MEBA Convention News 12-10-14

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12.10.14 • DUBAI

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DAVID McINTOSH

DESERT BREEZE Even with challenging economic and political times, the warm glow of ­optimism prevails among business aviation professionals in the Gulf region.

SUNNY-SIDE UP AT MEBA 2014 MEBA 2014, as of the closing of the exhibition hall on Tuesday, registered 44 aircraft on static display, 422 exhibitors and 7,863 visitors. The 2012 event registered 34 aircraft, 385 exhibitors and 7,549 visitors.

Comment from one exhibitor: “We see more people at EBACE than at MEBA and they’ll talk with us, but few have the authority to make a decision. At MEBA, we see fewer people, but more of them will sit down with us to negotiate a contract.” –R.R.P. Connectivity

Shared executive terminal will anchor bizav at DWC

by Peter Shaw-Smith Dubai World Central has broken ground on the land allocated for the new airport’s Executive Terminal. The common-user facility is due for completion in time for Dubai Airshow 2015 next November. Jet Aviation, XJet and Jetex Flight Support have all agreed to share the building. Dubai’s other leading FBO ExecuJet Aviation has continued to

Lifestyles

Modifications

Satcom Direct Upgrades Router

Seawings Launches Tour Packages

Florida-based Satcom Direct has announced upgrades to its SDR router resulting in data flow rates of up to 1.6 Mbits per second. Page 10

Excursion company Seawings Seaplane Tours has launched a series of panoramic scenic flights around Dubai using Cessna Caravan seaplanes. Page 11

express a preference for establishing a stand-alone facility, although this appears not to be an option that the DWC management will sanction.

“DWC is partnering with industry leaders to build a complete ecosystem for a world-class aerotropolis. The Executive Terminal is a step in the right direction,” said Rashed bu Qara’a, chief

operating officer, Dubai Aviation City Corporation.

The DWC aviation district is a 6.7sq-km (2.6 sq mi) zone situated adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport. DWC itself covers 145 sq km (56 sq mi). It will eventually host World Expo 2020, as well as cater to logistics, aviation, commercial, exhibition, humanitarian, residential and leisure-related activities.

“Providing integrated access to both land side and air side, DWC’s Aviation District enables the seamless functioning of fixed-based operations and is ideally placed to host a project of this magnitude,” bu Qara’a said.

Continued on page 4 u

Air Traffic

Flight Support

Aux Fuel Tanks for Legacy 737s

Airline Traffic Growth Is a Concern

ArincDirect touts four tech solutions

A new company, Long Range, has developed line-replaceable extra fuel tanks for Boeing 737s, increasing range and versatility. Page 14

Increases in commercial airline traffic in the Gulf region are causing consternation among business aircraft operators who fear being crowded out. Page 18

When Rockwell Collins acquired Arinc, it formed a new flight-support business unit known as ArincDirect. It’s here with four new tech solutions to show. Page 20

Gama-Hangar8 merger fits; consolidation seen as a key

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

AIRPLANE TALK With all the practical advantages of private air travel, there is also an element of fascination.

Rare is the person who is not captivated with the art and science of flight. So a walk among the Gulfstreams, Falcons, Boeings, Airbuses and others is bound to be an adventure.

As reported yesterday in MEBA Convention News, Gama Aviation and Hangar8 have announced a merger that will create one of the world’s largest managed business aircraft fleets. The deal is due to be completed formally on January 6, following approval by Hangar8’s shareholders. The new entity, Gama Aviation plc, is to be headed by current Gama CEO Marwan Khalek, and will have 144 aircraft under management in 15 countries.

“For us it’s a great platform,” Khalek told AIN at Gama’s Stand here (No. 470).

“This is the start for us.” Scale is one of the reasons that the two companies are merging. “We’re in an industry that’s very fragmented,” explained Khalek. “Even the larger operators don’t have much market share. We have a growing market again, but meeting regulations can be expensive.

I don’t see this business being sustainable with fewer than 15 to 20 aircraft.”

In Europe around 80 percent of AOC holders operate fewer than five aircraft.

To make the jump beyond that requires investment, said Khalek. “This business needs to mature. For the small operator it’s difficult to cross the boundary. To make the jump needs access to funds, and there’s a lot of risk.”

Gama Aviation plc will be a publicly traded company (as Hangar8 has been for several years). According to Khalek the transparent finances will make it easier to attract investment. Also, it will

make it more attractive to other companies in terms of mergers and acquisitions.

Growth through further mergers and acquisitions is one avenue that the new company will explore, although organic growth remains central to the company’s plans.

“New owners are favouring scale operators,” noted Khalek. “With our size we hope to take on a larger chunk of that business, as well as competing for re-tendered contracts.”

Although aircraft management and charter are the most visible and glamorous elements of the business, Khalek stressed that the new company will also concentrate on “bread and butter” activities, for example contract work for clients such as the UK MoD and clients in Africa, which already form important revenue streams, along with its portfolio of MRO, ground support and FBO activities. Further mergers and acquisitions could well be made in those sectors, indicated Khalek.

Hangar8 and Gama Aviation (Stand 470) began exploring a merger at the EBACE show in May. Although both are based in the UK, the two companies make a good fit geographically, with Gama active in the U.S. and Middle East, and Hangar8 in Africa. Where the two overlap, principally in Europe, there are some opportunities to streamline operations. While Africa is certainly seen as an important region of opportunity for the new company, Khalek warned that, “We shouldn’t lose sight of the core markets.” o

NETJETS BRINGS MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO MIDDLE EAST

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DAVID McINTOSH

DAVID McINTOSH

Fractional-ownership group NetJets as evidenced by the Challenger 350 that Europe, which launched its Executive Jet Bombardier has on static display. Though Management Europe division just over not outfitted with the company’s Signature a year ago, is now bringing the aircraft Series interior, this is NetJets’ Challenger management service to the Middle East. 350 demonstrator. NetJets is the launch “Companies and individuals who own air- customer for the newly introduced model, craft can put in place their Executive Jet which has already joined its U.S. fracManagement solution and gain access tional fleet. NetJets Europe will add the to the NetJets mentality and struc- first CL350 to its stable in the first quarter ture,” said Michael Graham, of 2015. Graham said it “will NetJets senior v-p, here at be an ideal aircraft for flights MEBA 2014. within the [ME] region, but I Executive Jet Managecan also see my customers flyment, NetJets’ U.S. subsidiary, ing Jeddah to Nice, for examalready manages some 200 ple.” The company ordered business jets, Graham said.

75 of the aircraft as part of As a high-volume purchaser, a $9.6 billion fleet upgrade NetJets can offer aircraft ownannounced in 2012. ers savings on crew trainNetJets previously had a ing, insurance, fuel, handling fractional-ownership franchise and other services and char- Michael Graham, senior agreement in the Middle East ter aircraft when not needed vice-president, NetJets. with National Air Services of by the owner to help offset Saudi Arabia (now NasJets), operating costs. Additionally, NetJets can but terminated the arrangement in 2011. arrange supplemental lift, if an owner’s air- Though NetJets has fractional ownership craft becomes unavailable because of a customers in the region, Graham said the maintenance event or for any other needs. company has no current plans to re-establish Fractional ownership, however, still a physical presence or partner in the region remains the keystone of NetJets’ offerings, for its fractional program.

–J.W.

AT YOUR SERVICE Jet Aviation Dubai has been named an authorized service center for Rolls-Royce BR710; Tay 611 and BR725 series engines. Holding the plaque are, left to right, Hardy Bütschi, Jet Aviation Dubai v-p and general manager; Stephen Friedrich, v-p sales and marketing RollsRoyce; and Stefan Benz, Jet Aviation v-p of MRO and FBO services for the region.

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Piaggio Aero CEO Carlo Logli announced EASA certification for the manufacturer’s new Avanti Evo model.

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Piaggio trumpets the news of Avanti Evo’s certification

by David Donald Piaggio Aerospace on Monday received initial European approval for its new Avanti Evo twin turboprop, with certification from the FAA and Indian authorities to follow. The first two aircraft are being delivered to separate Indian customers and are due to be handed over before the end of this month. The third aircraft is for a U.S. customer, and the fourth for one in Europe.

Italy-based Piaggio has orders for 16 Evos so far. The company is owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Aerospace.

“The Avanti Evo is an intelligent solution for business travellers, blending the very best of Italian style and the most advanced aerodynamic concepts, giving operators and passengers more efficiency than ever before,” Piaggio Aero CEO Carlo Logli said here at MEBA 2014 on Tuesday.

Piaggio (Stand 942) began flight trials with the prototype Evo aircraft in spring 2013, and the aircraft made its first public appearance at the Farnborough air show in July. That aircraft is being retained by the company for development. A production Avanti EVO is to appear at the EBACE show in Geneva in May, and possibly at February’s Aero India show at Bangalore.

Evo is the third generation of the stylish Italian twin turboprop, and introduces a host of features that improve performance and comfort, as well as making the aircraft a good neighbour. The aircraft has revised aerodynamics with main-wing winglets and redesigned front wingtips.

Cruising speed is 403 knots and maximum cruise range is extended to 1770 nm, while climb rate is increased by 10 percent. At the same time, service ceiling is increased to 41,000 ft, while take-off and landing distances are reduced.

