SAF Weighs Heavily in Gulfstream’s Sustainability Efforts
After announcing a five-year renewal of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply agreement with World Fuel Services last month, Gulfstream noted in its sustainability webinar yesterday that it has received more than 1.2 million gallons of the environmentally-friendly fuel since March 2016 as part of its overall sustainability efforts. The Savannah, Georgia-based company's efforts also include a carbon-offset program and environmentally-focused facilities.
The airframer has since used SAF for its Savannah-based fleet of corporate, demonstration, completion, customer support, and flight-test aircraft. It has made more than 650 flights with a 30/70 SAF-jet-A fuel blend produced by California-based World Energy, flying more than 1.3 million nm, with an overall reduction of 1,700 tons of CO2. Gulfstream also makes SAF available for customers at its Van Nuys and Long Beach, California, service centers.
“The renewal of our contract with World Fuel is another step forward in our company’s decades-long history and commitment to promoting environmental sustainability in the aviation industry,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “Together with World Fuel and World Energy, we continue our drive towards carbon emissions reduction using SAF and encourage others to consider reducing their impact.”
Steve Dryzmalla, World Fuel’s senior v-p for business aviation bulk fuel added, “We are honored to continue with our commitment and investment in Gulfstream’s push toward an environmentally sustainable future through our steady supply of SAF.”
AML Global Seeks To Buy Eclipse Aero Assets for $5.25M
AML Global Eclipse—a U.S.-based subsidiary of international fuel provider AML Global and backed by company president Christopher Harborne—intends to purchase the remnants of Eclipse Aerospace, which merged with Kestrel Aircraft in 2015 to form One Aviation. The sale was first alluded to in an October 14 status conference before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which has overseen the One Aviation bankruptcy case since October 2018.
“In these extraordinary and challenging times we saw the need to act decisively to protect and keep together the essential aspects of the Eclipse Aircraft project: the intellectual property, human capital, and supplier network,” Harborne said. “The alternative would have been a Chapter 7 liquidation, which would have been catastrophic for the project and the existing fleet.”
While a successful asset sale would likely stave off court-mandated liquidation, AML Global Eclipse nevertheless intends to purchase the assets at a sharply discounted price while also acknowledging “it is not yet clear what the future prospects for the Eclipse project might be.”
Bombardier kicked off its day-long Safety Standdown seminar yesterday with the return of widely revered safety expert Dr. Tony Kern, who shared a message of turning the challenges, or the “battle” of life, into an opportunity for improvement and strengthening. Kern, who is CEO of Convergent Performance, returned for his 24th Safety Standdown.
Held virtually for the first time, this year’s Safety Standdown involved four “safety talks” released in August and September and culminated yesterday in a five-hour online seminar with four keynote sessions and the presentation of the annual Bombardier Safety Standdown Award. Andy Nureddin, v-p of customer support for Bombardier, welcomed attendees, acknowledging the different format: “The virtual format is particularly exciting because it helps create a broader sense of community.”
FBI special assistant to the chief information officer Amy Grubb also returned this year, providing a keynote on the “design thinking” approach to changing organizational culture. First-time Safety Standdown speaker Dr. Steven Stein, executive chair and founder of Multi-Health Systems, provided insight on emotional intelligence and how these attributes are a factor in safety leadership.
Rounding out yesterday’s panel was this year’s Bombardier Safety Standdown Award winner, Antonio Cortés, who discussed attentiveness and distractions.
FAI Air Ambulance Keeping Busy with Covid Transports
FAI’s air ambulance division has been operating at maximum capacity since March for repatriation and medevac flights, including 70 flights of Covid-19 patients in 47 countries. Using EpiGuard’s single patient isolation and transport system called EpiShuttle, those medevac flights have included Iraq, China, and South Sudan.
“I am immensely proud of the way FAI Air Ambulance and our talented team of professionals responded to the challenges of the pandemic,” said FAI air ambulance division head Volker Lemke. “We have collaborated with EpiGuard in on further development in safe isolation and transport. Our investments in the EpiShuttle has increased our efficiency in Covid-19 transport.”
FAI’s use of the EpiShuttle is providing valuable understanding into the use of the system, said EpiGuard CEO Ellen Cathrine Andersen. “Collaborating with a professional partner as FAI gives us firsthand information on the use of the EpiShuttle, as well as insight to practicalities you only experience in the field of duty,” she explained.
As a result of FAI’s work this year, it has been nominated in the air ambulance company of the year category in the International Travel & Health Insurance Journal’s industry awards.
