Cirrus Aircraft is expanding its Duluth, Minnesota campus with the addition of a former Northwest Airlines then AAR hangar to its headquarters. The facility has been empty since May 2020 and is owned by Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA).
Cirrus acquired the 189,000-sq-ft, 39-acre facility, which includes a 60-year ground lease, and plans to invest “heavily” to build an “innovation center.” The company expects to hire 80 additional engineers in the next three years, joining the 300 engineers, scientists, and technicians in Duluth. The new facility, according to a Cirrus spokeswoman, is “for engineers to develop the next generation of Cirrus aircraft.”
The closing of the former AAR facility led to the loss of 200 jobs, according to DEDA. The sale will save DEDA more than $600,000 in annual expenses.
“This investment solidifies Cirrus Aircraft’s commitment to continuous innovation,” said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. “We want talent to think of Cirrus Aircraft, Duluth, and now the new innovation center as a special place where the latest and greatest general aviation technologies come to life. The innovation center is designed to become the epicenter for personal aviation engineering and to attract top talent from around the world.”
“This investment in a world-class facility brings together our engineering, flight test, experimental, advanced design and development, and other key product development areas,” added Cirrus president of innovation and operations Pat Waddick.
Another recent report is forecasting strong growth for the global business jet market, forecasting a 42 percent jump in revenue value from $29.3 billion in 2021 to $42.7 billion by 2028. Vantage Market Research released the report on business jet market size and trends, anticipating a 6.3 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the forecast period through 2028.
That growth is attributed to rapid urbanization, technological advancement, and increased investments in developing countries, Vantage said. According to the forecast, the light business jet segment is expected to be the fastest-growing niche with an increase in the commercialization of air-taxi services.
In addition, the report sees a rebound in the Asia-Pacific market, particularly as that region experiences the highest CAGR overall with increased infrastructure investments anticipated in China, India, and Japan. Given the distances involved in the region, the forecast adds, there has been significant demand for the largest of business jets.
Vantage’s forecast is slightly more aggressive than a report issued in July by market intelligence researcher Market to Market predicting nearly a 40 percent jump in the business jet market, reaching almost $42 billion by the end of the decade.
Business Aviation Group was awarded a project to develop nine general and business aviation hangars at Yampa Valley Regional Airport (KHDN) in northwest Colorado. The new hangars will be constructed on the airport’s east side, near the Atlantic Aviation FBO.
Groundbreaking on the development is expected to begin in November, with completion set for fourth-quarter 2023. Specifically, the project calls for the construction of two 120-foot-by-120-foot large hangars; three 80-foot-by-60-foot medium hangars; and four 60-foot-by-60-foot small hangars. The medium and large hangars will accommodate midsize, super-midsize, and large jets, and feature office space and restrooms, as well as LED lighting, energy-efficient insulation, and solar power.
“This project will address the current lack of hangar space,” said KHDN airport director Kevin Booth. “We can’t meet the demand for hangar space right now, and that demand is expected to increase in the coming years.” Booth added that the new hangars also will serve as a means to attract aviation-related businesses to the airport, which serves the communities of Craig, Hayden, and Steamboat Springs.
Tally Ho Construction, Interport Capital, and Hauser Architects are partners on the BA Group-led project.
Hourly rates among charter operators fell by an average of 11 percent between June and August, according to an analysis from private aviation charter marketplace JetASAP. The data is based on 3,687 rate quotes from customers using the JetASAP app. More than 700 charter operators are part of the JetASAP marketplace.
Despite the effect of higher fuel prices, turboprop average hourly rates decreased 17 percent in the three-month period, while light and midsize jet rates fell 12 and 20 percent, respectively. Super-midsize rates remained steady and heavy jet rates were 5 percent lower.
Some examples of quotes during the summer months include $15,765 for a Beechcraft King Air 350 turboprop twin from Milwaukee to Key West; $28,000 for a Bombardier Learjet 45 from Washington, D.C., to Jackson, Wyoming; $17,155 for a Learjet 75 from Pontiac, Michigan, to Palm Beach, Florida; $34,500 for a Cessna Citation X from Oakland, California, to White Plains, New York; and $43,030 for a Dassault Falcon 2000 from Atlanta to Burbank, California.
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Business aviation leaders welcomed the return of David Pekoske as administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. The U.S. Senate voted 77-18 on Thursday to reconfirm Pekoske to the post.
