241

ISSUE 241

OCTOBER 2013

Alpinlift first in Switzerland to receive Bell 407GX

SKYPLAN BETTER

SUPPORT,

BETTER

SOLUTIONS,

BETTER

FLIGHT PLANNING...

SIMPLY BETTER www.skyplan.com SKP-12-017.EBANAd.F.indd 1

11/29/12 10:52 AM

Complete the form on your mailing sheet to

REQUEST A FREE COPY

Hallmark cabin ensures Gama G550 is top of the class

Tanzanair’s twin turboprop is the ideal solution for regional African charter One year on from his initial investment, Tanzanair md John D Samaras is using his King Air 350 to service what he says is a rapidly growing business aviation market in Tanzania. “It was a very simple decision to invest in this aircraft,” he says. “We are focusing on corporate aviation. A lot of our work comes from charter brokers worldwide.

“We do a lot of work with oil and gas, corporate and government, so we needed a twin engine aircraft with enough seats and range to be able to take us not just to the furthest parts of Tanzania, but regionally also. No other aircraft would meet these criteria for us, not even the Beechcraft 200.”

The latest addition to the Tanzanair fleet has already completed a couple of flights, including one to Madagascar and 90 minute sectors in Tanzania. “We fly for the major permanent secretaries

Fresh approaches to in-flight catering Pages 10-12

At Gama, pilots and flight attendants have been amazed with the comfort and space on offer in its latest Gulfstream G550.

“You can keep yourself amused mile on mile,” says commercial manager Paul Cremer (centre). Also pictured, from left, are captain Ed Noel, flight attendant Shari Reid, cabin service manager Anita Gelder and captain John Naylor. Turn to page 6.

Alpinlift Helikopter is the first Swiss operator to take delivery of a Bell 407GX, which it will use for utility operations. The aircraft was delivered last month.

“After an extensive evaluation, we selected the Bell 407GX for the advanced safety features provided by its integrated flight deck and the unmatched customer service and support Bell Helicopter provides,” says Alpinlift md Sascha Kempf.

“The Bell 407GX’s G1000H avionics system with helicopter synthetic vision technology will allow our pilots to fly more confidently with critical flight information at their fingertips,” Kempf adds.

While this aircraft will be based in Buochs and chiefly used for utility, Alpinlift’s overall fleet performs a variety of operations, from logging to material transport and sightseeing tours throughout central Switzerland.

The 407GX is said to deliver power and speed with a smooth, quiet ride and a spacious, multimission ready cabin that accommodates six passengers.

The flight deck’s high resolution LCD screens host primary flight and multi-function display information, including helicopter terrain avoidance warning system and traffic information systems.

John Samaras, left, with Scott Plumb, Beechcraft vp sales for EMEA.

of our government and the King Air has been very well received,” continues Samaras. “We’ve also got bookings for other major corporations like breweries that would take the aircraft for three or four days.”

The exterior and interior finish of the aircraft has impressed the

company: “Your regular passenger, once he steps into the 350, will see that we are the same as any small or medium sized jet. The customer would not be able to tell the difference between a jet and this turboprop.”

Another key factor is the access offered by the King Air to Tanzania’a airports, over 90 per cent of which are unpaved: “We will not take it to anything less than a 1,200m runway, but because it meets the surface criteria, almost any corner of Tanzania is accessible, with a reasonable load in and out,” Samaras explains.

“It’s a better performer than the smaller King Airs, and a better performer than all the other aircraft we operate at the moment.”

Some of Tanzanair’s clients, namely oil and gas companies, are not within easy reach of its base. These firms tend

to use the operator in place of or as a supplement to their existing services, and in many cases have their own flight departments. Tanzanair says it is subjected to compliance audits by these larger flight departments to make sure that it meets or exceeds the standards that they would expect. Tests are carried out not just for a single flight, but for contracts that may run over several years.

