European Business Air News June 2011

E U R O P E A N

BUSINESS AIR NEWS ISSUE 215

JUNE 2011

Three celebrate top awards for safe flying

A splendid 11 BGAD Business & General Aviation Day day of business aviation September 20th, 2011

www.bgad.aero

FRENCH REGIONAL REVIEW The worst is over, but recovery is slow for business aviation in France Pages 15-17

Kuwait-based CL605 buyer has Casablanca in his sights

The editor-in-chief of a Kuwaiti news and entertainment company has taken delivery of a Challenger 605. Ahmed Al Jarallah’s acquisition will be operated by Gulf Wings.

Al Jarallah cites the long range capabilities in linking key cities such as Kuwait City and Casablanca as key reasons for his choice.

See page 8 for the full story.

The EBAA has awarded six Safety of Flight Awards this year, including three platinum awards for 50 years or 100,000 hours without an accident. DC Aviation, a gold award winner, has also recently renewed its IATA operational safety audit – a rare achievement among business aviation operators.

All commercial airline members of IATA are required to pass the organisation’s operational safety audit (IOSA) as a condition of membership, but only a few of Europe’s largest business jet operators, of Jetalliance including Austria, NetJets and PrivatAir, their subjected have operations to the same scrutiny. DC Aviation has recently passed such an audit for the third time.

The IOSA reviews the safety and quality assurance of operational airline’s an management and control systems. More than 350 airline companies worldwide subject themselves to these rigorous demands, but there are only a few business jet operators that do the same.

DC Aviation believes it is setting new standards in this area. In March, five auditors at DC Aviation reviewed over 960 standards and processes in all areas related to aviation law, ranging from technology and safety to quality management and flight operations. This year approximately 50 new questions had to be answered, compared to the previous audit in 2009.

“DC Aviation is the only Germany-based operator of business jets that, for years, has been able to attest to the high safety standards at the demanding level established for airlines due to the IOSA

certificate,” the company says.

The 2011 EBAA Safety of Flight Awards were presented to six organisations for outstanding safety records, post-European a during Business Aviation Safety Workshop cocktail reception.

Aero-Dienst, Gestair and PrivatAir received the highest platinum award, while Tyrol Air Ambulance, Robert Bosch and DC Aviation were awarded the gold award for 40 years or 80,000 hours without an accident.

Tyrol Air Ambulance is the first air ambulance company award. the receive to Transporting 3,000 patients a year, the company has flown 81,000 ambulance flight hours in four decades without an accident.

Flight operations director Uwe Marx received an EBAA platinum Safety of Flight Award on behalf of Aero-Dienst this year and continues to work on safety.

Operating from Innsbruck, Austria, the company has carried more than 46,000 patients, including vips such as the former Czech president Vaclav Havel and the late British prime minister Edward Heath. The company has been recognised for its airlifts for children from crisis regions, including Chernobyl (1986), Romania (1989/90) and Croatia (1991/92).

INAER orders GrandNews for EMS and offshore Business aviation through the eyes of the cabin crew

INAER has signed contracts for four AgustaWestland GrandNew helicopters and one AW139 medium twin for offshore transport and two EMSconfigured GrandNews.

These contracts mark the first application of the GrandNew in the European EMS and offshore transport markets. The GrandNew helicopters for offshore transport will be configured with six forward-facing cabin seats, the first time such a seating layout has been fitted to the type.

José Caparroz Martínez, industrial general director of Grupo INAER, said “The AW139 has set a new standard in the offshore transport market in its category for worldwide operations, increasing capabilities and business opportunities for the operators, while the GrandNew offers outstanding navigation and mission capabilities in the light twin category. The adoption of one more AW139 and the introduction of the GrandNew represents a tremendous addition to our fleet

capabilities, thanks to their excellent performance, payload and technology.”

AgustaWestland boasts a growing presence in the Iberian helicopter market, where the company has logged orders for more than 50 helicopters from its commercial helicopter range.

These perform missions including EMS, SAR, firefighting, passenger transport, vip/corporate transport and offshore transport.

In April the Italian government awarded INAER the management of its

fleet of amphibious firefighting aircraft, involving the operating management and technical maintenance of 19 Canadair CL-415 aircraft.

The company has now completed the prior tasks of maintenance and fine-tuning of the aircraft and the training of over 50 pilots, fulfilling the first objective of the contract with the entry into service of six aircraft at the bases at Ciampino (Rome), Lamezia and Genoa. The provision of a total of 15 aircraft is envisaged.

Join the World movement…

PERSPECTIVES Pages 9-14

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JUNE 2011 3

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Modest business aviation growth swells the crowd at EBACE If I buy a business aircraft now, will it hold or increase its value in the coming years? If I need to sell, will there be a willing buyer? If I charter, will there be enough customers to keep it flying?

In truth, nobody knows. In a strongly growing market there is a margin of error to limit the risk of prudent investments. When recovery is only modest, then it takes a braver buyer to take the calculated risk.

But that buyer may be rewarded with discounted acquisition cost and a head start when business builds up. Maybe that is why attendance at this year’s EBACE show was the second highest ever, with key players

keen to take the pulse of the industry.

There were certainly plenty of opinions available from all quarters.

George Galanopoulos, md of London Executive Aviation, expects European charter demand to maintain gradual growth in 2011 and to gather significantly more pace in 2012. He believes that this year will see the continued erosion of some of the uncertainties that have held back charter demand. “We aren’t out of the woods yet, but perhaps we can see the edge of the forest creeping into view,” he says.

Of course there will be variations across the continent, and between categories of aircraft. Consultant Brian Foley believes that European

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Plenty of options on offer on the static display at EBACE.

economic factors will gradually force a downward shift in cabin size mix towards small and midsize jets. “Today, 38% of Europe’s

offering their own ‘solutions’ to the VAT problem which may see deals move to those regions,” she says.

The manufacturer-eye-view, from Bombardier, is that business aircraft deliveries will continue to grow in 2012, and that Europe along with North America and China will account for the lion’s share over the next 20 years.

Aircraft buyers and operators will want to weigh up the risks and opportunities for themselves.

Nobody saw the global banking and credit crisis coming, and equally nobody knows for sure when to start riding the wave again.

business jet population is large cabin,” he says. “Over time, that should normalise to the worldwide average of 33%. Buying behaviour will continue to change as operators embrace the benefits of smaller aircraft, from fuel savings to lower user fees and other taxes.”

Aoife O’Sullivan of Gates and Partners warns that growth may slow down owing to the lack of uniform treatment of tax across the region. Specifically, there is still a lack of clarity on application and interpretation of the new UK VAT rules, which is slowing transaction progress.

“Other regions such as Denmark, the Isle of Man and Malta are

David Wright Managing Editor

Prestige completes the Comlux repertoire

German Cheyenne is first for five-blade upgrade Reinhardt Michel of Weinsburg, Germany, has become Blackhawk’s 300th engine upgrade customer with his Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II, purchased in 2004.

“Faced with the TBO limit of my existing PT6A-28 engines, I spent some time investigating the alternatives, including overhaul of the existing engines versus upgrades with new engines,” Michel explains.

“My initial contact with Blackhawk was very promising, and we agreed Blackhawk would adapt its technology to European standards and EASA approval,” he says.

“Promises turned quickly into reality, and I decided to run my Cheyenne through the Blackhawk conversion, which also includes the Hawkeye gauges.

“In addition, I have decided to upgrade to MT-Propellers’ new fiveblade propellers, and my Cheyenne II will be the first aircraft worldwide with these super silent and highperforming props. I am extremely excited to pick up my “new” aircraft and experience the difference.”

After founding a successful information technology company, ICP vortex Computersysteme GmbH, Michel and his partners sold the business to Intel Corporation. Today, Michel is an investor in startup companies, a consultant and a member of various advisory boards.

Portuguese textile company plans Phenom charter launch Ricon Group of Portugal, a textile company, has established a subsidiary under the name Everjets to operate charter services in southern Europe with a factory-new Phenom 300 jet.

The aircraft order, along with an option for a second Phenom, was announced at the EBACE convention in Geneva, and delivery is expected in time for operations to begin in December 2011.

“We are thrilled to present the Phenom 300 to our customers,” said José Pereira, Everjets’ ceo. “The design of the aircraft perfectly suits our objectives and our target audience of multicultural, fashion-conscious clients, who like to travel in style – those who enjoy premium comfort, quality of life and who like to experience the latest technologies.”

Blackhawk president and ceo Jim Allmon presents 300th engine upgrade customer Reinhardt Michel with a custom leather flight jacket.

He will fly his Cheyenne primarily for personal travel.

The Blackhawk XP135A upgrades Cheyenne I, IA, II and IIXL models, all high-performance, pressurised twin

turboprop aircraft. The upgrade, which requires no airframe modifications and adds negligible weight, replaces original, earlygeneration engines with factory-new

Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135A engines with full warranties. The new engines significantly increase climb and cruise performance, as well as resale value, while reducing total operating costs.

An Airbus A320 Prestige has joined the Fly Comlux fleet to start vip charter operations from a new Comlux base in Bahrain, dubbed Comlux Middle East. The A320 will join three A318 Elites and two ACJs, making Comlux the first vip charter group to operate all three Airbus types.

Andrea Zanetto, ceo, says “With six Airbus in the fleet, Comlux consolidates its position as the largest Airbus vip operator worldwide. Our new A320 Prestige offers an incredible cabin atmosphere with a unique style that nobody has seen before in business aviation. It has totally amazed our first vip passengers.”

