Gulfstream Opens MRO Expansion at Savannah HQ

Gulfstream Aerospace cut the ribbon today on a 202,000-sq-ft/18,766-sq-m MRO facility expansion at its Savannah, Georgia headquarters. Located on the east side of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, the $55 million building gives Gulfstream more than one million sq ft/92,903 sq m of dedicated MRO hangar, office, and back shop space in Savannah alone.

The expansion was announced in April 2018 and is expected to result in approximately 200 customer support-related jobs over several years, some of which will be filled by graduates of Savannah Technical College’s aviation technology branch. Its new Gulfstream East Campus offers operators a range of services, including aircraft-on-ground (AOG) resources, hourly and calendar-driven airframe inspections, avionics installations, and interior refurbishments.

This move comes on the heels of Gulfstream's completion of a service center expansion in August at its facility in Appleton, Wisconsin. It also has another service center opening scheduled for later this year or early next year in Van Nuys, California. In total, the aircraft manufacturer will have completed three service center expansions and opened two new service centers in 2019 and 2020, adding approximately 790,000 sq ft/73,393 sq m of dedicated MRO hangars, offices, and back shops in the U.S. and Europe that can service the 2,800-strong worldwide Gulfstream fleet.

AINsight: Millennials Already Making Mark on Bizav

Millennials—those ranging in age from 21 to 37 years old this year—have discovered the private jet travel experience, and they like it. With unique attributes, this generation seems broadly interested in on-demand chartering, sharing flights with friends and, to a lesser extent, owning jets and other types of private aircraft.

Also known as “Gen Y,” Millennials seem to enjoy private aircraft travel “experiences” at an acceptable cost with emphasis on safety, freedom, personalization, efficiency, speed, privacy, customization, and transparency—all couched in a high level of service and luxury. They also crave digital connectivity, mobility, and flexibility to travel when and where they want, preferably arranging private flights on mobile devices.

Their perception of the benefits of business aviation includes accessibility of aircraft on-demand, the ability of aircraft to save time, and the efficiency of aircraft travel to increase their work productivity. Millennials also care deeply about climate change and social causes, so they might prefer aircraft operators that demonstrate their environmental responsibility.

Indeed, Millennials are already altering the business aviation industry by transforming a business aircraft from a product for purchase into a tool for transportation services in their “click and ride” world.

New FlightSafety Course Focuses on Thwarting Kidnapping

FlightSafety International has launched a new course aimed at helping corporate aircraft passengers and crews traveling abroad from becoming kidnap victims, the New York-based training firm announced yesterday. The two-day abduction prevention course is led by security consulting and threat management firm Skydas Group in partnership with FlightSafety.

“It will help them to develop the core skill sets needed to prevent or avoid being targeted by hostiles while traveling at home or abroad,” FlightSafety senior v-p of sales and marketing Steve Gross said.

The course comprises 15 modules designed to prevent successful attacks, including extremist and criminal methodology; travel pre-planning and checklists; the attack cycle; surveillance detection skills; personal defense; information security; surveillance detection routes; surveillance point recognition; security checkpoints abroad; airport security; hotel safety; and home and family security. 

It wraps up with a field exercise in which attendees attempt to thwart a simulated kidnapping or attack, as well as learn to discover technical surveillance devices. Further, they learn how to lose a mobile surveillance team and avoid static surveillance points.

ODK To Develop Next-gen Engine for Russian SSBJ

Russia’s United Engine Corp. (local acronym ODK) will develop a completely new engine core for TsAGI's proposed next-generation supersonic business jet (SSBJ). That work is expected to be completed within the next four years, according to Yuri Shmotin, deputy general director-general designer at ODK. “It is our understanding that we should be able to come up with a new baseline gas-generator in 2023 or 2024. It should have technical parameters so as to enable a complete engine to meet modern [environmental] requirements," he explained.

Shmotin further said his team is planning research and development work so as to have the job done in the given time frame. A list of critical technologies necessary for the creation of such an engine core has been compiled. At the same time, “[development of] the [complete] engine for a [next-gen] supersonic transport is not yet made into a stand-alone project."

In yet another development earlier this month, also related to the future supersonic jet, Russia’s minister for industry and trade Denis Manturov said the investment already made into the SSBJ development has come to 1.4 billion roubles ($21.2 million). Rough estimates render a deliverable SSBJ to cost twice as much as subsonic business jets with 16 to 19 seats. The ongoing effort is led by TsAGI, the local acronym for Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, and six other scientific research establishments.

Embraer Delivers First E195-E2 to Brazil’s Azul

First delivery of the Embraer E195-E2 yesterday not only marked the start of what the Brazilian manufacturer hopes will be a continued run of success in the segment of the small narrowbody market up to 150 seats, but it heralded news of a plan by JetBlue founder and Azul chairman David Neeleman to launch yet another new airline using E195s in the U.S.