Samaras’ organisation is seeking to be the primary source of transportation in and around the country, and feels that the latest aircraft are desired by these clients, with all the sophisticated avionics, engines and safety features that they are looking for. Twin engine capability is especially valuable.

In his opinion, upgrading his fleet is necessitated by client expectation.

Continued on page 4

A global fuel brand with a world of experience.

The Ascent global fuel brand combines reliable supply and best-in-class services to help keep your FBO Serving the World Fuel Services Network

competitive. Discover how Ascent can help make a difference at your location at www.WorldFuel.com

VISIT OUR STATIC AT

NBAA A LAS VEGAS

/ / W E S TA N D B E H I N D O U R C U S T O M E R S .

THE DELIVERY IS JUST THE BEGINNING. › Full aircraft warranty › Global network of owned and authorized service centers › Worldwide customer service 24x7x365 › Global parts delivery infrastructure powered by API › AT HALF THE PRICE OF COMPARABLE PRODUCTS WITH LOWEST-IN-CLASS OPERATING COSTS

twitter.com/nextantaero facebook.com/nextantaerospace

/ /REIMAGINED / /REBUILT / /REBO RN www.nextantaerospace.com

For more information, please call +1 216.261.9000 or email info@nextantaerospace.com

OCTOBER 2013 3

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Nothing fights fire better than a Squirrel, says Helibravo Spanish firefighting specialist Helibravo has invested in an AS350B3e Squirrel to assist its emergency operations. “The AS350B3e is by far the helicopter that best suits our needs in the intensive firefighting campaign,” says md Nicolás Tamame Amigues, who believes that the Squirrel has a low operation cost and is a reliable machine. “Eurocopter has updated one of the best helicopters around, and we strongly believe that we can increase the presence of these helicopters in the aerial works market.”

Amigues does say that Helibravo encountered tail rotor problems with its previous AS350B3e, but that this was solved eventually. The company has experienced no problems with the current aircraft and Amigues is pleased with the way it is performing.

Squirrels are proving popular in the aerial work industry and Amigues says it is easy to see why: “Squirrels are good for almost every type of aerial work, and they are the best for some type of operations. There is no other helicopter with its versatility. We use it for fire fighting flights, external loads, aerial photography, and it is adept at all of these.”

According to Amigues, subtle differences in specification are valuable: “There are not many differences, but between them, the different engine (Turbomeca Arriel 2D) is the part I appreciate the most.

The last Arriel was a great engine, but this one is even better. We can see the difference and I personally have the feeling that this engine could even give more power with a smaller cost, in consumption and in maintenance costs.”

Amigues hopes that the latest helicopter will help Helibravo reduce costs and improve its performance, given the difficult situation in Spain currently. “We are focusing our efforts in improving the service we give to our customers, by increasing safety with

Global Jet has taken delivery of a 2013 Falcon 7X. The new aircraft features an high definition entertainment system, satcom, wi-fi, touchscreens, iPod docks, dvd and cd players. The galley also includes a Nespresso Lattissima machine, an oven and a microwave.

This latest Falcon 7X will be based between Moscow and the French Riviera.

The three engine configuration allows it to fly between Paris and Hong Kong non-stop or to reach Los Angeles from Saõ Paulo.

While flying long-haul trips, passengers can opt for either four single and one double bed or three singles and two doubles.

“We are really proud to present this aircraft to our customers,” says Abner Tato, Global Jet marketing and quality director.

“This product features a BMW interior, which means that a subtle, elegant and sophisticated environment is offered to our clients. The cabin is large and bright and offers uncompromising comfort. This Falcon 7X sets the standard for business jets,” promises Tato.

Md Nicolás Tamame Amigues asserts that during economic turbulence, at least his Squirrel never lets him down.

no price increase, with new helicopters. Last year we purchased our first AS350B3e, we continued this year and we want to keep on working this way,” he adds.

“At Helibravo we have made, and continue to make, a strong investment in our fleet and our staff, and we are right now looking for a new operations headquarters location.”