Internal and external noise levels are also reduced, thanks to new patented exhaust stacks fitted to the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-66B engines and the Hartzell lowrpm five-bladed scimitar propellers. Fitted

with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics, the Avanti Evo also introduces a new interior with Iacobucci HF seats and outfitted by Poltrona Frau. Shortly to be introduced is a low-maintenance undercarriage with anti-skid braking and digital steering.

From early summer next year Avanti Evos will be delivered from Piaggio’s new facility at Villanova d’Albenga in northern Italy. Until now the aircraft have been built in two separated facilities at Finale Ligure and Genoa. Transfer to the plant began

in September, and the Finale factory is to close down this month, with Genoa following in the spring. Piaggio’s customer service office will remain at Genoa’s main airport.

While the Evo becomes the standard production model, Piaggio retains the ability to produce the Avanti II for special requests, such as for existing customers wishing to maintain commonality across their fleet. Piaggio has recently sold an Avanti II for photo-survey work to the Royal Thai Air Force.

The Evo’s new cabin “comfort package” is likely to be made available to Avanti II operators as a retrofit, also.

Piaggio is now focusing on two military derivatives, the unmanned P.1HH HammerHead ISR platform and the MPA multirole patrol aircraft. o

DAVID McINTOSH

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DAVID McINTOSH

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WALLAN SIGNS FOR THREE BELL HELICOPTERS AT MEBA Bell Helicopter (Stand A20) of Forth Worth, Texas, announced here at MEBA 2014 the sale of a Bell 429 to Wallan Aviation, and a letter of intent for two Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters from the Saudi Arabian operator.

The Bell 429 is a seven-passenger light twin, while the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a four-passenger clean-sheet design expected to receive certification at the end of 2015. “With this agreement, I feel Wallan Aviation is making an investment in the future of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said company chairman Saad Wallan, who is shown shaking hands with Steve Suttles, Bell Helicopter’s v-p of Middle East and African sales, who added, “There is considerable customer interest in the Middle East for the Bell 429 and Bell 505, and MEBA gives the region a chance to see these aircraft up close.”

–J.W.

www.ainonline.com • December 10, 2014 • MEBA Convention News 3

by James Wynbrandt Bombardier Business Aircraft is showcasing its new Challenger 350, which is making its MEBA debut here at the 2014 show, while also highlighting the company’s regional product support.

With some 100 jets in the region, the Montreal-based OEM enjoys about 25 percent of the ME’s business aircraft market, but has been particularly successful with its Challenger line, capturing 60 percent of the mid-size market, said Khadar Mattar, regional v-p sales for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey. That line includes the Challenger 605, which is also here on static display, along with a representative of Bombardier’s large cabin, long-range line, a Global 6000.

“Every region has got its own requirements,” said Mattar, explaining the Challengers’ popularity. He noted that London, a popular destination from the Middle East, is within the Challenger 605’s range, while its cabin can accommodate the entourages that customers in the region often travel with. “Let’s not forget luggage,” he added. “Luggage is very important to the region, and as you know the 605

and Globals have big luggage spaces.”

Bombardier (Chalet A23) also underscored its regional product support here at the show by ratifying its recent designation of Arabasco in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as an authorized service facility (ASF) for Challenger 605 aircraft. Under the ASF agreement, Arabasco can provide a full range of maintenance services to Challenger 605 operators from its facility at the Private Aviation Terminal of King Abdul-Aziz International Airport.

The facility, authorized by the General Civil Aviation Authority, the U.S. FAA, Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands, has been providing maintenance on business aircraft for 32 years, and is staffed by more than 40 employees.

Bombardier president Eric Martel said the agreement “will provide our Challenger 605 aircraft customers across Saudi Arabia and the surrounding countries with greater access to quality and first-class customer support in their own backyards. Arabasco has a solid knowledge of our Challenger aircraft, as well as over three decades of

DAVID McINTOSH

Bombardier’s Challenger line a favorite in the Middle East

HRH Prince Abdullah Bin Turki Al Saud, Arabasco chairman, left, signs an agreement authorizing the company as a service center for the Challenger 605. Eric Martel, president Bombardier Business Aircraft looks on.

maintenance experience, and we are confident they will meet the needs of our customers in the region.”

Arabasco joins a network of more than 50 ASFs around the globe, supported by seven Bombardier-owned service centers in North America, Europe and Singapore.

HRH Prince Abdullah Bin Turki Al Saud, chairman of Arabasco, said, “This authorization firmly strengthens Arabasco’s position as the premier provider of aircraft maintenance services in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the several

steps Arabasco has taken throughout its history in supporting business jet customers in the Kingdom.”

Mattar said the company’s ASF expansion is far from complete. “Bombardier is always looking at expanding our services in the region. We will keep looking as long as our fleet expands.” Addressing the impact of regional conflicts on that expansion, he said, “The market has doubled in the last ten years and the growth is still here, despite the disputes you have at the moment in the Middle East.” o

New Haeco introduces FSI to build sim center feng shui cabin concept

by R. Randall Padfield

by James Wynbrandt Hong Kong-based Haeco Private Jet Solutions (HPJS), formerly Taeco Cabin Completion Center, launched its new corporate identity and introduced a new interior concept based on feng shui here at MEBA 2014. The name change is part of the rebranding of its parent company, Haeco (Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd.), announced in October, and aims to underscore HPJS’s suite of services covering the entire lifecycle of an aircraft.

Nonetheless HPJS, the only company in Asia that is both an Airbus and Boeing approved completion facility, has its eye on the completion market for Asian customers, as the “Xiao Yao” design concept the company unveiled here at Dubai World Central illustrates. “Ultimately, the objective is to serve ultra-high net worth individuals in China,” said Henry Chan, HPJS’s commercial v-p.

The Xiao Yao design brings feng shui principles used in traditional Chinese architecture

to the executive-configured airliner cabin, expressed in the curving lines of the interior, the relative positioning of living and sleeping areas, and the balance of the “five elements” of fire, earth, metal, water and wood.

“We’ve seen good, respectable designs from Europe or the States, but these are really modern Western designs,” said Chan. “We have not seen designs that are of genuine heritage and based on the respected philosophy of ancient Chinese philosophers.”

To translate the concept into reality, HPJS’s Haeco Xiamen facility has six hangar bays, each capable of accommodating two widebody and one narrowbody aircraft simultaneously. The hangars are currently 80 percent occupied by aircraft undergoing maintenance and refurbishment as well as green completions. “So potential customers will have to act pretty fast if they want to secure a full-time hangar slot to perform a completion like this,” Chan said. o

Abu Dhabi Aviation and Flight Safety International (FSI) have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to further advance a memorandum of understanding signed in October to build a flight-training center in Abu Dhabi for up to 17 full-flight simulators. Company officials signed the LOI at MEBA 2014 in Dubai.

The “Learning Center,” as

FSI calls its training facilities, is planned to be built in two stages, with Phase 1, an 8,000sq-m facility, to be completed

by September 2015.

This building will house eight simulators. Phase 2 is expected to double the size of the facility and will accommodate nine simulators. Cost of the facility is estimated

Ground breaks for executive terminal

enjoys, I am confident that DWC will exceed all expectations for success and Jetex will play a significant role in the success.”

Yesterday at the MEBA show, DWC also signed a $40 million agreement with France’s STTS Group for a painting facility to be set up at the airport. STTS, will invest in the multi-purpose facility to cater to narrowbody airlines, VIP aircraft and business jets. According to a DWC press release, “The business case could develop into a capacity to service widebody aircraft, including the Airbus A380.”

“With this new partnership, DWC has come closer to its ambition of becoming the only hub outside North America and Europe to offer a complete ecosystem to the aviation and aerospace industry,” said bu Qara’a. o

uContinued from page 1

Jet Aviation’s local FBO partner, Al Mulla Investment Group, expressed support for the announcement. “DWC has the ideal infrastructure, competitive pricing and the flexibility that we need to do business, especially with regards to technical stops, where flights from Europe land for technical checkups or for refueling purposes,” said Khaled Al Mulla, the group’s chairman.

“The Executive Terminal will complement the rapid growth of business aviation in the Middle East in general and Dubai in particular,” said Jetex CEO Adel Mardini. “Considering the geographical advantage that Dubai

4 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

to be about $200 million.

The center will operate FlightSafety FS1000 simulators equipped with Vital 1100 visual systems, electric motion control and cueing and advanced instructor consoles.

Instructors will meet the requirements of the UAE GAA, EASA and FAA. Classrooms and other specialized areas for self-paced and instructorled learning will feature Matrix, the company’s integrated training device. o DASSAULT SELLS A FALCON 5X TO WALLAN AVIATION Saudi Arabia’s Wallan Aviation yesterday agreed to buy a new Dassault Falcon 5X. Wallan, which is a Middle East dealer for Cessna and Bell Helicopter, has already operated Dassault Falcons (900EX EASy and a 900LX). It will use the aircraft for “the company’s own use with the option to charter,” said a statement from Dassault, which reported that the Middle East accounted for 20 percent of 5X sales to date. Saad Wallan, chairman of Wallan Aviation, said, “We chose the Falcon 5X because it is the right aircraft for the Middle East.”

–I.S.

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Comlux inks a deal for its first widebody project

by R. Randall Padfield Comlux America has won its first widebody completion project, with the announcement of a contact award to provide a VIP interior for an Airbus A330. The aircraft is set to arrive in September 2015 at the company’s completions, refurbishment and maintenance facility in Indianapolis, Indiana and the work will likely take up to two years.

