AIN EBACE Convention News 5-15-12 by Aviation International News

EBACE

PUBLICATIONS Geneva

TUESDAY 5•15•2012 Vol. 44 No. 16

Convention News

Evergreen Apple

Oxford Not So Blue

MEBA Show Grows

New FBO Team for Geneva

Evergreen Apple Nigeria says it is now providing first-class service at its Lagos FBO–Nigeria’s first such facility–as it plans for Abuja and Port Harcourt. Page 12

London Oxford Airport is starting to reap the benefits of infrastructure investment over the past few years and is now the UK’s fifth busiest for bizav. Page 24

A move to Dubai’s new Al Maktoum International Airport at Jebel Ali in December is the prefect opportunity for the MEBA show to grow. Page 32

ExecuJet Aviation and Ruag have teamed to jointly run an extensively refurbished FBO here at Geneva Airport. Page 38

AINonline.com Videos Interview with Scott Ernest, Cessna president & CEO Round-up of the headlines from the first day of the show.

New Learjet siblings aspire to the heritage Bombardier drew a huge crowd yesterday at the EBACE show as it announced two new aircraft types in the light-midsized jet segment: the Learjet 70 and 75. “We are pleased to be building on the Learjet heritage and forecast a strong recovery in the business aviation market,” declared Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft. The 2,000-nm range Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 (priced, respectively, at $11.1 million and $13.5 million) will deliver longer range than the existing Learjet 40XR and 45XR models they are replacing. They will offer upgrades in the cabin, cockpit, engines and

airframe. Set to enter service in early 2013, both jets will feature the new Vision Flight Deck, which incorporates the Garmin G5000 digital avionics suite complete with synthetic vision. The cabin offers a slick blackand-white interior inherited from the Learjet 85, including new seats and an advanced cabin management system with individual pop-up touchscreen monitors, plus full audio and video control. There is also LED lighting throughout, a large baggage area and a spacious galley. The cabin management system will be controllable via an iPad and the

Bombardier business aircraft president Steve Ridolfi toasts the launch of the latest Learjets, the $11.1- and $13.5 million Models 70 and 75.

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DAVID McINTOSH

by Liz Moscrop

Cessna president and CEO Scott Ernest presents the Citation Longitude to a crowd here at EBACE.

Cessna’s Longitude grows Citation legs

He added that the company solicited “extensive customer feedback” to come up with the specifications of the Longitude. “I visited 500 customers in the past six months to get their feedback about what kind of airplane they wanted.” The Longitude/Model 800 will be the largest Citation attempted since the Columbus/ Model 850 development program was terminated in 2009. Scheduled to enter service in 2017, the super-midsize Longitude uses the same fuselage cross section, windows, passenger seats and aluminum construction as the smaller Latitude, but will be nine feet longer.

DAVID McINTOSH

by Mark Huber Six months after launching its midsize Citation Latitude, Cessna Aircraft announced at the EBACE show yesterday morning that it is now offering a $25.9 million stretched version, the “Longitude,” which can fly 4,000 nm at Mach 0.82. First flight is scheduled for 2016. “The aircraft is long on range, high on value and low on price,” Cessna president and CEO Scott Ernest said at the model’s

unveiling on the EBACE show’s exhibition floor yesterday morning. “It is more than $5 million less than competing aircraft.” Asked why the new model was launched at EBACE and just six months after the Latitude was announced, Ernest told AIN, “The business aviation market is in a rebirth. Cessna has to continue to innovate–that’s how we intend to stay at the top of the market.”

Log on to AINonline.com for the latest coverage from the 2012 EBACE Convention.

Continued on page 54 u

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EBACE

A panoply of planes

Convention News

Geneva is said to be the second busiest business aviation airport in Europe. It certainly is this week, with the EBACE static display packed with aircraft of all shapes and sizes.

FOUNDED IN 1972

destination within North America with a single phone call,” continued Al Baker. The agreement also provides members of Flexjet’s fractional ownership program with access to Qatar flights and to the all-Bombardier fleet operated by the airline’s private aviation arm, Qatar Executive (Stand 2027), in the Middle East. “With a growing focus on the international business market, we have seen an increase in demand for travel to the Middle East and the surrounding regions,” said Fred Reid, president of Flexjet. “Today’s alliance with Qatar Airways–an award-winning airline that shares Flexjet’s passion for high levels of customer service–is an ideal way for us to provide a global aviation solution to our owners. It’s a win-win situation for all.” The partnership will be managed by

Qatar Airways and fractional jet ownership provider Flexjet are to form an alliance to offer the Middle East airline’s passengers a seamless charter service throughout North America. “We are extremely pleased to be launching this new program, and are confident that it is an attractive product offering for individuals and large multinational companies alike,” said Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways’ CEO at an EBACE show press conference yesterday. The Flexjet fleet features Learjet 40 XR, 45 XR, and 60 XR and Challenger 300 and 605 business jets. “This new alliance gives customers from Qatar and the rest of the airline’s international network the ability to book their travel on Qatar Airways’ commercial service and on-demand private jets to their onward

HBC scores sales trio with Hawker 4000 DAVID McINTOSH

Three European operators signed up for the Hawker 4000 super-midsize jet–ordering one each yesterday at the EBACE show. The first one will go to Bucharest, Romania-based InterAviation, a charter operator that serves mainly the Middle East, Europe, Russia and other CIS countries. The second is being purchased by Orion-Malta, a company headquartered at Malta’s Luqa Airport. Both operators already have a Hawker 900XP in their fleet. The third order came from JoinJet, a charter operator that is going to add the Hawker 4000 to its Danish AOC. JoinJet’s fleet already includes a Hawker 800XP and a Hawker 800XPR. Separately, Hawker Beechcraft is to open a parts and distribution warehouse in Bangalore, India. Airworks India Engineering is to operate the new facility, which will be ready “in the next few weeks,” according to the U.S. manufacturer. –T.D.

Hawker Beechcraft executive vice president Shawn Vick (far left) and Sean McGeough, president Europe, Middle East and Africa (far right), celebrate the company’s third Hawker 4000 order at EBACE with (from left) Niels Sundberg, Scott Plumb and Kristoffer Sundberg of Danish operator JoinJet.

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’s EBACE Convention News

ABACE Convention News is a publication of The Convention News Co., Inc., 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432; Tel.: (201) 444-5075. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of The Convention News Co., Inc. is strictly prohibited. The Convention News Co., Inc. also publishes Aviation International News, AINalerts, AIN Defense Perspective, AIN Air Transport Perspective, AINmx Reports, AINsafety, Business Jet Traveler, ABACE Convention News, EBACE C onvention News, HAI Convention News, MEBA Convention News, NBAA Convention News, Dubai Airshow News, Paris Airshow News, Singapore Airshow News.

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by James Wynbrandt

Qatar Airways passengers get Flexjet flights in America

Qatar Executive as part of the airline’s premium product portfolio. A dedicated concierge service team will arrange required airline tickets as well as the itinerary, contract and invoice for the charter portion of customers’ trips. “This will provide [Qatar’s customers] with unprecedented access to over 5,000 airports,” Reid said, “sometimes cutting travel time by a factor of four or five.” Doha-based Qatar Airways provides scheduled service to Houston, Montreal, New York and Washington in North America. Texas-based Flexjet, a division of Bombardier, offers a fractional ownership program and jet card products featuring an all-Bombardier fleet, operated by Jet Solutions. Flexjet also offers on-demand charter using a diverse fleet of aircraft sourced from premium operators throughout North America, but will use only Bombardier aircraft to service the charter needs of Qatar Airways customers. “We have enough capacity to fulfill a very large demand from both the airline and Qatar Executive, and if we are surprised we will buy more aircraft,” said Reid. “We know where to go for that.” o

Editor-in-chief – R. Randall Padfield INTERNATIONAL EDITOR – Charles Alcock Pressroom managing Editor – Ian Sheppard PRODUCTION DIRECTOR – Mary E. Mahoney the editorial team Bill Carey Mark Huber Liz Moscrop Thierry Dubois Amy Laboda Gregory Polek Curt Epstein Paul Lowe Peter Shaw-Smith Ian Goold Neelam Mathews Matt Thurber Kirby J. Harrison Nigel Moll the production team Mona L. Brown R A T E B I N L Jane Campbell Alena Korenkov John Manfredo Lysbeth McAleer Mark Phelps Colleen Redmond O R R Annmarie Yannaco T Y Y E A Photographers David McIntosh Mark Wagner press room administrator – Barbara Torgoff C

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Embraer’s Legacy 600/650 fleet now numbers more than 190 aircraft in service worldwide.

Embraer ready for the coming recovery by Kirby J. Harrison The Legacy 450 is shorter and will are in service, as are a combined total of more than 300 Phenom 100s and Phenom accommodate up to nine passengers. 300s, and 10 Lineage 1000s. Altogether, The $16.470 million airplane will have less range, at 2,300 nm, and more than 500 Embraer busiis expected to enter service in ness jets are in service across the second half of 2014. the world in 42 countries. There is one obvious major And Embraer is filling market niche remaining for market gaps, most recently Embraer–that of ultra-longwith the Legacy 500 and 450 range, large-cabin aircraft, a mid-size jets. space currently occupied and In many ways, the 450 fiercely fought over by Bomand 500 are identical, sharbardier and Gulfstream. It is ing fly-by-wire flight cona market that Embraer will trols, stand-up cabins with Marco Tulio Pellegrini, flat floors, 6,000-foot equiv- senior v-p operations and approach at some point, said COO of Embraer’s Marco Tulio Pellegrini, senior alent cabin pressurization, Executive Jets division. vice president of operations the Honeywell Ovation Select cabin management system and max and COO of Embraer Executive Jets at a recent media briefing in Brazil, “but not cruise speed of Mach 0.82. The $19.875 million Legacy 500, car- now.” In the meantime, he said, Embraer rying up to 12 passengers and with a is focused on making improvements in its range of 3,000 nm, will be the first into current family. service. A first flight is expected in the Phenom Upgrades third quarter of this year and the first delivery in late 2013 or early 2014. Recent upgrades of the Phenom 100 include TCAS II Change 7.1 (a package that met the European Aviation Safety Embraer Sees Bright Future For Global Bizav Market Agency’s forward-fit mandatory date of At a media briefing at the company’s headquarters in São Paulo Mar. 1, 2012, and meets dos Campos on March 22, Marco Tulio Pellegrini, senior vice presithe retrofit mandatory Embraer’s 10-Year Outlook date of Dec. 1, 2015). dent of operations and COO of Embraer Executive Jets expressed opIn its 10-year market forecast for 2012-2021, Assembly line installatimism for a long-term worldwide economic recovery. He took note by region, Embraer expects the following n umber tions began in March of deliveries: in particular of such drivers as U.S. corporate profits at record levthis year. Still to come is els and the number of high-net-worth individuals now at an all-time Region No. of Deliveries an optional 330-pound high worldwide. North America 4,200 to 5,300 payload increase; satelDespite such negatives as a used aircraft market recovering more lite weather coverage is Europe and the Middle East 2,400 to 3,400 slowly than hoped, business jet traffic barely on the rise and the

Embraer announced the launch of its Embraer Executive Jets division in 2005 and its intent to become “a major player” in the crowded world of business jet manufacturing, eyebrows were raised and there was a certain amount of skepticism. After all, the ambitious Brazilian airframer had just unveiled its Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 entry-level and light jets, and its only business jet in service at the time was the Legacy 600, a 16-passenger aircraft derived from its ERJ 135 regional airliner. But raised eyebrows and skepticism began to disappear as order books for the two Phenoms quickly began to fill, and the company announced later that same year the launch of the Lineage 1000, derived from its E190 airliner and meant to fill a market niche between the Boeing Business Jet and its competitors, the Bombardier Global Express and Gulfstream G550. Today, a combined total of more than 190 Legacy 600s and follow-on Legacy 650s

Asia Pacific worst backlog erosion in history, Pellegini presented a market forecast for sustained growth from late 2012 through 2021. That growth, Latin America he said, represents 11,275 jet deliveries valued at $260 billion over China the decade (see box). Embraer Executive Jets president Ernie Edwards told AIN recently that by the time the Legacy 500 is certified next year, the company will have invested more than $1 billion toward its goal of becoming a major player in the ranks of business jet manufacturers. “By all accounts, we are considered a major player and a factor to be considered in the business aviation industry,” he said. “In terms of market share by units delivered in 2011, we were ahead of Dassault and Hawker Beechcraft with a 15-percent market share.” As for the short-term future, Edwards said that even as the industry is beginning to see movement on a global scale, “Europe is in the doldrums.” Although, he was quick to add, “There have been reports in the news that they are beginning to dig themselves out [and] it is encouraging to see a ctivity picking up in the North American market.” In the U.S., the Embraer assembly plant and customer service center in Florida is starting to show returns, he said. The company recently recorded two Phenom sales “directly attributable” to the fact that North American customers have access to demonstration aircraft in their own backyard. In the meantime, he pointed to emerging markets as a positive sign. “Russia has re-emerged from the recession, and India is good for us,” he said, noting that, “We have one of every model we deliver today flying in India. And in China, we’re assembling the Legacy 600 and 650 in Harbin, and we have a good customer in Minsheng Leasing.” –K.J.H.

6 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

1,400 to 1,700 700 to 900 520 to 640

Embraer is building a complete family of business jets, including the Lineage 1000 (foreground), Phenom 100 (center) and the Legacy 650 (rear).

already available in Europe. The basic Phenom 100 cabin configuration provides room for four passengers, but a new layout replaces the standard forward wardrobe with an optional seat; a lavatory seat certified for takeoff and landing allows accommodation for six passengers. In the planning is an optional cabin seat with the same functions as the seats in the larger Phenom 300, including swivel and recline. Buyers may also choose an optional refreshment center or cabinet in lieu of the standard forward wardrobe. The Phenom 300 also has TCAS II Change 7.1, as well as SMS capability in the Prodigy cockpit (based on Garmin’s G1000). Satellite weather in Europe is to be available later this year. New in the cabin is an optional belted toilet seat certified for landing and takeoff. Among options still to come is a twoplace side-facing divan. New choices in fabric colors are standard. Legacy 650 Upgrades

The Legacy 650 is the upgraded version of the Legacy 600, differentiated primarily by Rolls-Royce AE 3007A2 engines, tanks for 2,430 additional pounds of fuel, bumping the range from 3,450 to 3,900 nm. The Honeywell Primus Elite cockpit avionics package was introduced in the 650 and is also available in the 600. An upgrade of the three-zone cabin is available for both the 600 and 650 and most of it can be seen in the Legacy 650 demonstrator aircraft on display here at EBACE. Mariana Santos, Embraer Executive Jets head of product strategy for the 600/650, describes the cabin upgrade as “a process of evolution” to keep up with the latest technology and standards of comfort. The standard and optional upgrades are available in both the 600 and 650. Among the standard cabin equipment improvements are Honeywell’s Ovation Select cabin management system, touchscreen “slide-and-select” entertainment controls, 1080p high-definition displays, a 32-inch credenza-mounted monitor and a redesigned galley. Embraer promotes its Lineage 1000 as a home-away-from-home, emphasizing a foyer entrance, five separate cabin zones, a 14-foot divan facing a 42-inch monitor, up to three lavatories (two standard) and optional shower and double bed. There’s also an optional zone module with three seats, a bar and ice container that can hold up to five one-liter bottles. The Lineage is the largest business jet operating at the New York City-area Teterboro Airport and Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, Colorado. As of late April, the twinjet was seeking approval to operate at London City Airport. The airplane also recently received hotand-high certification for operations out of airports such as La Paz, Bolivia, which has an altitude of 13,000 feet. The

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Embraer ready for the recovery uContinued from page 6

hot-and-high capability is being offered as an option, initially to U.S. and Brazilian operators. According to Edson Mallaco, Embraer’s vice president of customer support and

services, long-term success for the executive jets division is not merely a matter of selling airplanes, but also a matter of the quality and availability of support and service. To this end, the OEM has invested more than $200 million since 2006 and is continuing to invest as it looks forward to the Legacy 500 and Legacy

450 going into service. Today, Embraer operates more than 60 service centers worldwide, including five company-owned service centers in Brazil, France and the U.S. Adding to the service and support repertoire is a $25 million Embraer-owned center in Sorocaba, Brazil, that is to open in 2013.

In addition, there are seven parts distribution centers worldwide and on-site parts stock at 43 locations. Most recently, the company entered an agreement with Air Works India Engineering to create an Embraer Executive Jets spares repository in Bangalore. The total Embraer fleet numbers 14 in India, where the Directorate General of Civil

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The foyer entrance to Embraer’s Lineage 1000 offers a pleasant entree into the big business jet.