The aircraft’s interior was designed

by Comlux Creatives and features a vip lounge with L-shaped divan, two club seats and a large dining table for six guests. In the middle of the cabin a fully private compartment offers either a cosy lounge for the day or a large double bed for night. A dedicated bathroom with shower completes the private lounge.

Grossmann Jet Service heads for Cannes with iPads, egg cookers and waffles Grossmann Jet Service, the Praguebased executive jet operator, is preparing to base an aircraft outside the central and eastern European (CEE) region for the first time.

From the start of July it is basing its six-seat Citation CJ2, the newest addition to its management fleet, in Cannes, south of France for the summer, along with supporting crew. “We are seeing increased demand from our clients for trips to the Mediterranean – for business and leisure,” said ceo Dagmar Grossmann. “We will also be marketing the aircraft in Montenegro, Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast – the new hot spots

for high net worth individuals who want quick access to their yachts.”

The aircraft will operate from both Cannes and Olbia in Italy with an ideal range of around 1,200 nm enabling direct flights from the Mediterranean bases to destinations including Istanbul, Larnaca, Kiev, London and Casablanca. The aircraft will also be well placed to offer charters within the popular ‘Mediterranean banana’, covering Malaga, along the coast to Barcelona, Cannes and the Amalfi coast of Italy.

“This is the first time Grossmann Jet has based an aircraft outside of the CEE region. It reflects the increased amount of business

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being carried out in the region by CEE businesses and reinforces our strategy to bring East and West together and make private flying more convenient and accessible,” she added. Grossmann Jet also operates a Legacy 600 and Hawker 900XP. All of the company’s aircraft are fitted with onboard special egg cookers that produce ‘excellent soft boiled eggs’, and state-of-the-art waffle makers, creating the perfect breakfast. iPads on all the jets are another recent useful addition, providing in-flight entertainment with movies, eBooks, music videos, games and newspapers.

@

The Comlux A320 Prestige cabin has a double bed compartment.

Suitable for up to 19 passengers the cabin has been intentionally designed for the Middle East charter market; with designated business and economy class seats that allow the transport of an entourage.

The A320 is equipped with the latest technologies such as GSM, new touch screens, mood-lighting, wifi internet access and iPod/ iPhone stands.

‘plane speaking people

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4 JUNE 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

E U R O P E A N

BUSINESS AIR NEWS Publisher and editor:............David Wright Sub editor: ..........................Kate Woods Designer: ..............................Chris Carr Advertising manager: ..........Mark Ranger Subscriptions: ..................Janet Edwards Administrator: ......................Hilary Tyler

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Masterjet has a direct view of all passengers aboard its personalised A320 Le Bourget/Geneva based charter operator Masterjet has taken delivery of an ex-airline Airbus A320 converted to a 26-seat ‘head of state’ configuration.

The aircraft, which had originally been expected to enter service last summer, features a new innovation called Direct View. This custommade feature, designed and engineered in-house by the completion centre Fokker Aircraft Services, allows for one flight attendant to monitor passengers seated in every cabin during taxi, take-off and landing, which is a regulatory requirement by EASA. “In order to comply with this regulation, the operator would have had to situate a crew member in each cabin, which would have been both uneconomical and unpractical,” says Eric Cuppen, director, aircraft completions and conversions at Fokker.

When the A320 airliner arrived at the FAS facility in Woensdrecht, Netherlands, for the conversion, the interior had to be completely stripped down and everything including wiring, isolation, partitions and seats were designed and fitted according to the customer’s personal requirements, right down to the installation of 24-carat gold door knobs. In total, five cabins were installed including a private suite with bedroom, bathroom and office,

Masterjet ceo Philip G Queffelec (left) shakes hands with Edwin Schilling, president of Fokker Aircraft Services after signing the hand-over agreement.

a conference and dining area, separate executive lounge and special first class seating area.

Throughout the design process, Fokker used CATIA 3D graphics extensively, in order to allow the customer to “experience” the aircraft throughout all phases of the design process.

“Other completions centres use CATIA as well, but not to the same

extent as Fokker,” says Cuppen “We find that it’s an excellent tool for allowing customers to fully understand what their aircraft cabin will ultimately look like.”

Another personalised feature was an AVOD rack with a self-contained in-flight entertainment system; a separate power source and cooling system meant the equipment didn’t need extra certification.

For acoustic comfort, Fokker soundproofing reduced cabin noise to 52-53 dB in the main private and lounge areas.

Additional centre tanks were also fitted, increasing the aircraft’s range to nearly 4,000 nm. Although such a fit-out is common for commercial aircraft, only a handful of vip A320s have successfully undergone such a procedure, Fokker reports.

BBGA says farewell to Lachlan T R A INING

P L A NNING

N AV IG AT ION

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The British Business & General Aviation Association has a vacancy for chief executive following Guy Lachlan’s departure from the role in order to concentrate on his family business interests.

In April 2010 Lachlan resigned the position but continued, on a part-time basis, to support Marc Bailey taking over as chief operating officer.

“Since joining the association in December 2007, Guy has given his level best to promote and to support the continuing development of the BBGA and to represent the best interests of our membership. We wish him well in his new enterprise and thank him for the tremendous efforts during his tenure,” says Bailey.

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A TOTAL NAVIGATION SOLUTION FOR ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE TO NAVIGATE. The FlyingGroup team were at EBACE: Charter manager Jeroen Van Doorslaer, business development manager Damien Bodson, charter assistant Etienne Sortais, ceo flying service Johan Van Lokeren, account executive Marleen De Deken and chief commercial officer Jurgen Van Campenhout.

Falcon 2000 EASy to board the carousel at Antwerp FlyingGroup has added a Falcon 2000EX EASy to its charter fleet, and is close to opening an additional hangar at Antwerp with a unique advantage.

The 5,200 sq m structure features a carousel for easy relocation of aircraft to the entrance doors.

Frost-free and ready for business during the summer, the hangar represents a total investment of €2.5 million and will house some of the ever-expanding FlyingGroup fleet, as well as customer aircraft.

The latest aircraft addition, the Falcon 2000EX EASy has a range of

7,255 km and has been delivered with a cabin configuration seating 10 passengers. It will be based mainly at Antwerp airport and will be available to the charter market. “The aircraft has great performance and advanced technology,” the company says.

FlyingGroup has been providing a range of aviation services for more than 10 years that include consultancy, shared aircraft ownership, business flights, charter flights, maintenance and handling.

The company operates a fleet of 28 business jets including eight Falcons.

Whatever it Takes Alicante, Spain. Friday, 3:00 p.m. A pilot calls Customer Service with an AOG—and says he has a high priority flight the next morning.

Dassault’s Tech Center locates the part needed.

But even express shipping won’t get it there in time. So Customer Service Manager Jean-Yves Nezereau, charters an aircraft from Le Bourget, France, to Alicante. By 9:30 p.m., a technician and the part are enroute.

By 8:00 a.m. the next morning, the plane is ready for flight. Vincent Cathelain, the chief pilot for Masterjet – texts back, “Everything is perfect. Nice job, thanks again.” Having advanced technology and strong global service is great.

But what really makes the difference are Falcon service experts who greet every emergency with one attitude: “Whatever it Takes.”

Jean-Yves Nezereau, Falcon Customer Service Manager

GoTeam

Whatever it takes Falcon GoTeams do whatever-it-takes to turn your AOG into an Airplane On The Go. Learn more at falconjet.com/Go

6 JUNE 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Qatar extends range with well-appointed XRS Qatar Executive has received its largest and longest-range aircraft to date, a Global Express XRS, which is the first of three new Bombardier jets scheduled to join the fleet.

Future additions will be a third Challenger 605 in July and a Global 5000 in August.

“The XRS is the epitome of luxury and comfort and a leader in terms of customer satisfaction,” says Qatar Airways ceo Akbar Al Baker. “With the wide choice of business jet variants, we are confident of being able to suit the different requirements of customers with a preference for fast, flexible and individual travel.”

The XRS has been completed with a spacious two-cabin configuration,

For future aircraft orders, Bombardier has renamed the Global XRS as the Global 6000. This slots nicely into the naming convention adopted since the launch of the baseline Global 5000, and the addition of the large Global 7000 and longest-range Global 8000 last year.

Hawker buyers to bag free Lotus Order a Hawker or King Air aircraft before the end of June and you could receive a free Lotus sports car.

That is the unusual deal being offered by Hawker Beechcraft to buyers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, following its agreement to collaborate on engineering initiatives with the car maker.

Hawker customers will receive a Lotus Evora while Beechcraft King Air buyers will receive a Lotus Elise.

“Lotus is a perfect partner for Hawker Beechcraft as we both share a long-standing tradition of providing products with groundbreaking design, technical innovation and exceptional quality and performance,” said Shawn Vick, HBC evp.

“This strategic alliance represents an exciting and progressive step forward in both the aviation and motoring markets,

Beat Höhener, vp of RUAG Business Aviation since 2009, is to be succeeded in this role by Michael Sattler, currently svp of maintenance at Jet Aviation in Basel.

Höhener will move to another role in the organisation and will continue to manage the business aviation site in Geneva for the time being. Michael Sattler, a German national, spent 15 years at Jet Aviation, including a spell at its subsidiary in Singapore.

accommodating up to 13 passengers, with seats that convert into fully flat beds with a well-appointed aft stateroom for optimal relaxation and privacy. The colour tone of the interior decor is made up of creamy beige leather seating and caramel brown cherry wood. The cabin features two large screens and two DVD and CD players, satellite phones and high speed internet.

“No matter if it is a business trip from Doha to the Far East or a holiday in the Caribbean Islands, the XRS easily reaches remote areas without having to stop,” Qatar Executive says.