“This [first] widebody aircraft is the start of a new era in the development of Comlux America,” said CEO Jim Soleo.

“We are now capable of offering completion and service work on the whole range of VIP aircraft. Our team is fully committed to delivering our first widebody with the best quality and on time.”

To accommodate the A330 and future widebodies, Comlux America has begun expansion of its current hangar from 128,000 square feet (11,900 square meters) to 157,000 square feet (14,600 square meters).

When finished, by mid 2015, this

will allow the facility to hold one widebody the size of a Boeing 747-8 and up to six narrowbody airliners simultaneously.

Comlux America is a subsidiary of the Europe-based Comlux Aviation Group, which also offers aircraft management, charter, sales and acquisitions.

Group president and CEO Richard Gaona told AIN that Comlux is now seeing a lot of charter demand in the Middle East, where its Boeing 767 and Airbus ACJ aircraft are especially popular.

Earlier this year, Comlux delivered an Airbus ACJ321 to an undisclosed client based in central Asia. More recently, in June, the company delivered to a Chinese customer a refurbished Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). These two deliveries represent the seventh and eighth green interior completions since Comlux America became an authorized service center for both Airbus and Boeing in 2010.

The ACJ321 was delivered on time despite having an extremely

Comlux America is expanding its Indianapolis facility to be able to take on widebody aircraft projects.

demanding deadline and, like all other Comlux completions to date, also met or bettered contractual commitments for weight and cabin noise levels. The refurbished BBJ featured extra-wide seats with electric controls that were developed by Italy’s Iacobucci, as well as a high-performance entertainment system. This aircraft allows for four different interior configurations with the lounges and office area being converted into bedrooms as required.

The latest deliveries have cleared space in the hangar for an ACJ320 green completion that Comlux was awarded back in February and which

is due for delivery in August 2015. Also now in the works is another major cabin refurbishment for a BBJ and one for another ACJ320, which is due to leave Indianapolis by the end of December.

Service Heats Up

Maintenance activities on the service side of Comlux America’s operations are also getting busier. This is especially the case since the company added Airbus aircraft to a portfolio that already includes Boeing, Gulfstream and Bombardier (for which the facility is an authorized service facility).

Learjets and Challengers account for much of the work handled in the maintenance hangar and Comlux is looking to increase its activity with the larger Global models through the introduction of the 10-year 8C check (the first of which it intends to complete this month). It is also adding support for the Learjet 70/75 series to its capabilities.

Another growth area is supporting the new FANS 1/A+ datalink requirement for which Comlux has developed a new supplemental type certificate covering the Challenger 600s (including the 604 model). o

Satcom1 touts new capabilities in cabin electronics and more

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

GRAND PLANS At the front of the exhibit hall here at MEBA, a large diorama represents future plans for the Dubai World Central development. Included are an industrial park and shopping.

6 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Satcom1 (Stand 632), with headquarters in Denmark and represented in the Middle East by a regional sales office in Dubai, is highlighting a number of recent advances here at MEBA, including becoming a hardware re-seller for the first time through an agreement with Honeywell.

In addition Satcom1 has updated its AvioPhone application to allow passengers to use their personal iPhone and Android phones without the need for a picocell system. The phone works directly with an aircraft internet connection and can make and receive calls to and from ground phones in the same way as it would on the ground, complete with caller display. At present U.S. and European phones are supported, and the system is undergoing beta testing. The AvioPhone update is to be released commercially in the first quarter of next year, by which time it will support all phones.

Satcom1 has also introduced a new cabin billing system that allows inflight charges to be passed directly to passengers through an Internet log-in system, freeing charter operators from having to invoice customers for WiFi services. The system can be switched on or off, giving operators

the flexibility to provide for long-term charters and VIP customers who require unhindered access.

Meanwhile, the company’s R&D team in Paris is pursuing another avenue of development. Using the innovative Aggregation technology that uses multiple SwiftBroadband channels to increase data speeds, Satcom1 has demonstrated data transfer rates of up to 1.4 Mbit per second using four SwiftBroadband channels.

Aggregation of three channels is planned for inclusion in the AvioIP 2.6 software due for release early next year.

Next year the Inmarsat Jet ConneX (JX) service is due to go live, offering highspeed WiFi and the ability to video-conference inflight. In preparation for this Satcom1 has signed a deal with Honeywell to resell the U.S. company’s JetWave Ka-band hardware.

In May the companies signed an agreement under which Satcom1 will act as a channel distributor of airtime for business aviation. The tie-up with Honeywell, which is the exclusive hardware manufacturer for JX, allows Satcom1 to continue to offer a full spectrum of satellite communications solutions. o

“Jeppesen and Company celebrated its 50th anniversary last week. It was very exciting and emotional. I got some really good licks in for FlightSafety.”

– Jepp Jeppesen, from a letter to FlightSafety founder Al Ueltschi, 1984

ELREY B. JEPPESEN Navigational Aviation Pioneer

A Legacy of Trust

Aviation pioneers Elrey “Jepp” Jeppesen and Al Ueltschi started out as barnstormers and went on to become industry leaders and icons. They were close friends and business colleagues who led industry-changing efforts to make aviation safer.

Their correspondence, now housed in Seattle’s Museum of Flight, illuminates their mutual respect and goals. In 1962 Ueltschi wrote in a letter to Jeppesen, “If we can provide the finest instruction and equipment, our Company should continue to grow even more.” Jeppesen shared how he actively promoted FlightSafety, whether at aviation events or in one-on-one interactions.

As a longstanding member of FlightSafety’s board of directors, Jeppesen was directly involved in the business. Al and Jepp discussed such milestones as ferrying the first Falcon aircraft across the ocean and the arrival of FlightSafety’s Gulfstream, Falcon and JetStar simulators.

The company Jepp founded in 1934 continues to help aviation professionals worldwide reach their destinations safely and efficiently. Al’s commitment in 1951 to provide the very best training and simulators remains at the core of FlightSafety’s mission to enhance aviation safety around the world.

Building trust over time, and continuing to earn it each day, is FlightSafety’s promise and commitment. Aviation professionals from around the world trust FlightSafety to continuously provide the highest quality training and outstanding service they expect and deserve since 1951. Today more than 1,800 highly experienced professional instructors deliver aircraft and mission-specific courses, using FlightSafety’s comprehensive training systems and advanced-technology flight simulators designed to enhance safety. Trust your training to FlightSafety. You’ll see why so many of yesterday’s and today’s aviation professionals have made the same choice.

For information, please contact S. Sabry, Middle East Regional Sales Manager • + 971 56 7479233 718.902.3196 • S.Sabry@flightsafety.com • flightsafety.com • A Berkshire Hathaway company

Fly home in this Challenger, for sale by Boutsen Aviation Gulfstream G550, Dassault Falcon 7X EASy II, Bombardier Global Express, AgustaWestland AW109 SP Grand new and Eurocopter EC135P2+. The company recently placed two G550s and a Falcon 7X. “We have a representative in Dubai, which is a good base for sales I the Middle East and Asia,” CEO Thierry Boutsen told AIN. He singled out Qatar, where his company has placed seven aircraft over an 18-month period.

“Transactions in the region take longer than the average and there is still a need for education, but I very much appreciate the loyalty of these customers.”

The sales team of four at Boutsen Aviation sells a total 20 to 30 aircraft per year. About 90 percent are pre-owned. Measured by aircraft type, turbine helicopters account for 20 percent of the total. Helicopters and business jets are following opposite trends,

Boutsen has this low-time Challenger 604 for sale at MEBA 2014.

Boutsen said, as rotorcraft sales tend to concentrate in the lower-end segment, while large-cabin, long-range business jets are the ones that sell best.

For interiors, Boutsen Design works with 140 suppliers for crystal glasses, chinaware, bathroom essentials, cashmere plaids, etc. Most of them can be customized, Boutsen said.

Usually, the owner makes his or her selection of such objects during the cabin design process, to ensure every piece of tableware fits well into the cabinets. o Boutsen Design provides interior appointments such as crystal glasses, bath essentials, cashmere throw blankets and more.

Airlines at MEBA with VIP amenities

DAVID McINTOSH

by James Wynbrandt

DAVID McINTOSH

Etihad Airways is showcasing a mock up of its “Residence” A380 suites here at MEBA 2014.

8 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

DAVID McINTOSH

Resale specialist Boutsen Aviation– exhibiting at MEBA on Stand 660 with sister company Boutsen Design–is presenting a Bombardier Challenger 604 in the static park here this week.

Well maintained, and with just 2,914 hours and 1,698 cycles, the aircraft is presently the lowest-time Challenger 604 on the market, claims Monacobased Boutsen. Listed at $6.95 million, the aircraft is fitted with the Precision Plus avionics upgrade and Safe Flight’s AutoPower autothrottle enhancement.

The 604 has been used only by its owner and is managed by an operator with an air operator certificate.

Established in 1997 by Formula One race car driver Thierry Boutsen and his wife Daniela, Boutsen Aviation has become a leading re-seller of business aircraft and helicopters. To date the company has sold 291 aircraft. Boutsen’s portfolio currently comprises 15 jets and helicopters, including a

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

One sign of the vitality of the Middle East’s business aviation market here at MEBA 2014 in Dubai is the presence of the region’s leading commercial airlines at the show. Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Executive are all exhibiting here at Dubai World Central, eager to showcase their offerings to the business and luxury travel markets.