Amigues feels that Spain’s troubled economic situation will be a major obstacle, yet affirms that the company has the infrastructure and careful planning to negotiate its way through: “In Spain, the situation is really difficult. Finding good financing from banks is almost impossible, and we are forced to a cost reduction philosophy. We will

never decrease our safety standards but, as I said, the situation is hard.

“Our clients need us to adapt to new requirements, a product of the economic situation. We have to be as flexible as possible because we are all in the same situation. In my opinion we will have to adapt to these new needs without any decrease in safety.”

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

Regional review of business charter:

Turkey PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 10

Everett certifies first AW139s in Tanzania

Mahajan takes expertise to Elit’Avia Slovenian charter operator Elit’Avia has appointed Puja Mahajan as chief operating officer. Mahajan is to manage Elit’Avia’s growth strategy, ensure safety across all operations and deliver a high calibre client service. She was, until recently, director of business aircraft flight operations at Bombardier Aerospace.

“Puja Mahajan possesses an exceptional degree of expertise in operations, safety and workforce management,” says Michel Coulomb, Elit’Avia president.

“Since we operate a modern fleet of long range business aircraft in Europe, Russia and Africa, Puja’s technical expertise in successfully managing a sophisticated and geographically-dispersed flight department is ideally suited to our needs. Her wealth of experience will help us provide consistent top quality service and state-of-the-art operations to our charter and aircraft management clients worldwide.”

Mahajan adds: “Elit’Avia is a visionary company that operates the

Global Jet’s latest 7X fully equipped for long haul travel

Bristow and Everett Aviation have taken delivery of two AW139s, reported to be the first to be certified for operations in Tanzania.

Representatives from the Tanzanian CAA have completed training in the United States and will be licensed to certify future AW139s in-country.

The aircraft were accepted by

Bristow for lease by Everett Aviation in support of offshore oil and gas aviation services, with a third expected to be delivered by the end of 2013, which will be dedicated to search and rescue operations.

“The acceptance of our first AW139s puts us in a position of strength as we expand into the east

African offshore oil and gas industry,” says Simon Everett, ceo. “We are pleased to achieve certification of these aircraft by the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority and look forward to our partnership with both Bristow and AgustaWestland as future operating opportunities arise in our region.”

Close to the heart of London Puja Mahajan’s wide-ranging flight department experience will be invaluable to Elit’Avia.

latest long range business aircraft and efficiently manages its team across multiple locations. We serve diverse emerging and regional markets and consistently deliver high quality service to aircraft owners and charter clients.

“This is a highly professional and forward-thinking aviation company.

I look forward to contributing to its growth and success.”

or

sf

a eg

sV

in

e

m

Co

in

13 0 2 10

A N2 ct A B nd 4 O

jo

N

9

a 2 St 22-

For further information please visit www.bigginhillairport.com

Autumn is approaching. Is your aircraft protected?

Protect your aircraft in our fully-managed, secure, 3,000 square-metre heated hangar facilities at Paris Le Bourget Airport.

Contact our operations team today about our 2013 autumn promotional rates,* and to learn more about our new FBO refurbishments.

Tel: +33 1 48 35 9638 • france@universalaviation.aero • universalaviation.aero/france *Promotional rates run until end of October 2013.

d an

us

La

4 OCTOBER 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Saftronics delighted with performance of refurbished Bell 230

Publisher and editor: .......... David Wright Sub editor: ........................ Kate Woods Reporter: .............................. Tom Ryder Designer: .............................. Chris Carr Advertising manager: .......... Mark Ranger Subscriptions: ................ Janet Edwards Send news submissions to Tom Ryder: newsdesk@ebanmagazine.com or call +44 1279 714506 European Business Air News, 134 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3BQ England.

Telephone: +44 1279 714505 Fax: +44 1279 714519 www.ebanmagazine.com European Business Air News (USPS 009091) is published eleven times each year, monthly except January, by Stansted News Limited, 134 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3BQ, England.

Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, N.J. Postmaster: Send address changes to Stansted News Limited c/o Mercury Airfreight International Ltd., 365 Blair Road, Avenel, New Jersey 07001. Company registered in England no. 2224522. Printed

by Sterling. ISSN number: 0959-1311.

EBAN is available by postal subscription for eleven issues. Simply send your credit card details and authority for UK£40 within Europe (UK£70 outside Europe) to our subscriptions department, or call +44 (0)1279 714505. EBAN is sent without charge to qualifying business aviation professionals. Please visit the EBAN web site to apply.

The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to European Business Air News are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Articles appearing in European Business Air News may not be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the publisher. European Business Air News is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.

Helicentre given the go ahead for eight-year pipeline contract Helicentre Aviation has been awarded an eight-year contract to provide aerial surveillance services to the UK’s National Grid. The contract is for the surveillance of gas pipelines using Bell 206 helicopters for an estimated 2,000 flying hours a year.

“It is fantastic news,” says Helicentre chief pilot and md captain Sarah Bowen. “We’ve already been operating this contract for almost three years, but the work went out to industry to be re-tendered as it came to the end of its period.

“The contract before was more of an emergency contract which just went on and on, because it was taken away from the previous operator. It was only meant to be a really shortterm thing but as time went on, they realised that we were doing a good job,” she adds.

It is not just National Grid that the company serves: “We also have other utility companies that we work for in terms of gas and oil. We survey fuel pipelines as well, but we’ve worked closely with National Grid over the

past few years, and have a really good relationship with them,” says Bowen.

Helicentre’s fleet is not expected to be altered significantly in light of this contract: “We are in a position whereby we can mobilise very seamlessly, because we already operate the contract. We will be bringing in a couple of backup aircraft too, but we do already have everything we need. All the aircraft we use will be JetRangers,” says Bowen.

“I think in the utility sector there will be further opportunity for us, because we’ve got the expertise and there are other contracts that are going to come as a result of it. I think that this contract itself will evolve too.”

The award of the contract will certainly prove a valuable one for the operator: “This is worth in excess of £20 million to us,” Bowen confirms.

“At this stage we are not looking at anything overseas but we are always open to new developments. The utility side makes up about 50 per cent of our business, and the training side is roughly the other 50 per cent.”

Johannesburg-based supplier to the power electronics industry Saftronics is impressed with its refurbished Bell 230, which was delivered in South Africa by the National Airways Corporation in February this year.

The 17-year-old aircraft has completed around 50 flight hours since then and md Ryan Annandale believes the investment has lived up to expectations: “As our business grew over the past few years we thought we just needed a faster way to keep in touch with our distribution chain.

Helicopters offer a good depreciation rate in South Africa, and also it’s an investment that is dollar based and not rand based – when working in South Africa it’s always good to have your investments in something other than the local currency.

“The reason we looked specifically at the 230 was that it had a lot of comfort and space. The price they were selling this particular chopper at in Germany represented good value for money according to my understanding.”

Saftronics’ 17-year-old Bell 230 has not been given an intensive workload.

Annandale continues: “The aircraft actually has fairly low hours on it – about 2,300 – even though she is 17 years old. The last reason we bought her in Germany is, being in Africa, you don’t always trust the logs and the data that you get. Buying a product based in Germany gave us an impeccable set of flight logs and service record, so we really knew what we were getting. Plus the series ‘Airwolf’ many years ago on television was a factor! The aircraft was a bit of an icon at the time and I always liked the 230 as a shape.”

As to the performance, Annandale has no complaints: “The performance has been great. We’ve already done about 50 flight hours on it and it’s exactly what we expected. It handles really well and is very stable. It’s a vip carrier - that’s the moral of the story.

We’ve just sent it in for a complete refurbish inside and out.

One card for all your aircraft expenses

Pay with the Powerful Card. +31 70 770 3222 www.multiserviceaero.com Come see us at NBAA in Las Vegas! Booth C8822.

