European Business Air News August 2012

E U R O P E A N

BUSINESS AIR NEWS ISSUE 228

AUGUST 2012

www.bgad.aero

Trust EBAN Expanding EAS hosts Global 5000 in Beirut The audited magazine for business aviation in Europe

Long-range operations Clocking up the miles requires forward thinking Pages 7-12

Captain Nicolas Meszaros, general manager of Executive Aircraft Services (left), celebrates the arrival of a new Global 5000 operated for Jana Aviation with Khader Mattar (right), regional vp sales, Middle East, Africa and India for Bombardier Business Aircraft. EAS now has a managed fleet of ten business jets, and has recently extended its vip facilities. Full story on page 5.

Jerez training centre brings glass cockpit Diamonds online Flight training organisation FTE Jerez is to purchase eight Diamond DA42-VI twin engine aircraft to upgrade and expand its current fleet of Piper Seneca twins and Warrior light trainers.

The first two are expected to arrive at FTE Jerez before yearend with further deliveries expected in 2013. Two state-ofthe-art new generation Diamond Simulation FNPTII flight training devices will complement the acquisition of the new aircraft.

Oscar Sordo, ceo, says: “We are really excited about this. FTE has, for many years, been training pilots for some of the world’s leading airlines.

We are committed to continue delivering the best future captains to the industry, and to do this we need to use the best equipment. The acquisition of the latest state-ofthe-art flight and simulation

The first two DA 42-VIs are expected to arrive before year-end.

equipment makes good sense.

The transition to a modern airline cockpit will be much easier from these glass cockpit equipped aircraft and the latest safety features that they offer.”

The order has a list price value of six million euros, and is the result of an extensive evaluation of competing aircraft types.

Powered by highly reliable and environmentally friendly Austro

diesel engines, the new Diamond DA42-VI can be fuelled with all available jet fuel types. It is equipped with a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit including GFC700 automatic flight control system, and is air-conditioned to enhance the overall quality of training.

“We are honoured to be awarded with this contract from FTE Jerez, as it shows that the Diamond flight training concept meets the latest industry standards in regard to aircraft and simulator technology for airline oriented pilot training institutions,” says Christian Dries, chairman and ceo of Diamond Aircraft.

FTE Jerez is a direct descendent of the previous British Aerospace Flying College at Prestwick in Scotland. In 1998 the school was relocated to Jerez and became FTE Jerez in 2003.

Polish door and fence company selects GrandNew Wisniowski, a Polish manufacturer of garage and industrial doors, gates and fences, is to acquire an AgustaWestland GrandNew helicopter in five-seat vvip transport configuration. The company is headquartered in Wielogłowy and has sales offices and representatives throughout Europe and western Russia.

The helicopter will be delivered later this year and represents the first sale of the GrandNew light twin in Poland. There are currently no AgustaWestland helicopters on the Polish register, although the company’s PZL-Swidnik subsidiary is based there, and is responsible for the manufacture of several GrandNew fuselages.

The GrandNew is the latest variant of the Grand, with a new cockpit to provide pilots with high levels of situational awareness and flight management capabilities, including the localiser performance with vertical guidance approach operations.

Four-axis digital autopilot, synthetic vision EFIS with FMS, flight recording embedded functions all help to increase mission capability and safety, says the manufacturer.

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EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

AUGUST 2012 3

If your business is charter, you need to pick your moment There has been gloom and doom in the news headlines for so long now that it is tempting to think that the economic doldrums will never end.

But, of course, history tells us that these things are cyclical. And there will be business opportunities for those companies that correctly predict the upturn and invest at the right moment.

There are some encouraging signs around. The latest figures from the online charter booking system Avinode indicate that charter rates have been recovering during the past three months.

The average of 36 Challenger 604s is up from €4,771 per hour to €5,145, while even at the lower size segment a CJ2 is up from €1,716 to €1,748. This will come as some relief for all jet charter operators.

The large and long range sector, whose exploits we feature in detail in this issue, have generally been less affected by recession, and operators in the Middle East seem still to be growing more strongly than those in Europe.

For example, Royal Jet’s total number of flying hours in summer 2012 across its entire fleet was up

EDITORIAL COMMENT

19 per cent compared with the same season last year and follows the best Q1 performance in the

record number of charter hours. In June it had its busiest month to date and has flown 96 hours and 34 sectors.

There are geographical bright spots as well. In-flight dining provider Alison Price On Air says it has noticed a significant growth in demand from clients travelling to Russia over the past 12 months.

We can only hope that high profile failures, such as VLJ specialists JetReady in Spain, are behind us, and it is time to consider placing our bets.

David Wright Editor

company’s history, which saw a 15 per cent increase in revenue over the same period last year.

While the UK, Switzerland, France, Germany and Saudi Arabia remain the top destinations for Royal Jet’s customers, there has been an increase in trips to the US and Asia as well.

The highest increase in flying hours was for the company’s BBJs which rose by 25 per cent, remaining the top choice for customers, accounting for almost three-quarters of all flying hours.

Even in Europe, Twinjet reports that its A319CJ has been flying a

CEGA offers specialist services to aid uninsured repatriation clients

Sir Ralph Robins rose from apprentice to chief executive at Rolls-Royce.

Robins joins Gama and sets his sights on expansion Gama Group has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Sir Ralph Robins as non-executive chairman. Previously ceo and then executive chairman of Rolls-Royce plc, Robins believes that the international charter company has potential for further expansion in the future.

“As Gama heads toward its 30th anniversary, it has established a proven track record of successful expansion and sustainable growth in this challenging market segment,” he says. “I am very pleased to join Marwan Khalek and the management team and provide them with support and advice as they look forward to the next 30 years of growth.”

Recent expansion of services has included the exclusive provision of executive aircraft ground services at

Sharjah airport, UAE, and the establishment of Gama Engineering, affording fixed and rotor wing aircraft operators a design, manufacturing, certification, maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification service at Fairoaks, UK. Gama’s most recent acquisition Ronaldson Airmotive is fully EASA Part 145 certified for the provision of engine and component overhaul services.

“I am delighted that Sir Ralph is joining the board of Gama at a time of significant expansion and I am very much looking forward to working with him,” says Khalek. “His unique blend of aerospace, international business, corporate governance experience and knowhow will ensure that we deliver even better value to our customers, employees and investors.”

UK-based air ambulance operator CEGA has acquired a Learjet 45 to extend the range of its medical repatriation services, operating alongside its three King Air 200s.

The Learjet is currently undergoing maintenance and installation of the specialist interior facilities required for air ambulance services, but is expected to be flying again by September.

Director Geoff Tyler is delighted with the latest arrival: “It will make us much more efficient,” he says.

“For example, Tenerife is a popular destination and we will be able to get out there and back in a day, which is really not practical with the King Air. We will also we able to extend our services to the Middle East.”

CEGA has also recently introduced a new service for clients needing emergency repatriation, but not covered by travel insurance.

CEGA’s emergency repatriation manager Cecilia Geofilo-Pearson says: “CEGA has provided this assistance service for nearly 40 years, but now we have set up a specialist division specifically for individuals and their families who are not supported by a travel insurance policy.

“Our in-house team of multilingual medical and assistance repatriation specialists will organise everything from intensive care transport to a patient’s home country (or to a country that offers suitable medical care), to making travel arrangements for relatives, translating important medical information and bringing deceased family members home. Each case is tailored to an individual’s needs; helping to minimise the burden of an often distressing situation.”

CEGA says it is the UK’s only travel assistance service provider to operate its own air ambulance fleet, and has in-house teams of medical, assistance and travel specialists.

The company has EURAMI accreditation and is registered with the Care Quality Commission.

It operates from Bournemouth airport with the three King Air 200 aircraft.

MCA Aviation has recently been awarded a contract to maintain the fleet and has employed a fulltime engineer, based with CEGA at Bournemouth, to support this.

MCA considers itself a King Air specialist organisation, offering a variety of performance enhancement modifications.

Cecilia Geofilo-Pearson has a team to take care of every detail for uninsured repatriation clients.

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Once fully modified, the aircraft will provide a rapid response service to OSRL clients operating around the UK, detecting and monitoring spills and enabling compliance with legislation from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

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EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

4 AUGUST 2012

Sundt appoints sales agency

Unijet expects 7X to have charter appeal

Sundt Air of Norway has appointed Exklusiv Aviation Services to act as charter sales agent for its managed fleet of 15 aircraft.

“This cooperation expands our sales resources internationally,” says Sundt Air coo Geir Jensen.

“This extension of our charter department and aircraft management department are part of our strategy based on a continuous qualitative development.”

The Sundt Air fleet comprises Falcon 900EX EASy, Challenger 604, Citation X and Citation Sovereign aircraft types. The company is actively seeking more aircraft management contracts.

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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Safety manager Steve O’Brien and md Sarah Bowen are targeting greater fuel efficiency.

Certification is first step to carbon reduction for Helicentre Aviation Utility surveillance specialist Helicentre Aviation has become the first UK helicopter operator to achieve a CEMARS award, so certifying its compliance with the ISO 14069 greenhouse gas accounting standard.

Managing director Captain Sarah Bowen says: “We are delighted to be the first in the UK industry to have achieved the award. It reinforces our commitment to protecting the environment by managing and reducing our greenhouse emissions, while also delivering a quality service to our clients.”

Senior management within Helicentre Aviation took the first steps in measurement of carbon output in early 2011 when industry reports suggested that the future requirements for carbon measuring would soon be filtered down to medium and small operators. Since these requirements were already in

place for a vast majority of the company’s clients, it was a natural progression to work towards CEMARS accreditation.

An interim trial revealed that through careful financial and operational analysis, the true costing for fuel burn on a ‘per aircraft’ basis could be monitored effectively. The introduction of the carbon reduction scheme has demonstrated huge benefits financially and from a safety and environmental perspective, the company says.

The carbon reduction scheme was specifically designed by the company’s safety team, led by safety manager Captain Steve O’Brien in conjunction with sub-contractor Achilles. The scheme has formed an integral part of the company’s safety management system.

“The measurement element of the scheme allows us to report individually to our

clients an independently verified annual carbon emission,” says O’Brien. “We achieved CEMARS based on our operational carbon footprint for the year 2011-2012 and our key target over the coming years is a five per cent increase in fuel efficiency. This will not only help us manage our impact on the environment but will also lead to cost savings for our clients.”

CEMARS, or certified emissions measurement and reduction scheme, certification is essentially the first two steps of carboNZero certification; measure and manage. These two steps are independently verified then certified. This scheme is developed for large organisations or large emitting industries where offsetting is not a viable option or they wish to take a measured approach and further gauge the cost/benefit of striving to be carbon neutral.

Two new Falcon 7X aircraft operated

by Unijet are likely to have begun charter activities in July, the company reports. Both are configured with 12 seats and are Paris-based.

“We took delivery late last year and it’s only now that we expect to receive approval from the French DGAC to have them on our AOC,” says Andrew Lee, UK sales director. “We were hoping to have them available from April this year; this then slipped to June and now we hope July. Unijet is the first French operator to have the 7X on its AOC, so I guess we are laying the foundations.”