Aviation recently granted certification to the Legacy 650. The numbers in Embraer’s fiscal year 2011 and fourth quarter 2011 report, released March 21, were not altogether encouraging. The report noted total business aviation deliveries in 2011 declined to 99 from 144 in 2010. In the fourth quarter 2011, business jet deliveries totaled 40 aircraft, 11 fewer than for the same period in 2010, and Embraer Executive Jets’ share of total company revenue dropped from 23 percent in 2010 to 19 percent in 2011. Embraer CEO Frederico Curado described 2011 as “marked by signs of continued recession. On the other hand,” he said, “Embraer is encouraged by the selection of the Phenom 300 light jet by fractional operators NetJets and Flight Options.” The combined firm orders are for 150 airplanes (business jets and airliners), with a value of more than $2 billion, including options. And he also pointed out that Embraer did meet its 2011 revised revenue guidance of $1 billion for its execution aviation division. Encouraging First Quarter

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8 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

The initial 2012 results were considerably more encouraging. Numbers released April 17 for the first quarter 2012 reported an increase in deliveries of executive jets from eight for that period in 2011 to 13 for the first quarter this year. The 2012 deliveries broke down to four Phenom 100s, eight Phenom 300s and one Legacy 650. Also in the first quarter 2012, Embraer delivered to the Brazilian market the 300th jet from the Phenom family and the 100th executive jet. Other highlights include the sale of three Lineage 1000s to China’s Minsheng Leasing group, and delivery of the first of 13 Legacy 650s ordered by the Chinese leasing company. Also in the first quarter, the company delivered a Legacy 650 to martial arts film star Jackie Chan. o

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European bizav jobs in jeopardy Many business aviation operators could lose their livelihoods because of political tussles between the European Union (EU) and the rest of the world, especially over the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). This was the clear message underpinning the opening general session of EBACE 2012 yesterday, when a panel of EU regulators joined Fabio Gamba, CEO of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), and Ed Bolen, president of the U.S. National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), to discuss the key issues the industry is grappling with. On the surface it would appear that that the European Commission (EC) had some sympathy for the sector. “We tried to find ways to create a more flexible, simplified procedure whereby small emitters are not required to monitor emissions on a flightby-flight basis,” said European Commission air transport director Matthew Baldwin. However, he went on to say that all operators could do now

DAVID McINTOSH

by Liz Moscrop

EBAA chief executive Fabio Gamba spoke at EBACE’s opening session, joined by, left to right, Matthew Baldwin, EC air transport director; Marian-Jean Marinescu, Member of the European Parliament; Salvatore Sciacchitano, executive secretary of the European Civil Aviation Conference; and Ed Bolen, U.S. NBAA president.

was to “turn to Eurocontrol,” claiming that political support in Europe for ETS remained strong– despite the fact that the U.S., Russia, China and India are fronting a growing phalanx of resistance to the imposition of the scheme on non-European operators. Baldwin also urged operators caught out by the complicated scheme to put pressure on ICAO to establish a global sectoral agreement based on market-based measures for emissions mitigation. But he acknowledged that such an agreement could take a long time. EBAA’s Gamba asked the regulators, “Why are so many important pieces of legislation

failing to consider the specifications of business aviation?” He pointed out that the €20 billion (U.S. $25.8 billion) European corporate aviation sector provides more than 164,000 jobs and asserted, “We expect compassion from legislators. ETS is the fault of national aviation authorities who have failed [to consider] our interests.” Support from the U.S.

NBAA’s Bolen was also critical of the scheme. “ETS is a major issue for U.S. companies operating into Europe,” he said. “Our treatment is not equitable. A commercial operator can make two flights a day every

day before it finds itself in the ETS scheme. Noncommercial operators making one single flight have to go through a huge administration burden. Registration costs thousands of dollars. This doesn’t make sense. We should not be targeted for one flight.” But Baldwin was unsympathetic, saying, “Even if the European Commission were minded to back down, it would be hard to see support in other European institutions for changing the legislation.” However, he added that there is “flexibility” to amend the controversial scheme in the event of a global ICAO deal.

Africa has a unified voice in business aviation by James Wynbrandt are registered in the 56 countries comprising the African continent, the majority of them long-range, large-cabin aircraft “because of the distances and geography” they typically traverse. Concurrently, increasing interest in the continent’s mineral and oil resources are drawing in a growing number of transient business aircraft. Yet the continent’s regulatory and operating environment is not conducive to safe and efficient operation.

DAVID McINTOSH

Following a year of planning, the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) marked its official launch here at EBACE, with the goal of “establishing business aviation as an asset that is recognized, valued and supported by governments, their respective civil aviation authorities and enterprises throughout Africa,” said Tarek Ragheb, chairman of the new organization. According to AfBAA, 368 business jets

10 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know there are challenges to business aviation in Africa,” Ragheb said, listing several of them. “There are over-flight issues, lack of infrastructure, high fees and a lack of consistency in regulations.” ‘Road Map’ for the Future

The first step in having the association’s voice heard is creating a “white paper” on the state of African business aviation and a “road map” for its future, said the Egyptian-born chairman, who is also a senior advisor to business-jet manufacturer Gulfstream. “By this time next year we should be well on the way to finalizing that study,” said Ragheb. Former NBAA president Jack Olcott, senior advisor to AfBAA, noted that two organizations–the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) and the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) chairman Tarek Ragheb and former NBAA president Jack Olcott, currently serving as a senior advisor to AfBAA, discuss the launch of the new organization. The trade group plans to apply for membership in the International Business Aviation Council.

Salvatore Sciacchitano, exec u tive secretary of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC, which is the European arm of ICAO) put the onus back onto the industry to stand up for itself. He explained that one of the reasons politicians may have so little sympathy for the corporate aviation market is that they do not understand it. Sciacchitano added that although associations are toiling hard “to dispel the perception that business aviation is simply the playground for a privileged elite, it is not one that you have entirely escaped, however unfair that might be.” o

Business Aviation Association of South Africa (BAASA)–represent regional interests on the continent, but that no pan-African umbrella organization exists. “We don’t see the African Business Aviation Association as competition with other groups, but rather as a collaboration,” Olcott said. Using the acronym “Assist,” AfBAA’s guiding principles are advocacy, safety, security, integrity, service and training. Fourteen “founding members” have joined the group. “Our roster of founding members managed to balance operators from the continent with leading suppliers and OEMs,” said Rady Fahmy, AfBAA’s program director. The organization is developing its membership and dues structure. AfBAA will apply for membership to the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), which represents the world’s business aviation associations. “We hope to use that venue to have active communication with the whole [business aviation] community,” said Olcott. AfBAA is being hosted by Gainjet (Stand 1265) here at EBACE, and is eager to hear from all who share its goals. “The association will represent the business aviation community in its broadest sense,” said Ragheb. o

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Bell 429 performance has Europe taking note by Charles Alcock Bell has just won a contract from the Turkish government to provide fifteen 429s, but the aircraft is well suited to a variety of other applications. “Originally, its main mission was EMS [emergency medical service] but we are now seeing interest in corporate use, as well as parapublic, police and even offshore roles,” Maldonado told AIN. “The 429 flies very smoothly and with good hot-and-high performance. It can come with a VIP cabin but also with a flat-floored cargo area that can be customized for all sorts of uses.”

MARK WAGNER

Bell Helicopter believes it is poised to rebuild market share in Europe with sales for its latest 429 model, which is on show here at EBACE (Stand 7091). For several years, the European market’s requirements for twin-engine rotorcraft have favored rivals Eurocopter and AgustaWestland. “But now, with the 429, we have a twin that meets and, in fact, exceeds the latest regulations,” said Danny Maldonado, Bell’s executive v-p for sales and marketing. “We’re seeing a lot more demand for the aircraft in Europe.”

The U.S. manufacturer has been boosting its customer support infrastructure in Europe, largely through the March 2010 acquisition of Prague-based Aviation Services, which supports both Bell’s helicopters and the fixed-wing fleet of its Textron sister company Cessna. The facility provides assistance for operators throughout Europe, as well as in Russia and Ukraine. Maldonado indicated that Bell will likely expand its sales force in the region now that it has a more suitable aircraft to offer in the 429. He also predicted that the new larger 525 Relentless model that Bell launched earlier this year will also find favor in Europe. “We’re back in this marketplace, we are on a mission and we will meet customer requirements by investing in new products,” concluded Maldonado. o

DAVID McINTOSH

AMAC Gets Boeing Service Center Approval Boeing Business Jets president Steve Taylor and Amac Aerospace group chairman and CEO Kadri Muhiddin shake hands on the recent agreement for the Basel-based MRO and completions specialist to become an approved Boeing service center. Amac now has a third hangar at its Basel headquarters. It recently established Amac Aerospace Turkey based at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, where it will provide maintenance for operators of the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft in the Middle East. Amac’s office in Beirut, Lebanon, handles PC-12 sales in the region. –C.A.

After years of flying in the shadow of competing twin-engine models, Bell has a winner with the latest Model 429.

Fal Aviation fields first Legacy 650 for Saudis by James Wynbrandt Embraer Executive Jets yesterday announced that it has sold and delivered a Legacy 650 to Saudi Arabia-based Fal Aviation–the first Legacy 650 registered in the Kingdom. A subsidiary of the Fal Group in Riyadh, Fal Aviation was among the first operators of the Legacy 600 when it was introduced in 2003. “Following on from the type’s introduction in Jordan and the UAE, this first Legacy 650 into Saudi Arabia is a clear endorsement of the market acceptance for our aircraft in the region,”

said Colin Steven, Embraer Executive Jets vice president, marketing and sales, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “Our Legacy family, offering an outstanding level of comfort, excellent performance and state-of-the-art onboard technology, perfectly fits customer expectations in the Middle East.” With a range of 3,900 nm, the Legacy 650 can fly nonstop from Riyadh to London or Beijing, or from Moscow to Shanghai or London to New Delhi. “For us, the Legacy 650 was the natural upgrade of the

Legacy 600 to fit our needs in terms of extended range,” said Sheik Fahad Al Athel, owner of the Fal Group. “Both our Legacy aircraft, which combine luxury, comfort, large baggage volume, innovation and operating efficiency, will afford our clients journeys that are as fast and pleasant as possible.” Introduced in late 2010, the Legacy 650 features the Honeywell Primus Elite avionics suite and three cabin zones, and accommodates up to 14 passengers. Working to ensure customers have access to a global network of support services, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer also announced an agreement with Jet AviationMoscow Vnukovo to provide line maintenance using certified mechanics for Legacy 600/650 customers in Russia. o

12 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

safety first Gama Engineering has developed the first child safety seat certified for takeoffs and landings. Passenger William Gordon, 3 1/2, approves. n

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Gore Design is wall-to-wall completions by Kirby J. Harrison If there is a completion center that consistently plays to a packed house, it must be Gore Design Completions, where it’s typical to see the single, 175,000-sq-ft hangar filled, nose-to-nose and wingtipto-wingtip, with heavy-iron narrowbodies and widebodies undergoing a cabin completion or major refurbishment. Last year, the San Antonio, Texasbased completion and refurbishment center (Stand 661) delivered two heavyiron executive aircraft–a Boeing 767 and a 777–to Asian governments. This year, company president Kathy Gore-Walters expects to deliver to a Middle East customer the center’s first BBJ3, one ACJ320 to a central Asian client and two ACJ340s to clients she prefers not to identify. According to Gore-Walters, the giant hangar will hold, and has held, as many as three ACJ340s simultaneously, along with some smaller outfitting projects, such as Airbus ACJ319s and Boeing Business Jets. And she doesn’t expect the

From month to month this picture changes, but one thing remains the same, the Gore Design Completions hangar in Texas is inevitably packed with airplanes.

traffic to slow anytime soon, not with “a healthy backlog.” Meanwhile, the center is also starting to respond to inquires from owners of older Airbus A319s and Boeing Business Jets whose airplanes are due for major 12-year C-checks. “We’re Part 145 certified, so we can do the C-check, and they want to talk about having a major cabin makeover during the same downtime.” Virtual Interiors

Gore Design has its roots in the old Dee Howard Company of no small fame in the business aviation industry. Both Kathy and co-founder Jerry Gore are “graduates” of that company. “He taught us practically everything we know,” said Kathy in an interview with AIN.

And they’ve learned a few things since that would amaze even the late Dee Howard. Among them is a new, computer-generated, 3-D, full-size virtual interior for an ACJ320 that will allow a customer to walk through a perfect replica of the cabin designed for him. “It’s so real,” said Gore-Walters, “that people will occasionally reach out and try to touch something.” Another major area of focus at Gore Design these days is cabin electronics, from cabin management systems that are more intuitive and user-friendly to the latest in high-speed Internet connectivity, to high-definition digital sound and imagery. Today, with about 650 people employed and a Texas-sized hangar, the company is a major presence at Port

San Antonio, the former Kelly U.S. Air Force Base. However, said Gore-Walters, “We’re not thinking about a further expansion of the hangar. We’re concentrating on delivering what we have in the hangar on time and under budget.” On the other hand, she admitted you don’t move ahead by standing still, and to that end there are plans to create a research-and-development group to examine new technology. “Things that won’t just put us on the cutting edge, but a step ahead of it.” o

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16 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

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Global series corporate jets. Flight Deck is said to give crews instant access to data and documents and to provide automatic temporary revision updates for aircraft manuals. It includes an FAA, European Aviation Safety Agency and Transport Canadacompliant audit trail for paperless certification. On the maintenance side, Bombardier has announced “now permanent” price matching on consumable and rotable parts. It said that from the beginning of 2013 all parts purchased through the company will be covered by two-year warranties. The manufacturer is increasing its international parts network with the transition this year of its Frankfurt, Germany depot into a true hub. A future Asia Pacific hub is planned for Singapore, while parts depots are to be set up in India, Russia and South Africa. As a foray into the Russian market, Bombardier has set up an inventory of critical parts at Jet Aviation in Moscow, holding some 300 high-demand items. o to a workstation in the cabin. Images can be recorded or transmitted live, and Aerovision is touting its high-speed, high-altitude capabilities. The Jet Services group subsidiary company said it amassed extensive experience with its previous equipment, which was mounted under an Aerospatiale Corvette aircraft. Aerovision hopes to open new markets with the higher performance Falcon. The aircraft will be operated in a quickchange configuration; the pod and workstation can be replaced with conventional seats for executive air charter. Aerovision and UniAir are part of the Jet Services group. o

Aerovision is here at EBACE with this camera pod designed for the belly of the Falcon 50. The company hopes for EASA approval in time for film missions this summer.

Operators of Bombardier products can expect improved parts and service support throughout Europe and around the world.

Bombardier buttresses its worldwide support by Ian Goold Bombardier is pushing forward with the strengthening of its customer-support offering in locations such as Amsterdam, Singapore, Shanghai and Mexico, while moving to create spares hubs in Frankfurt and Singapore. The Canadian airframer is seeking European Part 145 repair station approval to offer full cabin interior work at its Amsterdam, Netherlands service center, which provides Learjet, Canadair Challenger and Bombardier Global-series operators with maintenance and modification capacity. The Canadian manufacturer also plans to set up continuing authorized maintenance organization capability at the center later this year. Ground breaking this month for its Asia Pacific aircraft service center at Seletar Airport in

Singapore is expected to enable Bombardier to offer a full business-aircraft capability there next year. In the past 14 months, it has opened regional support offices (RSOs) in Hong Kong, Mumbai, São Paulo, Singapore and Sydney. During 2012 the company is adding RSOs in China (Shanghai) and Eastern Europe, and converting some North American locations to RSO status. A further such office is planned in Mexico (Toluca) next year. Last month, Bombardier announced its Challenger 300 Max program, under which it offers “nocost” performance upgrades with the aim of reducing ownership and/or operating expense. To be launched in June is Bombardier’s Flight Deck iPad app for the Challenger and

Aerovision ‘eye in the sky’ shoots video, still images by Thierry Dubois Aerovision is here at EBACE with its Dassault Falcon 50 jet that will be fitted with a camera pod for in-flight filming. Set up next to the airplane, the camera is transmitting live images from the EBACE static display to its indoor exhibit (Stand 148). The French company expects to receive European Aviation Safety Agency approval in time for commercial operations this summer.

Designed for aerial photography and filming, the retractable gyro-stabilized “ball” contains cameras for still images and video. The cameras can be rotated 350 degrees horizontally, 20 degrees upward and 120 degrees downward. Sister company UniAir has been in charge of the modification work. The moving ball is encapsulated in a fairing under the Falcon’s fuselage and is connected

and installation costs. Thrane & Thrane is also presenting its Aviator 700D, the flagship of its SwiftBroadband offerings (Aviator 200, 300, 350 and 700) at EBACE for the first time. The Aviator 700D provides both Inmarsat Classic and SwiftBroadband services in one package. With the recent awarding of parts manufacturer approval (PMA) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the system is certified for installation on all aircraft, and the company is working with its dealers to develop STCs for individual aircraft models as per customer requests. The 700D supports a wide range of communication applications in both the cockpit and cabin, including in-flight WiFi and voice calling, and it is also fully FANS 1/A and CPDLC compliant. “We are excited to be adding our first FANS 1/A compliant system to the well-established Aviator portfolio of SwiftBroadband solutions,” said Gram. The integration of the new level-D software and hardware satisfies forthcoming mandates for future air navigation and offers a simple upgrade solution for existing level-E Aviator 700 and Aero-HSD systems. Meanwhile, UK group Cobham is pressing to close a deal to acquire Thrane & Thrane. The Danish company’s board has reportedly accepted an improved bid that would value the deal at DKr 2.5 billion ($440 million) with the revised offer for shares due to close on May 21. o

Satellite communication specialist Thrane & Thrane (Stand 1025) is announcing the introduction of its Inmarsat MultiVoice service here at EBACE. This permits several simultaneous voice calls to and from an aircraft and will be available across its entire Aviator SwiftBroadband range. The new service is compatible with Thane & Thrane’s Aviator wireless handset, which features noise- and echo-cancellation capability, and allows each handset to have a unique phone number. Passengers and crew can also use their own WiFi-enabled smart phones to access SwiftBroadband voice calling on Aviator. “Although we have been able to offer multiple voice lines on Aviator 700 for some time, we had to use the legacy H+ system along with a single SwiftBroadband line,” said Kim Gram, vice president of Denmark-based Thrane & Thrane’s aeronautical business unit. “With the introduction of multi-voice, we can now use multiple dedicated SwiftBroadband lines, enabling the flexibility of several voice lines on board, but with enhanced call quality and lower calling costs.” SwiftBroadband Multi-Voice is made possible by an update of the Aviator firmware, enabling current Aviator users to upgrade to the new service without any hardware changes. Multi-voice capability will be available on new installations from the third quarter of this year. Thrane & Thrane dealers can provide pricing information on the service and retrofit

18 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

MARK PHELPS

DAVID McINTOSH

by James Wynbrandt

PWC has service on a FAST track Pratt & Whitney Canada claims to have improved turnaround times for customers by 20 percent through a number of advances and innovations. For example, its online diagnostic tool enables customers using its PW300 turbofan, PW100 turboprop and PW200 turboshaft engine families to diagnose their engine issues quickly. Here at the EBACE show, the engine maker is introducing a new product called flight acquisition storage transmission (FAST). This automatically acquires, stores and transmits engine and aircraft flight data for analysis for planned maintenance. PWC (Stand 1539) is continuing to expand its service network. It has partnered with China’s AVIC for a joint venture in Zhuzhou, in Hunan province, for civil-certified PT6A and PW100 series engines. It also is expanding its support infrastructure in Singapore and Long Beach, California, supporting turboshaft family of engines.