“When big, game-changing players like Emirates and Etihad get involved, you know things are going to get interesting,” said Ali Al Naqbi, founding chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA). “This is a real testimony that our hard work at MEBAA is paying off. The commercial airlines want to attend to get a better understanding of the region’s private and business aviation market.”

Renowned as a driving orce in encouraging a strong regulatory framework and industry guidelines for regional best practices, Al

Naqbi anticipates some 1,200 business aircraft will be registered in the region by 2020. The airlines clearly would like to divert some of that demand to their scheduled services and are enhancing their offerings to appeal to the business aviation demographic.

High Flying Suites

Etihad Airways (Stand 836), which has been increasing its first-class offerings recently, has staked its claim to the market with its launch of “The Residence by Etihad,” three-room suites on its new Airbus A380s. Etihad is featuring here at the show a full-scale mockup of the new suites. The 125-square-foot cabin for single or double occupancy includes a lounge, a shower area and bedroom with double bed. Passengers will be attended by “flying butlers” trained at London’s Savoy Hotel. The first of the airline’s Residence-equipped A380s is scheduled to enter service

between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow on December 27.

The Etihad stand also features the First Apartments, which will include a reclining armchair and fulllength ottoman that converts into a bed. These will be installed on the upper deck of the A380. It will be the industry’s only singleaisle first class cabin, according to Etihad. Here at the show, the airline’s representatives are also eager to provide details on the airlines’ latest destinations, including Dallas-Fort Worth, San Francisco, Perth, Phuket, Edinburgh and Hong Kong.

Madrid will join the list of new routes in 2015.

Emirates Executive is showcasing at the static display (Stand A1A) an executive-configured A319 air­ liner that seats 19 and sleeps 15 in 10 private suites. The aircraft has a maximum range of 4,350 miles (7,000 km), and the cabin features amenities including live TV, video conferencing capability, high-speed Internet and mobile phone connectivity.

Qatar Executive (Stand 537) is highlighting its new Bombardier Global 5000 vision, an elegant two-cabin configuration with a separate galley, accommodating up to 13 passengers. o

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aircraft is due to be delivered from there in 2016. Additional facilities are being added at Melbourne, including a 42,000-sqft hangar and 35,000-sq-ft paint shop. In November an engineering and technology center opened at Melbourne.

DAVID McINTOSH

More Than 800 Jets Delivered To Date

The Lineage 1000E large-cabin aircraft is one of three models Embraer Executive Jets has on show here at MEBA 2014. Also available for viewing are a Legacy 650 and a Phenom 300.

Embraer finding success in region with bizjet line

by David Donald The first Embraer Legacy 500 for a Middle East customer is currently undergoing its customer acceptance process with the aim of the aircraft being delivered later in this month.

Deliveries of the new supermidsize, fly-by-wire business jet began in October to a Brazilian customer, and on the 21st of that month the Legacy 500 received its FAA certification. Embraer is expecting to receive EASA approval next week.

In the meantime, the first

Legacy 500 aircrew class completed training with FlightSafety International (Stand 645). The FAA and EASA approved the FSI simulator in St. Louis, Missouri, was in late October, allowing the first course to start training in November. Maintenance technician training is due to begin early next year.

Embraer Executive Jets (Chalet A3) is currently focusing much of its efforts on bringing the Legacy 500 and the smaller 450 to market. The Legacy 450

development aircraft is currently about halfway through its planned 600-hour test/certification flight campaign, and is on schedule to enter service in the middle of next year. As the Legacy 450 employs many of the same systems as used in the Legacy 500, Embraer is able to complete certification with one development airframe.

Both types are to be assembled in the U.S. at Embraer’s Melbourne, Florida, facility, as well as at São José dos Campos in Brazil. The company already has a Phenom 100/300 assembly line and delivery center at Melbourne, and in October broke ground on the 140,000-sq-ft Legacy 450/500 facility, which was approved in August. The first

Since it first delivered an aircraft in 2002, Embraer Executive Jets has delivered 803 business jets, achieving its aim of becoming one of the industry’s major players. The Phenom 300 was the most delivered business jet in 2013, and looks set to maintain the position this year, having taken 57 percent of the light jet market. The 200th Phenom 300 was delivered in July this year, and more than 500 Phenom 100/300s have now been handed over in five years.

As the global executive jet market recovers from its 2008 low, Embraer is looking to the Middle East for many future sales. The company predicts that 230 aircraft will be sold in the region over the next 10 years, with a value of $10 billion. While large- and medium-sized aircraft will continue to dominate in the Middle East, Embraer sees an increase in light jet sales at some point in the future.

Currently Embraer has 33 executive jets operating in the region, comprising three Phenom 300s, 20 Legacy 600/650s and 10 Lineage 1000/E-Jet Shuttle aircraft. The fleet is concentrated

in Saudi Arabia (two Phenoms, four Legacies and three E-Jet Shuttles) and the UAE (12 Legacies and five Lineages). Support is provided by authorized service centers in Abu Dhabi (Falcon Aviation Services–Legacy/ Lineage) and Dubai (ExecuJet Phenom 300/Legacy/Lineage).

On display here at MEBA 2014 are a Lineage 1000E, Legacy 650 and Phenom 300.

The Lineage is outfitted with an enhanced interior in a five-zone cabin; and this latest version has new avionics, including Cat IIIa autoland capability. Embraer offers the Lineage 1000E as an outfitted or “green” aircraft, allowing customers to install their own bespoke interiors, if desired.

When the Legacy 450 enters service next year Embraer Executive Jets will have representatives in all business jet categories, barring the ultra long-range segment. The company has no immediate plans to fill that niche, although it is a longer-term goal.

For now Embraer is concentrating on consolidating its market position in the small- to medium sector, while continuing to develop its large offerings, the Legacy 650 and Lineage 1000E. Embraer recognizes that a cleansheet design would be required to meet the ultra-long-range requirement, and that any aircraft it produces would need some level of differentiation from the competition to warrant the considerable investment in a new aircraft. o

Working with Parisbased Eclipse, Satcom Direct of Satellite Beach, Florida, has enhanced its SDR router to allow bonded and aggregated multiple Inmarsat SwiftBroadband streaming connections, in turn providing data flow rates of up to 1.6 Mbit per second. The aggregated capability will be available from early next year. When Inmarsat’s high data rate streaming comes on line, the SDR will be able to support that, too.

As part of its continuous process of improving its satellite data service, Satcom Direct has also added two new offerings to its portfolio. The company has entered into a dealership agreement with Emteq

(soon to be B/E Aerospace) that allows Satcom Direct customers to use eConnect.

When integrated with the SDR, eConnect provides wireless IFE to both monitors and personal devices and controls cabin functions wirelessly.

Satcom Direct has also become an authorized reseller of Astronics AeroSat FliteStream broadband service, which uses patented lens/horn antenna technology. Among FliteStreams benefits is that it is not shared with commercial airlines, thus avoiding potential choke points.

Both Satcom Direct (Stand 765) and Eclipse (Stand 740) are exhibiting at MEBA 2014 this week in Dubai. –D.D.

DAVID McINTOSH

Satcom Direct’s router gets upgrade

RED CARPET STANDARDS The halls of the MEBA show are stocked and crowded with booths offering all the goods and services required for ­ operating a business jet, or a fleet of business jets. Every visitor is treated like a VIP.

10 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Lufthansa A340-300 joins Ebola battle

MARK PHELPS

by David Donald Lufthansa recently handed over a specially equipped Airbus A340-300 to the German government for medical evacuation duties, primarily in connection with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The aircraft was withdrawn from Lufthansa’s passenger fleet and rapidly modified for its new role by Lufthansa Technik (Stand 500) to become the world’s only airborne evacuation facility for

MEBAA founding chairman Ali Al Naqbi, left, met with General Aviation Manufacturers Association president Pete Bunce here at MEBA, further reaffirming the bond between the two organizations.

highly contagious patients.

By removing seats, galleys and baggage lockers from the center and aft cabins, sufficient room was created for the installation of a sophisticated isolation patient transport facility.

The principal isolation unit comprises an airtight tent with negative pressure and two airtight exterior tents to allow medical staff to enter and exit the central unit safely. The forward

cabin retains 19 seats for medical staff and technicians, plus a Lufthansa engineer.

Modification of the aircraft began on November 17, and it was handed over just 10 days later. Named “Robert Koch” for the medical institute that devised and operates the installation, the aircraft will serve in its humanitarian role for at least six months.

The aircraft is crewed by volunteers from the Lufthansa fleet. o

The A340 medical evacuation aircraft is equipped with advanced medical equipment and isolation facilities.

MEBAA and GAMA focus on common vision The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) formed an alliance last April, and GAMA president Pete Bunce is visiting for this week’s MEBA show.

MEBAA founding chairman Ali Al Naqbi said, “GAMA is an international organization, and it’s important for them to be here to help establish some of the missing elements of business aviation in this part of the world.”

Specifically, Al Naqbi was referring primarily to issues of airspace and regulations. He said that he looks to GAMA and Bunce for guidance in helping convince regulators that a “one size fits all” approach to business aviation and airlines is not practical. Al Naqbi also said it’s important to have government regulators from all the region’s countries to work in concert to establish coordinated rules and policies. He even suggested a European-style ATC system. –M.P.