Lee believes the 7X will be very popular with charter customers: “It’s a good looking aircraft, has a great range, London to Los Angeles direct for example, and a fine spacious cabin. This, combined with its fantastic airfield performance, will allow our customer to visit far away remote airfields not served by regular airline schedules, in emerging markets such as India, China and South America. Clients find also a comfort in having that third engine, especially when crossing large expanses of ocean or desert.”

Since delivery, the aircraft have been flying for their respective owners and this has enabled Unijet flight and cabin crews to gain valuable experience with the new aircraft.

One of two Unijet Falcon 7X aircraft, soon available for charter.

“Unijet are not new to long-haul flying and over the years we have gained a great deal of experience operating the Falcon 50 and 900 aircraft along with the Global Express to destinations throughout Africa, the Middle and Far East and America,” adds Lee. “Having a good, efficient operations department is key to any successful operation and I am proud to say we have a dedicated team of experts in our Paris office that keep the fleet flying 24/7.”

Unijet’s fleet currently comprises a Citation CJ2 and CJ3, Hawker 800XP, three Falcon 50s, two Falcon 900EX, a Global Express and the two Falcon 7Xs.

Olympics are more an obstacle than an opportunity, according to Perfect Biggin Hill airport is one of the primary business aviation airports when it comes to handling traffic for the Olympics, but Perfect Aviation does not believe the event will bring exceptional opportunities to UKbased operators who will likely be disadvantaged operating from bases lying within heavily restricted airspace.

“It will probably be good for the FBOs and British airports generally,” says ceo Will Curtis, “but the overseas business jet operators will likely take the lion’s share of the business aviation traffic flying into London.

Our strategy this summer will be to fly our existing charter clients out of the UK and Moscow to Mediterranean destinations especially. Ideally, we

A managed Learjet 45 has joined Perfect Aviation’s fleet.

don’t want our aircraft in the London area at all during the games as we see the heavy restrictions and likely confusion as being detrimental to our productivity. We have seen similar situations with World Cup football events where operator’s high hopes ended up being frustrated by ATC restrictions and hiked airport fees.”

Perfect Aviation, Switzerland’s only publicly listed business aviation

management and charter operator, has announced that it is further increasing the scope of its operations at Biggin Hill.

Two additional managed aircraft, a second Learjet 45 and a Challenger 605, have recently joined the European fleet, and the UK and Portuguese AOC operations have also been further strengthened with some new additions to the UK-based management team.

Paul Castleton recently joined the company as charter sales director.

Castleton is responsible for developing new business for the UKbased fleet as well as managing existing client relationships.

Lisa Crew joined Perfect earlier this year as senior sales manager.

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

AUGUST 2012 5

Bahrain’s MAE takes popular Challenger 605 into the fold

Henk Schaeken, Specialist Aviation Services md, accepts a model helicopter from Emilio Dalmasso, vp commercial business unit at AgustaWestland. Also from SAS are finance director Jim Webster and sales director Nigel Lemon on the left and, on the far right, head of procurement Kasthuri Fraser.

Parapublic specialist steps up to the AW169 Specialist Aviation Services has placed firm orders and options for six AW169 helicopters, in a contract signed by Henk Schaeken, group managing director, at the Farnborough air show.

The helicopters will among others be used for emergency services missions with deliveries commencing in 2015.

“The AW169 perfectly matches the developments in specific parts of our market and supports the views we have for the future direction and markets of the company,” says Schaeken. “The expanded capability and versatility offered by the AW169

and the support provided by AgustaWestland were key to our decision. We plan to engage our customers in the development phase of the aircraft to ensure it fully meets their requirements and we look forward to working with AgustaWestland to introduce the aircraft into our fleet.”

Contracts for more than 60 AW169s have now been signed by customers worldwide since its commercial launch in February 2011.

Emilio Dalmasso, svp commercial business unit, AgustaWestland, says: “We are delighted that Specialist

Aviation Services, a leader in the UK emergency services market, has chosen the new generation AW169 to meet its future requirements as it moves up to a 4.5 tonne category helicopter. We believe the AW169 with its new technology, exceptional performance and the latest safety features is set to become the class leader. The selection of the aircraft by Specialist Aviation Services confirms that the AW169 is ideally suited for a wide range of parapublic missions.”

The first AW169 performed its maiden flight in May on schedule and civil certification is expected in 2014.

ABS pilot wins safety award Stefan Kukura, one of the original pilots flying for ABS Jets in the Czech Republic, has received the NBAA Pilot Safety Award for 5,500 flying hours without accident, incident or damage and injury to people and property.

Kukura has been with ABS Jets since 2004 and is responsible for developing ABS Jets’ training and safety programmes, and ensuring that all safety rules and regulations are implemented.

“This is a great honour for me,” he says. “For my work to be recognised

by NBAA is something I could never have imagined, and I am very happy to receive this award.”

ABS Jets itself has also picked up an award; the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award, for its record of eight years and 19,938 consecutive flying hours without accident, incident, injury or damage.

Stefan Kukura’s safety record has been recognised.

It shares a common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concept with the AW139 and AW189 models. “This commonality will allow more effective operations for customers operating helicopter fleets across the 4 to 8.5 tonne categories,” says the manufacturer.

The Specialist Aviation Services group comprises Police Aviation Services and Medical Aviation Services, and European Support Centre in Belgium. It operates more than 30 aircraft of various types including 15 air ambulances and 13 police helicopters.

Centreline takes Bristol’s name

A new home for Jana Aviation’s Global 5000.

Expanding EAS hosts Jana’s Global 5000 in Beirut Jana Aviation has acquired a new Global 5000 jet, and placed it under management with Executive Aircraft Services in Beirut.

“We are very proud to welcome the Global 5000 aircraft into the fleet of aircraft we manage,” says Captain Nicolas Meszaros, general manager of EAS. “Global aircraft have a reputation for providing the highest levels of performance and comfort, and we’re confident that this new jet will provide our customers with the exceptionally high standards of service that they rely on.”

Previously, Jana Aviation used a Global Express XRS, which has since been re-registered in Denmark to Lukoil. “We are delighted that Jana Aviation has continued to place their trust in Bombardier aircraft for their operations in Lebanon,” says Khader Mattar, regional vp sales, Middle East, Africa and India for Bombardier

Business Aircraft. “The Global 5000 jet is perfectly suited for the very discerning needs of our customers in the Middle East.”

EAS was founded in 2003 and employs a team of 70 people out of Beirut’s general aviation terminal and its own hangar. The company says it is Beirut’s leading FBO and claims 60 per cent market share in handling, and opened an extended vip lounge in March this year.

EAS manages a fleet of ten aircraft and owns one Hawker 800XP fully available for charter. The managed fleet comprises two Hawker 700, two Hawker 800XP, a Hawker 850XP, a Legacy, a Challenger 300, a Falcon 900B, a Hawker 900XP (since January) and the newly-arrived Global 5000. Only the company’s own Hawker 800XP and one of the managed Hawker 700s are available for charter.

Centreline Air Charter and its parent company Bristol Flying Centre have merged under the banner of Bristol Flying Centre. Gordon Olsen has joined the company as chairman and Phil Brockwell, previously md of Centreline, has become ceo of the combined business. Martin Barnes is now president and chief pilot, Pat Wagstaff is head of engineering and Julian Telling retains his leadership of the type rating training organisation.

Centreline Air Charter will remain a brand name of the company’s private jet department.

Bahrain-based MAE Aircraft Management has increased its managed fleet to four with the recent addition of a Challenger 605, the first of the type for the MENA Aerospace Enterprises subsidiary.

The Challenger will operate alongside a Legacy 600 and two Boeing 737’s from its aircraft base at Bahrain International Airport, although the company itself is headquartered at the adjoining military airfield of Muharraq. The aircraft will be operated on behalf of its owner for private flights and third party charters.

Ralph Eisenschmid, the group’s ceo, says: “We are delighted to add the Challenger to the fleet. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to be of service to the aircraft’s owner.

The 605 is very popular among the region’s charter market, and we look forward to serving the market with it.”

Ralph Eisenschmid oversees a group involved in aircraft operations, management and property.

MENA Aerospace was established in 2004 and is wholly Bahraini owned, now employing in excess of 60 people at its offices and facilities located in various areas of Bahrain. MAE Aircraft Management was granted its AOC in January 2009 for commercial passenger and cargo services.

Other MENA subsidiaries include MAE Jet Charters, which sells and coordinates vvip and corporate travel on chartered business jets, SA MENA Avionics, a Part 145 and 147 approved MRO that specialises in the installation, maintenance and repair of avionic and electronic systems on board aircraft, and MAE Aviation Real Estate, a developer and operator of a private aviation complex including a 6,400 sq m hangar at Bahrain International Airport.

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EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

6 AUGUST 2012

DragonFly speeds teams of surgeons to theatre using Blackhawk power

O P E R AT I O N S N E W S . . .

Olympian opens Farnborough hangar TAG Farnborough Airport has officially opened its new three-bay hangar with the help of Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell.

Gunnell joined TAG Farnborough Airport ceo Brandon O’Reilly, aviation industry leaders and customers for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the 120,000 sq ft hangar, following the second day of the Farnborough air show (pictured right).

The new building, which allows the airport to offer its customers more aircraft hangarage, storage and office accommodation, is the latest of a series of improvements which include a new arrivals lounge and an innovativelydesigned crew room.

First 605 simulator enters service FlightSafety International’s first Challenger 605 simulator has been qualified to level D by EASA, and is now available at the company’s Farnborough centre.

The simulator was designed and manufactured by FlightSafety to replicate the exact flying characteristics of the aircraft. It features the company’s electric motion and control loading technology and newly enhanced VITAL X visual system.

Abu Dhabi prices cut Royal Jet has reduced some prices at its Abu Dhabi FBO by up to 75 per cent. The biggest savings are for light and medium aircraft operators, which will benefit from reduced technical charges, starting at US$238.

Royal Jet president and ceo Shane O’Hare says the new pricing structure will make the FBO one of the most cost-effective in the Middle East. “This highly competitive pricing does not affect the exceptional service for which Royal Jet is renowned and which makes our FBO stand out in the region.”

Royal Jet’s vip terminal and FBO at Abu Dhabi is particularly popular with visitors flying in for the Grand Prix due to its close proximity to Yas Island.

Rizon extends MRO approvals The Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation has granted approval to Rizon Jet’s Doha facility, so now both the company’s bases in the Middle East and in London at Biggin Hill are able to maintain and repair Bermuda-registered aircraft under an AMO Certificate.

In London, the MRO has added the Learjet 45 and the Bombardier Challenger 300 to its line and base maintenance comprehensive list of aircraft capabilities.

Jetex launches fuel scheme Jetex Flight Support has introduced a programme to provide its clients with VAT exempted fuel.

The company says that operators receiving fuel uplifts from Jetex Fueling Services Limited in eight countries will be eligible for

participation in the programme; these being Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Switzerland. More countries will be added in due course, it says.