For longer trips it features a unique system which allows refuelling in less than 15 minutes.

The company reports that it has enjoyed popularity among celebrities of stage and screen, sports stars, as well as corporates and governments.

The personalised service for passengers includes the convenience of booking an aircraft in as little as four hours before departure, access to premium lounges, and check-in ten minutes prior to take off.

Qatar Executive’s operational upgrade also includes a dedicated 6,300 sq m maintenance hangar at Doha International Airport.

XRS becomes 6000

Qatar Airways ceo Akbar Al Baker is about to see the airline’s executive subsidiary more than double its fleet since launch in 2009.

Change at the top of RUAG Business Aviation

allowing our engineers to share knowledge and expertise that will benefit both parties.”

Like HBC, Lotus was the first in its respective field to embrace composite design.

Technology development meetings between HBC and Lotus engineers will provide an opportunity for sharing expert knowledge.

HBC will be accompanying the Lotus Renault GP at a number of F1 Grand Prix events over the coming season, including appearances at races in Turkey, Monaco, Germany and Britain, to showcase its range of aircraft to key growth markets in private aviation. Hawker aircraft will be featured at local airports throughout the race weekends, while prospects and clients will be treated to exclusive events within the Lotus Renault paddock.

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Patton heads up sales for growing Elit’Avia

Eurojet Aviation managing director Graeme Campbell (left) with Birmingham Airport’s chief executive Paul Kehoe.

Eurojet will build major base in Birmingham Eurojet Aviation has announced a major investment in new facilities at Birmingham airport, including an FBO at which it will base two of its fleet of managed Citation jets.

The £5 million scheme will create up to 50 new jobs at the airport and will involve the construction of a new 41,000 sq ft complex. This will house a state-of-the-art maintenance facility, a full service FBO, a commercial operations centre and an aircraft sales suite.

Eurojet operates a managed charter fleet which includes the Citation Bravo, Excel/XLS and Sovereign aircraft with bases throughout the UK and Ireland, including Belfast, Birmingham, Gloucester, London and Dublin. It operates full service FBOs at Belfast International and Belfast City airports.

The new maintenance facility at Birmingham is set for completion by the end of the year when it will become an official manufacturerauthorised service centre.

Speaking about the development

Eurojet’s md Graeme Campbell said: “Eurojet has operated from Birmingham for over 20 years and we are absolutely delighted to be locating this world-class development at such a high profile airport in the heart of the country.

“The complete operational flexibility offered by Birmingham airport, together with the tremendous support from the airport for the project, were decisive factors.

It is also the perfect location for the expansion of our FBO activities.

Our enhanced aircraft sales division will have a dedicated sales suite at the new facility.”

Welcoming the move, Birmingham airport’s chief executive Paul Kehoe said: “Birmingham airport is delighted that Eurojet Aviation has decided to open an aircraft maintenance centre at the airport on the Elmdon site.

This represents an important development in the establishment of an aircraft maintenance cluster in the West Midlands.”

Elit’Avia has added a fifth Challenger 605 to its managed fleet, making it the largest operator of the type in Europe.

The new arrival follows hot on the heels of a Falcon 2000EX which will be based in Moscow.

The Ljubljana-based company has also named Neil Patton as chief commercial officer.

Patton will be responsible for all sales, marketing and PR activities and will support ceo Michel Coulomb and his team in ensuring Elit’Avia’s growth over the coming years. Prior to joining Elit’Avia, Patton ran his own business as a consultant for four years, having previously established Embraer’s international corporate aviation team and successfully managed the Brazilian manufacturer’s entry into the executive jet business as the responsible person for all territories outside the Americas until 2006.

Neil Patton joins Elit’Avia at a time of rapid expansion.

“Neil has an in-depth understanding of all aspects of our aviation activities on an operational, technical and commercial level,” says Coulomb. “He brings us an extensive contact network throughout the industry and a fresh, open personality ready to build strong durable relationships”.

State of the art terminal opening July 2011

Welcome to Amsterdam

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At the new KLM Jet Center, you arrive and depart in luxury and absolute anonymity. Your journey starts and ends safely and securely, without the crowds, without the fuss and with minimum formalities. In fact, the distance between the terminal and the aircraft is the time it takes to walk the red carpet.

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8 JUNE 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

GrandNew takes on vip transport in Turkey Genel Havacilik AS of Turkey has placed an order for a GrandNew light twin helicopter. The aircraft will be used for vip transport services and it is expected to be delivered during June.

“The entire range of AgustaWestland products shares a common dedication to best quality and reliability standards as well as the best performance available today,” says Ali Sulyak, Genel Havacilik ceo. “So it is small wonder we selected the GrandNew as the aircraft of choice in its class to satisfy our requirements to operate in the most demanding hot and high conditions of Turkey and cover the long distances of Turkey with extended range and high cruise speed. Thanks to its cutting edge technology, this type will enhance our operations and provide a leap forward in capability.”

This will be the first GrandNew helicopter delivered to Turkey.

Genel Havacilik ceo Ali Sulyak (right) seals the deal for a GrandNew vipconfigured helicopter with Emilio Dalmasso, svp commercial business unit, AgustaWestland.

Emilio Dalmasso, svp commercial business unit, AgustaWestland, said: “We are proud that Genel Havacilik has become the first customer in Turkey to choose the GrandNew helicopter to meet its vip transport requirements. The GrandNew’s operational capabilities, second to none in the light twin class, will greatly benefit Genel Havacilik’s operations.”

The GrandNew features the most modern developments in avionics while retaining the original Grand’s performance and features. It is the first type certified light twin to enter service with a new EFIS featuring Synthetic Vision and the first helicopter in this class on the market fully compliant with the latest advanced global positioning systembased navigation requirements for all weather operations.

AgustaWestland has a longstanding presence in Turkey through both its commercial and military products, as well as industrial relationships with Turkish companies. More than 30 of its commercial helicopters have been ordered in Turkey by various customers, mainly for executive transport, air tours and emergency medical service missions. Now the manufacturer sees significant future business opportunities for a number of applications including vip/ corporate transport, EMS and passenger shuttle services.

Genel Havacilik is a leading provider of business aviation services in the region and it has been operating for over 20 years. An extensive fleet of business aircraft is operated from bases in Turkey and the Middle East.

FlairJet has signed up to use aircraft operations software from Warsaw-based Leon Software. Leon Software vp of sales and marketing Tomasz Pazdej, FlairJet ceo David Fletcher, Leon Software ceo Pawel Czubilinski and FlairJet operations manager David Taylor met at EBACE to seal the deal.

Polish Phenom scheme supported by FlairJet FlairJet has sold a Phenom 100 to new Polish shared ownership scheme SkyShare, and directly replaced it with a new Phenom 100 at its Oxford base.

“We will be supporting SkyShare with the introduction of the Phenom into their shared ownership scheme with the supply of mentor and instructor pilots,” said FlairJet ceo David Fletcher.

FlairJet is expanding its third party training department at Oxford, staffed by three Phenom 100 and two 300 examiners. “We have identified an opportunity as more and more Phenom aircraft come into Europe, to help operators with third-party ground training on the types, importantly offering them a flexible menu format that owners and pilots can pick and choose from,” says Fletcher.

Kuwait-based CL605 buyer has Casablanca in his sights Ahmed Al Jarallah, based in Kuwait City, has taken delivery of a new Challenger 605. It will be operated by Gulf Wings, so becoming the fourth Challenger aircraft in its fleet.

Al Jarallah is the editor-in-chief of Al-Seyassah, a highly-regarded Kuwaiti news and entertainment industry company founded in 1965.

Its daily newspaper has a circulation of 70,000, and its web site is one of the most visited in the country.

“After long consideration, we chose the Challenger 605 jet for its spacious cabin, luxurious interior and its long range capabilities in linking key cities, such as Kuwait City to Casablanca,” noted Al Jarallah, during a special entry-intoservice ceremony.

See our front cover picture of Ahmed Al Jarallah at the delivery of the new aircraft.

“We are delighted to welcome Mr Al Jarallah to the Bombardier family and applaud his selection of the Challenger 605 jet,” said Bob Horner, svp sales, Bombardier Business Aircraft.

“This aircraft is perfectly suited for travel within the Middle East, while providing non-stop access to both Europe and Asia. The Challenger series jets lead the large aircraft segment in the Middle East with a market share of 73 per cent.”

Gulf Wings passes 35 years The Challenger’s operator Gulf Wings has recently passed its 35th

anniversary. The company was established in the mid-1970s when oil revenues were up and the region was in the midst of an economic boom. However, getting around the Middle East by air was difficult. The late King Hussein and Royal Jordanian executives were therefore inspired to create a business jet subsidiary, which made its first flight on May 19, 1975.

In 1978, Gulf Wings began a medical evacuation programme.

Flying to Arab and European destinations, this humanitarian arm of the company raised its profile.

Today Gulf Wings is an independent entity owned by the International Wings Group, and manages a large fleet of modern executive jets.

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move crews and owners around the Mediterranean and Balearic islands.

The company is in advanced negotiations to add two further Phenoms to the fleet this year, having expanded its AOC coverage to embrace the Middle East, Africa, the Caucuses and Russia.

As the first operator to introduce both Phenom 100s and 300s to Europe, FlairJet has had to overcome a number of regulatory issues arising from the operation of the first types, and because the aircraft are different types, a multi-fleet flying approval has been required for crews to be qualified on both aircraft.

FlairJet’s growth is reflected in the increase in personnel, which now number 20, up from eight in December 2009, together with a move to larger premises at Oxford airport.