“In essence she has been set up for vvip travel as a five passenger carrier.

We’ve spent some money on equipping her with a Garmin 795 in the cockpit, and we’ve added some USB ports so the guys can play with their laptops and iPads or whatever else they need to play with at the back.

We’ve also upgraded the sound system at the back so it’s bluetooth orientated.

We have arranged with Henley Air which runs a fleet from Rand airport, to add it to their offering. Our intention is to rent it out for about 50 hours total a year. That comes down to maybe five or six, ten hours a month maximum. The idea is not to have her work too hard and we will use her for personal trips within the company.”

The twin engines of the 230 have allowed Saftronics to broaden its client base: “Certain insurance companies require that their vip clients only fly in aircraft that have two engines,” Annandale says.

“She’s got landing gear, she doesn’t have skids. The concept is that she should fly more to dedicated landing pads rather than bush flight, she does the cream of the transport, not just the ordinary run of the mill within the organisation.”

Annandale has seen the South African market spread beyond Johannesburg and this is something the operator will be looking to make the most of: “We are giving this aircraft as part of Henley’s stable, but as far as air travel and particularly helicopter travel in southern Africa is concerned, we believe it’s a really growing market at the moment. There has been a lot of investment. Initially it was, to a large extent, around Johannesburg. What’s happened with Africa opening up is that in countries like Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, there’s a lot more development happening there but they are not in centralised cities so obviously getting to and from sites is very important for executives and management. There’s obviously a need for helicopters in this kind of environment to get people to and from certain places. We’re just feeding into that need that has been arising in the market in the last two or three years.”

Saftronics is making sure no stone is left unturned with safety: “We’ve allocated a pilot to this aircraft to make sure that the safety standards are kept up to spec. Whenever it gets chartered it can do so with two pilots, to make sure that these standards are kept high.”

Tanzanair’s twin turboprop is the ideal solution for regional African charter Continued from page 1

“We are doing what we already do, that is to say corporate charter, but we are now using more sophisticated aircraft and the type that the market demands today. Brokers have found out that we have got this aircraft and this has secured bookings to the Serengeti for high calibre tourists.

“Our main business however is oil and gas and the mining industry, in terms of contract work. We get audited very regularly and we don’t do any scheduled work at all, it is often corporate.”

It seems that the new additions won’t stop here, as Samaras outlines his plans for further fleet expansion: “What we would like to do, sooner rather than later, is to get another 350 for additional capacity, and then from next year start retiring the older aircraft and replacing them with similar types. Luckily the finance is available locally, at least to us, so we don’t even have to look offshore.

This is a great help.”

HAVE AN AOC? JOIN TODAY returnjet.com/operators

OCTOBER 2013 5

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Spacious 737-400 expected to attract vvip custom for GainJet GainJet Aviation of Greece has brought its latest corporate airliner into service – a Boeing 737-400 with 68 vip seats. The aircraft was delivered in September to the company’s home-base of Athens and was added to the GainJet AOC. It was then repositioned to Manchester airport in the UK and is now available for charter, having already received a booking from an international football team.

The operator purchased the B737400 from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in October 2012. Immediately following the purchase, KLM was contracted to undertake all the maintenance and completion work at its Norwich facility where it was completed in mid-September. In addition to

Identical SAR bases will make crews feel at home Bristow Helicopters is enhancing its UK search and rescue service by launching infrastructure projects at nine of its sites between 2014 and 2017. Seven new-build SAR helicopter bases will be constructed at airports in Inverness, Manston, Prestwick, Caernarfon, St Athan, Humberside and Newquay. A facility in Stornoway will also be refurbished and the ninth SAR helicopter base is to be an existing Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) facility at Lee-onSolent. Bristow is also planning a tenth base, to be located at Sumburgh, from which it is already operational.

The helicopter bases are to include a raft of environmental technologies including solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems.