A questionnaire has been implemented on the Jetex web site by means of which a client’s VAT status (exempt or not) will be determined within minutes. Clients can simply contact Jetex for access to the questionnaire, and answer a few short multiple choice questions, as well as attach the appropriate documents.

Radar brings traffic into Oxford faster Oxford airport’s brand new radar system is up and running, allowing more efficient transits through local airspace as well as increasing the throughput of IFR flight activity from up to nine minutes to under three minutes aircraft separation.

Initial reaction from aircrews using the radar for the first time has been very positive, with much faster access onto the approaches.

DragonFly Executive Air Charter has put a second Blackhawk-modified King Air into service from its Cardiff airport base.

The company’s first experience of the upgrade came when a managed aircraft was refitted by MCA Aviation at Shoreham. The second aircraft is one of two King Airs owned by DragonFly itself, and has become the first King Air 200 to have Blackhawks installed at the Hawker Beechcraft facility at Chester.

“The performance of both aircraft has exceeded expectations,” says ceo Howard Palser. “The cost of under $1m for a pair of new engines, although a more expensive option than overhauling existing engines, is reckoned to be much better value overall.”

All three aircraft are popular with direct clients and charter brokers, he reports, and all three carry the same attractive livery and have vip leather interiors.

“Although the King Air can be flown commercially by a single pilot, DragonFly is one of the few charter companies in Europe to operate the aircraft with two type-rated commercial pilots on a genuine multi-crew basis for maximum safety,” says Palser.

The operator aims to ensure maximum availability and the ability to perform charters at very short notice by employing three sets of type-rated crew. “This is of particular importance when the company is on stand-by to undertake emergency medical flights carrying teams of surgeons to perform organ transplant operations. The extra speed of the Blackhawk King Air is useful in this respect, as is the fact that Cardiff airport, where the aircraft are usually

based, is open 24 hours enabling us to get in and out easily at any time of day or night,” he adds.

In its last financial year DragonFly increased turnover by 23 per cent and is actively pursuing plans to expand the company.

Hawker Beechcraft says it is experiencing a growing interest for the Blackhawk engine upgrade available on all King Air 200 series aircraft. The upgrade includes two factory-new engines with new engine warranty from Pratt & Whitney. The engines have a larger, improved gas generator so they run cooler and more efficiently providing increased power at altitude. The result is better climb and cruise speeds allowing for an increase in maximum range coupled with reduced operating and maintenance costs.

“Just over 200 Blackhawk King Air engine upgrades have been completed worldwide, making it the most successful King Air engine upgrade programme by far,” says Christi Tannahill, svp global customer support at Hawker Beechcraft.

“I am delighted by the Blackhawk upgrade, which has radically improved the performance of my King Air,” adds Palser. “Not only has it improved the efficiency of the aircraft and reduced operating costs, it has also added value to the airframe for future resale purposes. This upgrade makes absolute sense as it improves the service we can offer our clients, while strengthening our finances. I was also impressed by the professionalism and attention to detail exhibited by the engineering and support staff at Hawker Beechcraft Services in Chester. I know my aircraft could not have been in better hands.”

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Howard Palser is delighted with the extra performance his King Airs now offer.

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Air Greenland, which has multiple fixed and rotary wing bases across Greenland, is planning to implement the Aviobook electronic flight bag (EFB) on a Class 1 iPad device for all its flight crews.

In addition, the Aviobook BASE ground administration tool will serve the flight operations office staff to actively monitor the EFB devices and content, and will allow a seamless integration with Air Greenland’s current back-office operations systems.

“Air Greenland has selected the Aviobook EFB solution because of its flexibility which matches our need to adapt to the sometimes difficult and extreme operational environment in which we are operating. It provides us with an ideal future platform

completely integrated with our existing back-office systems that will allow us to further increase our operational efficiency,” says coo Morten Nielsen.

“AvioVision is extremely proud to land Air Greenland as a key account in the northern European region and is looking forward to starting the implementation soon,” says Kris Van den Bergh, ceo of AvioVision. “With Air Greenland, we’ve found a very capable and dedicated staff that understands precisely how an EFB can contribute to the overall success of the airline in the short and long run. Air Greenland is without a doubt a reference carrier in the region and will be a great addition to our customer base.” The implementation will start in August 2012.

AUGUST 2012 7

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Turboprop operator grows into specialist leasing IoM-based Aerodynamics is reporting increasing business in short-term lease rental agreements providing its turboprop fleet to parachute centres and general charter operators to cover downtime and busy periods.

Aerodynamics was established in 1989 when the main focus of the business was ferrying aircraft for customers and aircraft dealers all over the world. Always looking for new areas of expansion, leasing is now the biggest segment of its activity.

The company’s managed fleet of light turbines is growing consistently and mainly supplies drop-zones and charter companies within the UK and Europe.

It reports that Cessna Caravans are beginning to dominate the skydive market and Aerodynamics has a selection of standard and Grand Caravans in full jump fit with Lexan roller doors and longitudinal benches for passenger comfort. “The power-by-the-hour lease rental model allows for short term ad-hoc leasing as well as long-term contracts and the spare jump aircraft policy means that customers don’t lose their income stream when their own aircraft is down for maintenance,” says Kate Cairns.

“Charter clients favour multiengine, and our fleet of PT6-powered Beechcraft run the gamut from basic freighter to luxury passenger transport. The same lease rental package is available for AOC operators providing an insured and

maintained aircraft, freeing them to concentrate on their customers.”

The fleet on show at BGAD Cambridge Aerodynamics has recently become a Blackhawk dealer in the UK, and reports that the UK’s first 850hp Grand Caravan will be on show at the BGAD show on September 18th at Cambridge airport in skydive fit, as well as one of its King Air 200s with Blackhawk upgraded engines and a luxury passenger configured cabin.

The upgraded Grand Caravan is reported to be the fastest single engine skydiver in the UK. “It can climb to altitude faster than a standard aircraft and requires less runway to take off. The conversion also means that aircraft can operate more efficiently in higher temperatures. For a skydiving operator that translates into a 40 per cent increase in the number of jumpers carried to 15,000 feet every hour. There is also a decrease in noise levels with the four blade propeller that helps to keep the neighbours happy,” adds Cairns.

Aerodynamics will also be displaying a Cessna Caravan with G1000 with full TKS de-ice and an Oasis interior, a King Air 200 with G1000 panel, BLR winglets and RVSM certification, and a pair of Beech 99s.

In our next issue: Oasis Flight is about to put two Beech 99s into freight charter service. See our full report in September.

Rizon appoints Eden as director of ground operations Qatar-based private aviation services provider Rizon Jet has signed up a new director of ground operations to its team based in Doha.

Christopher Eden brings a wealth of experience gained around the world, most recently in Australia where he was a safety systems inspector at the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Perth.

His previous Middle East experience includes ground operations roles with companies in Abu Dhabi and in Doha.

Eden will be responsible for the conduct and regulatory compliance of all Rizon Jet Doha fleet operations and is specifically tasked with flight standards and safety management, as well as the company’s day to day operations.

Captain Hassan Al-Mousawi, ceo, says: “These are exciting times for Rizon Jet, as we drive the business forward to make the most of market opportunities. Christopher is a high-calibre individual with excellent commercial and private aviation experience gained over a varied career.

Masterjet’s Falcon 7X and crew – no strangers to great distances.

“He has also been instrumental in developing effective safety and performance initiatives, invaluable experience which will undoubtedly contribute to Rizon Jet’s commitment to providing unsurpassed standards of safety and service.”

Christopher Eden has Middle East experience.

Grossmann relocation brings green benefits Grossmann Jet Service is on the move – and improving its carbon footprint at the same time. The Prague-based company has relocated its offices to the seat of its parent, KKCG investment group, in Vinohradská, Prague. The move not only reinforces cooperation between the investment group and the business aviation company, but also enables GJS to further reduce the environmental impact of its operations.

“By moving into the KKCG Group headquarters at the beginning of July, Grossmann Jet Service confirms its long-standing commitment to the group and adheres to the principle of the environmental and corporate social responsibility objectives,” explains Dagmar Grossmann, ceo of the private jet airline. “I have moved operational premises four times in my life and every single time it has been for the best. This time we focus on the environment.”

The new building is equipped with a high-efficiency water supply system, automated electrical energy-saving devices, and a modern heating system complemented by effective thermal insulation. The building includes a vast organic indoor garden.

LONG RANGE OPS

Plan, plan and plan again to avoid long distance pitfalls Flying to the furthest corners of the planet is always going to be challenging. So how do EBAN readers smooth the way? We asked a selection of long-range and notso-long range operators about their experiences.

Visiting far flung destinations can throw cultural differences into sharp relief as Twinjet’s Frauke Schreiber relates. For a flight taking an African head of state on an Airbus into North Korea, the planning at least was straightforward as the passenger had been was invited by the North Korean government.

“On arrival the crew had to surrender their mobile phones, and when one of the crew wanted to go to the corner shop to buy some stamps, they were driven by hotel staff 50 yards down the street and then back again.

“Next they were taken on a ‘cultural tour’ showing all the highlights and successes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under the leader Kim Jong-il and the crew couldn’t talk to anyone other than their escort.”

According to Schreiber, the company performs a very mixed bag of flights, some long and some here in Europe. “There is no real pattern to the flights that are being booked on the aircraft at the moment. The only continent we haven’t been to this year yet is Australia, and that trip is planned for later this year.”

ABS Jets has experience flying to many out of the way destinations around the world and can offer an interesting insight into each location’s individualities.

For example, at Narsarsuaq in Greenland, the main issue is always weather due to high operating minima (ceiling, visibility); in winter there might be a problem with the runway friction coefficient due to the snow and ice.

Manuel Tirado faces challenges when departing Hong Kong.

HF-radio is mandatory for flights to and from Greenland. Operators should hire a polar survival kit before setting off.

Entebbe is Uganda’s largest commercial and military airport, situated in equatorial Africa. The main worry here would be security.

Fortunately communication with the local handler and CAA is good.

A flight to Chittagong in Bangladesh could cause concern about security due to the unstable political situation in the country.

Payment for handling services in cash should be expected, as well as for fuel if you do not have fuel release arranged in advance.

Communication with local people is sometimes a little difficult which can result in delays on the ground.

When flying to Agra, a military airport operated by the India Air Force, ABS Jets has managed to gain approval in much less that the 30 days it officially takes for landing at any military airport in India. Operators must also apply for standard landing and overflight permission from the Indian CAA. “Air Force officers are usually very strict and it is hard to persuade them to give you permission,” says director of ground ops Jan Kralik. “There are also no charts available for Agra airport, we got them just days before operation from our local contact in India.”

Forrest airport is located in the south of Australia. “Around the airport there is only desert, railway and only few houses – probably one of the most lonely airports we have ever flown into,” he says.

Yugorsk-Sovetsky Airport, Russia, is not covered by any usual source of basic aviation information or contacts. Kralik says: “At first, runway analysis was not available, then computed only with obstructions depicted on navigational charts that we had got from our Russian handling provider, but without Continued on next page

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Immediate availability. Exclusive occupancy of the hangar/offices would be considered.