UTair secures training approval for growing Eurocopter roster The world’s biggest helicopter operator has become the first Eurocopter training centre to be established without a shareholding stake by the manufacturer.

Russia’s UTair has a fleet including more than 250 helicopters, and these have included Eurocopter models since 2006. Last year the company’s subsidiary UTair Engineering was approved as an official MRO centre for the AS350, AS355N and BO105 for O and I checks, and the company ordered 16 AS350 and four AS355 helicopters to supplement its fleet.

Now its personnel training centre in Tyumen, Russia, is approved for type rating training of pilots and mechanics on AS350 and AS355 helicopters in the Russian language.

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FlairJet training can include line proficiency checks, operator proficiency checks, mentoring, line training and checking, systems review for recurrent training, first aid/ aeromedical, aircrew security training, dangerous goods awareness, RVSM, safety and emergency procedures training and crew resource management training. FlairJet can also provide help with technical authorship that includes preparations for SMS, an industry-wide legal requirement from 2012.

As previously reported, FlairJet is positioning one of its two Phenom 300s to Cannes in the south of France ready for the peak summer season and it is anticipating a strong take up of bookings from regular Cote d’Azur based clients and from the superyacht fraternity who need to quickly

As part of the Eurocopter training network, the centre will benefit from programme updates, audits and Eurocopter’s best training practices.

Derek Sharples, Eurocopter evp support and services, and Laurence Rigolini, Eurocopter Vostok ceo, present training centre approval to Andrei Martirosov, UTair Aviation ceo, and Vladimir Demkin, director of UTair’s personnel training centre.

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EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Front line role makes top flight cabin crew vital Cabin crew are at the cutting edge of customer service, and are often the people charter customers and corporate passengers speak to the most. In delivering the top quality service to which everyone aspires, they are the last vital link in the chain.

For most helicopter operators, most owner/flyers, and all those whose limited space onboard means that they simply equip the second pilot with a thermos flask of coffee, there is no need or possibility to employ cabin crew. But those with large cabin, long range fleets almost certainly have flight attendants on the full-time staff, and organisation and training at least comparable to the major commercial airlines.

Likewise, most operators of jets midsize or upwards will have some cabin crew or a roster of freelance crew to call upon.

In this feature we talked to cabin crew, and their managers, from all around Europe and the Middle East, and asked about their recruitment and training policies, the challenges they face and for their thoughts on the role of cabin crew in business aviation. As always, our readers had an interesting story to tell...

Training, both initial and recurrent, is absolutely vital for cabin crew. It is not always mandatory, however, and so there is a good deal of flexibility for operators deciding how to deliver suitable training. For Ann Chuard, group director of cabin services for Gama Aviation, outsourcing makes perfect sense: “We send our cabin crew to FlightSafety International, mainly in the USA but increasingly now in the UK, for ICAO-recognised Corporate Cabin Attendant and General Emergency Training courses. These prepare them for many demands, from proper business etiquette to onboard fire suppression. They are trained in how to recognise and handle emergency situations and

Training, knowledge and aptitudes important for every cabin crew member Passenger safety: ■

Emergency and safety equipment training

■

Aircraft-specific emergency procedures

■

First aid training

■

Defibrillator training (if fitted)

■

Crew resource management training

■

Food hygiene

■

Dangerous goods

Passenger service: ■

‘Savoir vivre’ etiquette and service training

■

Sommelier and food preparation

■

Communications/languages

■

Cleaning and organisation

Personal: ■

Medical fitness

■

Necessary vaccinations

■

Positive personality

■

‘Can do’ attitude

operate the latest cabin systems.

They undergo classroom and practical training by experienced, professional instructors. Cabin simulator technology enables the crew to practice procedures for a variety of theoretical situations.

“They learn procedures to enable them to respond effectively to an on board fire, cabin depressurisation, as well as a ground evacuation,” she adds. Gama also provides medical and first aid training as standard.

Ocean Sky also uses third-party training: “Due to our new contract Feature continues on next page

Meeting the need for flexible and creative thinking at ABS Jets are chief flight attendant Darina Stastna and flight attendant Pavla Königova.

PERSPECTIVES Business aviation through the eyes of the cabin crew

10 JUNE 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

experience in a commercial airline and/or one year of previous vip background. If the crew has one of these then it is easier to make her adapt to our vip service standards, and in these cases I would fly only a few sectors with them to make sure they get our standards right. But due to operational reasons sometimes we end up with crew who are not well experienced, in which case I fly lots of sectors with them and they learn it from me or another experienced flight senior that we trust.”

Perspectives: the cabin crew

with MedAire we will also have cabin crew trained to use automated external defibrillators and comprehensive medical kits,” says Louise Jackson, cabin crew manager.

“In addition to our safety training programme, cabin crew are trained in food and galley hygiene, on all areas of beverage and culinary preparation, and on wines, champagne, caviar and cuisine terminology. They are also trained to care for the expensive linens, bedding, china and crystal, and to beautify the cabin in the most tasteful way possible.”

Gainjet training also extends beyond safety and emergency necessities: “All our cabin crew have undertaken ‘savoir vivre’ training in high class service and etiquette,” reports Olga Beglopoulou, cabin crew manager.

Cabin crew are fire fighters, first aiders, mediators and conflict managers Fresh faces among Titan Airways cabin crews first have initial training at the company’s Stansted base, but then head for Gatwick for fire training, evacuation training and wet drills. “It’s a cliché to say that the role is much more than serving tea and coffee, but it really is,” says Shaun Fitzpatrick. “Cabin crew are fire fighters, first aiders, mediators and conflict managers. This is in addition to providing an exceptional cabin service to our customers.”

All cabin crew members at OMNI Aviation must have EU-OPS cabin crew training, of both initial and updated recurrent varieties, but are then in for a treat. “We give them

Meet the cabin crew of Europe and the Middle East...

After several years as a flight attendant in the commercial airline business, Zarela Diaz Torres is now enjoying life as a cabin crew member for VistaJet.

passenger management training, intercultural management, and so on,” says Marco Gordo, “during a two-week training session in an upscale hotel.”

Those training at ABS Jets have their curriculum topped up with gastronomic and sommelier lessons.

World cuisine is on the agenda for new recruits at Challenge Aero, while Tyrolean Jet Services includes training on special wines and cocktails as well as different cultures.

Initial training can be lengthy, such as the full five-week course favoured by Privatair and approved by both FOCA and the LBA. Recurrent training is most likely to be annual (unless transferring to a different aircraft type), such as the yearly ESET (emergency) and CRM (cabin resource) training provided by ExecuJet, although “all staff can

undertake additional training whenever they or we feel it is necessary,” the company says.

After passing all the theory tests it is time for cabin crew to step aboard the company aircraft. “The first couple of flights are under supervision of a ‘check cabin hostess’ who provides practical training on board,” says Zarela Diaz Torres of Vistajet, “and as soon as the supervisor sees we are doing well, usually after four or five flights, we are ready to work alone.”

How long this mentoring lasts depends on the crew member’s previous experience.

Aylin Sunacoglu, vip cabin service design manager for NEXUS Flight Operations Services, is a typically tough taskmaster: “I favour recruiting cabin crew with a minimum of three years of previous first class

Grossmann Jet Service is based in Prague, and always has cabin crew on board its aircraft – more than one on the larger types.

The head of human resources and the ceo work together with the flight department to select the best candidates, who are exclusively fulltime, says flight attendant Barbora Wastlova.

We are ambassadors for the company Barbora Wastlova, Grossmann Jet Service

“We are ambassadors for the company and the conduit with the clients when they fly. Attention to detail is the most important thing and something we pride ourselves on.

“This job is unlike any other. We

have a very dedicated team and we work hard on duty, but we can still have the time to read a good book and enjoy somewhere in a warm climate during winter – should our jets take us there.

“If you are interested in travelling, seeing wonderful places, meeting new people, improving your language and professional skills, this job is a great challenge for everybody.”

Gama Aviation has nearly 80 business aircraft, supported by its staff of forty full-time flight attendants, based in the UK, USA, central Europe, UAE and Russia.

Anne Chuard, group director of cabin services, is responsible for overseeing the team and reports directly to Gama’s ceo.

The aircraft is an extension of their home Anne Chuard, Gama Aviation

She has spent some 30 years in the business, with Aeroleasing Geneva and KA Aviation, and as lead flight attendant at PrivatAir in Switzerland where she also moved into marketing.

After a short career break to open a bakery, Gama lured her back three years ago.

Anne is also an ambassador for the flight attendant fraternity, sitting on both Flight Attendant Committees for NBAA and EBAA. She splits her time between the USA and the UK and oversees all in-house refresher training with Paul Milverton, in-flight services manager.

Paul was previously on the Queen’s Flight looking after HRH the Prince of Wales before joining Gama.

Ideally the company likes to recruit from the hospitality industry where there is an inbuilt culture of service, and then train them up. “The yachting industry is another like-

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JUNE 2011 11

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

“

The most exciting part is that each trip creates a new experience

“Who hasn’t been dreaming of flying ever since she was a little child? Well that dream came true for me ten years ago when I finally decided, after much hesitation, to join the world of flight attendants.

My first job was in Kuwait – a bold choice but a wonderful experience.

It literally changed my life and I started a trip I have not regretted!”

So says Georgia Mazaraki, cabin crew manager of Interjet SA. “After a career in the airline industry, I decided to pursue a job in business aviation, and for the last five and half years have worked for Interjet SA in Greece.

“Business aviation is a totally different experience, since at any moment you could be called in for duty. This fundamentally affects private life but it may then result in a hot espresso at an Italian plaza or

minded service sector,” says Chuard.