Flexible solutions are the new mantra at PWC. Operators can now avoid hefty lump-sum buy-in enrollment through a Flex enrollment option for its ESP program designed for in-service engines. Earlier this year, an effective alternative to an overhaul–a PW200 engine exchange program–was introduced that will greatly reduce logistics and eliminate turnaround times, said PWC. Under this program, the first model PW206B2 powering the Eurocopter EC135 for executive transport and police and emergency medical services, will be introduced soon. The PW200 will models will follow based on market demand. PW800 Tests

Meanwhile, PWC expects to assemble and ground test the first demonstrator version of its new PW800 turbofan some time this year, according to the company’s president John Saabas. The PW800, which in 2008 had won a place on the now-defunct

Cessna Citation Columbus, lost its only application when Cessna suspended the program in 2009. Undeterred, PWC still sees great potential for its use on a large business jet re-engining project, if not on an all-new design. Because the PW800 shares a common core with the PW1000G geared turbofan destined to power new airliners, including the Bombardier C Series, Mitsubishi MRJ, Airbus A320neo and Irkut MC-21, PWC has already collected substantial data on the 10,000- to 20,000-pound-thrust turbofan’s potential performance attributes. Once the company marries the engine’s core with its low spool–consisting of the fan, low-pressure compressor and low-pressure turbine–it can start validating its figures and making a definitive case to OEMs, explained Saabas. The large-business-jet segment continues to outperform the small- and medium-size category due to factors such as

MONA L.. BROWN

by Neelam Mathews

EBACE visitors shopping for service learn about Pratt & Whitney Canada’s new “flight acquisition storage transmission” (FAST) product for saving and analyzing engine data.

a dearth of financing and the growth in numbers of individuals around the world who can afford to buy big jets with cash. Although PWC projects a presence in the segment on the threeengine Dassault Falcon 7X with its PW307A, it continues to suffer with something of an identity crisis in the large twin-engine market. “Right now we’ve got to get ourselves positioned on one of those big airplanes,” Saabas told AIN. Unfortunately, not many companies appear ready to spend their resources on new large-jet project any time soon, he noted.

“We feel that the Challenger one day will need to be reengined,” said Saabas. “We also feel that Embraer’s next step will be something bigger than the Legacy 500. If you look at [Embraer’s] product line… there’s a gap in there that we figure they will fill.” o AINonline iPhone App NOW AVAILABLE

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www.ainonline.com • May 15, 2012 • EBACE Convention News 19

news clips z Signature Boosts EMEA Sales Team FBO chain Signature Flight Support has established a dedicated sales team to provide personalized flight support services in the European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. “We built our EMEA sales team on the model that has worked for us in the U.S.,” said Joe Gibney, Signature vice president and managing director for EMEA. “We formulate a comprehensive, customized portfolio based on the customer’s flying profile and specific needs.” The team Steve Gulvin comprises Steve Gulvin, regional vice president sales, EMEA; Andrea Hopkins, sales manager mainland Europe; Karl Bowles, sales manager Middle East; and Julian Moller, sales manager, UK and Ireland.

z Idair Unveils Wireless IFE System Idair (Stand 783), the joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and Panasonic Avionics, is debuting Eclipsair, its wireless “infotainment” system, here at EBACE. Aimed at the VIP and business jet markets, Eclipsair delivers news, video, audio data and flight information. The company anticipates it will be available for customer installations in the second quarter of 2013. The single-box solution combines an IEEE802.11n wireless access point and a web-based media server, providing wireless distribution of streaming media to a variety of mobile passenger devices. Eclipsair will be offered as a standalone system or integrated with Idair’s global communication solution and in-flight entertainment and cabin management system. It will also be available as an integrated part of Lufthansa Technik’s “nice HD” system. “Eclipsair represents a wireless solution that has been designed not only with the consumer device user in mind, but also with the requirements of the equipment installer and operator at the forefront,” said Andrew Muirhead, Idair’s CEO. “Through our one-box solution, we are offering a unique package both easy to use and simple to install.”

z Masterjet Renews AFI KLM Service Pact French executive charter operator Masterjet has signed an agreement with AFI KLM Engineering & Maintenance to use its Vipjetsuite cabin interiors services. The Air France KLM airline subsidiary provides a range of MRO services, including cabin modifications. “They have always been able to meet our deadlines in a highly efficient and effective manner,” said Nuno Perestrelo, maintenance and engineering director at Masterjet. The company operates eight aircraft, including a VIP-configured A320. It already uses AFI KLM for maintenance support.

z Nexus, ServiceElements Team on Customer Service Nexus Flight Operations Services has announced a joint venture with U.S.-based customer service specialist ServiceElements International (SEI) to offer training courses in the Middle East and Africa. Courses will be conducted in organizational resource management and related topics focusing on the human elements and issues relating to customer service within the aviation industry. “Alongside our already well-established training program in collaboration with FlightSafety International, these organizational development programs will really bring something different to our region and allow us to raise the benchmark within the MENA [Middle East and North Africa] aviation industry even further,” said Abdullah Al-Sayed, president and CEO of Nexus, which has facilities in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Rwanda, India and France. “Our workshops are very effective but input does not simply end with the workshop, as we prefer to establish long-term relationships with our clients and assist with organizational development that provides a whole-company approach to surpassing satisfactory service and performance levels,” said SEI v-p consulting and special programs Chris Crum.

Evergreen’s Lagos FBO sees Nigerian boom by James Wynbrandt

resources, Nigeria has a reputation for having payoff-hungry officials. The company is eager to counter that perception, however. “We try to make people feel at ease. They don’t have to worry about paying off people,” said Demuren. “We don’t collect cash; we don’t collect payments. After you leave the country, we’ll send you a bill. Every single item on our services has a price, so you’re not going to get any surprises.” Here at EBACE, Demuren

Evergreen Apple Nigeria is expanding sector,” he added. The ready to support growing vol- $25 million EAN Jet Centre feaumes of business aviation traf- tures two VIP lounges, a crew fic heading to West Africa and room with WiFi access, shortwants EBACE visitors to know stay accommodation and a pentthat it can provide a secure and house restaurant atop the facility. Demuren noted that most capable port of entry for Nigeria’s capital, Lagos. Having established what it claims is Nigeria’s first purpose-built FBO–the EAN Jet Centre at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport– last July and seeing a large increase in traffic, EAN is planning to establish new FBOs during the next year in Abuja, the capital, and at Port Harcourt, which is known as the gateway to the country’s oilfields. The number of business travelers heading for Nigeria is growing fast as commodities play an increasingly important role in the world economy, Since Lagos is the first place businesses think of when contemplating the Nigerian so remote but resource- market, it made sense for Evergreen Apple Nigeria to open a world-class FBO there. rich areas in Africa, such as Nigeria, are becoming aircraft owned and operated in is eager to meet with operaprime destinations. Nigeria are foreign registered, tors seeking an entrée to Nige“Lagos is usually the first and EAN has partnered with ria, and FBOs and handlers Nigerian city that new business Maintenance Centre Malta that can assist EAN’s Nigerianventures target, and we could (MCM Group) to provide line based clients when they take o see there was a lack of facili- maintenance for European-reg- their jets abroad. ties that international travelers istered aircraft at the FBO, and expect,” said Segun Demuren, also to provide maintenance for EAN’s managing director and Nigerian-registered aircraft when CEO. “Creating an integrated they are operating in Europe. Evergreen (Stand 1927) FBO and maintenance center was essential to support this recognizes that, besides its

Arinc Direct app connects pilots’ iPads via Bluetooth When asked, “Why an app, and why now?” James Hardie, Arinc Direct’s director for the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, responded, “Once we realized that more than 50 percent of our subscriber base was already using the [Apple] iPad as an electronic flight bag in the cockpit, we knew that we could provide more up-to-date information, automatically, through our own app, whenever it is connected via the Internet to our servers.” Arinc (Stand 328) customers that download the free app can receive information from Arinc that was previously available

20 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

only via aircraft avionics. The WiFi connection capability of the iPad and the true viability of the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband

James Hardie, director EMEA and Asia Pacific for Arinc Direct, demonstrates the company’s iPad app, which is free for Arinc Direct subscribers.

uplink allows adequate throughput for the data, creating a conduit for live weather radar, geo-referenced charting and constant connectivity with dispatch and flight management offices. The app has a few functions that are unique to it. For instance, two pilot cockpits can connect the copilot and pilot’s iPads via Bluetooth, so that only one pilot needs to input updates and clearances on the flight form. While connected, both iPads will display the same information simultaneously. Annotated and amended flight plans can also be saved as PDF files and delivered directly to the flight office as a complete and accurate (and immediate) record of the flight, reducing paperwork on both ends for the operator. –A.L.

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Passport 20 on track to power new Globals by Thierry Dubois Development is well under way for GE Aviation’s 16,500-poundthrust GE Passport 20 engine,

which is set to power the Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000. The first engine is to begin ground

testing in the second quarter of next year. GE Aviation (Stand 1143) is anticipating certification of its new turbofan in 2015 and entry into service in 2016. A key feature of the new turbofan is the 52-inch-diameter fan bladed disk (blisk). “We have been running validation testing on two fan blisks, and the

results have been very positive,” a spokesman told AIN. The manufacturer also plans to conduct blade-out, icing and

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GE Aviation is planning to have its Passport 20 engine running on the ground in the second quarter of 2013.

aeromechanic trials on rigs at its Evendale, Ohio facility this year to verify design efforts. In a conventional engine design, blades are separate parts, held by a slotted disk or pinned holes, and air can leak between blade platforms, causing a loss of performance. Blades also can shift back and forth in their slot or on their pin, which causes wear and vibration. But in a blisk, the blades and disk constitute one combined unit, which eliminates leaks, wear and vibration. In addition, the inner (hub) diameter can be made smaller, allowing for a greater airflow within the same fan outer diameter. As the EBACE show approached, GE engineers were set to freeze the engine design. Assembly of the first Passport 20 powerplant is to begin by year-end. Environmental Improvements

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22 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

At the engine core level, two eCore demonstrators have accumulated about 150 hours of testing. The eCore3 is scheduled to run later this year or next year. The Passport 20’s 10-stage high-pressure (HP) compressor will include four blisk stages. Downstream from the combustor, the two-stage HP turbine will be followed by a four-stage LP turbine. The HP compressor will offer a stall-free design with no throttle restriction. The LP turbine will feature 3-D aerodynamic design, state-of-the-art cooling techniques and active clearance control for reduced weight and enhanced durability. The integrated propulsion system is being developed by Francebased Nexcelle. The result will be a long-duct mixed-flow design with an outer opening cowl made from composites, which should reduce weight and ease access to line-replaceable units. The onepiece structure will also reduce vibrations and lower noise on the ground and inside the cabin. GE claims the engine will offer “at least eight percent improved specific fuel consumption, compared to current engines in the field.” It will be certified to CAEP/8 environmental standards with margin on all emissions, according to GE. As for noise, ICAO’s Stage 4 limits should be met with about a 13 EPNdB margin. o

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Oxford records traffic growth as recent investment pays off

Oxford Airport’s private owners have made big investments in infrastructure, which appear to be paying off with significant growth in business aviation traffic at a time when UK-wide movement figures are largely flat.

by Charles Alcock Large infrastructure investments by Oxford Airport’s private owners have paid off with the London-area airport now claiming a spot as the UK’s fifth busiest business aviation airport. As of last month, year-to-date traffic growth at

Oxford was 12.2 percent, which, according to business development director James Dillon-Godfray, was markedly ahead of the flat or declining situation at other UK airports (see box). Just ahead of this week’s EBACE

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show, the airport activated its new primary and secondary radar systems. This is the result of a $7.2 million investment with Thales UK providing a radar for a project managed by NATS. It will allow more efficient transits through local airspace, while also increasing the throughput of IFR movements by reducing separation from nine to three minutes and allowing for SAR and vectored approaches. The mode-S MSSR radar allows Oxford’s controllers to monitor UK airspace from the Thames Estuary in the east to Wales in the west and the English Channel to the south. This year, the privately owned airport will be spending another $1.4 million to complete a refit of the communications system for its tower. Last year, the licensed length of Oxford’s runway was increased by 21 percent to 5,223 feet and the strength of the runway has been reassessed to a rating of PCN 38, meaning that it can be used by heavier business jets such as the Embraer Lineage. The increased takeoff length means that longer range jets, such as the Dassault Falcon 7X, Bombardier’s Global family and the Gulfstream G550, can make transatlantic flights under commercial rules. Oxford now boasts an additional 192,000 sq ft of apron space and has spent around $3.5 million to resurface a significant area of the existing ramp. The total available parking space for aircraft now covers 377,000 sq ft, which it expects to fill with around 40 aircraft during this summer’s London Olympic Games. According to Dillon-Godfray, Oxford’s position outside the restricted airspace zone that will be in place during the Olympics will make it a convenient option for operators, as will its 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. hours of operation throughout the week. Oxford’s owners, the Reuben Brothers, recently acquired

Oxford Bucks Trend of UK Traffic Stagnation Eurocontrol data shows UK business aviation traffic largely stagnant in terms of year-to-date figures for the 12 months up to the end of March 2012, with just 0.7-percent growth recorded overall. Over the same period, the average number of daily bizav flights at UK airports dipped 2.4 percent. But the situation is not uniform across the country. While Oxford showed year-to-date growth of 12.2 percent as of the end of March, London City Airport showed a 10.2-percent decline. Farnborough Airport recorded 1.8 percent growth, compared with 8.3 percent at Luton and 12.9 percent at Biggin Hill. In the five years since the Reuben Brothers acquired Oxford Airport in mid-2007 and launched a concerted effort to make it a business aviation hub, the airport has achieved a 116.67-percent leap in average daily departures to 7.8. According to figures released by Oxford Airport drawn from Eurocontrol data, it has now overtaken Stansted Airport (with 5.5 average daily movements) to become the UK’s fifth busiest bizav airport behind London City (with 8.9). –C.A.

the London Heliport, giving fixed-wing customers the option of having their passengers make an onward connection by helicopter, with charter service available through local operator Capital Air Services. Meanwhile, at the airport entrance, construction is under way on the first of two 18,000-sq-ft office buildings, which will be available for rent. Also planned is a four-lane entrance road and improved reception building. The site also offers almost 250,000 sq ft of hangar space. The airport is home to 20 tenant companies employing more than 800 people and 30 resident aircraft in the hands of seven operators. o

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Turkey’s Bilen Air Services is here at EBACE (Stand 2130) promoting its new strategic partnership with ExecuJet Aviation, as the Istanbul Ataturk Airport FBO is now part of the Swiss-based business aviation services group’s growing chain of handling operations. The agreement took effect in September last year. “Actually, we are offering full FBO services, although Turkish law prevents us from taking passengers directly from our lounge to the apron,” assistant general manager Tolga Asan told AIN. Bilen estimated its FBO’s traffic level has been between 30 and 35 aircraft per

month since November, and is increasing thanks to a growing number of business aircraft on the Turkish registry, he said. In addition to the FBO activity, Bilen holds management contracts to operate 14 business aircraft. Working with holders of air operator’s certificates (since Bilen does not hold its own AOC), these aircraft are offered for charter when available. Another Turkish bizav service company–Gozen Air Services–is exhibiting here in Geneva (Stand 2023). From its headquarters in Istanbul, it provides flight planning and handling supervision at airports across Turkey. –T.D.