Now flying four aircraft types, including ATRs, Airbus A320s and A330s, and E190s/E195s, Azul expects the 195-E2s to operate for seat-mile costs as low as its “larger airplanes,” helping it to lower fares and stimulate demand to still more untapped markets, said Neeleman. Plans call for the E2s to eventually replace all the E1s, as many as 30 of which Neeleman said he planned to start sending to the U.S. to launch a new low-fare airline next year. The new carrier would operate on a certificate separate from the AOC that Neeleman has secured for an Airbus A220 operation scheduled to launch in 2021 in the U.S., loosely known as Moxy.

Azul plans to fly the first of 51 E195-E2s from its main hub in Campinas to Brasilia by the end of October. An aggressive service entry plan will see a total of six airplanes arrive at Campinas by December. Embraer plans to deliver 18 E195-E2s by year-end.

NAA Sees Upside, but Cautions on Airport-run FBOs

Naples Airport in Florida has benefited from its airport-run FBO, but a key official there cautions that “running the FBO is not necessarily prudent for a lot of airports.” An advantage to an airport-run FBO is that all revenue can be reinvested back into the airport, said Naples Airport Authority executive director and NATA board member Chris Rozansky, who discussed FBO fees and customer service this week at the American Association of Airport Executives GA Conference in Minneapolis. “We are financially self-sustaining and do not rely upon subsidies from the local government.”

But he cautioned that every airport has different circumstances and bringing FBO management in-house is not always beneficial long-term. “Most governments are not geared to support the dynamic environment an FBO requires and there are many great private FBOs in our industry,” he said. “As an airport authority, we are laser-focused on our vision and providing an exceptional FBO.”

A more recent key to its success is the separation of costs of the FBO and the airport, he added. “This has become even more important as our capital needs have grown with the economy and state and federal grants are not as easy to come by,” he said. In doing so, the airport discovered it lost money on every avgas transaction, spurring pricing adjustments. “We recommend every airport to separate out cost centers."

IBAC To Highlight SAF, Turboprop Safety at ICAO

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), proper implementation of market-based emissions measures, and turboprop and helicopter safety are topping the agenda for the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) for the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly from September 24 to October 4. The 40th Assembly will gather 193 member states to set priorities for the next three years. Representing the business aviation community, IBAC is bringing a delegation of representatives from at least five member associations, said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards.

The Assembly is expected to focus on global air navigation, safety, and security plans. IBAC will promote recent business aviation activities surrounding SAF, stressing its use as a tool in carbon emissions mitigation and urging support for policies that would incentivize production and consumption, he said. Along those lines, IBAC is joining broader aviation industry groups highlighting the need to move ahead with a global Carbon Offsetting and Reductions Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) program and avoid double charging for emissions.

IBAC further plans to encourage ICAO to collect and share best practices on turboprop safety and helicopter air traffic management requirements to support growth in both areas. Other priorities are designed to ensure measures foster, instead of disadvantage, business aviation, including a push for the assembly to proceed in a data-driven manner on supersonic noise and emissions standards.

NetJets Teams With Superyacht Broker Northrop & Johnson

NetJets has formed a partnership with luxury yacht broker Northrop & Johnson to offer seamless travel and exclusive benefits to their customers. Under the partnership, Northrop & Johnson charter specialists will arrange superyacht itineraries in collaboration with NetJets, easing travel accommodations with access to a diverse fleet of aircraft and superyachts. NetJets memberships will be available through Northrop & Johnson, and both brands will provide a range of special offerings for their customers.

“Our strategic partnerships cater to some of the world’s most distinguished travelers, and NetJets’ unwavering focus on safety and service makes them an ideal private aviation partner,” said Northrop & Johnson COO Daniel Ziriakus. “We look forward to broadening luxury travel options for our yachting enthusiasts and extending the same experiences to NetJets owners.”

“Northrop & Johnson values the luxury travel experience with the same vigor as NetJets does, offering exceptional service at every turn,” added Pat Gallagher, president of sales and marketing for NetJets. “This partnership showcases the NetJets advantage: bringing owners unmatched access to what they’re most passionate about.”

The agreement comes as fractional ownership providers increasingly look to line up new partnerships to expand the experience offerings and benefits to their customers. In recent months, NetJets has engaged in partnerships with events such as Jazz Aspen Snowmass and IndyCar to provide exclusive opportunities.

Airbus Helicopters Delivers 1,000th Super Puma

Airbus Helicopters has delivered its 1,000th Super Puma helicopter: a twin-engine multi-role H215 for the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) to support the German Havarie Command, which manages maritime emergencies off of Germany’s coast. The delivery completes the German Federal Police’s order for four H215s, the first three of which were delivered in December 2018, and increases the German Federal Police’s Super Puma fleet to 23, including 19 AS332L1s.  

“The Super Puma family of civil and military helicopters has consistently performed well thanks to its ability to appeal to many different mission segments, whether you’re fighting fires, building power lines, transporting troops, or saving lives in extreme environments,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.

The Super Puma series is operated by nearly 100 customers in 59 countries. Models include the H215 and H225 for the civil market, produced by Airbus Helicopters for law enforcement, aerial work, search and rescue, offshore transport and governmental missions. In the military sector, Airbus Helicopters offers the H215M and H225M military variants for search and rescue, troop transport, special ops, and utility missions. The first Super Puma flew in 1978.

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