“For many of our business jet owners their aircraft is an extension of their home. They want to feel comfortable and safe and their flight attendants, especially on long flights, have a key role to play in this. In our selection process personality is important. We have a variety of clients, of all ages, so we will want crew who are good with the elderly, with children, and demanding business executives who are used to experiencing the very highest levels of service.

“The biggest challenge can be one of logistics when an owner wants their aircraft dispatched quickly for a short notice flight and ensuring everything is ready in time. I have a

a stroll by the riverside of the Seine under the morning sun in Paris.

“And then there are the passengers. In a private flight you are usually a single-person crew.

The customers are demanding and you must be efficient in order to satisfy all their requests. It is a huge

We get the most unusual requests from clients multi-faceted role which may include working with an aircraft owner to make sure the layout of the aircraft is favourable to serving hot food, that the galleys are in the right position, that there is adequate space to store china and silverware in a safe manner, that we have the right products in the bathrooms, sleep suits for long range flights, and reading material to suit the client’s

QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE

responsibility to achieve a high quality service level in order to provide an extraordinary flight experience while maintaining flight safety standards. It is a challenge to exercise all the things one learns through the years: preparation, absolute discretion and alertness, calmness, unwrinkled, smiling and sweet-voiced behaviour.

“The most exciting part of this job is that each trip creates a new experience, like a first-time visit to a destination and a whole new set of pictures, sounds, smells, feelings, places and characters that go deep into your heart and mind.

“Three years ago I was given the opportunity to become a cabin crew manager. In order to combine my professional experience with a better knowledge of human interaction within a business needs. I am a renowned personal shopper and sometimes we get the most unusual requests from clients – from sourcing a rare French scent to sourcing special Tregothnan tea (from Cornwall) – all at short notice.

‘Check list’ is my mantra.

“90% of our clients are used to five star hotels and Michelin star restaurants so we need to mirror that for many of them. Others like plain and simple food and there is often a tendency by their PA to over order so we end up with waste. After a successful three month trial, Gama announced an agreement with Private Flight to develop and support its catering operations. Working with one central aggregator also enables

environment I started my studies for a diploma in human resource management.

“As manager I am responsible for five full-time flight attendants.

The main reason for preferring permanent cabin crew is the common culture that employees adopt through the years of working in a specific environment and thus we may then cultivate a shared way of thinking and behaving in relation to our customers and the issues that might occur.

“The best reward for our efforts is when customers who charter a plane for the first time become regular clients. I would definitely recommend this career. It is no coincidence that we always say “I’m flying” instead of “I’m working”.

– Georgia Mazaraki, cabin crew manager, Interjet SA

”

us to streamline the process of ordering catering,” says Chuard.

Is cabin crew a job she would recommend to a friend? “Definitely, yes, but only if they are prepared to be flexible. They need to be energetic too and not get flustered with all the last minute changes. This job is not nine to five and you need an abundance of patience. I love it though and couldn’t imagine working in any other sector.”

Vistajet always has one cabin hostess on board all its Learjet 60, Challenger 604/5, and Global 6000 aircraft, under the control of a cabin crew manager.

“As we are doing charter flights, we always fly with different passengers who all have different expectations,”

says Zarela Diaz Torres. “To fulfill all of them is probably the biggest challenge on a day-to-day basis and I’m really enjoying these. I fly for their smile!”

I fly for their smile!

Zarela Diaz Torres, Vistajet

Being able to travel around the world makes this a job she is happy to recommend, although not without reservation: “Working a couple of weeks in a row and a busy schedule are considerations that have to be taken into account,” she adds.

Within the OMNI Aviation Group, all aircraft bigger than the Learjet 45 have cabin crew on board, especially the Airbus 319CJs which always have a complete set of flight attendants.

OMNI employs only full-time cabin crews, and cabin crew manager Marco Gordo sees his biggest challenge as maintaining the same standards aboard very different aircraft, including the Challenger 300, Falcon 900, and three ACJs with different configurations. “Due to the range and size of the aircraft, our clients vary from football teams to government delegations to royal families,” he says.

Clients vary from football teams to royal families Marco Gordo, OMNI Aviation Group

Gordo came into aviation after working at an airport restaurant. His contact with flight crews made him start as a flight attendant, where he made his career. “It’s a rewarding and Continued on next page

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time period. It was its own mini fullservice airline.”

Challenge Aero employs about 20 full-time flight attendants, sometimes supplemented by parttime or even freelance cabin crew.

“Usually this happens in the periods of summer vacations and increasing political activities in our country [Ukraine], when we have a lot of flights,” says cabin crew manager, Tatyana Iliukhina.

Perspectives: the cabin crew

interesting job, with its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”

He recalls preparing top-notch catering for a first-lady, who it turned out only really wanted bananas, and the most unusual passengers aboard the 29-seater ACJ? Nineteen individually caged falcons each with a seat of their own. “They were going to be trained in a desert region, and were only accompanied by their trainer and keeper,” Gordo recalls.

“On one cruise flight through Africa we won the ProSky Aviation Excellence Award. During 17 days, we flew 43 German, Austrian and Swiss passengers (between 60 and 80 years old) to nine destinations in Africa, transporting around 650 bottles of wine and champagne and 400kg of ingredients for locally cooking most of the meals.”

Crew at ABS Jets include at least one fully trained flight attendant, all full-time employed, even though there is no legal requirement in the less than 19-seat category. For flights with more than nine passengers on Embraer Legacy, there can be two attendants to maintain the service level clients are used to.

You must be creative, able to improvise in different situations Darina Stastna, ABS Jets

Chief flight attendant Darina Stastna is responsible for cabin crew in cooperation with the crew training manager and flight operations manager. She recommends a career in cabin crewing to any flexible person who can work hard independently and is a team player.

“This person must be creative, able to improvise in different situations and must think highly of this job,” she adds.

Nearly all Tyrolean Jet Services aircraft operate with cabin crew members, the only exception being the CJ2.

Martina Keller is cabin crew

The challenge is finding the right approach to each customer Tatyana Iliukhina, Challenge Aero

Anne Chuard, group director of cabin services at Gama Aviation, shakes hands with Richard Pryor, ceo of Private Flight, having selected his company to develop and support catering operations for Gama’s 80 business aircraft in Europe, the Middle East and the US.

manager, and employs full and parttime (minimum 50%), with no freelancers. “All of our cabin crews have worked with our company for many years and so the turnover is very low,” she says.

“The biggest challenges are organising catering in foreign countries where they don’t really understand you, organising catering at very short notice, and sourcing passenger special requests like champagne with golden leaves in it or a special arabic cough tea,” she adds.

Organising catering in foreign countries is a challenge Martina Keller, Tyrolean Jet Services

“But the most satisfying part of the cabin crew job is when a stressed passenger boards the aircraft annoyed and angry, and leaves the aircraft smiling.

“Once I had a flight to the

Seychelles for a week and it was planned to fly the passengers afterwards to central Europe and then back to our home base. The day before leaving our company told us we were not going back to our home base, but to fly to Siberia for one more week.

“In my suitcase there were only skirts, t-shirts and sandals, but nothing for the cold temperatures of Siberia. So since then I have some nice Russian clothes in my wardrobe and my suitcase is even heavier because I am prepared for everything.

“You often fly with celebrities for many hours, trying to create a relaxing and special time on board, sometimes having a chat with them, making their beds, playing with their children. And the next day you see them on television or in a movie and you cannot believe that it was just hours ago you had such a nice time with them on board.”

Erica Jacques joined Twinjet five years ago as a freelance cabin crew member, progressing to deputy and eventually overall cabin services manager.

“We manage two aircraft at the

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Responsible for the liaison and decision making Erica Jacques, Twinjet

present time – a Challenger 604 and an Airbus A319. The Challenger has one dedicated cabin crew member and the Airbus has between three and four cabin crew, depending on the passenger figure and the length of flight,” she reports.

“I am responsible for the liaison and decision making for all of the cabin crew, all aspects of training and the day-to-day running of both aircraft and, as often as I can, carrying out flying duties. We employ six fulltime cabin crew and a small number of freelance staff.”

At Jet Aviation, Tamara Taleb, chief cabin attendant, is responsible for hiring cabin crew, as well as training and scheduling. “We do not have cabin crew on all the aircraft, only on mid-size and large, and on request of the passengers,” she says.

We employ staff directly, not through agencies Tamara Taleb, Jet Aviation

The company uses full-time staff and freelancers, with one 50% parttimer. “We employ them directly, not through agencies,” she adds.

Peter Waters, cabin crew general manager for PrivatAir, is responsible for 220 cabin crew working from six bases, each with a cabin crew base manager. “We have normally four cabin crew on our aircraft made up of three crew members and one inflight director,” he says. “We employ full-time, part-time and freelance staff, but we don’t use agencies. However we do use, during our summer period, students from the International Hotel School of Lausanne, train them as flight attendants and fly them during a five month period.”

A totally new product – designed, sourced and delivered Peter Waters, PrivatAir

Waters worked at British Airways as cabin crew for many years before ending up in Qatar with the Amiri flight. He has held his current role since 1999.

“I think the highlights of the job would be the various airline shuttle programmes we have been involved with organising and operating,” he says. “The most challenging was probably setting up the Airbus operation which involved a totally new product which we designed, sourced and delivered in a very short

“Our passengers mostly are businessmen, celebrities, politicians, government officials and presidents, through various companies. So it seems to me the biggest challenge our cabin crew face is to find the right approach to each of our customers, to feel their mood in order to be attentive even to the slightest details of their needs.