Optimistic on Europe market, Cessna boosts service network by Mark Huber Cessna remains optimistic about Europe. “In spite of all the negative news you get in the press about economic activity in Europe, our order inquiry activity from [that region] has remained very positive,” said Brad Thress, Cessna senior vice president for business jets. At the top of the list for enhancing its presence on this side of the Atlantic is Cessna’s new factory service center in Valencia, Spain. Scheduled to open in September, the $30 million facility will feature 64,000 sq ft of hangar space and another 88,000 sq ft dedicated to office, shop and storage space. FlightSafety International already is training technicians for the center. Thress thinks Valencia’s location will be a big customer draw because, while the bulk of the European Citation fleet is not necessarily based near that city, Spain is a popular destination for those airplanes. Elsewhere in Europe, Thress said, Cessna’s new Prague service center, colocated with one for sister company Bell Helicopter, “is growing.” “It’s a small facility for us [32,000

square feet], but it seems to stay quite busy and we are pleasantly surprised,” Thress said. “But Valencia will be our largest European facility and we are quite excited about that.” Cessna operates another factory maintenance facility at Paris Le Bourget and has three mobile service unit trucks stationed throughout Europe that allow the OEM to “take maintenance to the customer,” Thress said. Another 13 factory-authorized service centers operate throughout the region. Cessna and Bell also have partnered on a parts distribution warehouse at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. It opened two years ago and Cessna is constantly adding inventory to it. Citation Ten

Thress said European interest in new Cessna product offerings under development–the M2, Citation Ten and Citation Latitude–is high and the company has brought its full contingent of business jets and the turboprop single Caravan to this year’s EBACE for display. “We’re very busy with our new product

Citation Ten

development activities and everything is going pretty well.” By way of more specific program updates, Thress said the Citation Ten prototype has flown approximately 150 hours; completed flight stability, control and stall testing; and is in the midst of high-speed testing, “per plan.” When certified, the Ten is expected to be the world’s fastest business jet. The second Citation Ten test aircraft is scheduled to fly this summer. The first test aircraft is not completely conforming because it carries increased test and safety equipment aboard, including an escape hatch in the belly. Design is frozen on the recently announced midsize Citation Latitude and vendor selection is “85 percent complete.” Overall, Thress said the Latitude is “progressing per plan” and that the new avionics system being developed for both the Citation Ten and Citation Latitude–the Garmin G5000–has so far

“exceeded our expectations.” However, Cessna’s new M2, a followon aircraft to the Citation CJ1, is generating the most buzz in Europe right now, Thress said. “The interest in Europe is quite strong,” particularly from Germany. Thress said many M2 customers are coming from the ranks of single turboprop owners, and fully 45 percent of M2 orders to date are non-Cessna customers. An M2 fitted with winglets recently began test flights. The M2 features the Garmin G3000 avionics system that shares much of the functionality of the G5000 being developed for Cessna’s new larger jets. “They share a lot of commonality” and that has drawn customers in, Thress said. o

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www.ainonline.com • May 15, 2012 • EBACE Convention News 25

Vigiplane protects jets from theft and damage by Thierry Dubois Blue Green Technology is here at EBACE (Stand 1977) exhibiting its Vigiplane security system

for parked aircraft. The device, which operates autonomously from the aircraft systems and

does not require certification, immobilizes aircraft through a special nose wheel chock. Vigiplane can also detect, within a given perimeter, whether any attempt has been made to get into the aircraft or interfere with it. This aspect of its performance uses infrared sensors and radars. The French company’s CEO, Frédéric Saubade, said it

opted for both sets of detection systems because infrared sensor performance degrades in hot environments while radars do not see well in foggy conditions. Image processing is used to detect movement, with shape analysis applied to avoid false alarms. Data is relayed from the unit to a server via a wireless connection, 3G mobile phone network

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The Vigiplane aircraft security device locks onto a dedicated chock on the nosewheel.

or Iridium satellite telephone. The server can be located at either the customer’s base or at Blue Green Technology’s facilities. In the latter case, the customer can access the photos via a web browser. However, before the aircraft’s crew or airport security is called, human eyes take a look at the detected event. Such events could include a ground collision with another aircraft or with an airport vehicle, the theft of aircraft parts or fuel, or vandalism. Saubade also referred to smugglers who use other people’s aircraft to carry drugs or prohibited goods from one country to another, hiding the contraband inside the hold. Terrorism is a concern, too, for some customers. Security issues happen mostly in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Asia and Russia, according to Saubade. Vigiplane even provides weather information as a bonus feature, he said. Via three additional sensors, it can warn of an on-coming tropical storm and can also sense possible aircraft movement due to wind gusts. It took four years and approximately $1.3 million to develop Vigiplane, Saubade told AIN. The device was introduced at the MEBA show in Dubai in late 2010 and the company has delivered nearly a dozen units so far. Vigiplane is now being offered at a reduced price of less than $50,000. “One of our priorities this year is to introduce the Vigiplane on the U.S. market,” Saubade said. The system can be installed in two minutes, according to Bordeaux-based Blue Green Technology, and has enough power to operate autonomously for seven days. The system can be used for aircraft ranging from 45 to 250 feet long. For example, the French government is using it to protect its Airbus A330. All the equipment can be carried, in a pair of suitcases, in an unpressurized cargo hold. As the cases are relatively bulky and weigh more than 60 pounds, operators of light business aircraft may find them difficult to take on board. o

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E-A-R tackles cabin noise across the spectrum by Thierry Dubois E-A-R Thermal Acoustics Systems (Stand 2145) is improving acoustic insulation aboard business jets as it endeavors to cut the most annoying cabin noises on a case-by-case basis.

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Overall, the best the aviation industry has done so far is focus on the speech interference level (SIL). Manufacturers normally present sound pressure levels, measured in dB at SIL, to

indicate how quiet their cabins are. These levels currently are 50 percent lower than they were 10 years ago. However, the dB SIL level in the cabin does not necessarily measure actual acoustic

comfort, Brian Joyal, E-A-R’s director of aerospace, defense and rail business, told AIN. “We are making sound quality better in the cabin by looking at the frequency content of the

noise spectrum; it is more than just reducing an overall noise level measured in dBs,” Joyal said. The noise spectrum is a combination of all noise sources emanating from and around the aircraft. The boundary layer (the air flow on the aircraft’s surface) has a broadband frequency content, while the engines and aircraft systems have rather discrete harmonics. Some actuators also produce discrete harmonics, the noise from which is considered especially annoying. “The frequency content of the noise spectrum is the key to understanding the cabin’s sound quality,” Joyal said. E-A-R maps the acoustic power flow in the aircraft, and then chooses the right insulation material for the right place. For example, some areas receive structural damping treatment, while other materials act as reflectors of airborne acoustic energy. The U.S. company also has designed mufflers for the airpressurization system. The Indianapolis, Indianabased company’s customers include business jet manufacturers and companies specializing in VIP cabin outfitting, such as Comlux, Amac Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik. o

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30 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

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DAC International (Stand 1131) has introduced the GDC64 tablet-to-aircraft interface, a small box that delivers aircraft data to devices such as the iPad and Android tablet computers and provides iPad battery charging. The GDC64 will be approved for Part 25 aircraft and can accept up to four Arinc 429 inputs, eight other discrete data inputs and serial data from a weather receiver. The data provided to the GDC64 is then delivered to the tablet computer via a hard-wire connection. So the tablet could, for example, use a highly accurate GPS signal from the aircraft’s avionics and weather data from a Heads Up Technologies XM receiver to overlay moving-map applications on the tablet. DAC expects STCs for installation of the GDC64 in the next two to three months. The company is working with iPad app developers to integrate the GDC64 data with moving-map apps. The GDC64 will retail for about $8,000 plus installation. –B.C.

Ocean Sky revamping FBO at prime-spot London Luton by Charles Alcock Business aviation services group Ocean Sky is about to start construction for an FBO complex at London Luton Airport. The new building will replace Ocean Sky’s existing FBO and will be immediately adjacent to its main hangar and engineering shops, with direct access to an enlarged ramp space with capacity for 30 aircraft at a time. The redevelopment, which will cost up to approximately $13 million, will not be fully completed before the end of August, but the additional ramp space will be available for use during this summer’s London Olympic Games, for which Luton is expected to be a major gateway airport. The FBO building will include what Ocean Sky claims will be a “luxurious” passenger lounge, concierge services and on-site screening for customs and immigration procedures. Ocean Sky CEO Stephen Grimes said the facility will give the company, which is also active in aircraft management, maintenance and charter, the ability to double the number of movements it handles at Luton within a year of opening the FBO.

“Luton is a prime location for business aviation in the London area, mainly because it is open 24 hours a day,” Grimes told AIN. “At our current facility, which we knew we would outgrow, we have been operating on an airport stand but we’ve always wanted to have our own apron joined up to our main base. The new facility gives us an FBO, hangar and two aprons–one for live arrivals and departures, and the other next to the buildings. Plus the site is away from the busy main airport terminal.” Ocean Sky also operates FBOs at Manchester and Prestwick in the UK, and on the Spanish islands of Ibiza and Menorca. It has closed a facility at Valencia on the Spanish mainland because it proved not to be commercially viable. Grimes said both Manchester and Prestwick are exceeding budgets and Ibiza is doing far better than expected. The company is interested in opening another base on the island of Mallorca. Meanwhile, Ocean Sky’s aircraft management business operates 24 aircraft, about half of which are on its

Ocean Sky is investing almost $13 million in a new FBO complex at London Luton Airport.

commercial AOC. Most of these are Bombardier Global Express models and Challengers, as well as the Gulfstream V and 550, plus a new Hawker 4000. The UK-based company also has a charter brokering operation. “2012 won’t be a particularly exciting year for the industry,” predicted Grimes. “We are slowly coming out of the bad times and the larger aircraft are still

doing better than the smaller ones. The margins are still tight and there will probably be some more casualties because it’s tough out there.” o

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MEBA show to grow at new Dubai venue by Peter Shaw-Smith between popular hotel locations and our new venue, we foresee easy access for exhibitors and visitors alike, coming together at the region’s newest and biggest airport complex.” Located close to the Jebel Ali port and industrial area, Al Maktoum International Airport is significantly further from the main city center area of Dubai than MEBA’s former site at Dubai International Airport. However, it is conveniently located from popular hotel locations such as Jumeirah Beach (30 minutes drive) and Dubai Marina (25 minutes). It is also closer to Abu Dhabi, which is fast emerging as a hive of business aviation activity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Growing Market for Bizav

Ali Al Naqbi, chairman of the Middle East Business Aviation Association

has been sold. “We are preparing for the fifth edition of MEBA to be the biggest yet, and given our new location we are excited about hosting the very first event at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport,” commented Michele Van Akelijen, aerospace director for F&E Aerospace. “With such minimal travel times

The show’s exhibition and static display will be staged in what remains for now the only completed terminal building at Al Maktoum International Airport. The use of the new airport for the event will likely focus discussion during the show on the vexed question of when or if business aviation will transfer operations from the existing Dubai International Airports. Other topics will include concerns over illegal charter activity in the Arabian Gulf and whether the Middle Eastern bizav fleet will diversify from its current leaning toward larger aircraft. Ali Al Naqbi, c hairman of the Middle East Business Aviation

MEBA 2012, the Middle East’s biennial business aviation show, is expected to be larger than its four previous stagings when it moves to the new Al Maktoum International Airport this December. Organizers expect the proximity to popular destinations to be a draw.

Association (MEBAA), told AIN that he expects this year’s MEBA show to be about 10 percent larger than the 2010 edition. Fairs & Exhibitions organizes the event in partnership with MEBAA. According to the association, the region’s business aviation market is growing at 10 to 12 percent a year, although precise data are difficult to obtain due to the strong preference for privacy on the part of aircraft owners and operators. Some 530 private aircraft are registered in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, and around 500 more are owned by locals but are registered in Europe or the U.S. for operation in the region. The executive/private charter market in the Middle East is worth more than $500 million annually, estimated Al

This year’s MEBA show is expected to grow by 10 percent over the 2010 edition, which attracted 338 exhibitors, 55 aircraft and 6,200 trade visitors.

32 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

Naqbi. “The UAE and Saudi Arabia represent 70 percent of the business, shared 50-50, by market size,” he said. Slot and parking congestion at Dubai International continues to increase, largely due to unabated growth in airline traffic at the ambitious hub. MEBAA is encouraging the long-term move of business jet operators to Al Maktoum, although clarity on this issue has yet to emerge. Al Maktoum Delays

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The Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show will be staged for the first time at Dubai’s new Al Maktoum International Airport later this year (December 11-13). Organizers say the new location at what is also known as Dubai World Central will allow plenty of space for growth at a show that in 2010 attracted 338 exhibitors, 55 aircraft and 6,200 trade visitors. This year, MEBA will feature new enclaves highlighting helicopters, business airports and VIP aircraft interiors. Arriving for this week’s EBACE show, MEBA organizer Fairs & Exhibitions (Stand 2341) announced that 60 percent of space for the 2012 event

In the wake of serious financial problems impacting first and foremost state-backed Dubai World development group and its real estate subsidiary Nakheel, Dubai Airports has failed to act decisively over the completion of Al Maktoum International and on the timetable for transferring operations. Al Naqbi said facilities are not yet in place to allow such a transfer. “I don’t have a date when [the move will take place],” he said. “It’s a collective decision that will be brought to Sheikh Ahmed [president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority]. We don’t need to have a very complicated facility. We could [work] with a small terminal.” Al Naqbi sees cases of business aircraft operators waiting six hours for takeoff slots at Dubai International. In some cases, this is inspiring operators to vote with their feet by moving operations to Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, a viable alternative to Dubai. These include: Falcon Aviation, Al Jaber Aviation, Prestige Jet and Rotana Jet. Among the charter operators expected to be prominent at this year’s MEBA

show, MEBAA expects Saudia Private Aviation to expand its fleet of eight aircraft to around 40 by 2020. The so-called gray market for illegal charter flights was discussed at a business aviation session at the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi on April 17, which also tackled the difficulty of selling small jets in the region. Citing market analysts, MEBAA has concluded that of the 550 business aircraft based in the Middle East, nearly 90 percent are mid- or large-size jets, while the worldwide average is only 60 percent. o

Aviation Events Crowd the Dubai Calendar The biennial MEBA show is just one of a growing number of aviation events staged in Dubai by Fairs & Exhibitions. On September 16 and 17 this year it will hold both the Gulf Aviation Training Event and the Gulf Air Traffic Management Event at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel. Following MEBA 2012, F&E will organize the Aircraft Interiors Middle East show (Jan. 22-23, 2013), which will be co-located at the Dubai World Trade Centre and run concurrently with the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Middle East show. Then Nov. 17-21, 2013, the main Dubai Airshow is back and this too is due to be staged at Al Maktoum International Airport, with the existing Dubai Airport Expo facility due to be demolished at Dubai International Airport. P.S-S.

Project LIFE imagines bizjet cabin of the future Led by AlmaDesign, a Brazilian/Portuguese consortium that included Brazilian airframer Embraer (Booth No. 741), hit the cabin design jackpot in March with its Project LIFE executive private jet cabin design, winning top prize in the “Visionary Concepts” category of the recent Crystal Cabin Awards in Hamburg, Germany.

The cabin concept was developed by AlmaDesign with the team of Amorim Cork Composites, leather specialist Coruo Azul, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and I ndustrial Management (INEGI) and SET engineering, all of P ortugal, in partnership with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer (Booth No. 7041). The consor-

This cabin mockup shown at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2012 in Hamburg, Germany was the winner of the Crystal Cabin Award in the Visionary Concepts category.

tium’s efforts culminated in a cabin mockup in which design is “focused on the use of natural and sustainable materials.” According to the LIFE team, inspiration for the jet interior and prototype full-scale mockup came from natural structures, based on a symbiotic relationship between natural and artificial elements, “providing a harmonious environment where

technology is subtly pervasive [rather than] being imposed on the passengers.” “Project LIFE is the result of an initial desire to demonstrate our capacity and that of Portuguese industry in generating and aggregating new capabilities for innovative and eco-efficient solutions,” said AlmaDesign president Jose Rui Marcelino. Embraer acted as the interna-

tional consultant for the project by placing its technological development team and its Center for Interiors Validation at the disposal of the group. An investment of approximately $2.3 million in Project Life was co-financed in Portugal by funds from Compete-Qren, a Lisbon-based group created to encourage exploration of new technology and science. –K.J.H.

Helicopters join The Jet Business roster The Jet Business, the new London showroom where would-be business aircraft buyers can evaluate options, is about to add helicopters to its portfolio. The company is working on the purpose-developed software it uses to help buyers select their preferences so it can also incorporate full details of all available rotorcraft. “We have renderings for an executive helicopter app, which we are now fine-tuning to be ready for launch by the summer,” said The Jet Business founder Steve Varsano. “We can even take the showroom’s Airbus ACJ cabin and fit a helicopter interior inside if one of the OEMs would

like to showcase a new model.” Varsano told AIN that his central London store has welcomed several hundred prospective buyers since fully opening in January. “Every client that has walked through our doors has been genuinely interested in the aircraft market and the technology we are showcasing,” he said. “Some 20 percent of visitors are first-time buyers, but the majority of its business is from repeat, referral clients and a rapidly increasing base of new face-toface introductions.” At a press briefing last month Varsano said, “The industry is doing fantastically at the top

end of the market, just like real estate.” Refuting the widely held view that the pre-owned market is overloaded with inventory, he estimated that between 5 and 14 percent of existing business aircraft are available for sale at any time among the various types, but in some cases this means there are barely 10 aircraft available worldwide in each category. Aircraft older than 10 years are moving more slowly due to the greater maintenance and operating costs that they incur. “The year 2000 [for the date of manufacture] is a big line in terms of demand,” Varsano concluded. –C.A.

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Airbus’ VIP completions embrace hi-tech gadgets by Thierry Dubois The Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC) is stepping up efforts to offer the latest in TV, on-board Internet and telecommunications technology, as customers are consistently asking for electronics in their aircraft that have become commonplace on the ground. The Toulouse-based VIP completion facility (Stand 7070) has reached its target production rate of around four new cabins per year. It is working on new Airbus ACJ interiors and is also offering upgrades and refurbishments for all VIP-configured Airbuses. Trends in customer demand include TV, wireless, high-performance Internet connectivity, in-flight use of GSM cell phones and high-definition multimedia interfaces (HDMI), according to the company. In addition, customers are requesting iPad tablets to be used as remote controls for in-flight entertainment, lighting, cabin air temperature, and so forth. “Customers tend to request the gizmos they use at home but

video system uses HDMI wiring. Passengers in VIP zones enjoy 1080p-standard images, and the forward lounge has a 52-inch full HD display. ACJC has, so far, received two firm orders for completions for next year; in 2011 it completed three new cabins. Some of the cabins it is manufacturing are designed in-house by ACJC’s resident designer Sylvain Mariat. In addition to new cabin outfitting, the ACJC is seeing its upgrade and refurbishment business growing. For example, it is refurbishing an aircraft with new seats, carpets, and so forth, and it will soon be outfitted with an upgraded satellite communications kit with WiFi and SwiftBroadband for higher-speed Internet service. By year-end, the company plans to offer Alna V2, a connectivity system that provides a platform for both airborne mobile telephony and Internet services.

Building on a strong legacy of aircraft performance modifications for the aftermarket, today’s BLR Aerospace is also a trusted technology partner to industry OEMs. In the past year both Bell Helicopter Textron and Hawker Beechcraft Corporation™ have selected BLR’s FastFin® Airbus Corporate Jet Centre’s in-house designer Sylvain Mariat created a lounge (above) and a bedroom (right) for an Airbus A319-CJ.

and Winglet Systems for installation on their latest production models.