Seawings launches new luxury tour packages

This aerial view of the Burj Al Arab hotel, one of Dubai’s signature landmarks, is available to tourists from the seat of one of Seawings’ Cessna 208 Caravan seaplanes.

IAN WHELAN

by Peter Shaw-Smith Seawings Seaplane Tours, the Dubai-based luxury airtour excursion company, has launched Seawings Lifestyle, a selection of panoramic experiences up and down the UAE coastline offering everything from luxurious yacht charter to historical heritage tours and wildlife desert drives.

Lifestyle packages are exclusive charter offerings for two, four or six individuals enjoying one-, two-, three- or six-night excursions from Dubai Creek to locations such as Sir Baniyas, an island off Abu Dhabi, Oman’s Zighy Bay and Maha Resort, an eco-lodge deep in the desert on the road to the UAE’s third city of Al Ain. The company also recently started including flights to the

UAE’s east coast, a growing tourism focus, with special luxury tours to the Omani Six Senses Zighy Bay resort thrown in for good measure.

Founded in 2007, Seawings offers aerial seaplane tours of Dubai on board the Cessna 208 Caravan amphibious aircraft.

Seawings operates three seaplanes and each has the capacity to seat nine passengers.

“Our core business involves scenic flights above Dubai and the other emirates in a seaplane. This is our eighth year of operations. We are experiencing very good growth,” said Stuart Wheeler, CEO and company founder.

“Every year, we continue to offer more value and packages. We have increased our

operations in terms of scope, and are becoming quite prominent in Abu Dhabi. Dubai operations recently meant the addition of a service from the World Islands, allowing water taxi passengers to arrive on the Palm Island, with another flight from the Palm to the Creek and back.”

Wheeler said the flights threw into relief Dubai’s growing status as a hub for finance, tourism and shipping, as clients were given a detailed commentary on how Dubai rose to prominence, with the Creek vital to that experience.

“Passengers experience all the iconic features of Dubai, from the Palm and the World to the Creek, landing near the Park Hyatt, which is on the site where everything started in 1931, with the original flying boats landing from Southampton on the way to Mumbai,” Wheeler said.

“The seaplane adds an air of nostalgia and romance. It’s a great combination and an amazing city to fly over. The vehicle evokes all sorts of emotions.” o

www.ainonline.com • December 10, 2014 • MEBA Convention News 11

by James Wynbrandt Scheme Designers, pioneer of the custom aircraft paint scheme, is making its MEBA debut here at the 2014 show and introducing a comprehensive design offering created especially for the Middle East market.

“We’ve worked with a lot of customers from this region, but we’ve never addressed the market directly,” said Craig Barnett, the U.S. company’s founder and president. “It’s an ideal market for us because it’s focused

Craig Barnett founded Scheme Designers in 1997, and has developed a special aircraft paint design program geared specifically to Middle East customers.

on business jets, and we’ve designed the schemes for a lot of large cabin aircraft and executive airliners.”

In addition to designing the livery for OEMs including Daher-Socata, Piper, Mahindra Aerospace, Viking and Mooney, the company’s artists have created unique custom paint schemes for some 11,000 aircraft. For its “show special” here at MEBA, Barnett, the company’s chief artist, will personally design the paint scheme in close collaboration with the aircraft owner or representative, provide engineering drawings along with a complete three-dimensional design package, and supervise the design layout at the selected paint shop. The offering is priced at $5,000.

“Aircraft owners spend millions of dollars on interior design, but the exterior design is just ignored, or done as something thrown in in a casual way,” Barnett said. “We bring a level of expertise unrivaled in that niche.” Scheme Designers is also showcasing here a new masking process that can create

Among Scheme Designers’ Middle East customers is Royal Jet, the aircraft charter division of the UAE Presidential Flight Authority, co-owned by Abu Dhabi Aviation. Scheme Designers is responsible for the paint scheme on the Royal Jet BBJ on display here at MEBA.

DAVID McINTOSH

Scheme Designers here with specialized offering

highly complex fades. “It allows far more intricate design work,” Barnett said. The company also helps customers choose the best paint shop for their project, and specifies all instructions for application, whether masking, airbrush or a combination of techniques.

At Scheme Designers’ display (Stand 642B) the company is featuring a multimedia presentation showcasing several hundred business jets and helicopters painted in the company’s striking designs. Reflecting on the regional tastes he’s observed among Middle East

customers since starting his company in 1997, Barnett noted “a desire for elegance in design over complexity.” The company occasionally designs paint schemes for yachts, as well, and Barnett said he’s already completed one such project that included a matching helicopter. o

MRO Specialist Marshall makes its MEBA debut

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

HOT WHEELS & HOT WINGS About the only ground-bound vehicle that can get away with sitting on the same ramp as a business jet is a Ferarri. Scattered throughout the aircraft static display are several examples of the Italian carmaker's art.

12 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Cambridge, UK-based Marshall Aviation Services (MAS, Stand 505) is exhibiting at MEBA for the first time, showcasing its wide portfolio of business aviation services. These range from extensive engineering and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities to aircraft management/charter (through the FlairJet brand) and aircraft brokerage (through the JETability brand).

MAS was established as part of the Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group to offer a full spectrum of business aviation services, along with management of Cambridge International Airport, a popular destination for many business/VIP travellers, but particularly those with interests in the Newmarket horse-racing scene.

Marshall’s engineering expertise has resulted in the company becoming a major MRO organization, notably for the Cessna

Citation and Bombardier Global Express, but also covering other aircraft types. The engineering of bespoke upgrades has been a historical strong point of the company for many years.

In September 2013 Marshall acquired Beechcraft’s Broughton facility and it is now the main MRO center for Hawker business jets and Beechcraft turboprops.

Many Middle Eastern operators use the Broughton facility for servicing their Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft. Marshall is also the sales representative for King Air aircraft in the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia.

“Our heritage in refurbishment, re-finishing, upgrade and support of aircraft of all sizes is excellent,” said MAS v-p business development James Dillon-Godfray. “There is a clear demand in the EMEA region for our services and we are working on some exciting projects.” o

by Ian Sheppard Air BP (Stand 847) is reaping the have 650 sites around the world and if the benefits of an increased focus on serv- customer knows their most important ing business aviation customers. The airport, we aim to offer security of supply fuel supplier is targeting growth in there through a service level agreement. the Middle East, where it recently This way they also get a shorter delivery appointed a new sales manager and has time and avoid queues. At most airports grown its local team as it continues to at which we work we have business aviaincrease the number of airports where tion dedicated teams and refuellers.” it provides fuel and other services. CurFBO Service rently this is around five airports/sites in the Middle East, but is set to expand According to Moreno, Air BP can deliver fast–with the latest addition being a full service fuel package that can be estabDubai Festival City’s new heliport. lished at almost any location. “Another area Miguel Moreno, Air BP’s general man- we are developing is partnering with FBOs,” ager for general aviation, told AIN that he said. “For example Gama [Aviation] at he has a team here at the MEBA show Sharjah, and also in Glasgow [in Scotland] to inform visitors about the company’s too… both facilities are really happy with full capabilities, which now include con- the results of our collaboration.” sultancy on fuel options and its Omega On the consultancy side Moreno said, operations manual for general aviation. “We have different tools to give different He also mentioned the oil company’s new opportunities to customers. We can look partnership with flight planning portal at fixed-price deals, caps, etc. through our Rocketroute.com as evidence that Air BP trading department.” is now more than just a fuel supplier.

While he admitted that the airlines rep“We work with our customers, and resent “a huge business in volume terms” for example we offer a Sterling Card and Moreno was keen to stress that airlines Citi Visa reward card,” said Moreno. “We were handled

by Seite “a completely different 10.12.14_AIN_MEBA Convention_254x165_254x165 19.11.14 11:30 1

Miguel Moreno, Air BP’s general manager for general aviation, said the company wants to expand its network in the Middle East, while also offering services other than just fuel supply.

market after making good progress in the Gulf. “We have plans all around the Middle East and we are talking [about new opportunities in Saudi Arabia] but we can’t [give further details] on this at the moment…but the Middle East is one of the busy hubs now and in the future.

We have been very focused on Dubai,” Moreno said. o

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MIFFLIN-SCHMID DESIGN

Air BP expands fuel outlets throughout the Middle East

team” out of the Air BP regional office, which is located here in Dubai. “Business aviation is another world–and my team only focuses on business aviation in the five continents,” he said. This presence serving business aviation worldwide had been “growing for the past five years, even through the market difficulties.”

“The combination of our idea of being close to the customers and their airports is important, and we are offering to expand. We have 650 airports now and we are expanding our presence for example in China, in France–it’s a constant effort to get more sites,” said Moreno. He admitted that being part of a global company is “a huge advantage” for BP Aviation’s business aviation ambitions. “For example, most of the Middle East customers flying to Europe are already with us. We also have similar in China, Africa, etc.,” he explained.

In North America, Air BP withdrew from its joint venture with Epic Aviation in February 2012 in order to offer its services to FBOs and operators direct. “We are getting more and more customers [there],” said Moreno. “We have lots of ideas on how to get a stronger position in the U.S. [market]. It took some time but now we are growing 20 percent yearon-year. More and more customers are going for the Sterling Card, for example.”

Back in the Middle East, Air BP has been eying the lucrative Saudi Arabian

ance, another to completions and refurbishment, and a third, smaller hangar accommodates a variety of aircraft for simultaneous maintenance work.

At Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey we provide our esteemed Middle Eastern clientele with maintenance services for the Pilatus PC-12 NG and Dassault Falcon 900 and 2000 aircraft series. We are proud to be exclusive Pilatus Middle East Sales Distributors. Looking forward to welcoming you in Basel or Istanbul!

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www.ainonline.com • December 10, 2014 • MEBA Convention News 13

by R. Randall Padfield Operators of Boeing 737s will soon have a new option for boosting the range of the iconic airliner, from the 737-200 to the Max series. Long Range Auxiliary Fuel, based in Hergiswil, Switzerland, which is exhibiting here at MEBA 2014 with Gainjet Aviation (Stand 700), expects FAA and EASA approval of the supplemental type certificate (STC) for system the early next year.

“Our initial idea was to develop a new concept and design of an auxiliary fuel tank systems,” explained Karl Lang, CEO of Long Range, who is also long-time private pilot. “We started with the 737 because of its fleet size in the market. Of the ‘classics’ there are about 2,000. These are the dash 200, 300, 400 and 500.” However, the Long Range tanks will also fit the 737 Max 8 and 9.

“The system has not only been developed by Long Range,

but the STC will be owned by Long Range. The product is patented worldwide and the name is registered worldwide,” he said.

Although not a sister company of Gainjet Aviation, the two companies have some common owners, thus their appearance at the same MEBA stand.

The Long Range Auxiliary Fuel system comprises “master tanks” (449 usable gallons), quick-change “slave tanks” (419 usable gallons), a flush-floor rail system and a control panel in the cockpit. One or two master tanks can be installed, depending on whether one wants to place auxiliary tanks in the forward or aft cargo bays (under the passenger cabin) in the 737, or in both bays. (If using only one master tank, it will typically be placed in the forward section of the aft cargo bay.)

The master tank or tanks, which are “hard installations,”

contain all the required plumbing, the fuel filling and transfer system and the fuel indicating system. They feed fuel directly to the airplane’s center fuel tank. After installation of the basic provisioning kit (one master tank, the rail system and a cockpit panel) by an MRO, the system is ready to fly.

Slave tanks, which fit through the 737’s standard forward and aft cargo doors, can be installed or removed at any time by two line-service personnel, using a fork-lift and no special tools, in about two to three hours, Lang said. The tanks slide down the rail system, which is flush with the cargo floor, and then “hook up” with the adjacent master or slave tank with quick-connect couplings.

“Think of Legos snapping together,” Lang said. “No plumbing, wiring or tooling is required to connect the tanks.

They are that simple.” The slave tanks have no moving parts, no pumps and no motors, he said. Cabin-air pressure is used to move the fuel from the slave tanks to the master tanks.

The cost of a seven-tank configuration holding 2,700 gallons

DAVID McINTOSH

Versatile aux fuel tanks add range to 737 series

Karl Lang, Long Range president and CEO, has developed an auxiliary fuel system for Boeing 737s. The “quick change” line-replaceable tank system offers considerable flexibility for operators wanting to increase the range of their legacy 737s to that of a BBJ.

of fuel will be about $3 million, Land said. This will add about 2,400 nm of range to the airplane, figuring an average fuel burn of about 500 U.S. gallons/hour.

Bearing in mind that numerous configurations of tanks are possible, as a rule of thumb, the cost of an installation comes out to about $1,000 per gallon of fuel added by the tanks.

Iacobucci’s VIP seats make Middle East debut

WHAT CAN THESE MACHINES DO FOR YOU? Business aviation offers a form of travel that cannot be matched for convenience, comfort and making the best use of time. It offers savings which are not measured in financial terms. Time is the one commodity that cannot be bought at any price, and business aviation saves time.

Iacobucci HF Aerospace (Stand 520) of Ferentino, Italy, is displaying here at MEBA 2014 its high-end aircraft seats and galley accessories designed exclusively for business aircraft.

Since introducing its first business aircraft seat in 2010, the company has become a major player in luxury seating category.

“Our USP [unique selling point] is that we are a boutique seat manufacturer, everything is made in Italy and we are open to collaborate with our customers,” said Ricardo Palmeri, Iocabucci’s director of marketing.

Here at the show, Iacobucci is displaying its Milano single seat, the first time the seat is being shown in the region, as is the company’s double-mechanical seat. In addition, the company’s newly certified line of shell seats, based on seats designed for the recently delivered Hyundai Motor Company’s BBJ, completed by Comlux, are available in a range of configurations, functions, styles and finishing.

Detailed information about Iacobucci’s latest seats and

14 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

divan, developed for the new Piaggio Avanti Evo model, is also available at its display here at Dubai World Central (Stand 520). The company is eager to meet with potential clients who are looking for the seats that are “elegant, refined, and bring that feeling that ‘This has been

DAVID McINTOSH

DAVID McINTOSH

by James Wynbrandt

Italian interior designer Iacobucci is displaying its custom Milano single business jet seat for the first time in the Middle East region here at MEBA.

Long Range is planning to lease slave tanks from numerous locations worldwide, so that operators have the flexibility of adding tanks for specific missions, and then can return them when no longer needed. The company has developed a website, which it plans to make public after the STC is secured. o designed just for me,’” Palmeri said. “If you’re looking for something exclusive and premium, made in Italy, with Italian quality and style, come to us and see if we can work together.”

The company declined to provide pricing for its seats.

Iacobucci is also displaying its award-winning range of espresso and coffee makers that are designed specifically for business aircraft. The espresso and cappuccino makers (28V and 115V variable frequency) include the Americana line, available with an external tank or connected to the aircraft’s water system.

Also being showcased is the company’s aerospace gusto oven, the first and only certified induction oven series for business aircraft, capable of producing “five-star restaurant” quality meals, Palmeri said. “If you want to have what we call the academy of taste, or gusto, onboard, there’s no other choice.” Iacobucci will be providing demonstrations of the oven, already installed on about 70 business jets, here at the show. o

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Côte d’Azur airport group teaming with Happy Design

by David Donald

Empty-leg chartering helps to optimize value

by R. Randall Padfield For charter operators, having an aircraft waiting on the ground far from its base can mean lost revenue. So frequently the jet will return to base to be available for another charter. In most cases customers are charged for cost of the round trip, if they don’t pay for the aircraft to wait for their return trip.

experience the artistry of founder Didier Wolff. For Happy Design the tie-up provides the ability to reach aircraft owners who may be looking for eye-catching bespoke exterior designs for their aircraft, providing them with what Wolff described as “an opportunity to meet a new world of design.” The airports could also provide ideal locations for the handover of newly decorated aircraft.

Happy Design takes on only a handful of projects annually, with the focus on maintaining high standards of design and quality. “I would rather do a few aircraft a year and do them well,” Wolff told AIN. “It begins on a 3D model and ends with personal supervision of the painting.

If that means spending two weeks at the paint shop, then I will do that.” o

VIRTUAL REALITY SHOW Here at MEBA 2014, Honeywell (Stand 562) has a “virtual reality seat” where visitors can experience all the technologies the company can supply for aircraft cabins and cockpits.

Extra Revenue

Obviously, finding people who want to travel back to the charter operator’s base means more revenue for the operator. And because the return leg has already been paid for by the first customer, the operator has an incentive to offer the empty leg for less. After all, getting some extra revenue from the empty leg is better than flying the airplane home empty.

Furthermore, there’s some flexibility in the empty-leg destination, too. As long as the flight doesn’t stray too far away from the airport where it is based, the operator can still earn some revenue on it. And it may make sense for the operator to leave the flight on the ground for a few days, paying the hotel and per diem for the crew and parking fees at the airport, to wait to turn the empty leg into an extra-revenue flight.

While filling empty legs of charter flights is popular in the U.S. and Europe, the practice is not as common in the Middle East, Kelly said. “We have introduced this service to the region

DAVID McINTOSH

Private Jet Charter, an air charter broker with offices in the UAE, the U.S., the UK and Italy and a representative in Russia, wants MEBA attendees to understand the benefits of “empty legs” when they are considering charter flights.

“Empty legs” may sound strange to people new to private aviation, but the concept can mean significant savings to charter passengers who have a flexible schedule, such as vacationers. “An empty leg refers to a private jet flying empty after dropping off a passenger or en route to pick up a passenger,” explained Ross Kelly, managing director for PJC Middle East.

“As the flight is already paid for, we [as a charter broker] can offer huge discounts.”

Kelly said these discounts can be as much as 50 to 70 percent on the empty leg. For example, he said a typical charge for a round-trip charter from Dubai to Riyadh is about $25,000, and that his company could negotiate the empty leg for less than half of this.

Many chartered business aircraft carry passengers to their destination, wait on the ground for the passengers to do what they need to do and then fly them back that same day or maybe the next. Typically, there is an extra charge to keep the aircraft on the ground, waiting for the clients, after certain period of time.

due to the strong demand from customers for one-way flights,” he added. “Our vast international network can track the availability of ‘empty leg’ trips and place them on our web portal [www.privatejetcharter.com] for people to book in a few basic steps.” He said the company updates the empty-leg list whenever it learns of the availability of a new empty leg.