“Of course there are some other difficulties our ladies overcome on a day-to-day basis, such as the absence of a clear schedule with little chance to plan their private life, and constant concerns about the quality of catering delivered, amongst other things.

“Now I regret that my career of a flight attendant is about over. After 14 years of working for Ukrainian National Airlines and 10 years as a senior hostess in business aviation I have a lot to remember. And fortunately all my memories are only bright. I have never been in an emergency situation, but of course I am prepared to face it.

“And if there are healthy and attractive young persons who have a strong intuition for diplomacy and excellent negotiation and public relation skills, then I recommend them to try themselves in this sphere.

It could be life-changing.”

Petroff Air employs full-time cabin crew, organised under a cabin chief, and usually has one or two on board each flight.

Finding time for training between flights Sergey Zakharov, Petroff Air

The biggest challenge, says assistant flight director Sergey Zakharov, is to find the time for the necessary training between the flights, but the most satisfying parts of the job are good feedback from passengers and safe flights.

Titan Airways currently employs around 70 cabin crew for its BAe146, RJ100, B737, B757, B767 and Legacy 650 aircraft.

All cabin crew are type rated on three aircraft types, this normally being the Boeing fleet. They are employed on a permanent full-time contract, subject to a successful six month probation review. Requests can be made by existing cabin crew to work part-time.

Priorities change on a minute by minute basis Shaun Fitzpatrick, Titan Airways

“Time is the biggest challenge that I face on a day-to-day basis,” says cabin crew manager Shaun Fitzpatrick. “Priorities change on a minute by minute basis and while Continued on next page

14 JUNE 2011

Perspectives: the cabin crew

this is challenging it is also very exciting; you never know what the next challenge will be. My role here is probably more varied than it would be if working for another airline.

“I am involved in the acceptance process of new aircraft, including checking safety equipment, inclusion and publication of the new aircraft into the operation manual, training manual and training courses.

“Schedules are usually very tight with aircraft bookings sometimes being a matter of days after arrival.

This means getting everything right first time.

“Having 70 cabin crew employed I am able to get to know all members of the cabin team which is something that I would not be able to do working for a larger airline.

“During my career at Titan Airways [since 1997] I have held various positions including deputy cabin crew manager and cabin crew training manager. In 2008 an opportunity arose to take on the role of cabin crew manager, a role which I thoroughly enjoy. It is really nice to have been part of the continued development and growth of the company throughout the years.

“I have been fortunate enough to fly many interesting customers to numerous fascinating destinations.

There really is no better way to see the Northern Lights than at 30,000ft.

“The passenger profile is equally varied, whether it is a ski flight to Chambery, a recital in the RoseRed City of Petra, a football team to New York or a flight for royalty, we have successfully flown the wider spectrum.”

Ocean Sky has cabin crew on board all its aircraft, whether privately managed aircraft or charter.

“Those operating on privately managed aircraft focus on a very personalised service to the aircraft owner, their family and friends,” says cabin crew manager Louise Jackson.

“We have to anticipate their travelling needs and cater for their specific requirements, tastes and personalities.

Discretion is paramount in the private jet industry Louise Jackson, Ocean Sky

“Although there are many people behind the scenes involved in making the travel experience perfect, it is often the cabin crew member who has the most direct exposure to our clients. Their appearance, professionalism and manners are a direct reflection of Ocean Sky’s ethics and standards, therefore recruiting the right crew is crucial.

“As cabin crew and service delivery manager I am responsible for safety

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

“

Once it is in your blood, flying is like a disease

NEXUS Flight Operations Services keeps a flexible approach to cabin crew employment. “For example, if we have the full operation of a vip aircraft then we employ permanent crew, however sometimes there are family owned aircraft which hire their own crew,” says vip cabin service design manager Aylin Sunacoglu.

“When unexpected things come up we would employ freelance crew, usually recommended by word of mouth or an agency.”

She believes there are three big challenges in vip operations, these being immediate duty calls, catering and long duty hours.

“Normally we give a schedule to our crew involving eight weeks on, four weeks off. During the ‘on’ period they can be called out for duty at any time, but of course in reality we can’t tell them to do nothing during this eight weeks.

“Catering can be a disaster.

Some places or destinations that we fly might not be capable of good catering units as well as not speaking English well.

“And duty hours can be long, involving long periods away from home. But I can bet you never bump into a vip cabin crew who does not adore shopping.

on board our aircraft and for ensuring our cabin crew deliver a service which both reflects and promotes our company brand. I also oversee their recruitment and training.

“In Moscow we have our lead flight attendant for Russia. She offers support to our crew who are either based in Moscow or travelling through. She is also responsible for maintaining the company standards on board and inflight training.

“Our crewing and rostering manager is responsible for the logistics of getting our crew to the right place at the right time, not always an easy task!

“Airline cabin crew tend to find themselves within the same working environment each time they fly as they have regular schedules and destinations. Corporate cabin crew have to adjust to various corporate cultures and client expectations within non-structured time frames, potentially anywhere on the globe.

“I worked for a wealthy management company’s corporate jet department in the USA as a chief flight

Recurrent training at NEXUS involves swimming lessons and life saving

clean them. Thankfully we have all the cleaning supplies we need on board. We used all the bottled water we had, purchased more and our crew cleaned everything right there

We try and build good relationships with suppliers ExecuJet cabin crew manager

“For immediate calls a smart team should always divide up the shopping, away from the accommodation. So if there is an immediate call I always make sure there is at least one crew member who can go to the aircraft before the others.”

Owner vacation flights are the best, she says, especially if they

Meeting celebrities and dignitaries always makes the job interesting attendant for almost five years before returning to the UK. During my time at Ocean Sky I have seen an amazing amount of change and growth.

“Obviously discretion is paramount in the private jet industry.

However, meeting celebrities and dignitaries always makes the job interesting. Cabin crew can be privy to many high profile highlights and disasters which is what can make it interesting and rewarding, sometimes humbling, and other times grateful for the family and friends at home.”

“Every one of our aircraft is required to have one or more cabin crew on board. The number depends on the aircraft and the number of passengers,” says GainJet cabin crew

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involve a week in the south of France. But it is not necessarily a job she would recommend to a friend. “Flying is like a disease, once it’s in your blood its so hard to take it away. It has lots of benefits, seeing different places, knowing different cultures.

However it’s hard to settle down in this business, it requires a patient, trustworthy partner, and sometimes we shouldn't even mention our whereabouts to anyone. Being discreet is so important. So, if anybody asks for my recommendation I'd make sure I talk about the good and bad and let them decide themselves.”

– Aylin Sunacoglu, vip cabin service design manager

”

manager Olga Beglopoulou.

“We employ full-time and parttime cabin crew, but most are fulltime. At short notice, we hire freelance cabin crew, many of whom we have worked with in the past.

“The biggest challenge that we face is to ensure all standards are kept high no matter what circumstances arise.

Operating worldwide sometimes means that we operate to countries where vip level services are lacking and we have to find the most effective solution while making sure customer service is not affected.

on the airport grounds. It was a great experience because we all worked together to tackle the problem.”

For smaller aircraft it is simply not possible to have a flight attendant on board due to space restrictions, but for most ExecuJet charter aircraft there will always be a cabin attendant on board. One cabin attendant is usually the standard but if there are more than eight passengers or the customer requests then the company provides two cabin crew for the flight.

Currently staff are all full-time or freelance. Due to working schedules and training it is more efficient to employ full-time staff that work alternate periods of time. The freelance crew can then be on standby for when someone is on annual leave or to cover sickness.

Challenges usually involve a third party, ExecuJet’s cabin crew manager reports. “This could be catering that doesn’t arrive or flowers that don’t look as you requested. We try and build good relationships with suppliers as they then know exactly what we like; this inevitably makes the day-to-day business much easier.

It is really important for us that catering, etc, arrives on time and is of the quality you would expect in private aviation.

“We clean the aircraft ourselves which means that this is always up to our standards. It is also important that we communicate well with the charter team to ensure all customer requests have been taken care of."

For some operators full-time cabin crew are not essential. Redstar Aviation provides cabin crew on the passengers’ request, employing freelance staff like Canan Bulut for this purpose.

It is satisfying to get to know new people and places Canan Bulut, Redstar Aviation

There were no facilities for potable water at the airport Olga Beglopoulou, GainJet

“During my days at university, I began working as a part-time cabin crew member in the commercial airline industry. I enjoyed the experience and realised that this was the career I wanted. After graduating I took all the necessary courses and became a full-time cabin crew member. After a few years, I was offered an opportunity to work as a cabin crew member for a private individual. This is where I was introduced to vip/corporate aviation.

I flew for this individual as senior cabin crew for six years, and then was introduced to GainJet. Here I soon became cabin crew manager.

“We fly to many destinations throughout the world. I remember one time in particular where we travelled to a nation in Africa with vip passengers on our Boeing 757200. On arrival, we were shocked to hear that there were no dish or glassware cleaning services available and no facilities for potable water at the airport. We needed to save the potable water we had on board for upcoming flights. So after a long flight, with many passengers, we had quite a load of dirty dishes and it seemed that there was no way to

“The most satisfying part of the job is to get to know new people and new places,” says Bulut. “It is a good job for full-time employees, especially those who work in an airline.”

“As our operation is sporadic, being sole use charter, it does not make sense to employ full-time staff with days off. We have found that the best solution is to look for staff who have previous experience in cabin services and/or silver service,” says Aviation Beauport’s Paul Holroyd.

Our staff have young families Paul Holroyd, Aviation Beauport

“The staff that we have at the moment have young families and enjoy the opportunity to get away on their own for a few days a month.