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P2v AIN2011.indd 7 4/20/12 34BLR EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

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it takes time to have them certified,” Bruno Galzin, head of sales and marketing, told AIN, but there is a log in availability for that technology aboard an aircraft. This year, ACJC plans to deliver five cabins–all on ACJ319s. The first of them, for 18 passengers, was handed over to operator Comlux in early February. In its forward area, a bedroom features two movable beds–in either two single bed or one double-bed format–that also p rovide storage. The aft section, an executive zone, has 12 full-flat, electrically actuated cocoon seats, each equipped with 15-inch video screens. ACJC is also touting the “cabin weight-saving plan” it performed to provide this aircraft with extended range. The telephony system available offers “top-quality sound” with WiFi h andsets. It also offers connectivity based on a complete SwiftBroadband satcom service. The

According to Galzin, that will help reduce the number of “boxes” on board. ACJC employs 215 people and is recruiting another 40, so its total workforce should number more than 250 by year-end. The company’s 100,000 sq ft of hangars, on the site of former EADS subsidiary Sogerma, give it capacity for working on six aircraft simultaneously. The completions house now has a “strong operational link” with Airbus Corporate Jets, a recently formed Airbus business unit. Commercial, program and support activities are regrouped into a single unit, therefore, Airbus can make complete offerings, including completions, just like other business aircraft manufacturers. o

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French airports seek to boost bizav traffic by Thierry Dubois Several French airports have flocked to the EBACE show to promote their

facilities and services for business aviation. For instance, while Nîmes Airport

may take advantage from the proximity of the Mediterranean coast, Chambéry and Grenoble airports seem to enjoy their location next to the Alps. Nîmes Airport (Stand 2240), in the south of the country, is exhibiting for the first time. It has large hangars to rent, following the departure of their former tenants, the French Navy. “They are now available to other users, like general aviation,” Jacques Burguière, deputy director of Nîmes Métropole’s economic development (the owner of the airport), told AIN. The hangars, which range in size from 30,000 to 50,000 sq ft, might be suitable for use by a training organization, for instance, or shared by several aircraft owners. Other potential tenants might include maintenance companies or one setting up an FBO at the airport, which has an 8,000-foot runway. According to Veolia Transport, the operator of the airport, Nîmes is a

French airports are seeing increased business aviation traffic. To accommodate its growing number of customers, Nîmes Airport offers a VIP lounge and concierge services.

cost-effective solution for parking larger business aircraft while their owners spend time on the nearby French Riviera, since its rates are markedly less than those at more prominent Cote d’Azur airports. A VIP lounge and concierge services are available for business aircraft passengers. Nîmes has no dedicated area for crews, but can provide a room for them to prepare the next flight. Business aviation traffic is said to be very seasonal in the south of France. From May to October, many Swiss and British passengers–among others–fly to Nîmes to enjoy their second homes in the region. Last year, business aviation accounted for a total of 424 aircraft movements.

At Chambéry Savoie Airport, winter is the peak period, with business aircraft and scheduled flights bringing hundreds of passengers heading to neighboring ski resorts.

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Meanwhile, Grenoble Isère and Chambéry Savoie airports (Stand 956) are exhibiting here at EBACE for the second year in a row. They are both operated by Vinci Airports. At Grenoble, a dedicated apron and tow tractor are now available to business aviation. Passengers boarding an aircraft weighing less than 100,000 pounds benefit from expedited security checks. The business aviation terminal has recently been refurbished, providing more space and comfort for both passengers and crews, a spokesperson told AIN. Chambéry Airport has launched a dedicated website for business aviation users. It is available in French, English and Russian. During the winter–Chambéry’s busiest season–the peak period for business aviation is the Russian New Year in January. During the 2011-2012 winter season, Grenoble Airport saw an estimated 100-percent increase in business aviation traffic–600 aircraft movements. Chambéry recorded 5 percent growth, at 2,000 movements. High-end jets such as Bombardier Globals, large-cabin Gulfstreams, Boeing BBJs and Airbus ACJs account for an increasing number of the visiting aircraft. o

Ruag, ExecuJet join forces to operate revamped FBO by Liz Moscrop

Jérôme Decaix, an avionics technical support engineer with Dassault, explained how FalconBroadcast transmits filtered maintenance information while the Falcon is flying.

Dassault FalconBroadcast allows airborne monitoring by Thierry Dubois Dassault Aviation (Stand 7090) is here at EBACE promoting FalconBroadcast, a new service that will provide operators of Falcon business jets with realtime airborne health monitoring. This includes notification of in-flight events, which may require the attention of maintenance personnel. The service will be available initially for Falcon 7X operators in June. For Falcon 900s and Falcon 2000s (if they are equipped with the EASy flight deck, which early variants are not) it will be available “later this year,” said the French manufacturer. “With FalconBroadcast, aircraft maintenance teams can quickly resolve or even avoid aircraft-on-ground situations,” said Jacques Chauvet, Dassault’s senior vice president of Falcon worldwide customer services. Anticipation is the main benefit for FalconBroadcast, according to Dassault. An overheat event, for instance, can be caused by a valve failure, which the central maintenance computer (CMC) will signal via FalconBroadcast. The maintenance technician on the ground can then have a replacement valve supplied to the aircraft’s next destination and a qualified engineer flown out to install it. Previously, maintenance operations did not begin until a technician downloaded the fault history database from the CMC after landing. With the new service, the operator receives an email alert with filtered information–just the main facts. For more details,

the technician may log on to the Falcon portal, where they will find the event history, timeline and contributing factors. Dassault even suggests possible causes, with their precise locations. The entire process– from filtering to suggestions–is automated. More than 1,000 pieces of equipment for the Falcon 7X are monitored by integrated maintenance, so identifying relevant information is important. “This is why, on the ground, we filter and prioritize the information received,” said Jérôme Decaix, avionics technical support engineer. FalconBroadcast uses Honeywell’s AFIS, which is the bridge between the aircraft’s CMC and the communications systems. By default, it uses VHF, but when outside VHF range it uses satellite communications– via the ACARS system. Dassault has been developing FalconBroadcast for a few years, and has used the system during a testing phase that lasted about one year and included 13 aircraft: eight Falcon 7Xs (since April 2011), four Falcon 2000 LXs (since July 2011) and one Falcon 900 LX (since September 2011). Thanks to this beta test phase, FalconBroadcast’s final version was improved from the initial concept, said Dassault. FalconBroadcast costs $19,000 for installation in an in-service Falcon and includes nine months of use, after which it costs $9,000 per aircraft per year. For a new Falcon, the option is offered for free, including nine months of use, after which the customer pays $9,000 per aircraft per year. o

ExecuJet Aviation and Ruag have announced a new partnership to provide handling and support here at Geneva Airport. The companies will jointly operate Ruag’s existing FBO, which has just benefited from a $3 million remodeling. The FBO features several dedicated passenger lounges, a crew rest area, workstations and free WiFi throughout. It provides clients with customs, immigration and quarantine, VIP ground transportation and concierge services, as well as deicing and fueling. ExecuJet will install its dedicated FBO One software in Geneva, enabling the FBO to share data with ExecuJet’s worldwide network. “It has long been our plan to expand our presence in Western Europe and this is a terrific opportunity for both companies,” said ExecuJet Europe managing director Cedric Migeon. “Geneva is the second busiest business aviation airport in Europe so we are expanding at the locations that matter. Also, our Geneva-based [aircraft management] fleet is growing there and this means we have more availability for charter.” Ruag’s 3,000-sq-ft facility handles more than 6,000 movements per year, and has sufficient capacity to handle peaks of up to 80 movements per day, with a dedicated ramp that includes parking space for up to six aircraft (current

plans see this increasing to 12). ExecuJet has been running its Zurich FBO for 11 years, in addition to nine other European facilities. Nicole Gut, director of ExecuJet’s European FBOs, will oversee the transition alongside Ruag’s general manager, Bernd Heinrich, who assumes overall responsibilities for the manufacturer’s adjacent maintenance facilities. The ExecuJet/Ruag FBO is situated on the northwest side of

With a recently completed remodeling project, ExecuJet will now join with Ruag to provide business aviation passengers top-tier amenties here at Geneva Airport.

Geneva Airport, away from the other FBOs on site. It has extensive parking space for aircraft and arguably offers more discretion for arriving and departing passengers. Meanwhile, ExecuJet is continuing to pursue new FBO

Stratafleet.com web portal promises precise bookings by Amy Laboda Stratajet has unveiled a new web portal presenting aircraft charter availability and pricing in Europe. The UK-based company claims that new Stratafleet platform, which is due to go live August 1, will calculate charter quotes more efficiently and accurately than through existing systems. Jonny Nicol, CEO of Stratajet, said Europe’s charter industry is inefficient and that he is determined to fix the problem. “We know our pricing is accurate because we’ve been so careful to enter the data,” he told an EBACE press conference “We used a double-blind method by

38 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

opportunities on other continents. It intends to open a new facility in Lagos, Nigeria, with a local partner later this year. Also in the works is a plan for an FBO partnership in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “There is a clear development strategy to indentify airports that complement our network,” Mark Abbott, group FBO director, told AIN. “We have seen a [traffic] slowdown in Europe but Africa and the Middle East are buoyant and we also looking at opportunities in China and South America.” ExecuJet also is considering a plan to adopt the audit system developed for FBOs by the U.S. National Air Transport Association as a way of ensuring consistent service standards across

which the system could check itself for inaccuracies before we ever use the data. “Our software differs from a typical broker’s program or online charter marketplace because we

CEO of Stratajet Jonny Nicol and COO Olivia Scarlett expect their charter pricing web portal to go live on August 1.

its growing network. “We don’t give our brand away lightly, so we go through a feasibility stage [with prospective FBO partners],” said Abbott. “We don’t want to be at locations with the wrong partners.” o will not provide an estimate,” said Nicol. “We process 14 key pricing elements and apply proprietary computer algorithms to arrive at a flight price that will be completely accurate. We are so confident in our pricing engine that we will refund the charter company the difference if the price charged to the customer turns out to be inaccurate.” Stratajet will charge just a few euros a day for using Stratafleet– significantly less than a traditional broker charges to book a flight. Stratafleet will also monitor dead legs for its charter customers and aims to help companies fill those legs quickly. Nicol’s vision is that one day Stratafleet pricing will allow charter legs to be posted next to airline fares in existing commercial pricing engines and purchased with one or two clicks of a mouse by the end user. o

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Medaire joins HBC support offering Hawker Beechcraft has added MedAire’s medical safety program to its SupportPlus maintenance and parts service plan for new Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft. Owners that sign up for SupportPlus will receive an additional four years of MedLink

membership, recurrent training vouchers and annual refurbishment of their aircraft first-aid kits. This augments the current MedAire membership entitlement that HBC provides to new aircraft owners. U.S.-based Medaire (Stand

354) is also promoting its HealthMap 2012 tool here at EBACE. The map offers companies a visual representation of the medical risks present in countries all over the world, as well as providing a country-specific health risk rating.

Earlier this year Medaire introduced a new “variable risk” category, which applies to countries where the level of medical risk in the major cities is low or moderate, but in other areas is high. This level was applied to all the BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India and China] countries, plus Argentina, Azerbaijan, Chile, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Peru, Philippines,

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Thailand and Vietnam. In the BRIC countries, the level of health risk is often determined by the availability or accessibility of adequate medical care. In China, for example, pre-hospital care is an emerging concept, and transportation to a hospital may not be readily available. The concept of disease and approach to treatment can differ from Western countries, and accessing care may prove difficult because of language barriers, the lack of medical specialization and very busy medical structures. To cater for customers traveling in China International SOS recently opened a new clinic in Tianjin, its fifth in the country. –L.M.

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40 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

Business jet operators heading for next month’s Euro 2012 football championship in Poland and the Ukraine will face access problems if they don’t book slots early. This was the warning from Jetex Flight Support, whose international network includes a facility with a lounge in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. “We are seeing an increasing demand for the championships,” said Samer Mansour, Jetex’s regional director for the CIS and Eastern Europe. “We expect an additional 1,000 to 1,500 flights to fly into Poland and Ukraine.” The Dubai-based group’s business development manager for Europe, Mariya Vynohradova, urged operators not to delay in seeking help with flight planning and also to book accommodation in advance. Last year, Jetex launched a new FBO partnership in Shannon, Ireland, where operators and their passengers can complete U.S. immigration and customs procedures before flying directly into U.S. airports, as if their flight were domestic. In 2009, Jetex opened a new FBO at Paris Le Bourget Airport and now claims to handle 18 percent of all movements there. Jetex CEO Adel Mardini told AIN he is still looking at other expansion opportunities in Europe and didn’t rule out making an announcement here at EBACE. “The target is to have between 10 and 15 FBOs, with a minimum of two announced this year,” he said. “We like to be in crowded locations where we can prove ourselves.” –N.M.

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328 Support stakes claim on 328JET makeovers by Kirby J. Harrison In addition to its broad-based cabin interiors work, over the past half-decade 328 Support Services has built itself a niche in the market for an executive and private aircraft conversion from the Dornier 328JET. Branded the 328DBJ (Dornier Business Jet), a full-scale, cutaway mockup is on display at the company’s exhibit here at EBACE (Stand 1913). With a ready supply of the twinjet airliners sitting in storage, 328 Support Services can afford to cherry pick among the lowtime, twin-engine aircraft in good condition at a cost of $5 million to $8 million. And for another $4 million to $6 million for a major executive interior upgrade, the customer has “an elegant airplane” with a cabin roughly the size of a new Embraer Legacy 650 at approximately half the cost. 328 Support refers to the 328DBJ as “a bespoke luxury.” The company, based at Munich Executive Airport in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, introduced the 328DBJ in late

2010 as a replacement for the earlier Envoy version, with a longer cabin: 10 meters long, 2.15 meters wide and 1.8 meters high (33 feet by 7 feet by 6 feet). The 328DBJ was certified in June 2011. According to 328 Support, there are 17 Envoys and two 328DBJs in service and “two more orders are pending.” According to sales support manager Kim Fuller, among the most recent deliveries are an executive 328DBJ and two 328DBJs in shuttle configuration for an African operator. The 328DBJ is typically configured for 12 passengers, cruises at 400 knots at 35,000 feet, and with optional longrange auxiliary fuel system has a range of 2,000 nm. But 328 Support is no onetrick pony. The company is a type certificate holder and with its sister company 328 Design, is expanding the company’s market reach well beyond the 328DBJ. It has just won a major cabin refurbishment job

Embraer invests $200M to support bizjet line In 2004, the entire Embraer business jet fleet consisted of a single airplane, the Legacy 600. A year later it rolled out the Lineage 1000, an executive version of the E190 airliner, and that same year unveiled plans for the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 and announced its goal of becoming a major player in the business aviation market. Eight years later, the Brazilian airframer has more than 500 business jets in service worldwide and to date has invested more than $200 million in its Customer Support Integrated Solution to service and support that fleet.

“Just selling airplanes doesn’t make you a success,” said Edson Mallaco, vice president of customer support and services at a recent media briefing. “You must service and support what you sell.” Embraer now has more than 60 service centers worldwide, 12 of which have come on line since EBACE 2011. The company’s five Embraer-owned centers in Brazil, France and the U.S. are among that number, including a new company-owned center in Sorocaba, Brazil, that is expected to begin operations in 2013. Nayak in Frankfurt, Germany, and Milan, Italy, are approved

Embraer’s service center at OGMA, Portugal, is one of more than 60 facilities worldwide.

on a Gulfstream IV and has been awarded contracts to supply galleys for executive Boeing Business Jets and a Boeing 767. A spokesman 328 Support can do elements of cabin design, reconfiguration and refurbishment on jets as large as the ACJ330 or ACJ340 or as small as a helicopter. In addition to aircraft mods and interior reconfiguration, 328 Support offers a variety of products, including structural parts, seat tracks, fuel tanks, control cables and electronic harnesses. 328 Support is EASA Part 21J design-, Part 21G production- and Part 145 maintenance approved. In addition, another sister company, Jet Engineering Technical Support (JETS), located at Bournemouth Airport on England’s south coast, has upgraded its paint hangar and is capable of doing exterior paint on the 328DBJ. At EBACE, 328 Support is sharing an exhibit booth with Jet Engineering Technical Support, as well as 328 Design. 328 Support also has a concession on the stand for business associate Visionnaire, an Italian designer and builder of highend home furniture now moving into aircraft interiors. o centers for the Legacy 1000 and the Legacy 600 and 650 series. The center at Jet Aviation in Moscow opened in March and already has $1.4 million in stock on site. A center at Altenrhein, Switzerland, will serve Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 owners and operators and is scheduled to open this year. Another new location is at Kaduna Airport in Nigeria, which is scheduled to open by August to provide service and support for the Legacy 600s and the new 650. Further adding to its network, Embraer has established a centralized customer support center with 24/7 availability. According to Mallaco, the center is “fully dedicated to executive aviation and staffed by executive aviation specialists.” Embraer has also expanded its network of field support representatives (FSOs) who are integrated into the service center network and the new customer support center. There are 13 FSOs responsible for Europe and the Middle East, a number that is expected to reach 19 in 2013. A new customer account manager concept has been implemented in Europe and the Middle East, and will be expanded to other regions throughout 2012.

42 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

Dark veneer cabinetry and a wine-colored carpet in the 328DBJ provide pops of color in what would otherwise be a rather vanilla cabin.

The 328 Support Services makeover of the lavatory of the Dornier 328JET includes a clean and well-appointed lavatory that offers a surprising amount of storage space.

Parts are a point of focus and further investment has been made in stocks at warehouses in France, Singapore and the U.S. as well as in seven distribution centers worldwide and in on-site stocks at 43 authorized service centers. The effort has also included partnerships with global shippers such as UPS in the U.S., CEVA Logistics in the Middle East and Menlo in Singapore. By December this year, Embraer expects to have $375 million in stock items spread among the seven distribution centers. “And we will have a dedicated material and logistics group in place a year from now,” added Mallaco. Keeping up with the new world of instant connectivity, Embraer has also embarked on programs that include iPad apps and an improved customer relationship web portal as well as maintenance tracking. “We have also not neglected customer training for the aircraft we sell,” said Mallaco. There are full-flight simulators in place in Paris, France, Burgess Hill in the UK and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Others are in the U.S., in Dallas, Houston and St. Louis. In São Paulo, full-flight simulators for the Phenom 100

and Phenom 300 is expected to open shortly. To further build a close customer relationship, Embraer plans to host seven operators’ conferences and two roundtables worldwide, among them one this month in Paris and another in October in Dubai. The company has also created flight operations engineering courses for Phenom customers in North and Latin America. This year there will be courses for Phenom customers in Europe and the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, and for Legacy 600 and 650 owners worldwide. The efforts by Embraer in service and support are apparently bearing fruit. According to Embraer Executive Jets director of MRO centers Jacques Blondeau, the Embraer-owned service centers in Mesa, Arizona, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recently received the Diamond Award, granted by the FAA for actively participating in its aviation technician training program. “This is an important milestone that reassures all our Phenom and Legacy executive jet owners about the quality of the work and skill of the aircraft technicians at our service centers,” he concluded. –K.J.H.