Bristow md Mike Imlach feels that streamlining the company’s SAR bases will improve efficiency and lead to a smoother transition.

Bristow was awarded the ten-year SAR contract by the UK Department for Transport in March 2013 and is due to take over the service on behalf of the MCA from April 2015.

Md Mike Imlach says: “Our experienced crews have fed into the design process and worked closely with the architects to ensure that the new bases are ideally suited to safe and efficient SAR operations. The identical interior layouts across the country will make it easy for our crew members to work from alternative bases should they need to. Each site will provide modern, high quality accommodation for the aircraft and crews while demonstrating how buildings like this can be made highly sustainable and environmentally friendly.”

executive seating, the 737 has a baggage hold that can accommodate up to 5.7 tonnes of luggage, along with a six-hour flight range. As a medium range aircraft it is expected to be popular for corporate shuttles, heads of state and rock bands.

The latest acquisition is the third B737 to have entered the GainJet fleet. Company president Captain Ramsey Shaban says: “Our two B737300s were popular aircraft and served our markets well, but they had a few limitations, specifically related to size. We have noted an increase in demand from larger groups and with the increased length of the B737400 we can accommodate more passengers in a larger, spacious cabin which is complemented by greater

GainJet staff and cabin crew line up: Natasa Arambatzi, Angeliki Lazareva, Mina Giannia, first officer Dimitrios Paraskevas, capt. Nicolas Serfas, GainJet president and ceo capt. Ramsey Shaban, accountable manager capt. Antonios Nikolaou, training manager capt. Konstandinos Moulindris, Petroula Rikoudi, Lia Zervou and Evelina Vlachou.

baggage hold capacity. The aircraft’s recent refurbishment combined with its younger age means it is in

pristine condition.”

The company has of late focused expansion on the wide-body aspect

of operations, in terms of both service and equipment. “This is a unique part of the industry that can also be challenging, but with our broad range of experience as a vip operator we continue to offer an extensive fleet ranging from private executive jets like the G450, G550, Challenger 604, and Global Express XRS to our vip Boeing executive airliners,” continues Ramsey.

GainJet has recently moved to new coastal offices near Athens to accommodate its growing team.

There are also plans to continue to make fleet additions in response to market demand. “We are looking to acquire more executive airliners and continue to improve and grow in this direction,” Ramsey concludes.

6 OCTOBER 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Italy’s Blu Halkin chooses Cambridge for UK operation Cambridge International airport, UK, is welcoming business aviation charter operator Blu Halkin as its fifth based AOC operator. The company celebrated its maiden flight from Cambridge to Milan with its Citation CJ3 at the end of August.

The company’s second base is in northern Italy, but it selected Cambridge as its UK home owing to the airport’s business aviation maintenance expertise and its ground handling capabilities.

Commercial director for Blu Halkin Daniele Scaglia says: “We are excited to be positioning our first aircraft in the UK, close to the beautiful and historic city of Cambridge. The airport’s growing business aviation hub and its strengthened business aviation capabilities are highly attractive to us as an operator. We plan to add a further Citation aircraft to the fleet this year followed by a longer range aircraft in 2014, enabling us to reach the USA and the Middle East.

“The management at Cambridge was pushing to have a new AOC and operator, as it is looking to develop further. Darwin Airlines is here now as well and has started operations to Milan and Amsterdam. This all adds to the appeal.”

Scaglia explains an important element of the decision: “We chose the UK over other countries because the UK register is the most important register in Europe, regarding aviation.

In the aviation world, the G register is much more recognised when compared with the Italian register. All

Blu Halkin md Daniele Scaglia (left) with Cambridge International airport’s business development manager Jon Harper.

Scaglia believes Cambridge occupies an excellent position in the UK.

the clients and brokers appreciate that we manage an aircraft with G registration.”

The UK CAA can be tricky to deal with, says Scaglia, but that is run with the utmost professionalism: “The people from the CAA are very serious and very demanding. They are strict, but if you do what they say there is no problem and the company can move ahead without problems.