“As the Falcon 2000 does not legally require cabin crew, we give them the basic training that we deem necessary,” he reports. ■

Thank you!

This month we had a huge response to our Perspectives survey, and there was just not enough time to call and chat with everyone. Cabin crew are clearly enthusiastic about their jobs.

We are sorry if you were not included this time – but we hope to chat with you on another occasion.

JUNE 2011 15

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

The worst may be over, but recovery is slow for business aviation in France Business aviation activity peaked in France during 2007, when an average of 771 departures per day were recorded by Eurocontrol. The financial crisis saw traffic fall during the following two years to a low of just 643 departures per day in 2009. Last year was better, but at 682 departures per day was still lagging behind the numbers achieved five years ago.

Comparing the peak in 2007 with the latest data for 2010 does reveal some bright spots on the French map, however. Although departures at Le Bourget and Cannes Mandelieu are stubbornly over 15 per cent down, Basle-Mulhouse and Lyon Bron both recorded business aircraft departure numbers slightly higher than three years ago, and approaching best ever.

Toulon-Hyeres has been steadily building business aviation traffic and was the eighth busiest airport in France last year.

But just as Paris dwarfs other French cities, with a population more than twice that of next-largest Marseille, so the airport of Le Bourget dominates business aviation. Our own Handbook of Business Aviation in Europe lists no fewer than 34 based charter operators, nine handlers and nine aircraft maintenance providers. Eurocontrol figures reveal that business aircraft departures, although reduced, were still averaging more than 67 per day in 2010.

Business aviation in France by the numbers

FRENCH REGIONAL REVIEW

Oyonnair performed repatriation flights from Tunisia recently.

Masterjet president Philip Queffelec says the company’s French branch is truly Parisian.

Le Bourget: Masterjet Masterjet now claims to be one of the largest charter operators at

Le Bourget with a fleet of eight based aircraft in public transport permanently there. These comprise a

Citation CJ2, two Learjet 45s, Challenger 605, Falcon 900EX, Falcon 900EX EASy, the only Falcon 7X in public transport in Paris, and an Airbus A320 Head of State (see news on page 4).

“Even if the AOC is Portuguese, the French branch of Masterjet is a real Parisian company, with its French flight crew, charter desk and

administrative team,” says sales manager Edward Queffelec.

“Our Falcon 7X, the only one for charter in Paris, has been performing like a dream: Reliable, capable and well appreciated by our customers, its versatility has allowed Masterjet to perform 12 hour 45 minute flights while still being able to land in public transport in La Mole,” he adds.

“Indeed thanks to its incredible performance, the 7X is able to transport six passengers from Los Angeles to St Tropez direct, and then leave the lovely La Mole airport to Abu Dhabi direct.”

With a fleet flying with an average of 5,000 hours yearly, Masterjet is unusual among French operators we spoke to, in seeing a clear upturn in charter demand following some Continued on next page

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16 JUNE 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

CHARTER BROKER NEWS...

Business aviation is “missing untapped sales” PrivateFly believes a major untapped opportunity exists for the charter sector, in the form of improving its business-tobusiness integration with the broader travel trade.

“Business aviation charter is not well understood by the travel trade. It is viewed as having a complex and opaque pricing structure; as being too niche; and historically hasn’t offered the immediacy of an online search and booking platform that travel agents expect.

“As an industry, we need to address these barriers head-on,” says sales and marketing director Carol Cork.

“However, from previous experience of other products, such as car hire, which have been successfully integrated as a trade sale, it’s clear that online distribution is the real key to wider adoption.”

Chapman Freeborn app for Middle East Chapman Freeborn has launched Private Jet, an iPhone application which gives users immediate access to thousands of aircraft worldwide, in the Middle East.

The app will assist customers by providing immediate and realtime updates on flight times, availabilities and price.

Private Jet also allows customers to submit their request

direct from their handset.

Alex Berry, sales and marketing director, comments: “In almost every customer-focused industry we are seeing a move away from impersonal automation and back towards personal service with the aid of the latest technology.

Private Jet offers the very best of both worlds.”

FRENCH REGIONAL REVIEW

Regional unrest boosts interest in Dubai High net worth individuals and affluent families are looking at Dubai as a preferred destination, says Private Jet Charter.

It reports higher growth in the UAE, and Dubai in particular, than the rest of the region because of political unrest in some other parts.

Avolus targets China

Oya Vendee, based on a small island in the Bay of Biscay, is a self-sufficient operation so a lack of facilities is not a problem.

Avolus reports that it is currently looking into a joint venture with a vip transport company in China that offers private jets, helicopters and yachts.

It has also partnered with leading Russian luxury restaurant group, Novikov Catering, to provide gourmet catering on board all flights departing from Moscow.

ACS expands in Paris Air Charter Service’s Paris operation is to move to offices three times larger after experiencing huge growth in the past year.

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Paris, Medic’Air will soon be able to intervene throughout Africa and also in the Middle East. SkyFirst has three full flight crews, with more than 1,500 hours flying on Falcon 50s for each of the captains.

And through a second operations desk in Shanghai, it can also service Japan and China, Afghanistan, India and South East Asia by flying from Paris.

Continued from previous page

difficult years. It has increased its charter desk team under Jean François Lecoanet, charter desk and supervision manager.

Queffelec credits some of Masterjet’s success to the location of Paris: “Not only do we benefit from the awakening French market, but also profit from the central European location of Le Bourget airport.”

Masterjet operate from Signature Terminal 2.

Le Bourget: Aero Jets Darta Paris Le Bourget is a very good airport for business aviation, says Aero Jets Darta commercial director Romain Alati. “The airport is not coordinated, which is very important for our clients,” he says. “Moreover, we have here a lot of aircraft movement capacity thanks to the three runways available. Also, fuel companies are focused on our activity, compared to other airports where scheduled airlines have the priority. So we don’t have to wait for quick refuelling operations.”

Alati reports that charter activity is strengthening on the small jets and heavy jets, but not so much for turboprop aircraft due, he believes, to the market share gained by VLJs. The company is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and continues to invest in the latest technology. As the fleet is growing, it is now developing a new operations IT system for aircraft and crew scheduling, quote calculation and CRM. It is also recruiting a new commercial representative due to the ‘strong demand’ for charter.

But there are challenges ahead.

“We have to face strong competition in the VLJ/small jet sector, which is good for the customer because it make prices lower,” says Alati.

A fourth Falcon 50 has recently joined the fleet. “This aircraft is perfectly adapted to our operations.

“We often fly to Africa and the Middle East, and we have to say that having three engines makes our customers feel more at ease. In this area, distances between airports

Heli Riviera’s Catherine Pardini: 25-year aeronautical career.

are often large so this type of aircraft reassures the passengers in case of technical problems.”

Alati adds: “We are quite confident, but we cannot confirm a strong recovery.”

Le Bourget: Medic’Air Also flying the Falcon 50 from Le Bourget, but for a very different mission profile, is Medic’Air. In 2008, Medic’Air bought a Beech 1900C to be the first French dedicated air ambulance aircraft, which it dubbed ‘the Pelican’. After three years, the company had the opportunity to start a new project at Le Bourget with an air ambulance branch, and to be involved in SkyFirst.

Since last December Medic’Air has had a dedicated air ambulance Falcon 50, dubbed ‘the Albatross’, and in coming months SkyFirst will also make available another Falcon 50 and a Learjet 45 as back-up aircraft, certified with full medical equipment.

Medic’Air is able to take off in a couple of hours after confirmation of the mission.

“There is no untransportable patient,” says Dr Herve Raffin. “But for each medical case, Medic’Air physicians have to determine the benefit and risk for each patient, taking into account their clinical status and the medical facilities at their location before starting the mission. That is the reason Medic’Air flying physicians and nurses must have a strong expertise in intensive care and specific training to work in air ambulance aircraft.”

With its first operations desk in

Lyon Bron: Oyonnair Oyonnair may have its operational and management base in Lyon, but finds itself flying from airports throughout France. The charter fleet of Super King Air 200, two Beech King Air 90s, Super King Air 300, CitationJet 525 and Beechcraft 1900 has now been supplemented by a Beechcraft 1900D. “We have good facilities at Lyon Bron, our own and those of the airport, Le Bourget (via the handling agent Advanced Air Support), Marseille, Montpellier, and Toulouse (via the handling agent MAP Handling),” says the company’s ground operations manager. “The worst or the most expensive, without good service, are Meythet and Chambery-Savoie, where handling is mandatory and very expensive, even for based aircraft.”

The company flies passenger, freight and air ambulance/medevac services, and has an operations and commercial team of three. It expects the latest arrival, the Beechcraft B1900D, to fly around 1,000 hours this year.

As for demand generally, the company believes that its variety of operations sheltered it from the worst effects of the downturn. “We didn’t really feel the difference, as we fly for charter, ambulance and freight. What we missed with passenger flights, we got back with ambulance flights. Now we have more and more passenger flights, so maybe yes, it is recovering.”

Oyonnair was also on hand to perform repatriation flights from Tunisia to bring back French passengers during the recent events in Tunisia and Morocco.

JUNE 2011 17

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Le Grand Phare: Oya Vendee Helicopteres Just off the French coast in the Bay of Biscay is the small island of Ile d’Yeu, the operating base of Oya Vendee Helicopteres. Equipped with a Eurocopter AS355 and two Eurocopter AS350s it provides the full range of passenger, freight, medevac, photography/film, aerial works and sightseeing/leisure services.