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StandardAero serves Euro clients in the U.S. by Kirby J. Harrison StandardAero’s European strat egy is anything but standard. Ac cording to senior vice president of business aviation Scott Taylor, the maintenance, repair and over haul provider looked at the possi bility of expanding its operation into Europe about two years ago but rejected the idea. “There was a lot of competition over there al ready,” he explained, “and from our perspective, adding more ca pacity where there was already an overcapacity wasn’t a good idea.” So the Phoenix, Arizonabased company (Stand 671) developed the idea of creat ing global service partnerships with established companies in Europe for the mutual advan tage of all involved on both sides of the ocean. One example is the relation ship with TAG Aviation Europe that “allows a seamless transi tion” for StandardAero custom ers flying in Europe or for TAG customers operating in North America. Working with TAG to provide engine support, Taylor said StandardAero has discovered it can provide an engine overhaul

in about half the time required by many shops in Europe. One of the advantages en joyed by StandardAero’s Euro pean partners is certification. StandardAero has organiza tional designation authorization from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to provide cer tification at its locations in Los Angeles; Springfield, Illinois; and Marysville, Tennessee. “We can do both EASA [Europe an Aviation Safety Agency] and FAA certification simultaneous ly in half the time of most Euro pean facilities,” said Taylor. At its facilities in Augus ta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Oma ha, Nebraska; and Springfield, Ohio, StandardAero does light/ medium- to large-cabin refur bishment at various levels. “Any thing you want done in a cabin we can do at our Springfield cen ter,” said Taylor. And there is some overlap with Associated Air Center (AAC) in Dallas which, like StandardAero, is a Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) company.

The hangar at StandardAero’s sister company in Dallas, Texas, Associated Air center will soon see the arrival of a green ACJ330 for completion.

AAC has been focused on completion and refurbishment of executive airplanes in the sin gle-aisle category for years but now has returned to larger air liner work and its first contract is to outfit a green Airbus ACJ330 for a Middle Eastern customer. “We’ve also made some invest ments in extending a hangar to accommodate the larger air planes,” said AAC vice president and general manager Troy Jonas. Both the Dallas and Spring field facilities have cabinetry and upholstery shops and will share resources, “depending on the workload.” Most of StandardAero’s

facilities also provide avion ics repair and upgrades. In fact, AAC recently completed the incorporation of a service bulle tin and kit for a Class-3 electronic flight bag on the Boeing Business Jet. “We worked directly with the Boeing, CMC and Carlisle Inter connect Technologies engineer ing teams in the early provisions installation STC and the latest LRU installation and activation STC,” said Jonas. In the engine world, Stan dardAero moved its Honeywell TFE731 major overhaul (up to and including hot section) from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Spring field after consulting a customer

Custom Control launches LED cabin lights Custom Control Concepts doesn’t claim to be the biggest, but is quietly going about solidifying a claim to being the best. The U.S. cabin electronics specialist comes to EBACE 2012 (Stand 883) with a hefty contract from executive aircraft outfitter L-3 Platform Integration (Stand 1765) to provide the cabin management system and high-definition, digital in-flight entertain ment for a head-of-state 747-8 green-air craft completion.

According to vice president of business operations Serae Jemera, Custom Control continues to work closely with the Waco, Texas outfitter “to ensure that each cus tom switch panel, high-definition monitor and touch-screen menu is exactly what the client envisions.” To bolster its presence at EBACE, Cus tom Control is announcing the launch of a new, all-LED Spectrum line of cabin lighting with an integrated controller that eliminates

the need for separate control boxes. Not only does it allow a choice through the entire color spectrum, it can be easily reconfigured to meet passenger preference. Jemera emphasized the degree of cus tomization available in the company’s cabin management system. While it specializes in single- and twin-aisle airliner conversions to executive use, it has installed more than 130 CMS packages in more than 130 aircraft, from Boeing 747s to helicopters, adapting each system to customer requirements. Equally important, said marketing coordinator Austin Campbell, is that Custom Control is known for is abil ity to create systems that will interface with equipment from other manufactur ers. “We’re the number-one integrator out Along with the CMS and in-flight entertainment systems from Custom Control Concepts come a broad array of choices: • High definition monitors up to 70 inches; •D olby Digital 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound; • Audio/video on demand; • SkyShow real-time 3-D moving map in any language; • Expandable media storage units;

An ACJ319 cabin lounge features Custom Control Concepts’ ability to provide full cabin electronics customization, from the cabin management system to control panels.

44 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

• iPad, iPhone, iPod docking; • Custom-built, lightweight composite speakers; and

• the iPlane app.

advisory board. “Our custom ers really want a true one-stop shop,” said Taylor, “where they can get engine work, avionics, maintenance and overhaul and major refurbishment work done, in part or completely. “We’ve branded it “Com plete Care,” a nose-to-tail resource for operators to reduce their down time and improve their bottom line.” In Winnipeg, Canada, where StandardAero maintains a 162,000-sq-ft facility supporting the General Electric CF34 series and CFM65-7B, the company celebrated delivery of its 1,000th GE engine. o

there,” he stated, “from window shades to controlling the potable water supply.” The iPlane app is prominently featured at the Custom Control exhibit. The wireless app allows passengers to control all aspects of the cabin through any Apple device. It also allows a passenger to view any video stored in the entertainment system on an Apple device. Simultaneous streaming is possible to as many as 10 devices per access point. And, said Campbell, it will even allow the user to upload a sunset photograph taken on vacation and match that color in the cabin LED lighting system. Currently in development is a similar app for Android smartphones and tablets. Campbell emphasized not only Cus tom Control’s ability customize, but the fact that it has on-site testing capability with fully a certified vibration, electromag netic interference, temperature, flammabil ity and crash safety laboratory. Custom Control claims to have been one of the first cabin electronics vendors to offer remote systems diagnostics. But, according to Campbell, with the system it doesn’t get much to diagnose, thanks to the company’s policy of assembling every cabin electronic system in full in its integration lab before it goes out. There, it goes through extensive testing and then the owner of the airplane is invited to come in and “play” with it. Not until it has completed that phase of testing is a system packed and shipped for installation. –K.J.H.

news clips z Richardson Is New V-P at Yankee Pacific Yankee Pacific Aerospace (YPA) has appointed Rick Richardson as vice president of business development, while Harvey Ticlo succeeds Richardson as president of YPA’s Cabin Innovations division. Richardson will continue to support the division in marketing and sales. Ticlo, with more than 20 years of experience, including five in aircraft maintenance and modification facilities in the U.S., has worked on completions on Boeing BBJ and Bombardier Global Express aircraft.

z Lufthansa Technik Renews Pact with Airbus Lufthansa Technik has renewed its general agreement to provide interiors and finishing for Airbus VIP and executive jets, including the ACJ318. So far, the company has delivered 15 ACJ318 cabin completions from it facility in Hamburg, Germany, and two ACJ318s from its U.S. subsidiary, BizJet International, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Three more aircraft are scheduled for completion in Tulsa. In 2010 and 2011, Lufthansa Technik (Stand 443) completed two ACJ319s and two A340-300s and delivered them to the German government. Currently, it has several Airbus aircraft for private customers in its order book. The company has also extended its cooperation with Bombardier Aerospace on cabin management and in-flight entertainment system installation to the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 models. The “nice HD” system includes personal HD video at most seats with either 7- or 10-inch lightweight pop-up displays. The system includes USB, Apple computer and HDMI interfaces with encoding and streaming via Ethernet. The multifunction media center is able to play back two applications simultaneously in HD, yet it is smaller than a typical DVD player. Its open architecture allows for a variety of configurations, including third-party solutions, according to Lufthansa Technik. Even so, the company said, the nice system meets digital rights management requirements.

z German Connection Clicks with Signature Signature Flight Support (Stand 827) announced at EBACE yesterday that it has signed an agreement with Berlin Schönefeld Airport to provide supervisory handling at the airport’s general aviation terminal, beginning in June. The FBO facility will offer private crew and passenger lounge areas, as well as on-site customs and immigration. The airport is due to be renamed Berlin Brandenburg International in a few weeks. The U.S.-based FBO chain also announced that its Frankfurt facility now provides fueling services through Rheinland Air Service, in a joint endeavor to enhance the customer experience there. The Signature facility at Germany’s Frankfurt Main International Airport opened in December 2011.

Farnborough terminal is optimized for Olympics by Amy Laboda TAG Farnborough Airport (Stand 7020) has revealed further improvements to its distinctive terminal building. The work has been completed in time for the London Olympic Games, for which it expects to be one of the main gateways for business aviation. In the past 10 years the airport has invested more than $160 million in its infrastructure, and it believes that this is paying off. In the latest International FBO Survey published in the May edition of AIN, TAG Farnborough achieved the highest average score for the sixth consecutive year. The terminal improvements enhance passenger flow and the comfort and privacy of passengers during busy periods. Most of the redesign and enhancements have been made in the crew room and arrivals lounge. The crew room now contains state-of-the-art snooze

cabins, where crew can rest without being disturbed by noise or extraneous light. It also is equipped with WiFi, computer access, a drink and snack bar, comfortable seating, satellite television and broad library of books and movies. Sophie Lesnoff, the company’s customer services manager, described the passenger arrivals lounge as “all-new” and added, “We are now able to offer a

First Class Cars Ready for Olympic Service Business aviation ground transportation specialist First Class Cars has set up a base at Farnborough Airport. The new operation has been established to be ready to respond to increased demand expected from this summer’s Olympic Games and the Farnborough Air Show. It also will be working closely with the nearby Aviator Hotel to provide a convenient connection to TAG’s terminal building. First Class Cars is based at London Luton Airport, but also has a base at Stansted Airport. “The decision to open at Farnborough, the UK’s only dedicated business aviation airport demonstrates our continued focus on the executive aviation sector,” said managing director Graham Coate. n

Geneva Airpark is adding items to its service menu by Thierry Dubois After recording “more than 4,000 aircraft movements” last year, up 12 percent from 2010, Geneva Airpark (Stand 2064) is here at EBACE looking to attract more business aircraft

added to the offer this year as well. Sophie Mabire, general manager, told AIN at the show yesterday that this means servicing oxygen and fluids. She added that other companies

z Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Names New Manager Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport (Stand 1943) has named Yousif Hassan Al Hammadi as acting general manager, with immediate effect. Until recently, Yousif was chairman of the organizing committee of Abu Dhabi Air Expo. He is also the president of the recently formed Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association branch in the United Arab Emirates. Al Bateen, which is operated by Abu Dhabi Airports Company, saw business aviation traffic grow 11 percent in 2011. During the first four months of 2012, traffic increased by 26 percent compared with the same period last year.

z Le Bourget FBO Equips for Widebody Bizjets The Advanced Air Support FBO at Paris Le Bourget has purchased equipment to handle widebody business jets such as Boeing 777s and Airbus A340s. The equipment consists of two air-starter units, a container dolly, a goods lift, de-icing equipment and a medical lift for wheelchair access. In addition, a new hangar dedicated to this size of aircraft is being built and will open by the end of the year. Advanced Air Support is hosted under the Jet Services group umbrella (Stand 148) here at EBACE.

Geneva Airpark conducts business from a building adjacent to the C3 general aviation terminal here at Geneva International Airport. Business grew 12 percent in 2011.

operators. The handling services company is based at a three-year-old building next to the C3 general aviation terminal at Geneva International Airport. The terminal is conspicuous thanks to its large size and distinctive yellow trusses above its roof. Simple maintenance is being

46 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

superior level of comfort, privacy and service.” A new departure lounge, complete with bar and comfortable seating, is also in the works. As always, Farnborough Airport enables private business jet passengers direct ramp access via their private vehicles if they prefer not to use the lounge facilities. Meanwhile, Geneva-based TAG Aviation Europe has appointed Manuel Manas as general manager at TAG Aviation España in Madrid. Manas has held senior management positions in Spanair. The former aerospace engineer will be responsible for the company’s Spanish aircraft management, charters, FBOs and maintenance. o

could perform more maintenance operations, as long as they keep the hangar tidy. Last year, Geneva Airpark introduced water and toilet services on the ramp, as well as WiFi in the hangar and on the ramp. Also relatively new are onsite linen and dishwashing–the clean materials can be delivered

back directly to the aircraft, Mabire said. The company welcomes both annual customers (with sold-out capacity now, at 30 aircraft contracts, not all being in Geneva at one time) and daily clients. The hangar is able to house two Boeing 747s simultaneously, although it usually houses smaller aircraft, the record number being 26 business jets during last winter’s period of severe cold. The company does not offer anti-icing at present but endeavors to keep the jets inside the heated hangar as long as possible. “With good coordination with the crew, we need to tug them out only 30 minutes before departure,” explained Mabire. Geneva Airpark has 12 employees, 10 of them directly involved in operations. It has 107,000 sq ft of hangar space, as well as 75,000 sq ft of ramp space, 50,000 sq ft of office space and 145 car-parking positions. o AINonline iPhone App NOW AVAILABLE

Summer is just around the corner, and Jet Aviation will be ready with approval from French authorities to fly charter passengers in a Phenom 300 to Saint-Tropez La Môle International Airport.

Jet Aviation ok’d to fly Phenom to St. Tropez Jet Aviation (Stand 7040) has secured authorization from the French authorities to fly the Embraer Phenom 300 into Saint-Tropez La Môle International Airport in the south of France, the first air charter operator to gain such approval. “With summer just around the corner, we are delighted to offer our Phenom 300 customers quick and expedient access to Saint Tropez,” said Claudio Peer, Jet Aviation vice president of aircraft

management and charter sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. “The Phenom 300 holds a lot of appeal for our style-conscious customer base and is ideal for shorter-range flights within Europe and Northern Africa.” Diverse Fleet

Jet Aviation’s European charter fleet consists of a variety of aircraft, including three Citation Bravos, a Citation Excel, a Phenom 300, a Dassault

Falcon 2000 and 900 EX and two Gulfstream G550s. In addition, the company’s Dusseldorf MRO facility announced that it has performed the first medevac conversion of an Embraer Legacy 600, which will serve for both medevac, with four patient stretcher systems, and as a VIP charter aircraft accommodating up to 14 passengers. Jet Aviation Dusseldorf is an accredited center of Excellence for Embraer aircraft. The facility has three hangars totaling 6,400 sq m (66,100 sq ft) and holds repair station approvals from the European Aviation Safety Agency and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. –B.C.

Iacobucci HF (Stand 167) is rolling out its ATS Galley Cart here at the EBACE show. The sleek, modern cart was developed in collaboration with BMW Group DesignworksUSA, and combines structural optimization and weight-saving design with an array of customization options. The Italian company and BMW Group DesignworksUSA previously partnered to create Iacobucci’s new VIP seat model line, which is also on display here at EBACE. Iacobucci used innovative materials-testing procedures and assembly processes in developing the ATS Cart, and the company employs advanced supply chain quality controls during production to ensure quality and ontime delivery to customers. “I am very proud of the new Iacobucci HF Galley Cart, and I am confident it meets the rigorous demands of weight saving, functionality and robustness to ensure its useful application aboard aircraft around the world for many years to come,” said Lucio Iacobucci, president

A Blackhawk milestone: 375th PT6A upgrade by Amy Laboda capability. The XP42A Grand Caravan conversion changes the mission profile of the aircraft completely. It shortens climb to altitude by 50 percent, increases mtow by 300 pounds and true airspeed by nearly 30 knots. The aircraft’s takeoff run is 40 percent shorter. Imagine what you can do!” The company has sold 16 conversions since October 2011, according to Allmon, nine of them going to skydiving operations. “Skydiving operations are finding that they can increase their business by nearly 25 percent because they can fly more loads. That time-to-climb reduction is really paying off for them,” said Allmon. Blackhawk provides a 3,600-hour TBO or 5,000-hour TBO (for qualified operators) with a qualified trend monitoring program. Documentation includes a flight manual supplement with full flight test-certified performance and maintenance manuals. In addition, Blackhawk offers full technical support for the life of the aircraft. In another EBACE contract signing, Blackhawk inked a deal for one of its XP61 packages. The customer is South Coast Air Charter, upgrading a King Air 200. Blackhawk’s partner in the

UK, MCA Aviation of Shoreham-bySea, West Sussex, will install two new PWC PT6A-61 engines in the aircraft, each rated at 850 shp.

Iacobucci HF teamed with BMW DesignworksUSA to develop this VIP seat line for corporate aircraft.

Customers receive prepaid enrollment in Camp Systems’ aircraft maintenance tracking program and The Trend Group’s turbine trend analysis program. The performance advantages of the XP61 upgrade include an improved rate of climb with lower fuel consumption, a higher single-engine service ceiling and an increase in true airspeed. o

MARK WAGNER

Blackhawk (Stand 483) has signed a deal for its 375th aircraft performanceimprovement upgrade, as a consequence making the Waco, Texas-based company one of the largest non-OEM buyers of new Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) turboprop engines in the world. Blackhawk signed the contract with Aerodynamics of Douglas, Isle of Man, for its XP42A Cessna Grand Caravan upgrade. The XP42A features an 850shp PWC PT6A-42A engine and a 1,000hour, no-calendar-limit PWC warranty. The system also includes a wide-chord, 100-inch-diameter Hartzell four-blade propeller; composite cowling and highefficiency inlet duct; a 40-percent larger oil cooler; four-point engine mount ring assembly; engine mount isolators; engine hose kit; Blackhawk Hawkeye DigiLog engine gauges; and Frakes exhaust stacks. “Overhaul shops certainly sharpen their pencils when they hear that an owner is interested in one of our upgrades but, really, how can they compete?” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk’s president and CEO. “Our engines are new, and when the conversion is complete, the owner has an aircraft with much improved performance

DAVID McINTOSH

Iacobucci shows new galley, seat

and CEO of Iacobucci HF. “For the new Iacobucci aircraft trolley system, we’ve brought the style, fit and finish that customers expect to find in premium environments at home to enhance their onboard experience,” said Laurenz Schaffer, president, BMW Group DesignworksUSA. “Traditional galley carts used in the cabin resemble the rugged, battered cargo that’s loaded beneath the aircraft, and do little to create a welcoming station for passengers to choose their meals or perhaps shop for duty free.” –J.W.