“We have many bureaucratic

people around aviation and every time it is difficult to proceed, in every way. That is another reason why it is good to have G registration.

“We can move our operation forward without huge problems and just to show to the UK CAA what we have to do and what we have done, plus what we will do for the future.

We’ve had a lot of audits from the CAA, the organisation is very close to us.”

If the company has any problems

Offshore rotary operators join forces to enhance safety practices Avincis Group, Bristow Group and CHC Helicopter are launching a review of safety procedures that they say deepens their commitment to share best practices and consistently operate at the highest possible level of safety. They intend to reach out to other helicopter operators to encourage them to join the review.

The joint review of processes, procedures, training and equipment will identify best practices on the ground and in the air, combining the operators’ collective experience.

Experts in safety, training and flight operations from the three companies will participate in the review initially, with subsequent involvement to include their maintenance personnel and other key industry professionals.

Avincis Group ceo James Drummond says: “There is no doubt in my mind that the combined efforts of the operators will further enhance safety for everyone in the industry.”

Bristow ceo Bill Chiles feels that sharing best practices will allow the operators to pull together and greatly enhance safety.

The group will first focus on European operational procedures, but will explore and adopt best practice from the global industry and scale its review accordingly. Plans for collaboration by the operators will complement a just-announced review of North Sea helicopter operations by the UK CAA, in partnership with

the Norway CAA and EASA. It will be done in cooperation with the International Oil and Gas Producers Association, and findings from investigations by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and others into past incidents will be incorporated into the group’s work.

Bristow Group president and ceo Bill Chiles says: “This initiative will combine the expertise and talents within our industry and will fully support the work being done by HSSG and broader industry forums.”

CHC president and ceo Bill Amelio adds: “There are and will continue to be plenty of basis for healthy competition between our companies, but safety must never be one of them.

Everyone benefits when the people who rely on us for their livelihoods are able to return home safely, and it remains our obligation to do everything humanly possible to fulfil that expectation.”

or questions, Scaglia reports that the CAA will reply very quickly, which is very important. “The UK CAA is fantastic for that,” he says.

Blu Halkin has not completely cut ties with its homeland: “We are Italian so previously we were based in the north of Italy. The airport is Cuneo International, near Turin. We still have a hangar over there that we use just to recover the aircraft just in case we need it,” Scaglia concludes.

Inaer embarks on SAR recruitment drive Inaer Spain has held a selection process for its SAR unit at the Jovellanos Maritime Security Centre in Gijón. The process lasted four days and convened over 100 hopefuls deemed to be in top physical and mental condition.

The sea rescuers from Inaer are part of the SAR crew in helicopters and are responsible mainly for the search and rescue operations of shipwrecked victims.

Successful candidates during this first phase, which included physical, specific knowledge and competency tests as well as a personal interview, are to join a career path with Inaer during the next nine months.

“We evaluate both the physical state of the candidates as well as their capacity to confront complicated situations during their missions to save people,” remarks Alberto Aparicio, head of crane operators and rescuers at Inaer Spain.

“The excellent physical state of rescuers is an indispensable requisite to successfully carry out search and rescuce operations, often out in the open sea with adverse climate conditions.”

Delivery to all UK airports, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Tel: +44 (0) 1582 879990

orders@highflyingfood.com www.highflyingfood.com

Gama delighted with G550’s array of top end features Gama Aviation has added another G550 to its long range fleet, with the latest aircraft to be based at London Stansted. It has been added to the UK AOC and has already run a handful of charter missions.

“The G550 is a great aircraft for long haul. It will fit our customers’ needs whether they are major companies or royal families,” says Gama commercial manager Paul Cremer. “We were looking for the versatility, so that you can have, for example, a high density of seats for the shorter haul trips. But the beauty of this is we’ve got the front area for the passengers. If it’s a royal family you can have the front area for the dignitaries and the rear area for the entourage. So you’ve got the three separate cabins, with the front club four, the conference four and at the rear you have either the bedroom, or you’ve got eight belted seats there.”