For further details please contact: Paul Forster Tel: +44 1959 788 003 Mob: +44 7824 468344 pforster@perfect.aero

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

8 AUGUST 2012

Continued from previous page

respect to surrounding terrain due to lack of data. An escort navigator is strictly required who will accompany the crew for the whole trip and stay in Yugorsk.”

With a vast amount of experience carrying out flights across the globe, ExecuJet Europe has completed the last round of pilot training for the German Air Force. The final training, on Global Express aircraft, took place in South America, covering eight countries over seven days. Lufthansa Technik chose ExecuJet to provide landing and line training to six Air Force pilots in the necessary skills to become flight instructors on the Global 5000.

Training covered pre-flight inspections, ground training, and many approaches and landings in various extraordinary locations, including a touch down at the highest airport in the world, La Paz, Bolivia, and the challenging mountain-based airport Cusco in Peru. South America was chosen as one of the most demanding and diverse flying areas of the world, embracing the Andes, where pilots face further challenges such as language barriers and stopovers in high altitude locations.

Captain Cedric Gitchenko, manager flight ops and training, says: “We did all the training for the German Air Force to difficult places and we even did landing training at those places without any problems.

But I must say that the planning needs a good knowledge and a lead time of a couple of days, and for special training even weeks.

“The students were highly motivated, enthusiastic and appreciative about experiencing some challenging flying in some of the most demanding environments.”

South American destinations are all challenging for several reasons, reports one anonymous respondent, citing crew fatigue on long flights that can be 11.5 hours or more and dealing with sometimes questionable air traffic control. He also mentions the unpredictability of the weather when crossing the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Known by sailors as the doldrums, this zone encircles the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together.

Josh Fletcher is managing director and captain with US operator CPI Aviation. The company manages a European-based G-IVSP flying approximately 1,000 hours a year.

“We are a global operator and our trips extend to all points on the globe,” Fletcher says.

“It is hard to point out any areas that we find difficult to operate to, our crews are all very high-time and well trained captains on the Gulfstream.

“Our schedule does take us to some interesting destinations, some of the most enjoyable and challenging are down in the

“

Security issues in Afghanistan highlight the important role of ExecuJet’s cabin crew

The most distant trip I have done was from Fortaleza, Brazil, to Matsapa, Swaziland. It was an 11.5 hour flight with take off at night and landing early in the morning, a true red eye.

Where do I start with difficult trips? Doing worldwide operations we often end up at places that could be very challenging from every aspect of operation. With ExecuJet Middle East I have operated from countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, DR Congo, etc.

One of the most memorable flights was from Jaipur, India, to Port Harcourt in Nigeria. Considering security warnings about travel into the region, ExecuJet Middle East took precautions to provide armed security for crew transportation to the hotel. Arriving at the airport that night I found out that the security was not adequate to provide safe passage to the city. Luckily we only had to spend 12 hours for crew rest and ferry back to Dubai. The crew decided to stay on the aircraft and the pilots slept in the forward cabin and the flight attendant slept in the aft cabin – I am sure she was grateful not to listen the whole night to pilots snoring!

On one trip to Kabul and Mazhar-i-Sharif we had a European foreign affairs minister and delegation onboard. Because of the security situation in Afghanistan the company decided that no cabin attendant would be on the flight and that the aircraft could not stay on the ground for more than one hour, so we had to stay at Islamabad overnight. During the flight we pilots tried to provide limited passenger service and this was the time when I realised how difficult a job our cabin

Caribbean. Landing on short island runways after making the long flight down from Europe or beyond always calls for the utmost concentration.”

CPI Aviation does not use an international trip planning service, with its own in-house dispatcher organising all flights. “He does everything from flight planning, overflight permits, handling requests, to arranging car services. A good dispatcher can make flying globally as stress-free as flying in your home country.”

Fletcher estimates 80 per cent of the company’s flights are long range and beyond Europe and the Middle East. In the last few years this has remained fairly constant, with a slight

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ExecuJet Middle East’s crew: used to long range filghts.

Darijo Napica is pleased to see the market growing.

attendants do. I returned to the cockpit at top of descent leaving every drawer in the galley full of dirty plates, cups and cutlery.

I was so grateful the flight was ending because there were no more clean glasses.

Another funny memory from Mazhar-i-Sharif was of the controller in the tower whose English was increase in flights this year.

This year, a new aircraft is expected to replace the G-IVSP, but will be from the long range Gulfstream family.

Fletcher adds: “As an American I feel very fortunate that English is the language of aviation but, in an aircraft that can reach all parts of the world, language can be a major barrier to overcome when working with handlers and controllers. If you remain patient and remember their way of doing things may not be what you are used to at home, and you keep an open mind, there is practically no place on earth that you can't operate with the proper planning and dispatch support.”

At AMAC Corporate Jet AG, postholder flight ops Thomas Allemann says that the most difficult long range operations take place where crews check in during the WOCL (window of circadian low), fly an ultra-long range trip of more than 12 hours and then need to land at an airport that requires special considerations, for example Kuala Lumpur or Saanen in Switzerland.

Av8Jet does a run down to Australia every few months, along with Brazil, Japan, Korea and more.

According to the company’s John Norris, a typical trip might go like this: “A three legged jump to Australia on a Falcon 2000 starts with a 7hr25m trip to Muscat for an efficient fuel stop. The trip to Muscat takes us over the golden alps as the sun sinks behind us. Down over Turkey and then west of the border of Iran

below every standard. Luckily it was a clear day so we could fly VFR approaching the airport. Unable to communicate properly, the only thing we understood at the end was “clear to land”. After us was a UN aircraft waiting to land with a young European first officer doing radio work. We were in the cockpit listening to the FO and tower not understanding each other. Finally, the FO got so upset and almost yelled at the controller: “You are the tower controller and you must speak English to us so we can understand.”

The poor controller kept yelling back: “But I am, but I am.”

Afterwards we met the controller and I managed to ask him where he learned to speak English. He said “Moscow, 1983.”

ExecuJet Middle East does all dispatch and flight planning. Our company has developed good

Desert to the horizon flying into Djanet, Algeria.

while at 41,000ft-45,000ft, we are above any weather that may venture into Europe.

“From Muscat to Jakarta we are lucky enough to have a completely storm free journey. Storms around here do venture up to the late 50s early 60s in thousands of feet. Blessed with accurate weather radars, even these night flights are carried out with the least amount of stress possible.

“Leaving Jakarta in the evening at a time ensuring a sensible and early start to the day in Australia, encountering the last of the daily tropical thunderstorms is not unheard of. With the use of the radars, avoidance is no issue. We are witness to St Elmo’s fire, a fantastically beautiful phenomenon caused by static and friction, producing a lightening effect on the windscreen.

“Six and a half hours later and on the final leg descending into the Gold Coast, the weather is beautiful, the sun rises and the trip is nearly over.”

connections with regional authorities that enable us to get permits quickly. I am very proud of our dispatch department that gives excellent service. Due to our clients’ last minute schedules, we often call dispatch early hours with quite demanding and challenging schedules.

For us almost every flight is long range. From Middle East to Europe we are looking at six to seven hour flights on a regular basis. We have seen a significant increase in the Russian market where most flights are to Indian Ocean hot spots (Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius).

Also with Russian clients the Far East is popular to destinations like Thailand, Indonesia etc.

Flights from the Middle East to US are quite rare due to an inability to make direct flights from KSA, UAE, Qatar to any US cities. Due to fuel stop requirements clients mostly take airline direct flights. For example, the owner of the aircraft that I am flying on now has plans this year to operate regularly from Middle East to the US since his business interest has expanded to the US. It all depends on the client.

It is great to see a growing market again and more additions to our client list and aircraft fleet. ExecuJet Middle East most probably will add more Global Express and hopefully next year our first Global 6000. There are indications that the company will add another large jet – A318 or BBJ – in addition to the Embraer Lineage which is already available for charter.

Darijo Napica, commander/ aircraft account manager at ExecuJet Middle East

”

One corporate operator of very long range jets makes frequent trips from London to Sydney via Malé in the Maldives. “The flight eastbound to Malé is easy – except during the monsoon season as it is an island destination with a single runway,” he says. “Using Gan as an alternative can work but it is also a single runway destination suffering the same monsoon rains at the same time. Luckily, the Global Express can carry sufficient fuel to allow for a distant alternative and still have more than two hours island holding fuel onboard upon landing…. going east.

“However, there is a problem returning from Sydney via Malé.

Beating against head winds, cruise must be reduced to Mach .83 to save fuel and there can be difficulties keeping the minimum reserves in hand. The datalink is always active downloading the latest weather.”

He adds: “The monsoon element is impressive. We witnessed flooded runways in Malé, yet while we waited for a window in order to depart safely, an A340 belonging to AirLanka blasted off the same flooded runway.”

Urs Maienfisch in charter sales at Premium Jet AG finds the most problematic flights to organise are those to India and China, mainly because of the time required to get permissions. Also challenging are flights into certain areas of Africa where infrastructure and communication are somewhat lower than those Europeans are accustomed to. “Beyond the Urals, Kazakhstan and the -stan states, the

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

planning, weather and communication sometimes provide for some intense thinking before the flight starts, but with our accumulated experience and positive attitude we overcome all those hurdles,” Maienfisch states.

“Our aircraft are continuously spread all over the globe, consequently the most distant destinations are on the other side of the world, in our case Australia and New Zealand.”

Premium Jet has its own 24/7 ops department, but on occasion will work with international trip planning services. “We flew a lot last year, especially in the second half,” says Maienfisch. “But the trend is clearly for an increase of long range activities for this year. The coming months will have to show this.”

Recently Premium Jet commenced operations with a Swissregistered Global Express that was joined by a second, M-registered Global Express mid-July.

Omnijet Europe is one operator that has carried out the taxing trip to Paro in Bhutan, east of Nepal.

Flight planning is provided by Signum Aviation. “The best by a mile,” according to managing director Stuart Payne. As a specialist in long range operations, these flights make up the greater part of Omnijet’s workload.

Since its expansion, Payne reveals that the company has the capability to take on a further three long range management aircraft.

DC Aviation GmbH’s most distant flight was from Buenos Aires to Stuttgart, a non-stop flight of nearly 14 hours. The company’s Sabrina Bühler says: “We organise our flights internally – flight planning, overflight permissions, handling etc. We expect that we will carry out more long range flights this year than last.”

Gulfstream pilot Carlo Brio says his company is operating its GIV-SP under Part 135 for Solairus Aviation and when in Europe is based in Geneva, mainly during the summer months. Brio says: “We do a trip around the world almost every year and so we have several occasions to operate in remote and very interesting areas, mainly in the Pacific. Some of the most unique of them have been the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Bora Bora and Easter Island. I would say that the most challenging part is with flights mainly over water for more than seven hours, with fast changing weather conditions.”