Blackhawk president and CEO Jim Allmon, center, signed a deal for one of its XP42A Cessna Caravan upgrades with Martin Courage, left, of Aerodynamics Ltd. Joining the festivities is John Saabas, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada. Engine-upgrade specialist Blackhawk is among the largest non-OEM buyers of PWC PT6As.

www.ainonline.com • May 15, 2012 • EBACE Convention News 47

news clips

Airline-style strategy pays off for GlobeAir

Munich, Germany-based operator MHS Aviation is here at EBACE 2012 (Stand 749) promoting its renewed portfolio of aircraft, including its recent acquisition of two pre-owned Dornier 328-100 turboprops, each seating 32 passengers. “For the last 12 months, we have seen an increase in the demand for group travel of up to 30 passengers,” said Frank Steitz, director of charter sales. The two 328s are available for charter and wet lease. All the pilots, flight attendants and ground staff, including the director of flight operations and the director of training, have been sourced from IOSA-certified operators, said Steitz. MHS Aviation operates 11 aircraft in total. The other fixedwing aircraft are five Learjets–two of them in air-ambulance configuration. The helicopter fleet is composed of two AgustaWestland A109 light twins, a Eurocopter AS350 BE light single and one Bell 206L LongRanger.

Austrian charter company GlobeAir is to take delivery of its eleventh Cessna Citation Mustang today, making it the largest operator of the type in the world. The company has 29 percent of the entry-level jet segment market share in Europe, and is aiming to push that figure up to 55 percent over the next two years. “The most asked question for us is, ‘Do you make

z CRS Marks 30 Years in Bizav with iPad Giveaway

z Ocean Sky Expands with Menorca FBO UK-based business aviation services group Ocean Sky Jet Centre (Stand 1669) has announced the purchase of Menorca’s Mahon FBO, becoming the sole private jet handling provider on the island. The purchase will enhance Ocean Sky’s ability to provide aircraft supervision in Menorca and increase its movement on the island to some 1,000 per year, according to the company. Previous owner Karen Green will remain at the facility as manager of Ocean Sky Jet Centre FBOs in Spain at Menorca and Ibiza. Ocean Sky also operates FBOs at London Luton, Manchester and Scotland Prestwick. “Becoming the single FBO at Menorca enables Ocean Sky to consolidate its position on the island and send the clear message that the Balearics are an important location for the Ocean Sky brand,” said Ocean Sky CEO Steve Grimes. “Together with our thriving Ibiza FBO, Spain remains a key growth target for the expansion of the Jet Centre network.”

z Flight Display Offers High-def Cabin System Flight Display Systems (Stand 1932) is introducing its upgraded Select CMS Platinum cabin management system at EBACE. The U.S. company claims that, compared to the original Select CMS, the Platinum version offers higher quality, better reliability and lower costs, and it is easier to install. The system provides high-definition with resolution up to 1080p on monitors from 5 to 55 inches. It also offers control through iPads, Android devices or any web browser. “We are expecting FAA parts manufacturer approval soon and have a large FAA STC project under way for the majority of this new equipment,” said David Gray, company president. Separately, Flight Display Systems is endeavoring to make its European presence pay off. Under a new partnership, Parisbased Surfeo is becoming the firm’s representative for European customers. In parallel, Flight Display Systems has received a Part 145 maintenance approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency.

z FAI Buys Spectrum Stretchers for CRJs Germany-based Flight Ambulance International (FAI, Stand 749) has ordered six Spectrum Aeromed 2800 series stretchers for its newly acquired Bombardier CRJ200. One of the stretchers will be fitted with “advanced life support systems.” To its fleet of “specialpurpose” aircraft, FAI plans to add two BAE Systems Avro jets, also able to carry six stretchers or more each, by year-end.

MARK WAGNER

U.S.-based CRS Jet Spares is celebrating its 30th year in business aviation here at the EBACE show this year by giving away an iPad to one lucky visitor, who will be selected from those who drop a business card off at the company’s exhibit (Stand 428). The winner will be announced at the stand today at 4 p.m. “It gives us the opportunity to reward our loyal customers,” explained CRS founder and CEO Armando Leighton Jr. CRS was recently approved by Hawker Beechcraft as an authorized supplier of aftermarket parts to support operators with legacy aircraft. The company has started aggressive global expansion in Europe, Asia and South America.

Bernard Fragner, CEO GlobeAir

money?’” said GlobeAir CEO Bernhard Fragner. “In 2006 there were thousands of startups with ambitious business plans saying operating these aircraft was like having a cashprinting machine. We became profitable in 2011 and will continue to grow our revenues.” Airline-style Business Model

GlobeAir owns half of its aircraft, with private investors owning the other 50 percent. Fragner said that four of the fleet came directly from Cessna, while the remainder were sourced from the used market and have fewer than 200 hours. He added, “We expect to see lots of consolidation in Europe over the next couple of years and survivors will be those who are operating according to economies of scale.” The company’s business model is based on that of an airline. It operates one type of aircraft, as well as having its own in-house

New Jet Cards

The operator also launched two new jet card products at EBACE. Dubbed “Fix” and “Flex,” customers can buy a membership for €1,000, with options to pay for 25 or 50 hours flying time to first- or secondtier destinations. Depending on their chosen card, they will wait no more than 12 hours for an aircraft, and have a four- to eighthour window in which to fly. So what does the future hold for the Austrian operator? Bruno pointed out that, given its range and the impending advent of Cessna’s new light jet, the Citation M2, there are limits to the versatility of the Mustang. He said the company may look to larger aircraft such as the Citation CJ1+ to expand its capabilities. –L.M.

Nextant eyes new remanufacturing target Nextant Aerospace expects to deliver more than 30 of its 400XTs by the end of 2012, according to CEO Kenn Ricci. At an EBACE press conference yesterday, Ricci insisted that the U.S. company “remanufactures” Hawker Beechcraft 400A/XPs, rather than simply converting them. “That’s truly the difference between us and what Hawker Beechcraft has contracted Sierra Industries to do to create the 400XPR,” he declared. The remanufacturing to which Ricci referred includes a complete teardown of the aircraft in a production facility, with a subsequent rebuild and upgrade using Williams FJ44-3AP engines, improving fuel consumption by more than 30 percent. Aerodynamically improved engine nacelles on newly designed mounts, and other aerodynamic refinements, are also installed. Nextant then upgrades the cockpit avionics with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 flat-panel displays, including associated avionics and controls and an on-board maintenance diagnostic system. Available options include IFIS (integrated flight information system) and XM Satellite Nexrad radar. The result is an aircraft

48 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

that outperforms its progenitor and several other competing aircraft, and has a lower cost both to acquire and to operate. New Project?

“We think we have the formula for determining whether an airframe is ripe for remanufacture,” explained Ricci. “And even though we feel that, with 605 Hawker Beechcraft 400A/XP

airframes out there, we’ve got plenty of depth to this project to sustain us for a while, we have identified another airframe that we think is a good candidate for the kind of remanufacturing that we do,” he added. “We should be ready to announce our next project at NBAA 2012, in Orlando,” hinted Ricci, referring to the U.S. bizav show to be held in October. –A.L.

MARK WAGNER

z MHS Aviation Has 30-Seaters for Charter

maintenance facility. According to COO Claudio Bruno, a threeyear inspection on a Mustang costs €50,000, compared with €150,000 to €200,000 on a Citation Bravo, for example.

cheers to revitalizing the falcon 50 Claude Alber, left, Rockwell Collins, and Franck Madignier, TAG Aviation president, toast a deal to upgrade a pair of Falcon 50s with Pro Line 21 avionics. The upgrade will include FMS and WAAS GPS.

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OnAir wants to bring connectivity to bizjets by Ian Goold Business aircraft operators are beginning to follow the growing ranks of airlines that provide passengers with on-board connectivity for telephony, message and Internetaccess services. Indeed, this sector now accounts for about 10 percent of Airbus/SITA joint venture OnAir’s 45 aviation customers, although not all clients have yet deployed the service. According to chief commercial officer Stephan Egli, OnAir (Stand 583) is aiming its equipment at all business aircraft operators, but the most successful campaigns have involved Airbus and Boeing products. OnAir enables airline and corporate aircraft passengers to use mobile devices to make and receive telephone calls and short or multi-media messages (SMS or MMS), or to obtain access to the Internet (for which it provides a GSM network and WiFi local area network hotspot, respectively, in the cabin). Bizjet Retrofits

Although OnAir signed its first contract to provide an inflight connection system for a Middle East customer’s corporate Airbus A319 in 2008, it was only last year that agreement was reached covering a purpose-built business jet–the Dassault Falcon 7X. The equipment has been specified for an aircraft operated by Geneva-based operator Dasnair, which manages and charters the Dassault family’s aircraft, and OnAir is working on a supplementary type certificate covering installation of the system. Initially, the business aircraft package is available only as a retrofit, but Egli said OnAir is discussing the possibility of production-line installation with “certain OEMs” that could lead to an announcement later this year. He claimed that many manufacturers have received operator enquiries for the system. OnAir systems are available for almost all major commercial airliners: all current Airbus models can be equipped during manufacture, or later during routine maintenance work, while installation is available as a retrofit on Boeing production aircraft. Egli said there is no demand to equip older A300

and A310 models and no orders yet for the Boeing 747 or 757. Heavy Demand in Middle East

The Swiss-based company introduced its in-flight global system for mobile (GSM) communications and Internet services in late 2008, with combined services first becoming available in early 2010. “Today, the vast majority of airline customers choose both services to meet their passengers’ preference,” said Egli. Eight recent customers are set to introduce the systems by year-end, by which time there will be 20 or 22 such operators. As happened with OnAir’s commercial operators, the corporate aircraft market has been led by heavy demand from the Middle East and Gulf regions, with Asia Pacific also now being clearly evident, according to Egli. He said more and more corporate jet operators, especially those that charter or lease equipment, share the airlines’ view that availability of in-flight telephony and Internet services is a key differentiator

OnAir’s in-flight connectivity systems enable corporate aircraft passengers to use mobile devices to make telephone calls, send messages, or obtain access to the Internet via a GSM network and WiFi local-area-network hotspot, such as in this ACJ operated by Comlux.

for business travelers. Asked if business aircraft lessors and charter companies are principal targets for OnAir, he said all operators are in its sights. After heads of state or very wealthy individuals, corporations are seen as potential customers,

as well as users of “very prestigious, but much smaller” aircraft, like the Falcon 7X. Cost Varies with Size

The cost of system acquisition varies with aircraft size, from around $250,000 per shipset for a

Air Works to grow in India and abroad by Neelam Mathews Air Works is India’s only exhibitor at this year’s EBACE show–perhaps surprising, given the high expectations for business aviation growth in that country and the fact that EBACE’s

catchment area has been extending eastward in recent years. Election fever is mounting in India–despite the fact that voting is still two years away–and, according to some

commentators, the country is suffering from what is being termed as a “policy paralysis,” which is holding back longanticipated reform of the aviation industry. Against this

Air Works is expanding its maintenance, repair and overhaul capability in its home market of India, but it seeks a growing presence in regions such as the Middle East and Europe. It also is considering setting up an MRO in the Arabian Gulf.

50 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

small corporate jet to $1 million or more for a large commercial airliner, such as an Airbus A380 or Boeing 777. An additional consideration is whether the equipment is installed on the production line or put in as a retrofit modification.

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backdrop, companies such as Air Works are moving ahead with expansion plans in spite of Indian government atrophy. In fact, the maintenance repair and overhaul specialist has its sights firmly set on Europe itself. Its existing Air Livery subsidiary in the UK (which does aircraft painting and cabin repairs and refurbishment) is soon to be complimented by the opening of another painting facility at Bratislava in Slovakia during July. It has further plans to expand in the European market and these could be announced soon. “We felt it is time for Indian aviation to make its presence felt,” managing director Vivek Gour told AIN. “We feel this show is more international than NBAA.” Starting in 2015 Air Works (Stand 2220) wants to be engaged in heavy maintenance of business jets in Europe. Frustrated by restrictive government policy in India, it is also considering plans to set up an MRO facility at a tax-free location in the Arabian Gulf that would be staffed by Indians. At last year’s EBACE show

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OnAir

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Egli told AIN that the question of equipment size and weight is “tricky” because of many variables, including customer specification. “There is a big advantage in using Swift Broadband satellite communications [satcom] already installed so as not to introduce a second system.” Depending on the original satcom fit, the hardware could weigh between 25 to 100 kilograms (55 to 220 pounds). According to Egli, there have been “no real concerns” or teething troubles with initial business aircraft installations, but he acknowledged that when first introduced in 2008, the equipment had been “a bit too heavy for smaller aircraft,” leading to development of a smaller, lighter platform. OnAir said business aircraft passengers’ use of in-flight connectivity reflects that on commercial airlines. When the technology is available, almost all use involves GSM communications, with only light use of Internet access–and that is usually via smart phones or tablet

personal computers, rather than laptop devices. The equipment is available for selection from the manufacturer’s catalogue as a production-line fit on most new-build Airbus models (or otherwise by adoption of a service bulletin), while installation on Boeing aircraft is usually via a supplemental type certificate during heavy-maintenance checks. Regulatory approval for the system has been obtained in almost 80 countries and can be gained typically within the 12-month lead-time following a customer order, said OnAir. Egli confirmed that OnAir expects Inmarsat’s Ka-band GlobalXpress solution, an alternative to the existing Ku- and L-band services that will provide users with 30 percent more throughput (or 30 percent more data volume) for the same price, to be available for commercial aviation in 2014. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that it could be up to a year before the first customers sign up to Inmarsat Global Xpress services, with a “50-percent chance” of an announcement before year-end. o

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AirWorks

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the company signed a preliminary agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport with a view to opening a facility there. Now it is considering this move among other potential locations in the region, such as Oman, where the government has expressed an interest in attracting aviation companies. “Today India is viewed for lack of quality and ability. Our focus now is to become a definitive player in heavy maintenance for general aviation,” said Gour. Increasing Mx Capabilities

In India, Air Works has expanded its business by doing line maintenance for international airlines at six stations. It is also moving into cities like Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Madurai, each of which has the potential to support several business aircraft. “We are undertaking annual maintenance contracts by optimizing work skills using engineers with multi-skill certifications,” explained associate marketing

vice president Dhiraj Chhabra. The 60-year-old company already claims to hold a 30- to 40-percent share of the general aviation MRO sector in India. Currently, it is working with both Bombardier and Embraer to develop a $2 million maintenance facility with up to C-check level capability at a private airfield in Hosur, near Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore). This has been conceived primarily with the Western airframers’ regional airliner families in mind, but the 32,500-sq-ft facility will be large enough for bigger business jets. Air Works also recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Embraer to establish parts depot for all of the OEM’s executive jets in service in India. The Indian company will house parts for the Embraer Phenom 100, Legacy 600/650 and Lineage 1000 in its facility in Bengaluru, which will serve as a central hub from which the parts will be dispatched to eight Embraer authorized service centers (EASC), complementing the role of Embraer’s existing Asia Pacific distribution center in Singapore. Of India’s assorted fleet of

425 general aviation aircraft, about 125 are executive jets, and half of them are preowned. Since the Directorate General of Civil Aviation requires separate Indian certification for every model, Air Works initially has identified 12 commonly used types for which it offers heavy maintenance checks. They include Hawker Beechcraft jets, Dassault’s Falcon 2000 family, Bell 407 and 206 helicopters and Bombardier’s Challengers. It is in the process of acquiring approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency for its Mumbai and Delhi facilities. “While, technically, we do not need EASA, it is accepted as a stamp of quality,” said Gour. The company has already carried out heavy maintenance checks the Bell 206 and 407 and three business jets, including a Hawker 800 and a Bombardier Challenger 600. By the end of this year, it plans to have completed approximately 12 to 15 heavy maintenance checks at its Mumbai and Delhi hangars, said Gour. Air Works expects to have more than 20 clients by 2013. “Then, we’ll be in business,” he said. o

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www.ainonline.com • May 15, 2012 • EBACE Convention News 51

Bizjets boost productivity for today’s global businesses

Global businesses need global travel solutions. For many international business travelers that solution is an extra-long-range business jet. Several examples of such jets are on display here at EBACE, as mockup or real aircraft. Imagine walking up the airstair, stepping inside, sitting down in the cabin and thinking what it would be like to be on this airplane for 12 or 13 hours. You might wonder, “Could I sleep in this seat? Will there be a flight attendant? How many other passengers would there be?” AIN wondered, too. So we made some calls to several flight departments of Fortune 500 companies, all with long-range jets. Here is what we learned. Some companies fly their long-range business jets globally with only three or four passengers on board, while others may fill as many seats as possible. One operator said his executive passengers treat the airplane like a flying hotel room, sleeping in the cabin during night flights and attending business meetings on the ground during the day. Others fly during the day and stay in hotels at night. Some operators take an extra pilot on board and others swap out crews at a fuel stop.

the aft, three-seat, side-facing couch both become queen-size beds. The passengers normally use the aft lavatory, through which they can easily get to their luggage. They can also use the forward lav. The G550 carries all food and potable water needed for almost an entire week. Following an early arrival in Europe or the Middle East the next morning, the executives take a limo to a hotel for a shower and to change into business

DAVID McINTOSH

by R. Randall Padfield

The business jet cabin, such as that of this Global Express XRS, offers passengers all the comforts and amenities of their offices and living rooms at 41,000 feet en route to their next event.

has a dedicated crew-rest seat across from the forward galley, and typically uses the forward lavatory. The company flight attendant is trained in cabin safety, emergency evacuation and use of the on-board medical equipment, in addition to meal preparation and service. The mechanic handles pre- and post-flight inspections and coordination with on-site repair facilities, the company’s maintenance department and even the manufacturer, if there is mechanical problem. Falcon 7X Shuttle

For some companies, the business jet–in this case a Gulfstream G550–serves as a flying hotel, giving passengers a place to work and rest comfortably, so they arrive refreshed for their early morning meetings.