AfBAA Architect Rady Fahmy Passes On
Rady Fahmy, who led a resurgence of the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), died on October 16 after a long illness.
Fahmy led the team that closed a joint-venture between superyacht builder De Birs Yachts and the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund. De Birs principal and colleague Tarek Ragheb went on to found AfBAA and appointed Fahmy to the position of CEO.
”As a leading light in the development of AfBAA, he was integral in putting African business aviation on the international map and uniting companies across the continent and the world to realize the opportunities in Africa,” said long-time friend and colleague Jane Stanbury, president of Arena Group. “His dynamism, charm, and endless ideas helped create the association that went on to become the 15th member of IBAC.”
Following his leadership of AfBAA, Fahmy helped launch an education system to help children learn about science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on experiences, called Engeenius. “It was going well,” Stanbury said. “He, as usual, threw his heart and soul into it. He was a sincere gentleman with a bright and positive outlook on everything.”
A funeral for Fahmy was held in Montreal on October 20. He is survived by his wife and twin children.
FBO services and aviation real estate operator Sheltair continues to cement its status as a family-owned company with the announcement that Kai Seymour—the grandson of company founder, chairman, and CEO Jerry Holland—has joined the business. Seymour, a recent graduate from the University of Tampa’s John Sykes College of Business, currently serves as a management trainee as he learns the aviation business ropes.
The news comes just months after his mother, Lisa Holland, became president of the company, which was founded in 1963. “It is a privilege to lead alongside my father,” she said. “And to now have Kai join the business he built from the ground up fills me with pride. It is a testament to our focus on delivering a customer experience based on family values that is now three generations strong.”
Sheltair operates 18 FBOs, including its first location west of the Mississippi, which held its grand opening last month at Denver-area Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. It also oversees more than four million square feet of aviation-related properties.
Company COO Todd Anderson noted that honesty and integrity have been a part of the company since its establishment. “The result is a strong and loyal customer base that has stayed with Sheltair throughout the decades and now grows with each generation,” he said.
Bell Delivers Three 407GXis To Polish National Police
Bell has delivered three new 407GXis to the Polish National Police (PNP), the company said today. The PNP's new turbine single helicopters are equipped with Trakka Systems’ searchlight, downlink, camera, and operator console.
This delivery marks the fifth Bell sent to Poland this year and are first parapublic 407GXis to be received by the country. The PNP has been a Bell customer for about 20 years. “We are excited to take the delivery of three Bell 407GXis to add to the rest of our Bell fleet,” said PNP inspector Mariusz Ciarka. “Our organization believes the aircraft will enable us to serve Polish citizens by providing them a safe and protected community.”
“The Bell 407GXi delivers a robust customer experience while providing best-in-class speed, performance, and reliability,” said Duncan Van De Velde, Bell managing director of support for Europe & Russia.
Currently, 97 Bell 407s operate in Europe and Russia, including 12 aircraft registered in Poland. The Bell 407 global fleet of 1,500 aircraft has logged almost 470,000 flight hours. Bell's 407GXi, which is the latest iteration of the aircraft and received FAA certification in 2018, features the Garmin G1000H NXi integrated flight deck and a new Rolls-Royce M250-C47E/4 engine, and the ability to cruise at 133 knots.
Daher Adds New Authorized TBM Service Center in Russia
General and business aviation services company Simavia has received certification from Russia that allows it to operate as an authorized service center (ASC) for Daher’s TBM turboprop single. The FAP-285 certification issued by Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport also enables Simavia to operate as a TBM ASC in Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.
As part of the awarding of the ASC, Simavia technicians traveled to the Daher TBM factory in Tarbes, France, to attend a four-week training course. Simavia has its headquarters in Krasnodar in the Kuban region near the Black Sea and also operates a base in St. Petersburg. Its business includes aircraft sales, maintenance, aviation training, and VIP charter.
The company’s relationship with Daher began as an area sales representative for TBM aircraft in Russia. “We salute the expanding TBM activities at Simavia, which is a dynamic, dedicated, and high-quality promoter of general aviation in Russia,” said Daher aircraft division senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert. “We are fully committed to supporting on-demand transportation in Russia, as well as across Eastern Europe and Eurasia, especially from remote community airports where operators will benefit from the TBM’s speed, economical operating costs, and the ability to serve smaller runways.”
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.
AIN Alerts is a publication of The Convention News Company, Inc., 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
