In a reversal of its decision announced a week ago, Textron Aviation has opted to participate in the 2024 NBAA-BACE this month in Las Vegas with a static display. However, the company still does not plan to have a presence on the convention floor.

The move, the company said in its announcement this morning, comes in response to customer feedback. “The company’s presence will be focused on showcasing new product investments to the iconic Citation lineup,” Textron Aviation said.

On display at the BACE static site at Henderson Executive Airport will be Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation Longitude flagship and the Latitude midsize sibling, along with the CJ4 Gen 2 and M2 Gen2. In addition, Textron Aviation will have mockups of its Ascend and CJ3 Gen 2, the newest members coming to the Citation lineup.

The announcement marked a shift from its plans to opt out of the three-day show altogether. The company, which is in the midst of a strike involving 5,000 of its workers, had released a statement last week that it “continues its focus on designing and delivering the best aviation experience for our customers as we maintain our business operations during this time. With that, Textron Aviation and TRU Simulation, a Textron Aviation affiliated company, will not participate as exhibitors at the 2024 [NBAA-BACE].”

However, the company also noted that it appreciates its involvement in industry events and looked forward to future opportunities.

NBAA has mobilized its Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) database in response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has caused widespread damage to communities across the Southeastern U.S., the association announced today.

The HERO database allows people to enter information about the availability of airplanes, personnel, and other assets for relief missions. Information from the database is provided to government agencies and non-government organizations upon request.

“Business aircraft have long played an essential role in providing relief for people and communities in need in times of crisis,” noted Doug Carr, NBAA senior vice president of safety, security, sustainability, and international operations. “They are often able to turn roadways into runways, or hillsides into heliports, in order to reach isolated locations. NBAA’s HERO database offers one-stop access to those in business aviation who want to lend a helping hand with their aircraft and other assets.”

Insurers and forecasters have projected that catastrophic damage caused by Helene is somewhere between $15 billion and $100 billion.

West Star Aviation is planning another major expansion in its network, this time to build an additional hangar at its Grand Junction, Colorado facility. The announcement on Wednesday morning followed the ribbon cutting in late August of a new hangar at its East Alton, Illinois facility that adds 75,700 sq ft to the company’s operations at St. Louis Regional Airport.

Designed and to be constructed in partnership with Tectonic Management Group, the project will encompass 109,000 sq ft in all, including 40,000 sq ft of hangar space for maintenance services, avionics installation, and interior refurbishments, along with 38,000 sq ft for offices and back shops. Plans further call for an additional 31,000 sq ft of ramp space.

The hangar will significantly increase its maintenance capacity at Grand Junction, West Star said, along with providing space for future growth. The project coincides with a multi-year runway improvement project at Grand Junction Airport that West Star said will further enhance its operations.

West Star estimates that the project will create 80 to 100 new jobs. To begin in the first quarter of 2025, construction is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2026.

Supply chain and labor issues are keeping aircraft production levels in check, according to Ron Epstein, a managing director with Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research. Speaking in a panel last week at the JetNet iQ summit in New York City, he noted that the situation is not just limited to business aviation. “It’s not just this industry; the entire aerospace and defense industry is constrained,” he said. “You have an industry that is constrained from a labor point of view and you’ve got multiple constraints in the supply chain.”

Epstein added that the paradigm is leading to stability in pricing since manufacturers don’t have to worry about one rogue airframer being able to step up production and lower prices. He believes that as a result, aircraft manufacturers are currently underproducing versus demand, which is also helping to buoy prices.

The labor crunch is being felt by the entire aviation ecosystem, said Jo Damato, NBAA’s senior v-p for education, training, and workforce development. She cited the just-released Boeing Outlook for 2024, which sees demand for more than 700,000 pilots and 900,000 technicians over the next two decades.

“We’re all competing for those resources, and the best thing we can do is a concerted effort to attract them and show them why aviation as a whole is a good decision for a career investment,” she concluded.

Duncan Aviation recently broke ground on a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) designated overhaul facility (DOF) at its Lincoln, Nebraska location.

Focusing on the PW300 and PW500 series engines powering a wide range of business jets, the 36,000-sq-ft complex will feature 12 maintenance bays, an overhead crane system, a floor-mounted jib crane for 360-degree engine inspections, parts warehouse, and expanded back shops, including a clean room, paint booth, and balance room. Upon completion in 2026, it will also offer non-destructive testing capabilities, as well as media blasting and shot-peening equipment capabilities.

A new DOF test cell and control room will be installed adjacent to the location’s existing test cell to handle engines with up to 20,000 pounds of thrust. Additional enhancements to the facility will provide an expanded fuel farm, start air capacity, and generator loading.

“Duncan Aviation has provided maintenance and overall services for Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300 and PW500 engines for decades,” said Irene Makris, P&WC’s v-p of customer service. “This new facility plays a crucial role in strengthening our engine overhaul services, providing even greater support and efficiency to our customers.”

Duncan expects that the addition will also drive business for its other services—such as airframe maintenance, paint, avionics, completions, and component services—from customers seeking P&WC engine work.

NBAA has teamed up again with Blade Air Mobility to offer on-demand, per-seat helicopter flights between the 2024 BACE host Las Vegas Convention Center and static display site Henderson Executive Airport. The service returns “following incredibly strong demand” at past editions of BACE.

Maverick and Orbic Air will operate the flights. Each helicopter being used for these trips can seat five passengers and offer an experience akin to future advanced air mobility flights, NBAA said.

“We are pleased to again partner with Blade to provide these unique and thrilling flights as part of NBAA-BACE,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Based on the number of sold-out flights at previous editions of NBAA-BACE, it’s clear that business aviation is ready and eager to experience widespread availability of on-demand mobility options.”

Blade president Melissa Tomkiel said the charter provider is expanding its schedule and charter options to enhance the service. “This program highlights the efficiency of our services and underscores its practical applications as we transition from traditional rotorcraft to quiet, emission-free electric vertical aircraft.”

One-way prices for the 10-minute flight begin at $195 per seat for NBAA members and $245 for non-members. Full helicopter charter options are also available.

Private charter operator KlasJet has always had its fleet firmly in the Boeing camp, and this commitment is about to get stronger with the addition of a Boeing Business Jets BBJ2 to its fleet early next year. The European company already has four VIP Boeing 737NG aircraft configured to carry between 56 and 104 passengers, but the new addition will feature a more luxurious layout for just 22 passengers.

According to KlasJet’s CEO, Justinas Bulka, its VIP charter activities have delivered around 7% growth in revenues this year, representing a stabilization in demand compared with 2023. Among the company’s core client base are leading professional sports teams needing flights to games and music industry stars traveling for concert tours.

Bulka said that in the private charter sector, the company tends not to compete on price, instead focusing on providing a comprehensive solution to often complex travel needs for high-profile clients. The operator commonly uses airports close to a client’s final destination and FBOs where available.

The preowned BBJ2, which is currently being refurbished by its sister company Strom Aviation, is likely to be based somewhere in the Middle East, where KlasJet sees a lot of demand for charters to and from Europe during the winter months. The company commonly moves its aircraft between temporary bases in different countries to respond to shifting seasonal demand.