The ability to receive updated satellite weather is a must, Brio points out, and parking slots are at a premium at tiny island airports. “In several of these locations it may not

AUGUST 2012 9

After an upgrade to include a stateroom, GainJet’s staff welcome its vip B757 back into service. The 757 can now accommodate 62 passengers in vip seating and has an impressive 9.5 hour flight range. GainJet ceo Captain James McBride says: “We’ve introduced a unique product and we’re excited to see how the market welcomes it.”

be that easy to arrange a parking spot for several days so this might require moving the aircraft several times during a stay, and in some places towing is not such common practice.”

Brio uses Universal for flight planning and permissions in conjunction with the company’s flight dispatch department. Few flights are destined for Europe, more frequent flights are to the Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

“Along the route we generally stop in different places such as Seychelles, Maldives, Bali/Denpasar, Thailand and the Pacific rim where passengers like to relax. When operating from the US, based in Los Angeles, our destination’s mix is Hawaii, Mexico, South America and the Caribbean, with trips generally lasting for several months away from home.”

The Gulfstream’s three-person crew is pilot Brio, a second pilot and flight attendant Patricia who has lived and worked with Brio for 19 years. “Unfortunately we have problems keeping the same first officer due to the long periods away.”

Brio says the company has a real need to upgrade to an ultra-long range aircraft and has chosen the GV, but over the last couple of years the market has not offered a good opportunity for a fair selling price for its aircraft so they are still waiting on an improvement in the market.

A new Falcon 900EX has joined the fleet at Heron Luftfahrt GmbH & Co KG. Christina Fries reports that Nassau was the first long range destination it flew to, at under ten

Global hot spots AFRICA Democratic Republic of the Congo More stable than it has been over the past decade, but violent crime and rebel activity continue to dominate the country’s security environment.

Crimes such as rape, murder, assault, robbery and kidnapping are common in many areas, including Kinshasa. There are conflicts in the country’s eastern provinces, and in North Kivu, South Kivu and Katanga. Ethno-religious fighting is a concern in the northern Dongo region.

Kenya Marked increase in terrorist incidents and kidnappings involving foreign nationals since late 2011. Islamist militant group has conducted numerous attacks in North Eastern province and several grenade attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa. These incidents have not affected foreign travel to major cities or tourist areas. Travellers should limit exposure to public places in major cities and avoid trips to North Eastern province.

Dr Mark Pierotti, ceo of AJA.

hours. The most difficult flight she recalls was to Juba, South Sudan, a politically sensitive area and an operation that had to be planned within 24 hours. “Flights are planned internally, but for overflight permission we sometimes use agents,” she says. “Most of our flights are in Europe and the Middle East, but we also carry out long range flights to the Maldives, Seychelles or Africa.

“Within the month of June alone, the Masterjet fleet has been through north and south America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and of course the Middle East,” says Edward Queffelec.

“In terms of our most distant flight, we have two interesting milestones. We have just been recognised by Airbus for the longest flight ever performed with an ACJ320

Nigeria Travellers face a range of threats, including violent crime, kidnapping, extortion, terrorism and being affected by religious and ethnic violence. Sectarian violence is a concern in northern Nigeria, while criminal gangs and militant groups pose a threat to travellers in the south eastern Niger Delta region. Terrorism is a significant concern, especially in Abuja, and the country's northern states.Travellers should carefully consider security arrangements.

South Sudan The country continues to be at odds with Sudan. The two countries fought a series of escalating battles peaking in April-May 2012. Border regions remain dangerous for foreign nationals due to the persistent threat of cross-border violence. South Sudan also has internal issues, such as widespread ethnic conflict, corruption and crime.

AMERICAS Chile Chilean students recently resumed largescale protests in Santiago and other cities.

Protests involving students often end violently and can result in significant traffic disruptions.

Prearranged transportation with a local provider

with 8hr48m non-stop for Doha to Pretoria. And in the meantime we have the longest Falcon 7X non-stop flight with 12hr45m for MoscowCaracas. I have to say it is always rewarding being able to optimise the aircraft performance and using its full potential.” Currently, Masterjet operates a Falcon 900EX EASy, two Falcon 7X, and an Airbus ACJ320 in its long range fleet.

Dr Mark Pierotti, ceo at AJA, singles out long range flights from Glasgow to Newark at a little over eight hours and Abu Dhabi to Shanghai at 7hr58m. AJA does its own flight planning and dispatch including flight watch for all flights operating worldwide. “During the past six months we have operated slightly more than 120 sectors and flew 390 hours in total,” he says.

AJA operates two Legacy 600, two Lineage 1000 and an A318-Elite Plus to worldwide ETOPS standard.

Acropolis Aviation ceo Jonathan Bousfield tells of many long range trips, each presenting its own challenges. “Heathrow to Rochester, Minnesota, landing in blowing snow with 19 passengers on board, nonstop in nine hours and 50 minutes.

Iquitos in Peru was a very remote destination with limited facilities and limited navigation aids.”

A trip from New York to Walvis Bay, Namibia, via Dakar meant arriving at a remote runway with limited facilities where it took eight hours to re-fuel the aircraft for the return due to the single, very small fuel bowser.

who is knowledgeable of current conditions can mitigate threats posed by such protests.

Guatemala Beset by rampant corruption and a high crime rate spurred by narcoviolence.

Robbers frequently target victims in broad daylight, and violent crime is common, especially in rural areas and Guatemala City.

Foreign nationals can reduce risk by avoiding the display of valuables and confining travel to major tourist destinations.

Mexico Following the July 2012 election, there are concerns that members of drugtrafficking organisations may use the media coverage to draw attention to their groups. Two recent incidents involved improvised explosive devices installed in motor vehicles; one explosion was in Nuevo Laredo and the other in Ciudad Victoria. Travellers to Mexico should exercise increased caution, especially near government buildings, police stations and media outlets.

Venezuela Political tensions are mounting ahead of the October presidential election; demonstrations and unrest are possible. Foreign

Flying from Los Angeles to Moscow in mid-winter over North Canada required a 30-minute tech stop and a crew change in Keflavik, with poor weather both at Keflavik and Moscow airports.

“Finally, the advantage of 180 minutes ETOPS, allowing Europe to Barbados and return possible in all seasons, due to the 30 minutes of time saved and the long range on the non-ETOPS leg. Acropolis Aviation is also approved by UK CAA for low visibility operations.”

Jet Aviation has seen long range flight numbers increase on last year’s total as a result of its growing fleet. It organises all flights internally through its 24-hour dispatch and ops centre.

Although aircraft ranges are improving, the company feels that regulatory requirements have grown considerably with increased security precautions.

Conducting risk assessments, completing required documentation, arranging an adequate crew and dispatching it to new points of departure all take much more time than in the past — and involve a lot more paperwork.

Careful forward planning was required last year to ensure that a flight to the remote international airport in Paro, Bhutan, went without a hitch. Jet Aviation’s Gulfstream 550 charter flight from Osaka, Japan, to Paro took almost two months to arrange from the charter request. The dispatch team contacted local handler Bhutan Air to organise Continued on next page

travellers should avoid protests and rallies, in addition to taking precautions in view of the ever-present threat from crime.

ASIA Pakistan Remains a high risk location for all foreign travellers, especially Westerners; militants regularly conduct bombings and shooting attacks, and indiscriminate violence is high. Terrorist/insurgent violence plagues the entire country, especially Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the federally administered tribal areas. Foreign nationals are often targeted by kidnappers. Daily protests take place across Pakistan, especially in major cities, such as Islamabad and Karachi.

Philippines Active militant insurgent groups in the Philippines pose a threat in the Mindanao, Palawan and Sulu regions. Militants have attacked foreign owned mine sites and have kidnapped foreign business people in recent years. Travellers should exercise caution in the far south and employ secure transportation.

FrontierMEDEX provided world troublespot data

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

10 AUGUST 2012

AIRCRAFT NEWS...

Kodiak buyers have colour choices Quest Aircraft Company is offering refined interiors for the Kodiak aircraft. The Tundra and Timberline interiors will be available on 2013 models.

“We have replaced the current Kydex panels with composite panels, which will contribute to a weight reduction and should improve the useful load. We have also refined the headliner and enhanced the soundproofing,” says Steve Zinda, director, sales and marketing. “New amenities for the Timberline include storage pockets to the sidewall beside each chair and cupholders, both in the cabin and the cockpit. We have also restyled the cockpit chairs in both interiors to include an improved headrest and have added centre pedestal closeouts.”

Customers will be able to select from two different colour variants in the Tundra and Timberline.

Both new interiors can be installed in existing Kodiaks with minor modifications.

Caravan gains range and power Cessna has introduced the Grand Caravan EX, with almost 25 per cent more engine power delivering a 350 foot reduction in takeoff roll, a 20 per cent improvement in the rate of climb, and a 10-12 knot cruise speed improvement over average.

“We anticipate continued success for the Caravan in business and personal use,” says Lannie O’Bannion, business leader for the Caravan. “The Caravan has proven to be an incredibly reliable and versatile aircraft. This not only improves performance in current operations, it will make the Grand Caravan EX a fantastic solution for customers and operations in new markets and remote locations.

Simply put, this aircraft places more of the world within reach.

“While providing more range and power, we have also delivered a new product that will have a minimal impact on direct operating costs.”

Entry into service for the Grand Caravan EX is expected to be in the fourth quarter 2012.

Avanti evolves into MPA Piaggio Aero is to develop a new special missions surveillance aircraft, the Piaggio Aero MPA

multirole patrol aircraft.

Two prototypes will be produced, with first flight scheduled for 2014. It will be based on the Avanti II, with an enhanced airframe, increased maximum take-off weight, additional fuel tanks and a new aerodynamic configuration with a reinforced wing providing an increased surface and higher aspect ratio.

The new special mission aircraft will be able to fly up to 41,000 feet, with an endurance of 10 plus flight hours, a maximum range of 3,300 nm and a cruise speed of 350 knots. It will be able to perform surveillance of broad areas for more than six hours at low altitude in coastal or offshore waters, and its first application will be dedicated to maritime patrol.

7X pax watch video on demand Assembly of the 200th Falcon 7X has been completed. “We are especially proud of this milestone,” said John Rosanvallon, president and ceo of Dassault Falcon. “The 7X remains one of the most sought-after jets in its category.”

The 7X fleet has accumulated over 130,000 flight hours since the first aircraft went into service in 2007, and is in operation in 32 different countries. A cabin entertainment system equipped with business aviation’s first interactive 3D moving map is also now standard for Falcon 7X customers. Known as FalconCabin HD+, it also includes the first audio/video on demand (AVOD) solution to be offered on a new business aircraft.

Shared Gulfstream data reduces risk Gulfstream has enrolled more than 140 aircraft in its Flight Operations Risk Management Service (FORMS) programme, providing operators access to data that has been proven to reduce hazards in airline operations and is now migrating to business aviation.

The data can be used to analyse airport-specific approach procedures that can challenge pilots and includes operational details on more than 25,000 flights, 15,000 in 2011 alone.

The data shows that the most frequently used airports by Gulfstream operators are Teterboro, Dulles International and Westchester County.