Pekoske first became TSA administrator in August 2017 and had subsequently served in stints as the senior official performing the duties of deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from April to November 2019 and also as acting DHS secretary for a brief transition period when the Biden Administration took over in early 2021. Before joining TSA, he had provided counterterrorism, security, and intelligence support services for various government agencies and also was a vice commandant for the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Administrator Pekoske’s re-nomination to a second five-year term and bipartisan support for his confirmation is a testament to his devotion to public service and recognized powerful leadership,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce.
NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna noted the positive relationship the industry had with Pekoske as TSA administrator and said he “has expertly balanced the need to support existing security initiatives with the development of insightful new strategies to counter emerging threats in an increasingly dynamic environment, all while fostering a culture of collaboration with industry stakeholders. He has proven to be a forward-looking leader in transportation security, and we are pleased to be part of this government-industry partnership.”
Bombardier’s Challenger 3500 business jet has been named the Grand Winner in the Industrial Design/Automotive & Transportation category of the 15th edition of the Grands Prix du Design international awards contest, which recognizes excellence in design. This is the aircraft's second award for the Challenger 3500's cabin design following a nod in the 2022 Red Dot Product Design category.
The super-midsize Challenger 3500 was launched last year and features a redesigned cabin interior with Bombardier’s patented Nuage seat and voice-controlled lighting, temperature, and entertainment systems. It will also have wireless chargers throughout the cabin and a 24-inch 4K display. On the flight deck, the twinjet will come standard-equipped with an autothrottle system.
According to Bombardier, the Challenger 3500 is the first business jet in the super-midsize segment to have an environmental product declaration that discloses environmental information about a product’s life cycle, such as CO2 emissions, noise, water consumption, and other key environmental impact indicators.
“I am delighted that the new Challenger 3500 has once again been recognized for its innovative and exceptional cabin design,” said Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel. “Our talented team at Bombardier designed and crafted the industry-leading Challenger 3500 for our discerning customers, offering them what they look for most in a business jet—an unprecedented cabin experience.”
SEA Prime, which operates the business aviation infrastructure at Milan, Italy’s two major airports Linate and Malpensa, reported a surge in aircraft traffic for the Italian Formula I Grand Prix. The event, which shattered the previous record attendance level of 200,000 set in 2019 by more than 136,000 spectators, led to more than 700 business aviation movements at the two airports between Thursday, September 9 and Monday, September 12. Overnight between Saturday and Sunday, there were more than 100 aircraft parked.
According to SEA Prime, the activity represents a 54 percent increase over its pre-Covid 2019 Grand Prix levels and added that 75 percent of its air traffic has been international, representing a strong return of foreign flights.
As well, the company’s Linate Prime facility hosted a helicopter shuttle between the airport and the race circuit operated by Italian charter provider Elilombarda, which logged 122 movements during the course of the race.
According to the NTSB preliminary report issued Friday, witnesses that observed the chartered de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter plunge into Mutiny Bay, Washington, on September 4 told investigators that the single-engine airplane “was in level flight [at about 800 feet msl] before it entered a slight climb, then pitched down in a near-vertical descent.” The crash killed the pilot and all nine passengers aboard. The weather was day VMC with light wind.
Several witnesses described the airplane as “spinning,” “rotating,” or “spiraling.” The airplane continued in a nose-low, near-vertical descent until it hit the water, the report noted. One witness said he did not hear any “pitch change” in engine/propeller noise.
According to the NTSB, the accident occurred during the pilot’s second Part 135 tour flight of the day—from Friday Harbor Seaplane Base to Renton Municipal Airport. The pilot had logged 4,686 total flight hours as of May 31 and began flying the DHC-3 in 2017.
The airplane’s most recent 100-hour inspection was performed on September 1. Included at that time were inspections required by airworthiness directives for control column lower assembly and elevator control tabs. Also, a left-hand rudder retract cable was replaced. The aircraft was not, nor required to be, equipped with an FDR or CVR.
Main recovery efforts to raise the wreckage are expected to begin on September 26.
CALS—a senior-level and laser-focused peer-to-peer networking summit—will address the latest and most cutting-edge topics, strategies, and solutions in corporate aviation. The summit is attendee-centric and serves as an educational and social platform, connecting select corporate aviation professionals with colleagues, industry experts, and solution providers in a relaxed, informal environment. We invite U.S.-based flight department leaders, including directors of maintenance, to apply to attend this event as our guests, which will be hosted Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 2022, in Bonita Springs, Florida. Seats are limited, so don’t wait to apply.
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