Private Jet Charter is not exhibiting at MEBA 2014, but Kelly said that many of the company’s representatives are attending the show and are eager to speak with potential clients. o

DAVID McINTOSH

Happy Design has applied this bespoke scheme to a Global 5000

Bespoke aircraft exterior designer Happy Design Studio has announced a business partnership with France’s Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA) as part of a joint vision to continue the improvement of customer service quality at the private/business jet facilities at ACA’s airports at Cannes-Mandelieu, Nice-Côte d’Azur and Saint-Tropez.

“With every wish to develop this business, we want to give our customers the kind of services they expect, and not only air services,” said Dominique Thillaud, chairman of ACA. “The partnership with Happy Design Studio is part of that approach.”

Happy Design Studio will present its work via displays at the three ACA airports, allowing potential customers to

POWER TRIP Snecma’s Silvercrest turbofan was announced at the 2006 NBAA show and first run in September 2012. It is earmarked for service on Cessna’s Citation Longitude and Dassault’s Falcon 5X business jets.

16 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

THE CENTRE OF THE

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

VISIT US AT STAND 946 08-12 NOVEMBER 2015

DUBAI WORLD CENTRAL, UAE WWW.DUBAIAIRSHOW.AERO

Middle East airline traffic challenges bizav accessibility The headlong growth of scheduled air transport in the Middle East is intensifying the challenges facing the region’s air traffic controllers and the priorities they must set themselves as business aviation goes in search of the recognition it needs to expand and prosper.

Ahmed Al Jallaf, assistant director general of the UAE’s Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre, told the MEBAA conference this week that about 49 percent of the UAE’s airspace is set aside for military operations, leaving only just over half of the airspace for a growing raft of civil operations. The Middle East has various large portions of military airspace and, in his view, there is a strong need to implement the flexible use of airspace concept.

In May 2013, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) submitted its MID (Middle East) ATM Enhancement Program (MAEP) proposal to ICAO. This called for a regional airspace collaborative solutions by implementing harmonized and joint projects to overcome the region’s increasing difficulties due to what it referred to as fragmented airspace structures, high-levels of tactical intervention by ATC, choke points, traffic bunching and queuing, and reliance on conventional technologies. It cited ICAO statistics showing that Middle East annual traffic growth rates, led by the Gulf, at 5.2 percent, lag only AsiaPacific (6.3 percent) and Latin America (5.8 percent) in terms of world growth.

“Airspace in the region is extremely busy and congested. Continued investments in the airspace and airports systems and technologies will allow the operators to have much more effective operations,” said Al Jallaf. “We have realized that to accommodate the growth and the continued expansion we need to work

together with our partners to ensure safe and efficient air traffic operations.”

In the presentation submitted by GCAA, UAE traffic forecasts showed that in the period 2010-15, daily movements will increase 6.8 percent, 4.8 percent in 2015-20 and 3.7 percent in the period 2020-30.“The total number of flights within the UAE flight information region will increase from 740,585 flights in year 2012 to approximately 1,859,000 flights in year 2030 based on the UAE studies. The current Middle East airspace structure will be unable to handle the sustained forecasted traffic growth within the UAE,” the GCAA presentation to ICAO concluded.

“Business aviation is and will always remain a main component of air traffic operations in general. It is up to the business aviation operators how they fit themselves in the system. From an air traffic control point of view, priority is given specifically to certain criteria: aircraft in emergency, aircraft in hijack, etc. as per ICAO standards,” said Al Jallaf.

“With regard to business aviation within normal status operations, the current issue is sometimes the varied performance of the aircraft, and how to create capacity,” he continued. “The performance of super jets like the Airbus A380 varies significantly with specific light or medium category [business] aircraft. At the end of the day I see all sorts of operations faring very well not only in the UAE but in the region.”

Today, the UAE sees 2,300 movements per day, with 5,400 predicted for 2030. Looking ahead to the implementation of MAEP, Al Jallaf concluded, “The importance is it will encourage harmonization and collaboration to ensure safe and efficient operations and enhance ATM capacity.” o

DAVID McINTOSH

by Peter Shaw-Smith

The Dassault Falcon 5X features the widest Falcon cabin ever, as can be seen in a cabin mockup here at the MEBA show. Dassault also is exhibiting a Falcon 7X and a 900LX.

Dassault showcases Falcon 5X

by Thierry Dubois Dassault Aviation is here exhibiting its Falcon 7X and Falcon 900LX long-range business jets and a full-scale cabin mockup of the new Falcon 5X, which the manufacturer categorizes as “ultra-wide body.”

The Falcon 5X is understood to be in the final stages of assembly at the company’s Bordeaux, France factory, preparing for ground tests. It is scheduled to fly in the second quarter of 2015 and receive certification late in 2016.

One of the first deliveries, in the second half of 2017, will take place in the Middle East. The region accounts for 20 percent of the twinjet’s sales. The Falcon 5X can fly nonstop from Dubai to Cape Town or from Riyadh to Tokyo.

The Falcon 8X, a 7X derivative, is due to roll out on December 17 at Dassault’s Bordeaux, France, headquarters, and to make a first flight in the first quarter of next year. It can fly from Jeddah to Boston, or New York to Dubai.

Both aircraft are well suited to operators in the Middle East because the latter

place a high premium on spaciousness, range, operating flexibility and economics, Dassault believes. The firm’s best-selling business jet in the Middle East is still the 5,950 nm Falcon 7X, which accounts for half of all Falcon sales in the region over the last five years. The first Falcon 2000S–Dassault’s cheapest aircraft–in the Middle East was delivered to a Saudi Arabian customer in October.

“The early success of our two latest model offerings reflects the wide popularity the entire Falcon fleet has long enjoyed in the Middle East,” said Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “Operators in the region truly appreciate the operating performance, flexibility and technological excellence offered by Falcon aircraft.”

In the region, Dassault operates an authorized service center, spares distribution center and regional sales office in Dubai, as well as an authorized service center and technical office in Jeddah. o

ELIT’AVIA ADDS SEVEN JETS TO CHARTER FLEET DREAM MACHINES

DAVID McINTOSH

“Okay, we’ll put the workout room on the lower level, just aft of the home theater.”

Sometimes, it can be inspiring to see the possibilities.

On the Lufthansa Technik stand here at MEBA, this cutaway model shows what can be done with the available floor space of a VVIP version of Boeing’s 747.

18 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Slovenia-based Elit’Avia announced on the eve of MEBA 2014 the addition of seven aircraft to its charter fleet: a Bombardier Challenger 300 and 604, a Gulfstream G450, G550 and two G650s and a Ghana-based Hawker 800XP. The new jets bring Elit’Avia’s charter fleet to more than 20 aircraft, and come on the heels of the opening of Elit’Avia’s new offices in Malta in September.

“We are delighted to be here in Dubai to announce this expansion of our fleet and to our services here, which will help us meet strong, growing demand, especially in the Middle East and Africa,” said Michel Coulomb, company CEO. “With the addition of the new Gulfstream G650s to our charter fleet, Elit’Avia is well positioned to meet the demand for super long range activity in this region.”

–J.W.

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ArincDirect highlights quartet of technologies The FOS product aids in sending notifications and push alerts to international trip-handling clients, according to Kruger, as well as tracking flight schedules and compliance with regulatory requirements, such as pilot qualifications and record-keeping.

“It’s a comprehensive suite of service offerings,” he said.

FOS, designed for both private (Part 91) and commercial (Part 135) operations, “is scalable to fit the mission,” Kruger said.

One of the new features added in the last few months allows flight department schedulers and dispatchers to make trip requests via FOS to ArincDirect’s Houston operation. “That’s part of the triangle of our software acquisitions,” he said. “We’re trying to make [our services] more comprehensive and seamless.”

For FOS users that prefer working with third-party software developers, Rockwell Collins makes this possible through the FOS Alliance Network. For example, a charter operator might want to promote the availability of empty legs and can use FOS to notify charter brokers and fill seats that otherwise might generate zero revenue on a repositioning flight. Maintenance tracking company Camp Systems works with FOS to keep aircraft maintenance information current. Another useful

SOVEREIGN ARRIVAL Cessna’s Citation Sovereign+ makes its debut in the Middle East here at MEBA. It has a maximum range of 3,188 nautical miles and can carry as many as 12 passengers. Top cruise speed is 460 knots.

capability is real-time updating of on-off times via datalink. “FOS is well connected to many providers in this industry,” Kruger said.

FOS also allows users to link directly to the ArincDirect website for filing flight plans or importing flight plans back to FOS; access flight tracking information, the Arinc­ Direct message center and text and graphical weather; request U.S. and Canada slots; overlay trips on ArincDirect’s mapping tool; and view trip reports on the ArincDirect iPad app.

The new fuel planning service is not only helpful for tankering planning (determining the optimal fuel load), but also allows ArincDirect users to analyze how ramp fees and performance limitations affect the entire flight. Trips of up to 15 legs can be analyzed. o

DAVID McINTOSH

“Arinc was the largest acquisition in Rockwell Collins history,” said Brian Kruger, senior director of the company’s ArincDirect unit. Five years ago Rockwell Collins purchased the former Air Routing international trip planning and handling company, creating the Ascend Flight Information Solutions division. After the Arinc purchase in December 2013, Rockwell Collins merged Ascend with Arinc’s services division and created the new ArincDirect business unit, which is part of Rockwell Collins’s Information Management Services division.

ArincDirect is highlighting four key technologies here at MEBA (Stand 625): a new fuel tankering feature; integrated weight-and-balance/performance calculations in the ArincDirect iPad app; new integration with Rockwell Collins’s Flight Operations System (FOS) software for scheduling and operations management; and connectivity solutions for flight crew and passengers.