Louis-Alain and Annie Dumont took a TBM 700 round the world.

To the limit – long distances in a smaller aircraft Daher-Socata welcomed French TBM 700 pilots Louis-Alain and Annie Dumont to the company’s exhibit at the AirVenture Oshkosh gathering, celebrating their use of a TBM turboprop aircraft in a globespanning voyage.

The Dumonts participated in a trip organised by the Air Journey company, and the TBM 700 joined three VLJs on a 25,000nm flying adventure that visited 27 countries during 53 stop-overs.

“This flight of a lifetime allowed us to visit many countries for the first time, and we could really enjoy such a long duration trip with the TBM,” says Louis-Alain Dumont.

He says the TBM 700 gave him the range to fly direct legs, while the light jets needed stopovers. “My best performances were a flight from Marrakech to Malta of 1,150nm, which I flew non-stop in 4h25m – while light jet pilots had to make a 70 minute refuelling stop – and a flight from Cebu in the Philippines to Hong Kong in 3h45m.”

Nicolas Chabbert, svp of DaherSocata’s aircraft division, says more and more TBM operators are using their aircraft for long-distance flights: “This is confirmed by our fleet statistics, with such examples

Continued from previous page

Islanders assembled in the UK Work has begun on the first two Britten-Norman Islander aircraft to be assembled in the UK from sub-components manufactured in Romania, rather than at the Bucharest factory itself.

The turbine-powered aircraft will be fitted out with Garmin G600 cockpit and touch-screen avionics, and delivery is scheduled for 2013.

The aircraft are to be test flown and delivered from the Britten-Norman’s new manufacturing facilities at Daedalus airfield, Lee-on-Solent, following which they will be disassembled and sea freighted to the customer for reassembly on site at destination.

Britten-Norman’s business development manager, Lara Harrison says: “We learnt a lot from our time supporting Cirrus Design with their European aircraft reassembly line and have now put a similar principal in place for our own customers.”

landing permits, visas and other special requirements of the CAA. As there is no defined landing procedure for Paro, the IFR had to be cancelled and a visual landing with a local navigator accommodated, resulting in some surprising twists to the standard flight preparation.

Because weather conditions in Paro are often less than ideal, three alternative flight options had to be fully operational. “We also needed someone with in-depth knowledge of the terrain who could navigate and communicate with us, which meant retaining an experienced pilot from the local airline, Druk Air, to accompany us on the flight,” says Captain Reto Laubscher. Procuring a Japanese visa for a Bhutanese pilot meant getting all original documents to the nearest consulate of Japan in New Delhi.

The navigator directed the

as Wei Chen, who last year was the first Chinese pilot to fly around the world in one of our aircraft.”

Short of fuel Taking long range duties for Eurofly Service SpA in their stride are two Falcon 7X and a Falcon 900.

Captain Jacopo Sagone now pilots a Learjet 60XR, and flew a Challenger 601 for seven years, but for Sagone, the most challenging experience is to fly long range with a short range aircraft.

“I am based in Italy and the most distant place I flew as pilot is Porto Alegre in Brazil,” he says. “I was a copilot on a Hawker 700. It’s a long story but, believe me, to fly over the ocean, around huge thunderstorms, with strong headwinds, with an old and heavy aircraft and short of fuel, is a real adventure!”

Eurofly Service’s ops office takes care of normal flight planning and for long range requirements enlists the services of Universal.

Careful planning Jan Kralik, director of ground ops at ABS Jets, believes flying long haul on a Gulfstream does not offer many interesting stories. “You simply shoot the aircraft almost into space

captains through the light cloud cover to the runway by describing various landmarks or reference points and providing exact altitudes at which to fly at them. “Pilots love to fly visually,” adds Laubscher, “because we get to do it so rarely, but our navigator knew the area like the back of his hand and knowledge of that kind is crucial where landing conditions are so inhospitable.”

Corporate operator Air-Service Werkflugdienst carries out up to three long range flights a year.

Account manager Tobias Oberschäfer says that the most tricky trip so far has been inbound to Mexico Toluca airport, a challenge with the high altitude profile of the airport in hot conditions. For long range flights like these the company uses service providers such as Rockwell Collins.

Rizon Jet Qatar has conducted long range flights as far as the eastern

ABS captains enjoy a challenge

(FL 430 or even higher) and wait until it descends in another part of the world. What is much more challenging is flying a regional jet commercially around the world.

“We currently operate five Embraer Legacys under our commercial AOC and all of them fly long haul flights quite often. In such cases we have to carefully plan the fuel stops, crew duties, all the landing permissions, etc.”

The demand for long haul flights is slightly growing year by year, says Kralik, adding that this is probably because people are looking for business outside Europe. “And if they want to be free of all duties and have a rest, they are looking for places around the world with no cell phone signal.”

coast of the US, western Africa and into China. Each flight has been interesting in its own way due to the detailed trip planning and technical stop coordination. “The logistics involved in planning the flight from ground up is challenging and it is rewarding to see satisfied repeat customers,” says the company.

Flights are scheduled, coordinated and planned in-house by international qualified flight dispatchers. Some support services such as overflight permits are requested through third parties to support short notice ad-hoc operations.

Rizon Jet Qatar is increasingly operating beyond mid-range destinations and is achieving greater experience in managing long range charter requests. “Planning long range flights requires experienced dispatchers with sound knowledge of key flight operational fundamentals

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

and a solid ground logistics mind set,” concludes the company.

Sister company Oryx Jet UK is increasingly asked to operate deep into Africa – a recent commercial charter involved flying an African head of state back home from Europe.

It was a logistical challenge to coordinate with the officials of the country, but rewarding to be told they had done a good job at the end.

The company has an ops team with many years’ experience planning long range flights, and has contacts worldwide to obtain permits quickly and efficiently. For short notice flights departing within four hours, this function will be outsourced.

Oryx Jet UK has performed more long range flights this year than last year and is actively promoting its capabilities to sales brokers worldwide to encourage more bookings. The long range charter requests received have prompted a search for another managed long range aircraft to deal with the demand.

The company believes that it is very important that the operator has an experienced team of professionals who know what needs to be done to operate long range flights successfully. The most important task is to ensure a comprehensive support programme down route to include maintenance, crew healthcare insurance and thorough reviews of the airfields. “For example we know that Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a runway that is harsh on tyres and it is not uncommon to have to replace a tyre, so we carry a decent spares kit and have an engineer on-call in the region to dispatch if required. The maintenance company keeps the items we may need in stock,” says the company. “This support is preplanned and worth the effort as it helps solve any AOG issues quicker.”

When looking at the furthest distance in nautical miles that one of its aircraft has flown, NetJets Europe cites Buenos Aires to Athens at the top of the list. Globally, the company flies to 5,000 destinations, and will go wherever clients want, as long as it is deemed safe for them, the crew and the aircraft. When operating to remote locations with a known security risk, a thorough risk assessment is conducted by the NetJets Europe security department using intelligence from a number of sources.

Operating company NetJets Transportes Aéreos received approval in October 2010 to conduct extended range operations under commercial rules meaning that NetJets Europe is allowed to fly its twin engine Gulfstream G550 aircraft 180 minutes flight time from an airport at any given point along a route, previously limited to 120 minutes. This has enabled NetJets Europe to fly more direct routes, with fewer fuel stops.

Manuel Tirado, Gestair Flight Support ground ops director, says that the greatest distance clocked up by the operator was 6,536 miles in 13hr52m from Santiago, Chile, to Farnborough in a Gulfstream V. “But there have been other memorable milestones, such as when we made a world distance record with a F900EX flying directly from Toluca, Mexico, to Madrid,” Tirado adds.

“The most challenging flights for us are the ones departing from Hong Kong back to Europe, due to the mandatory routes in China that increase the distance of the flight, the flight level restrictions in Russia, and the headwind you face all along the flight that mean we do all we can to avoid any technical landings, but of course, this is not always possible.”

Gestair carries out long range flights almost every day, operating six

AUGUST 2012 11

The view from an ABS jet approaching the Marshall Islands.

long range aircraft itself. As with most companies represented in our report, trip planning is carried out in-house.

“Our experience, after more than 35 years operating our own fleet, has led us develop Gestair Flight Support brand, offering this service to aircraft worldwide.”

Language barriers are a definite consideration in some countries.

Komal Qaiser at Jetex reports that it can be hard to get permits when language is an issue. “In such cases, our supervisors in that particular

The crew celebrates a successful landing for Jet Aviation’s G550 in Paro, Bhutan: Captain Raphael Grünhage, flight attendants Mitsuko Yamazaki and Yasuhito Nakachi and Captain Reto Laubscher.

country have to arrange it.”

Another major obstacle can be the time it takes in some countries to process requests. “With the limits we work to due to so many short notice

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flights, timing can be challenging when dealing with some countries.

“Each airport and country has its own capabilities – they are not the same everywhere. We need to make

our own checklist when handling a flight to each country. For example, in some countries we have dedicated FBOs for all the services we require, in others we use the national carrier or the airport authorities,” Qaiser adds.

Customs and rules vary from destination to destination such that, in certain countries, the bar in the aircraft must be sealed prior to landing and elsewhere, female flight attendants must be dressed according to the laws of that country, with their head covered before they exit the aircraft. Most passengers are aware of these rules as they fly to these destinations regularly, but doing your homework before departure is vital to save time, not to mention embarrassment.

A PrivatAir ops manager relates a challenging flight to Durango in Colorado. The ground handler there didn’t have the aircraft step for a B757-200, but after weeks of email exchange they were proactive enough to build a homemade step to allow the aircraft to land there.

Continued on next page

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12 AUGUST 2012

Continued from previous page

“One of the most original trips we had to plan and operate was a trip to Svalbard, Sptizberg Island, located 78° north (we are allowed to operate up to 80° north),” he says. “The flight took place from Kiruna, north of Sweden, where we picked up our passengers with about 40 huskies. We dropped them off in Svalbard, from where they continued to the North Pole. About 10 days later, we flew back to Svalbard to pick up passengers and dogs after their successful expedition.

Our engineers had to create a wooden panel in the hold of the aircraft in order to ensure a full flat hold floor to load the boxes with all the dogs.”

During one flight from Hawaii to Australia, PrivatAir had planned a fuel stop on an exotic island in the Pacific.

The aircraft was half way to the fuel stop when a call came into the Geneva office from the handling agent that no more fuel was available on the island. All ended well though, when an alternative island where there were some fuel supplies was

PrivatAir’s crew are no strangers to snowy destinations in far flung places.

found and the crew contacted via Stockholm radio and advised to reroute to the new fuel stop.

Pre-planning is the backbone of any successful international operation, but even more imperative on a multi-leg long haul trip, stresses

Greg Linton, master trip owner, Universal Weather and Aviation Inc. “The more legs a trip has, the more contingencies you need to prepare for. I try to help my clients think beyond what’s planned because if there is one consistency about long

haul ops it’s that plans will invariably be altered at some point. One issue that I’ve seen happen repeatedly involves crew visas and tech stops.