The company has been developing its services apace, but not on the island: “As far as Oya Vendee Helicopteres is concerned, almost nothing changed.” says Nicolas Boltoukhine. “However, we recently developed a sister company called Aerozais. This business was initially our Part 145 maintenance company in Cholet. We have expanded it and called it Bretagne Helicopteres, for passenger transportation, sightseeing and leisure operations.”

Bretagne Helicopteres has three operating bases spread around the Brittany coast, at La Baule, Vannes and Saint Brieuc, each with a single AS350B helicopter.

Back at Ile d’Yeu there is neither Jet A1 fuel supply nor IFR procedures, although a GNSS approach is anticipated within the coming months, reports Boltoukhine. The closest airport for business aviation purposes is Nantes Atlantique. “This airport [Nantes] will probably be closed in the next few years because of the creation of a region-wide airport called Notre Dame des Landes,” he says.

The new airport received official approval on December 20th 2010, and is expected to open by 2017. The current Nantes airport is considered to be too close to the city, and unable to be expanded.

But facilities are not crucial for Oya Vendee. “The point is that we don’t need anything. We built our organisation to be self-sufficient.

Nevertheless, it could be good for us to see more jets reaching our area, with more foreign customers for a sightseeing tour of our area,” says Boltoukhine.

He does not believe that business aviation is yet experiencing a full recovery, and the reduction is passenger numbers is made worse by increases in fuel costs.

Issy Les Moulineaux: Bird Vision In the southwestern suburbs of Paris lies the capital’s heliport of Issy Les Moulineaux, and this is home to eight commercial operators including TV filming specialists Bird Vision.

Two Eurocopter AS350s, an Agusta A109 and an AS355 were most recently joined by a Eurocopter EC130B4 Stylence.

“We continue to make the same flights, such as for filming the WRC and IRC rally events for television,” says Frank Arrestier. Most notably, the company worked on the coverage of the Silk Way Rally in Russia last September.

FRENCH REGIONAL REVIEW

Le Castellet airport plans helicopter transfers for its passengers.

Medic’Air: no untransportable patient.

France’s suppliers look to the future Heli Riviera has recently enhanced its services for pilots while they are hangared at its facilities in Cannes. It has a homely villa, located on the airport, and has introduced hire car arrangements, allowing pilots to have a car waiting for them on their arrival.

Catherine Pardini took over as managing director of Heli Riviera in August last year, following the departure of the owner to run another company abroad. “My 25-year career has been spent in the aeronautical world,” she says. “In my earlier years I worked at Air France as a station agent. I rapidly became a flight attendant and then worked for a few years in different jet charter companies in very busy and stressful flight operations departments.”

Heli Riviera has also evolved into an operational support and training service provider. “We provide tailored helicopter and private jet charter services,” says Pardini.

G.ops has also been developing its services in France, with its latest developments being access to a vip lounge for business flights at Charles de Gaulle airport, and limo access to the apron there. Sales and marketing manager Philippe Rouin believes the business will be most affected by industrial action and fuel shortages.

The company has grown from supervising 435 flights in 2009 to 1,024 flights at 15 French airports last year.

OVIV Security Technologies, which makes security systems for owners and operators of business jets, is taking its message to the Paris Air Show and NBAA this year. Patrick Maitre believes that, following the downturn in the business aviation industry since 2009, security on the ground is not being given top priority.

Karina Larsen, ceo of Satcom1 France agrees that the market remains difficult. “It seems the European main market is still suffering a bit from the general financial crisis compared to the CIS, Middle East and Far East Asia,” she reports. The company provides communication systems for vip and head of state aircraft, and for helicopters.

In the coming six months it expects to be able to deliver new services such as cockpit data services, live TV via Inmarsat Swiftbroadband technology, and also provide in-flight individual billing, which it says is ideal for charter or fractional ownership operations.

Meanwhile, the future looks bright for the Pierrejean Design Studio, specialists in aircraft interior design.

“We have been selected to do the first Boeing Business Jet B747-800 in vvip configuration,” reports Jacques Pierrejean, although he concedes that “the business is very quiet, with some new projects awaiting decisions.”

Jean-Louis Pichard at Bizjet Handling in Lyon Bron and Saint Exupery believes that new security rules will be a challenge for FBO facilities in future. Handling a total of 700 movements a year, he plans to add a private lounge at Saint Exupery.

Laurent Hermet, ceo of longestablished Le Bourget catering provider Jet Chef, has been expanding his company’s services to scheduled airlines at Charles de Gaulle airport, but is now turning his focus back on to the core business: “A new web site will be dedicated to business aviation from July 2011,” he reports.

Le Castellet airport handles around 1,700 business aircraft movements per year, as well as 1,400 helicopter movements. Now it plans to offer helicopter transfers, “side by side for passengers from the aircraft to the helicopter”, and hangarage for aircraft up to BBJ size.

UniAir reports it can now provide line and base maintenance for the Falcon 50EX and line maintenance for the Falcon 900EX. It has also been working on the modification of a Falcon 50 camera ship for its sister company Aerovision. ■

Universal Weather and Aviation ceo Ralph J Vasami and Universal president Mark Carmen celebrate the acquisition of Air Chef with Air Chef ceo Cliff Smith Jr and Air Chef president Paul Schweitzer.

Universal acquires Air Chef Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc has acquired Air Chef Holdings’ in-flight catering business and concierge services, including Air Culinaire, Air Culinaire International, and CaterLink Worldwide. Air Chef will now be a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal with no changes to its day-to-day management.

Air Culinaire currently operates two kitchens in Europe, at Luton airport and at Le Bourget.

G650 flights resume Gulfstream has resumed the G650 flight-test programme with the four remaining aircraft, following a temporary suspension of flying after an accident in April. The company still anticipates certification in 2011, with service entry in 2012.

Chester to offer King Air service Hawker Beechcraft’s facility in Chester will begin servicing King Air 200 and 300 series aircraft in the third quarter of this year. Services will include inspections, maintenance, alterations and upgrades. The company anticipates that the facility will also begin servicing Premier I/IA jets in the fourth quarter of this year.

The 2010/11 EBAN Handbook of Business Aviation in Europe is out now, and gives details of many more French charter operators.

It also lists business aviation facilities and services including airports, FBOs and maintenance centres.

The details can be accessed online through a search of aircraft operated or the airport bases. For more information please visit www.handbook.aero

New Pilatus centre for Poland and the Baltics JB Investments has been appointed Pilatus Centre for Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

JB will take care of sales and marketing activities as well as the provision of maintenance services.

CJ4 gains certification The Citation CJ4 jet has gained type certification from EASA. The aircraft gained FAA certification in March 2010, and the first European delivery took place in October of that year.

HeliClub appointed for AW139 service in Russia HeliClub has been appointed as the AW139 helicopter service centre for the Moscow region. The company is a charter operator which has plans for the construction of a heliport featuring advanced hangars, workshops and buildings.

The first three hangars have already been completed.

Sim Aviation sells Piper in Russia Sim Aviation, based in Russia’s Krasnodar region, has been appointed as Piper’s new aircraft dealer for all of Russia. “We will establish service and sales centres in Krasnodar, the Moscow region and St Petersburg,” says Sim Aviation head Simon Mnoyan.

The company already has two Meridians and two Altaire business jets on order for Russian customers.

Dassault introduces the Falcon 2000S

Comprehensive French data online free-of-charge

Issy Les Moulineaux-based Bird Vision is continuing to find TV filming work.

INDUSTRY NEWS...

Dassault Falcon has launched the Falcon 2000S, with 3,350nm range, inboard slats, high-Mach blended winglets, a new generation PW308C engine that produces fewer emissions, an entirely new BMW Group DesignworksUSA interior and redesigned cockpit aesthetics along with the next-generation EASy II flight deck. It is expected to be certified in the end of 2012 with deliveries beginning in early 2013.

JoinJet joins the Hawker fold JoinJet has been appointed as a new Hawker dealer representative in Denmark. Based in Billund, it is also the launch customer for the Hawker 800XPR aftermarket upgrade package.

Peter Lonergan’s years of hard work have been recognised.

Lonergan and Gaona take the awards Former Biggin Hill airport director Peter Lonergan and Comlux Aviation Group president Richard Gaona are the recipients of the 2011 European Business Aviation Awards.

During his tenure as Biggin Hill Airport director from 1994 until this year, Peter Lonergan turned the facility, which was once scheduled for closure, into a thriving general aviation airport. He now plans to represent EBAA as the business aviation representative at the EASA Rulemaking Group on Requirements for Aerodrome Operations.

Award recipient Richard Gaona has also had a distinguished career and record of service to business aviation. His more than 25 years with Airbus included his work on the launch of the Airbus Corporate Jetliner. He was a founding member of the Middle East Business Aviation Association.

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JUNE 2011 19

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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But are you getting to the RIGHT people?

Here at European Business Air News, the circulation of both the printed magazine and our web site is independently audited, which means we have to prove that we are reaching the people we claim to.

It is part of our commitment to you - we will deliver your message to the people you most want to reach - owners and operators of business aircraft in Europe and the Middle East. And we will do this using the best printing and production

Using a globally focused, multi-lingual research

techniques, and the most accurate distribution list possible.

team, and a unique combination of live data and portability, AMSTAT provides the most timely

We’ve got a wide range of advertising

and accurate market information available.

options, both print and digital, that are designed to make the most of your

More importantly, AMSTAT provides the tools

valuable promotional spend.

needed to convert that information into effective marketing

EBAN – the magazine of choice for

programs

and

valuable

sales

opportunities – turning knowledge into revenue.

business aviation in Europe and the Middle East Contact Mark Ranger on:

+44 (0)1279 714509 mark@ebanmagazine.com

Information that moves you forward

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BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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