“We provide a suite of [solutions] that will fit most every segment,” said Kruger. The services offered by ArincDirect’s Houston facility are focused on international trip support, but these services are combined with ArincDirect flight planning and trip support tools that came as part of the Arinc acquisition.

DAVID McINTOSH

by Matt Thurber

ArincDirect is the name of the Rockwell Collins business unit resulting from the commingling of various flight-support companies.

20 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

FIA deals with increases in private business flights

by Peter Shaw-Smith Fujairah International Airport (FIA) has seen 176 private flights in the two years since November 2012. Of those, 66 were in 2014, representing a steady increase over earlier periods. The airport signed a seven-year agreement with Switzerland’s Aurora Aviation in 2012 to provide FBO services at FIA. Charles Hajdu, acting general manager at FIA, told AIN: “Aurora Aviation has developed its general aviation business to include an FBO. It is the exclusive provider for FBO services here at Fujairah International Airport. I am pleased with their performance as we have seen the number of movements related to business and private flights increase by 39 percent [since 2012].” According to Aurora, it has attracted 26 percent more new operators to the airport since it took over.

Thanks to its rising status as a ship-bunkering port, Fujairah is the UAE’s newest boomtown, with fuel tank farms mushrooming to supply storage for oil products. “Bunkering is a major driver [of the airport. Oil and gas executives do use scheduled airlines, but they have their own airplanes as well,” said Hajdu.

“Some of the travel involves technical stops; and those are the ones we really want to get.

We are not a destination in the sense that Dubai is, but that’s beginning to change because of the oil and development of the Port of Fujairah. We are

beginning to see more traffic related to them.”

Today, FIA’s main business streams are cargo, flight training and MRO services for the Russian fleets, although Hajdu is looking to increase activity on the passenger side, as several luxury hotels are situated to the north of Fujairah. “The airport is not just going to be for tourist traffic.

It has to be for business and that means we have to provide additional services. That’s key for us, to be able to handle that.”

Abu Dhabi Airports Company and Fujairah’s Directorate of Civil Aviation signed an agreement in July 2014 for a major infrastructure development of the airport, including a runway extension, parallel taxiway/emergency runway and a new control tower. Groundbreaking on the airport developments is set for the third quarter of 2015.

“The alignment of the runway towards the mountains has always been a concern and the combination of a 900-meter (2,953 feet) runway extension to the existing runway length of 3,750 meters (12,303 feet) will provide a performance advantage for departures towards the mountains,” Hajdu said.

“Combined with improved RNAV [area navigation] approach and departure procedures and the implementation of multi-lateration radar, we are fully equipped for all weather situations. A possible ground based augmentation system would also provide enhanced runway approach procedures for our customers.” o

NEWS CLIPS

z Mixed Year for Bizav Across Middle East Research carried out by WingX and commissioned by the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) has found that the combined regions enjoyed a mixed year for bizav in 2014.

While flight activity was up 6.6 percent in North Africa year to date, WingX found that movements had fallen 1.9 per cent in the Middle East region during 2014.

“Regional instability, in the second half of 2014, has undermined business aviation activity in the Middle East this year,” the WingX report said.

The WingX study found that airports in the UAE are the busiest in the region, with a total of 41,000 business aviation movements this year. Saudi Arabia is the largest bizav market in the region, with a 35 percent share of the fleet. The average age of the Saudi fleet is 14.9 years, in comparison with 10 years for the UAE fleet, which enjoys a 26 percent share.

Top five business aviation airports in the region were Dubai Al Maktoum International, Dubai International, Beirut, Jeddah and Riyadh, WingX said.

z New Hangar Heralds Paris-Le Bourget Expansion Advanced Air Support (Stand 735), part of the Jet Services Group, plans to open a new hangar at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport next March. Construction is well advanced on the 71,040-sq-ft building, which will offer accommodation for up to five aircraft of BBJ size. A new 133,470-sq-ft apron is also being installed in front of the hangar.

Currently, Advanced Air Support has one of Le Bourget’s five historic hangars on the eastern side of the airport available, but the height of its hangar restricts its use to smaller aircraft as the door is not tall enough to admit large aircraft, such as the BBJ or Bombardier Globals.

As part of a long-term plan to develop Le Bourget, the Jet Services Group has built a hotel at the new entrance to the business aviation area. In the third quarter of next year Advanced Air Support is scheduled to begin the building of a new VIP terminal next to the hotel. Construction and completion is expected to take around two years.

z Space Filling Fast for Farnborough 2016 On the opening day of MEBA 2014, Farnborough International Ltd. (FIL) announced some encouraging news about its own show. The chalet doors were barely shuttered after this summer’s event before exhibitors started booking space for the 2016 running of the iconic UK air fair. As of today, 64 percent of exhibition space is spoken for.

FIL commercial director Amanda Stainer said, “We’re making some quite radical changes at the show to support the changing demands of our exhibitors and visitors.” These include “a larger civil delegation program, improved participation initiatives from MRO rotary and machine tooling customers and enhanced exhibiting options for international and SME companies,” said a statement from FIL. Stainer added: “2016 is also the centenary anniversary for Boeing and we are in discussions with them regarding their presence at the show during this special time.”

With all the aircraft on display here at MEBA, it still takes a high level of experience to find the right fit.

London’s Jet Business, the place for expertise

by Charles Alcock There is a plentiful selection of private aircraft on display here in Dubai this week at MEBA, but year-round, discerning Middle Eastern private travelers flock to another place where they can get expert guidance: The Jet Business store in London’s most exclusive Knightsbridge district.

“We’re now getting a lot of repeat business and a good flow of deals,” founder Steve Varsano. “A lot of people from the Middle East come to London in the summer and many of them come in to see us. We’re seeing a big increase in [client] traffic from the region but I’m not sure if this is true of the market as a whole because there are some quiet pockets and that may be due to political upheaval causing people to stay on the sidelines [of aircraft trading].”

In addition to the falling price of crude oil, another economic driver has been the strengthening of the U.S. dollar. “This could help the market because most people with nonU.S. currency have been able to buy [dollar-priced] airplanes cheaply,” Varsano explained.

“Now sellers are able to sell aircraft at a lower dollar price but end up with a higher amount of their local currency. The Russian ruble has fallen a lot and we’ve done quite a few deals in CIS countries where sellers can ask less for and aircraft and still get more money back.”

The Jet Business feels very at home closing transactions across borders. A week before heading to Dubai for the MEBA show, Varsano’s team sold an airplane from Ukraine into Pakistan. “When you are in this business you can’t depend on CNN’s definition of a country,”

he said. “We are more tolerant of people’s personalities and the way they do business in different parts of the world.”

In the first three years of The Jet Business’s existence much of the foot-traffic in the exclusive store was accounted for by high-net worth individuals and entrepreneurs. Increasingly, it is now getting visits from aviation department managers and chief pilots. “These are the serious decision makers at corporations and they are more involved in the selection of aircraft,” commented Varsano. “Some people trade their planes as frequently as they change their cars but others are now tending to keep them longer.”

According to Varsano, market conditions are improving for both buyers and sellers on the back of a 30 percent increase in preowned transactions since 2008. “There are now around 20,000 business aircraft in the world and so there are more choices than ever,” he concluded.

Now Varsano wants to replicate The Jet Business in his hometown: New York City. He’s looking for a partner to help him with this project. o

FOKKER LANDS 737 VIP COMPLETION Fokker Services concluded a contract with Boeing to provide a 737-800 head-of-state VIP completion for an undisclosed Asian customer. The aircraft is due for delivery to the company’s facility in the Netherlands, and it is due for redelivery in August 2016.

“We are proud that our VIP completions, design concepts and craftsmanship are acknowledged and highly appreciated by one of the most important leaders in the aviation industry,” commented Johan van Dorst, sales director for Fokker’s completion and conversion business (pictured, right).

“This VIP completion award, together with the development of the SkyView panoramic window for BBJs being on track, will bring our relationship with Boeing to new levels.”

Here at MEBA Fokker is showcasing the SkyView (Stand 600), which was first revealed at EBACE in May as an option for the BBJ. Spanning three standard window frames, the SkyView offers a 54.5-inch wide window that is also deeper than standard windows, with a height of 19.5 inches.

–D.D.

22 MEBA Convention News • December 10, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

DAVID McINTOSH

Three of the U.S.’s most respected inflight caterers have joined forces to jointly promote their services here at MEBA 2014 (Stand 642c). The three companies are all owner-operated and offer similar standards of high-quality services.

With Air Gourmet covering the Los Angeles/Las Vegas region, Rudy’s Inflight Catering operating in the New York/New Jersey/Baltimore/Washington area and SilverLining Inflight Catering operating in Florida, the companies cover the principal high-traffic regions in the U.S., making them a natural fit for a joint-marketing effort.

All three companies share the same values: providing exceptional catering services. This includes washing/sanitization and the high-loader capability that is required when catering for large aircraft operators.

DAVID McINTOSH

z Three U.S. Caterers Join Forces for MEBA

“Our company's accomplishments, and my usefulness, would be far less were it not for our business airplanes.”

HERB KOHLER

Chairman and CEO Kohler Company

PA I D F O R BY T H E N AT I O N A L B U S I N E S S AV I AT I O N A S S O C I AT I O N

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