For most countries you don’t need a crew visa if you are just stopping and refuelling. The problem arises when things change and that tech stop becomes an overnighter because of bad weather or a late passenger. Now it’s too late and you’re in a jam.”

A good example of this happened in Russia. A crew was going from north west US and tech stopped in Petropavlovsk for fuel on its way to Astana. En route from Petropavlovsk, they were advised that Astana’s weather was down and they wouldn’t be able to land, so they stopped in Novosibirsk. Linton explains: “We were able to get them a landing permit for Novosibirsk, but because they didn’t have visas for Russia (Russia requires visas if making consecutive tech stops on the same trip), they had to overnight until the authorities would – under special consideration – issue visas to

everyone.” The passengers were allowed to go to a hotel in town, but the crew was ordered to stay in a cramped hotel near the airport with a guard outside their doors.

Laura Everington is Universal’s manager of regulatory services and has plenty of knowledge about the pitfalls of long distance travel: “A commonly overlooked and potential trip stopper is the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) waiver for non-US operators travelling to the US. During a long trip with a single stop in the US a crew will overlook obtaining a TSA waiver because it’s not required for foreign operators making just one stop in the US. “Recently, there was a scenario where a foreign crew had planned all of the details of an around-the-world trip perfectly, with layover in Los Angeles for crew rest. However, the passengers decided that they wanted to go on to Las Vegas before leaving the US, which requires a TSA waiver that had not been applied for.

Subsequently the crew were in the uncomfortable position of explaining to the passengers that they had not prepared for all contingencies.”

Everington points out that, although a security briefing on every country on an itinerary may have taken place before the trip, situations can change rapidly. “As we have seen in the recent Middle East uprisings, political and security situations can deteriorate. What was a safe stop three days ago, might not be now. Did you plan for an alternate? Did you apply for landing permits just in case?

If not, you could be delayed.”

Because of the myriad of issues that can arise, it’s almost impossible for a crew to plan everything on their own, so Everington recommends working with a provider that is available 24/7. “A handler on the ground is a great source of local information, but they’re not always available at all hours, and when things go wrong in the middle of the night, you’re going to want someone you can call on with answers.” ■

Top tips for longrange operations: 1. Remember that alternates can a be long distance away 2. Planning in advance is essential, paperwork can be extensive 3. Check out the operational hours for relevant airports (including en route alternatives) 4. Check out any active NOTAMs relevant to concerning airports 5. Calculate aircrew duty times carefully 6. Arrange all overflying and landing permits in plenty of time 7. Be aware of differences in cultures and law 8. Remember that English may not be spoken, patience is key 9. Large companies have bases worldwide that give local knowledge 10. Updated satellite weather on the flight deck is essential 11. Apply for landing permission in good time, depending on destination airport 12. Arrange fuel release in advance 13. Employ experienced dispatchers with sound knowledge of operational fundamentals 14. Find out all you can about conditions/services at the destination airport 15. Make sure your planning department is available 24/7.

Situations can change overnight.

Compiled with help from all our pilot contributors, and flight support experts at Jetex and Universal Weather & Aviation.

AUGUST 2012 13

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

CHARTER BROKER NEWS...

Avolus expands jet card programme

Omni Aviation commercial director Pedro Caneira and sales executive Bruno Pires.

Some thrive through diversity, others by specialisation PORTUGAL REGIONAL REVIEW

Business aviation in Portugal by the numbers 18

business aviation airports

Major business aviation airports* 1. Cascais Tires 2. Lisbon 3. Porto Francisco sa Carneiro 4. Faro 5. Braga

LPCS LPPT LPPR

LIS OPO

LPFR LFBR

FAO BGZ

* ranked by the number of handler, charter, maintenance, sales and training organisations based at each.

22 business charter operators Leading fixed-wing charter operators** 1. Omni Aviation 2. Airjetsul 3. White Airways 4. Heliavia 5. Air Nimbus Executive Jets

Leading helicopter charter operators** 1. HTA Helicopteros 2. Omni Aviation 3. Heliavia ** ranked by number of aircraft for charter

aircraft 13 business maintenance organisations Leading maintenance centres*** 1. Aerotecnica 2. OGMA 3. MESA Technics *** ranked by number of aircraft types covered

CS

258 business aircraft on the Portuguese register

Data extracted from the Handbook of Business Aviation in Europe, and the EBAN reader roster.

As a former colonial and seafaring nation, Portugal’s social and commercial links around the world and outward-looking perspective ensure that it retains a considerable requirement for business aviation services. As a full member of the EU and the euro currency it has also been a popular place for inward investment.

In common with much of southern Europe it has, however, faced challenging times in recent years.

The single currency’s difficulties saw Portugal back in recession in 2011 as it became the third country to receive a financial bailout from the EU. Eurocontrol figures for business aviation movements in Portugal show that traffic has been directly affected, from a peak of 47.8 movements per day in 2007, dipping to a low of 39.1 in 2009, and settling around 42.9 per day last year.

For several years now the top four airports have accounted for the great majority of business aircraft movements, from Porto in the north to Faro in the south, and Cascais and Lisbon around the capital.

There is a good diversity of fixed wing and helicopter operators, and Lisbon famously provides the operational headquarters for the NetJets Europe fractional ownership programme and its fully Portugueseregistered fleet of well over 100 jets.

The NetJets aircraft and crews themselves are based at airports spread throughout the continent.

The largest based charter operator is the Omni Group, which includes the commercial aircraft operation White Airways, Omni Taxi Aéreo and Whitejets, as well as engineering companies and the Groundforce ONE handling organisation.

Omni Aviation commercial director Pedro Caneira reports that the company is facing up to the harsh economic environment well: “Due to our growing reputation, we managed to attract new clients who compensated for the downturn in the economy.

“We are sure that we are one of the

Avolus has expanded its Jet Card Europe programme, making it available from its Monaco and Moscow offices in addition to London, New York and Bangkok. A ten-hour variant has also been introduced for a limited period to encourage clients wanting to make a smaller commitment.

Jet Card Europe provides users with hours of flight time for a single, up-front payment, and is available in three cabin sizes, light, medium and large, with no hidden fuel or airport surcharges.

“Jet Card Europe was initially launched in partnership with US charter company Jets.com and was targeted at US-based clients travelling in Europe,” says Avolus founder and ceo Alexis Grabar. The Jets.com partnership is reported to be very successful, driving turnover in the US/UK region up 250 per cent in the first six months of 2012 versus the same period in 2011. “We were not surprised that the programme quickly attracted the attention of our Russian and European clients. Our analysis shows that it has the potential of growing to 20 per cent of our private jet turnover,” Grabar adds.

Air Charter Service leads the way into China Air Charter Service has officially opened a Beijing office, becoming the first of the global charter providers to have a Chinese registered business.

ACS has had a presence in the country for some time now, but the creation of an official company marks a major step in the broker’s plans for international development. “We are very proud

to be the first major brokerage to have officially established an operation in China,” says Chris Leach, chairman and founder.

“This business is built on the principle of offering our customers the highest levels of service possible, therefore having a Chinese registered company and office is essential. It is simply not an option for us to use GSAs or other representatives.

ACS founder Chris Leach recognises the importance of local language capabilities.

“Having people in China who know the local industry and can speak local languages is a must. So much of our expertise is based on the ability to communicate quickly and accurately with operators and clients all around the world. This can only be achieved with an official presence and I know our customers will recognise the benefits of working with a Chinese company, as opposed to just a representative in China.”

Beijing is the company’s second office to open in Asia this year, with ACS India opening for business in February. More openings are planned throughout the rest of 2012 and 2013.

Cristina Becken, Safeport handling manager.

companies where clients get a faster response to quotes and flight changes. Our sales team has a comprehensive operational background and that makes a big difference, since we do not require any support from other departments to solve the largest part of the operational issues,” he says.

The company has three Airbus ACJ319s, a Falcon 900B, a Challenger 300, three Learjet 45s, a Learjet 40, a Learjet 31 and a Bell 222 helicopter, with bases at Lisbon and Cascais. This provides the capability to undertake a wide variety of missions: “Due to the nature of our activity, we perform ‘unusual’ flights quite often,” says Caneira. “We recently performed a polar air cruise with our 48 seater. It was the first time we had ever landed in Greenland and in Svalbard.”

Omni Aviation also runs an EMS operation in Africa and the Middle East with two of the Learjet 45s in double stretcher configuration.

“These flights are demanding from an operational point of view and require the best possible planning and flight support. We fly to many locations that we didn’t know even existed,” Caneira says.

The latest addition to the fleet is the Falcon 900 and it is reported to be performing well, contributing to an overall increase in the global flight hours flown within the fleet.

Caneira praises his entire team: “Our crews play a vital role in our onsite operation. Our ops need to Continued on next page

Winners at the BACA Golf Day were Tony Coe of Aviation Complete, Philip Thompsett of Classic Aviation Services and Chris Buckley of Danish Air Transport. (Photo: Steve Downing).

BACA golf day dodges the rain The Baltic Air Charter Association has declared its annual Golf Day in July a rousing success, with 21 different companies represented in the form of seven trios.

This year, the group teed off at the Waterfall Course in Mannings Heath, Sussex. Despite heavy rain battering the UK in the run up to the event, conditions were good and Steve Wells, a BACA council member, referred to the greens as “fast and true”.

The games were competitive, but BACA reports that the contest proved to be a tremendous networking opportunity. The final team finished the 18th at half past four, just in time for the evening’s celebrations; a three course dinner and awards show.

Prizes were given to the top three teams and players. Philip Thompsett scooped first place in the individual stake, scoring a whopping 45 points despite a handicap of 24.

14 AUGUST 2012

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

PORTUGAL REGIONAL REVIEW Continued from previous page

provide accurate data for every mission as mistakes can be very expensive in this business and, finally, our sales team needs to be fully available and trusted by our clients. When these three key factors are in sync, success is assured. For the future we will continue doing what we know best – keeping clients satisfied!”

Omni’s subsidiary ground handling company operates under the name Groundforce ONE, and has stations at Tires, Lisbon, Oporto and Faro, as well as Sal and Boavista in Cape Verde.

Groundforce ONE’s Ricardo Pereira says that the stations handle on average 2,300 aircraft a year in all.

“We keep growing on a daily basis as a result of our client-oriented strategy and the multiple advantages that we offer to our clients,” he says.

Further growth may need to come from overseas, however: “At the moment we are cooperating with an Omni Aviation Group company in Cape Verde and there are also some good chances to further expand the handling business in Africa and to the Middle East.”

Pereira says the company is the only ISO 9001 quality certified executive handling agent in Portugal, since achieving the status in June. It has two brand new FBOs at Lisbon and Cascais. “The investment made in these FBOs is part of our quality policy to serve even better our passengers and crews,” he adds. “In today’s business aviation it is essential for an operator to be

Omni’s variety of aircraft enable it to undertake a wide range of missions.

Comprehensive data for Portugal online free-of-charge The 2012/13 EBAN Handbook of Business Aviation in Europe is out now, and gives details of many more Portuguese 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 assisted by a handling agent that offers a well-equipped FBO to accommodate passengers and crews.

