global charter broker Air Charter Service (ACS) has expanded its headquarters in the U.S. as it anticipates additional growth in its Americas operations. “Last year ACS Americas arranged just shy of 6,000 charter contracts across the nine offices and saw revenue of more than $250 million,” ACS Americas president Richard Thompson said. “This expansion was essential as our headquarters supports the ever-growing network of offices across the region; three of the nine have opened in the past two years and we have more planned in the near future.”

Nearly a year ago UK-based ACS began planning for a new U.S. headquarters office that would more than double the original 9,000-sq-ft space it opened in New York City in 2004. At 20,000 sq ft, the new office space easily accommodates its 50 employees and will “allow us to grow and expand our sales, operations, HR, accounts, legal, and customer experience teams,” Thompson added.

House GOP Leaders Oppose DHS-operated C-UAS at Airports

The ranking members of the House Transportation and Homeland Security committees are urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) not to employ counter-UAS (C-UAS) equipment around U.S. airports. 

In a letter to acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf, U.S. Reps. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) and Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) argued that DHS deployment of C-UAS around airports was outside the scope of existing federal law and beyond the boundaries of DHS’s competency. “Beyond the clear lack of congressional intent to authorize the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) and FAMS (Federal Air Marshal Service) to carry out this kind of C-UAS activity, DHS’s experience in operating C-UAS equipment, particularly within complicated airspace with civilian air traffic over populated areas is sorely lacking,” the congressmen wrote. 

The pair stressed that they are not opposed to the deployment of C-UAS around airports, but want to ensure that it is executed by an agency with the proper background and congressional authorization. “If the [Trump] Administration believes that another federal agency needs additional authority to mitigate credible UAS threat near airports, we welcome discussion along those lines,” they said. Graves and Rogers voiced their concerns after learning of a plan in which the FAMS would operate Department of Defense C-UAS at airports.

At an international drone symposium held in May, Serge Potapov, federal air marshal in-charge, had said the TSA was looking at C-UAS technology but acknowledged that it is dangerous to use at airports.

New JSfirm Feature Asks: How Well Do You Know Your Job?

Aviation job platform JSfirm has created a new feature called Skill Check that enables job seekers to test themselves on their aviation knowledge. “The goals of this initiative are to create refresher material for current aviation industry employees that can also double as a study guide for future graduates,” JSfirm member advocate Joel Scekeres said.

The test comprises 10 multiple-choice questions in any of 20 aviation-related job categories including maintenance, avionics, executives and managers, fixed-wing pilot, rotary-wing pilot, administration, flight attendant, inventory and parts, line services, paint, interior specialist, and unmanned aerial vehicles and systems. 

“Skill Check development will be ongoing; we plan to regularly add new and different content,” Scekeres explained. Plans call for adding testing in dispatching, engineering, sales, accounting and finance, and technical writing.

JSfirm’s partner schools assisted in the development of the tests, he said. Results of the tests will not be shared with potential employers, a spokeswoman told AIN. 

Tomorrow’s Aviation Challenges

AIN is developing a 14-part series of articles and infographics that speak to “Tomorrow’s Aviation Challenges.” Drawing on the knowledge base of experts at Honeywell Aerospace, AIN will explore a variety of topics over the coming weeks, including safety in the world of autonomous flight, harnessing the power of big data, beyond the 2020 ADS-B mandate, and reducing pilot fatigue to increase productivity and safety.

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