Some carry a flight attendant, some carry a mechanic/flight attendant and some don’t carry any extra crew. Using a business jet as a “flying hotel room” may need explanation. The operator, who flies a Gulfstream G550, described a typical eastbound flight from an airport in the northeast U.S. With a Sunday-evening departure, the three to five passengers have dinner, work for a while and then recline their seats flat to sleep, using an inflatable mattress, called a JetBed, which is specifically designed for this purpose. The cabin comfortably sleeps five (six, if one includes the crewrest seat): the forward club-four seats become two single beds, as do the two facing seats in the rear. A mid-cabin clubfour with a big table between them and

attire before going to their first meeting. After that meeting and others, if need be, the execs return to the airport, take off, change back into casual clothes, have dinner, work some more and then turn in for the night as the airplane flies to its next destination. This procedure continues for several days, often resulting in a round-the-world trip. “We can hit seven cities around the world in six days,” said the operator. “Most high-level executives would avoid making such a trip, which could take two or three weeks, if they had to do it by airline.” The standard crew for such flights is three pilots, a flight attendant and a mechanic. Industry “best practices” recommend an additional pilot when the flight lasts more than 10 hours. The crew

52 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

Another U.S. company, this one farther south on the East Coast, does much business in Central and South America, flying a Dassault Falcon 7X to several destinations. This company runs its jet “almost like a shuttle operation, often carrying 12 passengers,” the flight department manager told AIN. In addition to executives, the 7X carries project managers and engineers. When the CEO flies, however, there are fewer other passengers on board, mainly upper level execs. “We fly during business hours,” the manager said. “Most executives don’t like to sleep on the airplane.” In fact, the passengers work most of the time en route, preparing for their next meetings. A passenger on any long-range business jet can expect a high-speed data system providing WiFi connectivity, sophisticated cabin entertainment systems, a satellite communication system, noise-cancelling headsets and a host of other features one would find in a high-end living room and office. The company flies with two pilots, who do not fly more than 12 hours. “The cabin does not have a berthable crew seat,” the manager said. You lose a lot of galley space with that.” The flight carries a mechanic, but not a flight attendant, so the mechanic is trained in meal preparation. “Our passengers, who are 95 percent male, are fed well, although not with white gloves. We also carry a good selection of wines, which helps keep them happy.” The company has some 500 people in its database of employees who fly on the 7X, said the manager. A company in the Los Angeles area operates a large fleet of jets, including the Gulfstream G450 and 550 and

Bombardier Global Express and Challenger 605. It flies virtually all over the world, including a polar route, which the other operators said they avoid doing, because of “wet footprint” concerns. A flight’s “wet footprint” defines how far it is safe to fly over water and be able to make it back to land after certain emergencies. The primary considerations are medical emergencies, which would require the airplane to fly as quickly as possible to the nearest city with suitable medical facilities; a failure or required shutdown of one engine, which would necessitate a descent to a lower altitude in the 20,000s and a subsequent slower airspeed and higher fuel burn; and a loss of pressurization, which would require a descent to 10,000 feet, where the outside air is breathable, but fuel burn is even higher. One such route is Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, a distance of 6,507 nm, according the first operator mentioned above. This is one city-pair where the wet footprint typically precludes nonstop flights by the current crop of long-range “traditional” business jets. Most crosspolar routes fall into the same group. Many nontraditional business jets, those derived from airliners, are approved and can make these routes, however. The Los Angeles operator flies at least one near-polar route in a clever way. Instead of flying nonstop from Istanbul to LAX, which is out of range anyway, it lands at Fargo, North Dakota, for fuel and customs. This makes more sense than it may seem at first glance, because Fargo’s Hector International Airport, a U.S. Port of Entry, provides much faster customs and immigration services than a private jet can usually obtain at Los Angeles International. Taxiing from the runway to the private terminal at LAX can take 30 minutes, and the whole procedure has taken the operator upward of an hour and 45 minutes. This operator is based at another LA-area airport, which is not a Port of Entry, so all its international flights must stop at an airport that is. By flying to Fargo first, the jet can then fly directly to the company’s home airport at its maximum cruise speed, almost making up the time spent at the fuel and customs stop. o

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Cessna Longitude grows legs uContinued from page 1

The 31-foot flat-floor cabin will have passenger seating for eight, and the aircraft will have a full-fuel payload of 1,950 pounds and an mtow of approximately 55,000 pounds. Mtow takeoff distance is an estimated 5,400 feet. Required runway distance drops to 4,000 feet on missions of 2,000 nm or less with lighter loads. Highspeed cruise is Mach 0.84 and maximum operating Mach number is 0.86. The Longitude will be powered by a pair of Fadec (full authority digital engine control)controlled, 11,000-pound thrust Snecma Silvercrest engines, with autothrottles. They are expected to power the aircraft to 43,000 feet in 23 minutes on the way to a ceiling of 45,000 feet. The engine hot sections and the times between overhaul (TBOs) will be “on condition,” much like airliner engines are. Mike Pierce, Cessna director of product marketing, said he expected this practice to increase actual TBOs from between 20 to 30 percent beyond the highest time engine TBO in the current Citation fleet. That distinction falls to the Rolls-Royce AE3007C engines on the current Citation X, with a 6,000hour TBO. Snecma Silvercrest Engine

The selection of Snecma, a subsidiary of France’s Safran Group, is the most dramatic

imprimatur placed on Cessna to date by Ernest, who joined the company last year after 29 years in senior management at GE Aircraft engines. Cessna has traditionally used engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada, and to a lesser extent Rolls-Royce and Williams to power its Citations. Snecma and GE formed CFM International in the mid1970s to develop a new generation of high-ratio-bypass CFM56 engines that now power most of the world’s fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 commercial aircraft. Announced in 2006, the Silvercrest engine has been the long-rumored choice for Dassault’s in-development SMS/5X twinjet but, until the Longitude, it had not found an official home (see below). Snecma claims the Silvercrest will be quieter, cleaner and more efficient than current engines in class. The company claims a noise reduction of up to 20 EPNdB versus Stage 4 requirements; a 50-percent NOx margin versus the ICAO CAEP 6 emissions standard; and 15 percent lower specific fuel consumption compared to current engines. The engine is also designed to be lighter and have fewer parts than its contemporaries. It features a wide-chord swept fan followed by a four axial stage, and one centrifugal stage, highpressure compressor driven by a single-stage turbine. Initially the engine will be supported by parts depots in Dallas, Texas; Paris; and Asia as well as the Cessna product-support network. The engines will have live

Silvercrest’s big break comes with Longitude by Thierry Dubois Snecma has finally found an aircraft for its Silvercrest engine to power after Cessna announced its selection here yesterday for its Longitude super-midsize jet, which is scheduled to enter service in

2017. It has been almost five years since the French manufacturer announced that it was to develop its first business-jet engine program, but finding its first application has proved to be a frustratingly long road.

Snecma Has Gulfstream GII Re-engining in the Cards As the flying testbed for the Silvercrest will be a Gulfstream GII, what about re-engining the venerable business jet? “Why not? We are studying all possibilities,” Laurence Finet, Silvercrest program general manager, told AIN. During the flight tests, the GII will have one of its Rolls-Royce Speys replaced with a Silvercrest. Snecma obtained the GII from sister company Sagem, which had been using it as a testbed for avionics upgrades but no longer needed it. –T.D.

With projected range of 4,000 nm and a $25.9 million initial price tag, Cessna’s Longitude/Model 800 reckons to be the largest Citation ever. The stretched Longitude uses the same fuselage cross section as the Latitude.

health and usage monitoring (HUMS) capabilities. Limited Fly-by-Wire

In another departure for Cessna (Stand 7081), the Longitude will have limited fly-by-wire (FBW) capabilities for controlling the rudder, spoilers and brakes (“brake-by-wire”). Pierce said the decision to go with a limited FBW was a function of potential weight savings versus increased cost and certification complexity. “Hosting a FBW solution on the airplane is a very

integrated solution with your avionics package. We settled on the roll spoiler and rudder systems as the places where we can [extract] the most advantage in terms of weight [reduction] and cost [savings],” he added.

Not all of the Longitude’s details are fixed. The aircraft is projected to have a length of 87 feet and a wingspan of 84 to 86 feet. The 30-degree swept wing will incorporate leadingedge slats, winglets, centrifugal

According to Snecma, the Silvercrest will burn 15 percent less fuel, emit 50 percent less nitrous oxide (NOx) than the CAEP/6 standard and halve the noise footprint “compared to existing engines in the 10,000- to 12,000-pound class.” The contract with Cessna was signed just a few days ago, Pierre Fabre, Snecma’s chairman and CEO, told an EBACE show press conference. Has his company signed a contract with another business jet manufacturer for the Silvercrest yet? “The only contract we can talk about today is the Cessna one,” replied Fabre. Another hint was that he would not say when Silvercrest production begins. The Silvercrest has long been rumored to be selected for the still-under-wraps Dassault Falcon SMS super-midsized jet, which is expected to be unveiled next year.

Two Silvercrest engines will provide 11,000 pounds of thrust each on the Latitude. Snecma has started running the engine core, and the first full engine is due to go to test this summer at its Villaroche factory near Paris, which also produces large numbers of CFM International engines for Airbus and Boeing airliners. Flight testing of the engine is due to start in the first half of 2013 using a Gulfstream GII (see box) and engine certification is pegged for 2015. Eight engines will take part to the certification effort, said Laurence Finet, the program’s general manager. The first engine is now being assembled after full-scale engine development started in the third quarter of 2010. The Silvercrest’s cold section is made of a 42.5-inch fan, a four-stage booster and a fivestage compressor, including

four axial blisks and one centrifugal stage. The 20 fan blades are metallic. The “lowemission” combustor is said to have a high-altitude relight capability. It is followed by a single-stage high-pressure (HP) turbine featuring single-crystal blades and a four-stage lowpressure (LP) turbine. The HP and LP spools are contra-rotating for better fuel efficiency. The bypass ratio is close to 6:1, Finet added. In terms of maintenance, Snecma emphasized that the Silvercrest is a “true on-condition engine,” with no fixed interval. No hot-section inspection will be required. Another feature will be in-flight engine monitoring capability. o

54 EBACE Convention News • May 15, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

the Longitude’s interior cross section is 72 inches tall and 77 inches wide. The forward club-4 configuration is 200 inches long and the single executive seats are full berthing. There is room for another club-4 in the aft cabin or a three-place divan, certified for takeoff and landing, opposite an entertainment center with large flat-screen monitor. A four-foot deep pressurized baggage hold can be accessed through the back of the lavatory to facilitate changing of clothes or luggage retrieval. Aft of that, the aircraft also has a larger externally accessed baggage hold. Pierce said Cessna has selected the Garmin G5000 for the Longitude, employing the same three-screen “touch control” avionics architecture that the company is using on both the Latitude and the Citation Ten. He added that the cabin management system (CMS) will build on the new wireless “Clairity” system that Cessna is developing for the Latitude, Ten and M2. The Clairity system can host global airborne Internet and voice communications. Initially, Cessna plans to build the Longitude in Wichita, Kansas, and the company is not currently enlisting any risk-sharing partners on the airframe. Notably, Ernest told AIN, “This is not the largecabin jet that we’ve talked about building in China with our partner AVIC. That aircraft will be something different,” though he would not elaborate. o

Ex-Im Bank speeds up lending for U.S. aircraft by Bill Carey The U.S. Export-Import Bank has implemented a new process to help expedite the financing foreign buyers need to acquire U.S.-made business aircraft and helicopters. The export credit agency of the U.S. government will work with qualified industry experts to perform due diligence and credit analysis of proposed business aircraft transactions. “Business aircraft and helicopters are a vital part of the U.S. aerospace industry,” said Ex-Im Bank chairman and president Fred Hochberg, who made the announcement Monday at the EBACE show. “Ex-Im Bank understands that business

aircraft transactions require specialized knowledge and experience but has limited resources to meet the growing demand for export financing in this industry. By leveraging private-sector expertise to assist and support our evaluation of these credits, we will be able to expand Ex-Im Bank’s support for U.S. business aircraft exports and the manufacturing jobs that they sustain.” The new process aims to provide more complete transaction packages submitted to the bank, which is located in Washington, D.C. It is open to “any approved advisor that has met the bank’s qualification

Rodney Williams, Bombardier v-p of marketing, business aircraft, samples the cockpit of the Longitude mockup.

New Learjets aspire to heritage uContinued from page 1

cabin will feature Ethernet technology from Lufthansa Technik to make future technology upgrades more straightforward. Increased engine power comes courtesy of a souped-up Honeywell engine, the TFE 73140BR (see box). Both jets will offer an improved takeoff field length of less than 4,500 feet, almost 200 feet shorter than that of the 40XR. A new cantedwinglet design will improve aerodynamics, and the OEM says the Learjets will offer up to a 9-percent improvement in field performance and a 4-percent improvement in fuel efficiency. The six-passenger Learjet 70 can connect city pairs such as Chicago-São Paulo and Mexico City-Minneapolis, while the 75 can fly four people from Los Angeles to Toronto or Mumbai to Bangkok. It will be able to handle a range close to 1,950 nm carrying eight passengers. According to Ridolfi, Bombardier guidelines, demonstrating the requisite knowledge, experience and expertise with business aircraft financing.” The institution is encouraging prospective advisors to contact its U.S. Transportation Division to qualify for participation. The bank cited the example of its $500 million loan facility in 2009 that assisted Textron in financing exports from Cessna and Bell Helicopter. The loan facility enabled Textron Financial Corp. to provide competitive terms and interest rates to finance the export of 100 Cessnas and six Bell helicopters. Last week, the Ex-Im Bank’s board of directors approved a second loan facility for Textron Financial, Hochberg said. The bank is guaranteeing a $350 million loan from PNB Bank to Textron Financial to finance the export of additional Cessnas and Bells. o

has gathered more than 50 firm orders and letters of intent for the two new types so far. The airframer is also offering a 600hour inspection maintenance program with each new order. “It’s about having a continuity across the Learjet platforms,” Learjet v-p and general manager Ralph Acs told AIN. “We’re placing much more importance on maintenance and the cost of

DAVID McINTOSH

ailerons and five speed-brake/ spoiler panels per side. Roll control will be augmented by the outboard spoilers and there will be three flap panels per side. The slats will be controlled hydraulically, and the flaps electrically. Ailerons and the elevator will have mechanical backups. The T-tail will measure 25 to 26 feet tall, have a sweep greater than 30 degrees and feature a fully trimmable horizontal stabilizer. The electrical system builds on the essential bus system Cessna developed for the CJ4, Citation Ten and Latitude: Primary power comes from the left and right engine generators with backup power from the alternators and a dual battery system. The dual hydraulic system uses a mineral-based fluid and, in addition to controlling the slats, controls nosewheel steering, thrust reversers and landing gear. The main gear is dual-tire trailing link, the nose gear is dual tire and features a limited amount of rudder steer and a wheel tiller. Cabin pressure allows for a 6,000-foot cabin altitude at FL450. The pressurization system uses an air-cycle machine as its primary source with bleed-air backup through heat exchangers. The backup system is adequate to provide constant temperature in the dual-zone controlled cabin. The cabin itself features a large forward galley and aft lavatory with vacuum-flushing toilet. The forward cabin may include a crew lavatory as well as a third crew/flight attendant seat. Like the Latitude,

operations now.” Bombardier last year secretly began flight-testing of the new technology on Learjet 40 and 45 development aircraft. A third test aircraft is to be fitted with an interior and cabin management system and a fourth will follow featuring the revised wing and winglets, before a fifth prototype is used to confirm all the new elements. o

Honeywell Delivers 10 Percent More Thrust for Learjet Honeywell has shipped the first two new TFE731-40BR engines to Bombardier for the airframer’s new Learjet 70/75 program. The new engine adds 10 percent more takeoff thrust by replacing the -20AR or -20BR engines in the Learjet 40/45 with the -40BR. “We’re turning up the wick, and putting more power to it,” said Michael Bevans, Honeywell director of technical sales, business and general aviation. The engine maker expects certification of the 3,850-pound thrust TFE73140BR by the end of this year. The added engine performance and other Learjet 70/75 features will improve hot-and-high field performance by up to 9 percent and fuel efficiency up to 4 percent. The key difference between the TFE731-20AR and the -20BR or -40BR is addition of an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) oxide ceramic coating on the high-pressure turbine shrouds and on the duct between the high- and low-pressure turbine (other applications for YSZ ceramics include tooth crowns, because of their hardness). “The main trick for us was [the customer] wanted 10 percent more thrust without changing the length, weight, plumbing, bleed-air and electrical components,” said Bevans. The -40BR requires no changes in the nacelle or engine/airframe interfaces. –L.M.

UAE is site for Aurora’s first FBO Aurora Aviation has signed a memorandum of understanding for a partnership agreement to run the first full-service FBO at Fujairah International Airport (FIA) in the United Arab Emirates. “We are looking to make Fujairah our hub,” Aurora CEO Ammar Kutait told AIN. Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, and the only one on the Gulf of Oman on the country’s east coast instead of on the Persian Gulf. A new highway connects it with Dubai. “We see a huge demand [for

business aviation] as the UAE has the second largest fleet in the region after Saudi Arabia,” said FIA general manager Khaled Almazroui. “We see good growth prospects for Fujairah, so decided to build an FBO here. We are very competitive. Our landing and parking charges are 50 percent less than Dubai and 30 percent less than Sharjah.” With slots easily available and holding time less, Aurora will promote the airport for technical stops. The two partners expect to do a marketing blitz to promote the airport as a fuelling stop at MEBA. Aurora, meanwhile, is focusing on its present projects and is not interested in another FBO in the region. But Kutait did hint at plans for the company to get into the fuel supply business at another undisclosed airport. –N.M.

www.ainonline.com • May 15, 2012 • EBACE Convention News 55

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