“Could you imagine in the case of an aircraft technical problem or bad meteorological conditions leaving vip passengers in the airport terminal?”

Coping with tough economic times also brings its rewards, the company says: “The worldwide economic situation is obviously affecting the business aviation sector but it is during these hard times that we need to optimise procedures to provide an

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Omni director of flight operations Carlos Saraiva, himself a Challenger 300 and Learjet 45/40 captain, shaking hands with Groundforce ONE Cascais station manager Kathya Botelho alongside an Omni aircraft.

efficient and economic service.”

Being part of a group with an aircraft operator alongside is also an advantage, Pereira believes. “When the Omni fleet is not available, we regularly contact Groundforce ONE clients to perform flights for Omni when they are parked at our locations in Portugal and Cape Verde. It’s a good opportunity to further optimise our clients’ operations, namely empty legs, and on the other hand we also give an economical solution to Omni clients. It’s all part of a winwin cooperation.”

Having multiple bases and being a member of a large group also means that Groundforce ONE has an advantage when negotiating with suppliers, and achieving a high volume of traffic is clearly vitally important.

But at the major airports in Portugal there is plenty of competition for business. Safeport says it is the number one in Lisbon, because it assists NetJets, which has the largest number of movements at the airport.

“We distinguish ourselves from other handlers because we have the largest and most modern FBO that welcomes passengers and crew, located next to the landing zone of private aircraft,” says Silvia Mirpuri. “We also have a new fleet of vehicles for transport of passengers, crew and their baggage, and modern equipment for water and toilet services.”

Safeport handles all types of business aircraft, recently right up to A319CJ, BBJ, Falcon 7X and Global 5000 XRS, and even military aircraft such as the C130 and ERJ-145.

As well as representation at other mainland Portuguese airports, it also

Marco Bessa, JetBase Porto representative, in his element on the ramp.

has a presence in Cape Verde. In total the company looks after around 1,500 movements per year.

“Safeport competes with other FBOs by keeping up the high quality of the services provided to our clients and keeping staff trained, and we are sure that we are different because we always try to satisfy our clients’ requests – but never forget security and safety,” says Mirpuri.

In the most recent quarter to June 2012, the company handled 321 movements, compared with 277 in the same period last year. It has been selected by Universal Weather and Aviation as its preferred handler, recently assisted flights visiting the Portuguese part of the Rock in Rio music festival, and claims to have the most modern uniforms of all the handlers.

Another handling organisation with big ambitions is JetBase. Chief operating officer Filipe Carvalho reports that his company has grown gradually to the point where it handled over a thousand flights during 2011. Now his objective is to create real FBO facilities at airports in Portugal, and to expand the JetBase brand internationally as well.

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A Safeport’s fleet of vehicles is ready to transport crews and their baggage.

The company says it has infrastructure at the airports in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Cascais and Beja, and has based handling staff in Madeira, the Azores, Guinea, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, Angola and Mozambique.

Carvalho sees three main challenges ahead: “There is an excess of players resulting from a breach of regulations, and the regulator itself states that it lacks resources to enforce regulation of this type of aviation; the fact that JetBase does not have facilities airside at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports; and the lack of terminal buildings exclusively for business aviation.”

Bela Palma, director of handling, adds: “At the moment in Portugal there are only two official full ground handling agents per airport. These companies are SPDH (aka Groundforce) and Portway and the remaining companies operating, including ourselves, are licensed but are limited in our activities. This means that we have to resort to agreements with the two main companies.

“The main problem is that the owners, or main financial partners, of both of these companies are stateowned companies which have to be privatised as soon as possible. This is due to the EC monopoly regulations and the IMF bailout instructions which require that these companies start making money privately and not depend on the state,” says Palma.

“At the beginning of 2011, the state issued a decree with the intent to further license two companies per airport, for full ground handling for private and business aviation.

Unfortunately the tenders for these licences are on standby until they have sorted the privatisation issues of the two state-owned companies.

“As such, we are reticent to make further investments until we have more clarity and certainty of the licences.

“We do sell services such as flight support, charter brokerage services, a vast range of services for general aviation handling and supervisory services for commercial carriers.”

Palma concludes: “We plan to expand our facilities only once the Portuguese Civil Aviation Authorities resolve the handling situation in Portugal. There are several tenders to be released for ground handling in the commercial aviation sector, and only once that has been resolved will they release the tenders for the executive/general aviation ground handling sector.” ■

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

AUGUST 2012 15

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D-AFAM, Entry into service in 2000, S/N 9028 | EU-OPS 1. Available for sale or lease. 4,733 hours. Smart Parts Plus, R/R Corporate Care. Brand new interior including woodwork and fresh 8C inspection. Trade-ins welcome! 14 pax + 2seat crew rest area configuration.

Forward and aft lav. Contact: Thierry Huguenin. Tel: +49 911 36009 375 or +1 561 771 1322 FAI rent-a-jet AG. Web: www.rent-a-jet.de. Email: JetSales@fai.ag

Coming up in EBAN

1989, D-CFAZ, S/N 136. EU-OPS 1.

Available for sale or lease. 7,215 hours.

MSP-Gold. Extended fuel capacity to 7705 lbs. Delta Fins. New overall white paint July! 7 pax configuration. Lear 60 layout with lavatory in the back. Contact: Thierry Huguenin. Te: +49 911 36009 375 or +1 561 771 1322 FAI rent-a-jet AG. Web: www.rent-a-jet.de . Email: JetSales@fai.ag

CESSNA

Citation Ultras available. Honeywell Primus 1000 3-Tube EFIS, Honeywell GNS-XLS FMS, Honeywell MKVII EGPWS, Honeywell TCAS II w/Change 7, w/ski tube. Recently Permaguard.

Recently refreshed interior. Fresh phase 1-5. Zero engine option. Tel: +1 403 291 9027 John Hopkinson & Associates. Web: www.hopkinsonassociates.com. Email: sales@hopkinsonassociates.com

OUR NEXT ISSUE: SEPTEMBER 2012

FINAL BOOKING DATE: AUGUST 28th

- ILA Berlin and BGAD12 show issue - Cabin class piston twins - Business aviation in Germany October - NBAA show issue - Social media and business aviation apps - Business aviation in Poland

Challenger 604

1999, D-AFAC, 1999 S/N 5416 | EU-OPS 1.

Available for sale or lease. 4900 hours.

GE OnPoint, MSP Gold, Auto-Throttle.

12 pax interior with extended cabin.

Contact: Thierry Huguenin - at +49 911 36009 375 or +1 561 771 1322. FAI rent-a-

Citation S/II Learjet 55

1984, D-CUNO, 1984, S/N 108 | EU-OPS 1. Available for sale or lease. 12667 hours.

MSP-Gold. 7/8 pax configuration w/5

1985, Airframe TT: 8,576, Cycles: 6,755, TSO: 1,304, Pro Line II, GNS-XLS, GPWS, CVR. New windows 2007, RVSM, Freon air, cosmetics refreshed & Permaguarded. Looking for offers. +1 403 291

WE HELP AVIATION SALES PROFESSIONALS GENERATE DEALS

Career opportunities Job advertisements can be placed at a cost of UKÂŁ52 per single column centimetre, the minimum depth being five centimetres.

Job opportunity advertisements are also included on the EBAN web site free-of-charge.

Advertise for key staff in EBAN If you are looking for flight crew, senior sales or operations staff, then EBAN brings your message to the right people.

A single rate brings your position to the attention of our readers in the printed

and digital editions of EBAN and also on our web site.

For more information, contact Mark Ranger: mark@ebanmagazine.com

DIRECTOR, BUSINESS AVIATION MARKET DEVELOPMENT EMEA (LONDON) World Fuel Services currently requires a Director, Business Aviation Market Development EMEA to oversee sales growth and strategy development of its business aviation business unit.

AMSTAT PROVIDES INDUSTRY LEADING CORPORATE AIRCRAFT MARKET & FLEET DATA Jets Turboprops

8PSME 'VFM 4FSWJDFT JT B MFBEJOH 'PSUVOF DPNQBOZ BOE HMPCBM QSPWJEFS PG EPXOTUSFBN NBSLFUJOH BOE mOBODJOH PG BWJBUJPO NBSJOF BOE HSPVOE USBOTQPSUBUJPO GVFM QSPEVDUT BOE SFMBUFE TFSWJDFT This is a leadership position with responsibility for the proďŹ t-and-loss performance of the regional Business Aviation business and management of the regional sales team. The primary focus of this role is to increase the Business Aviation market penetration in the EMEA region.

SpeciďŹ c responsibilities include: t 4USBUFHJD (SPXUI BOE #VTJOFTT %FWFMPQNFOU t .BSLFU 4IBSF JODSFBTF UIF #VTJOFTT "WJBUJPO market penetration in the EMEA region. t 4BMFT .BOBHFNFOU EFWFMPQ OFHPUJBUF BOE implement the region’s annual business plan for Bulk and Contract sales. t 4VQQMZ %FWFMPQNFOU QBSUOFS XJUI UIF SFHJPOBM BOE global Aviation supply teams on developing and building self-supply alternatives in the region.

t &YUFSOBM 3FMBUJPOTIJQT QMBZ B LFZ SFQSFTFOUBUJPOBM role for Business Aviation in the various countries within the EMEA region.

The successful candidate will have: t &YQFSJFODF PG TFMMJOH QSPEVDUT BOE TFSWJDFT BU a senior level to customers within the aviation industry. t &YQFSJFODF PG MFBEJOH B CVTJOFTT EFWFMPQNFOU team within the aviation industry. t &YQFSJFODF PG EFWFMPQJOH BOE JNQMFNFOUJOH medium to long-term strategies to increase market share and revenues within the aviation industry. t 1SPmU BOE MPTT NBOBHFNFOU FYQFSJFODF

Turbine Helicopters In a suite of comprehensive services to meet every business need

Using a globally focused, multi-lingual research team, and a unique combination of live data and portability, AMSTAT provides the most timely and accurate market information available.

More importantly, AMSTAT provides the tools needed to convert that information into effective marketing

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Information that moves you forward

5P BQQMZ QMFBTF FNBJM ZPVS $7 BOE Cover Letter to Nathan Crompton at ncrompton@wfscorp.com The closing date for applications is the 31st August 2012.

US 1 877 426 7828 I Int’l +1 732 530 6400 I www.amstatcorp.com

www.wfscorp.com Š2012 World Fuel Services Corporation.

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT GLOBAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT.

THERE’S MORE TO PAINT THAN MEETS THE EYE.

LIKE YOUR AIRCRAFT, PAINT MUST PERFORM. At Hawker Beechcraft, we see paint as your aircraft’s first line of defence against the elements and a key factor in maintaining the value, integrity and safety of your aircraft. That’s why we’ve invested millions in a state-of-the-art paint facility in Chester, UK (EGNR). When you see paint through our eyes, you’ll understand why Europe’s leading business aircraft owners choose Hawker Beechcraft Services.

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