Cremer is particularly pleased with the finish of the cabin: “The aircraft is absolutely loaded with features. It has iPhone connectivity so when you get onboard you can download the Gulfstream app. Your iPhone 4 becomes the sat phone. All the iPod tunes can be played through the aircraft and it has a really impressive sound system.

“This aircraft has the hallmark cabin, the top of the range. There is a wine chiller and a wi-fi printer. It is essentially an onboard office. If you like you can keep working from the time you leave London to the time you reach Tokyo.”

For leisure flights the G550 is set up to keep every passenger engaged: “Each area has its own sound area so you can play a dvd at the front and a different dvd at the back,” continues Cremer. “It’s got four different camera systems, so you can keep yourself amused mile upon mile.”

Gama’s commercial manager doesn’t, however, feel that this addition will alter his company’s offering greatly – it will simply reinforce what is already provided: “We have a worldwide AOC and it’s something we’ve been doing for a good number of years. The company has been in business 30 years. We started small and we have grown. We now have 80 aircraft worldwide, so from a worldwide ops point of view it’s not a big change. We’ve operated the type before.

“It is early stages but it’s going well and we’ve got a lot of interest in the aircraft. With the big calendar events coming up there are lots of quotes kicking around. The Russian orthodox Christmas is giving us lots of quotes for long haul, so it’s looking very promising for the aircraft.”

OCTOBER 2013 7

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

ExecuJet bolsters European fleet adding rotary charter from London

Bond Air Services staff members are pictured with chair of CLIC Sargent Gloucestershire Steve Markham (fourth from left). From left are Tom Huyton, QA ops, Shaun Strain, director of ground ops, Martin Bunce, resource maintenance planner, Steve Markham, David Bond, commercial manager, Hannah Bungard, group accountant, Luke Batley, logistics assistant, and Anthony Dowsing, line maintenance coordinator.

Bond SAR team recognised for courage in North Sea rescue Bond Air Services has this month presented a cheque for over £5,000 to the CLIC Sargent charity at Gloucestershire airport.

Staff at Bond raised the money through a variety of fundraising efforts over the course of 2013. These include the Nightrider 100km cycle across London undertaken by Martin Bunce, the London Marathon run by Anthony Dowsing and Dave Malins, the Gloucester Dragon Boat Regatta and proceeds from the company ‘tuck box’ scheme.

CLIC Sargent is a cancer charity for children, young people and their families providing clinical, practical, financial and emotional support.

Chris Greenhill, md of Bond, comments on the feat: “I am delighted that we were able to make

this contribution to a very worthy charity, the result of the hard work of many people across the company.”

Bond Offshore Helicopters SAR crew has also been congratulated this month, as the recipient of the Edward and Maisie Lewis Award. The crew was recognised for its key role in a North Sea rescue in December 2012.

The award honours SAR winchmen, winch operators and pilots who have shown outstanding skill and courage in carrying out an air/sea rescue.

Md Luke Farajallah says: “I am delighted and extremely proud that the life-saving work that Bond does has been recognised. Amid some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, our four-man crew performed their duties with courage, composure and selflessness.”

ExecuJet Europe has made several additions to its managed and charter fleet. Now available for charter are a Challenger 604, based in Luton, and a Falcon 7X, based in Moscow.

The company also now has three additional managed aircraft: a Gulfstream G650 based in Dublin, Ireland, a Hawker 750 based in Stavropol, Russia and another Falcon 7X, based this time in Billund, Denmark. This aircraft has been designed with a Hermès interior and is ExecuJet’s biggest completion project to date.

Gerrit Basson, ExecuJet Europe md comments: “Our managed and charter fleet has grown significantly this year and we are pleased to add more mid-size and large business jets. Demand continues to rise and we look forward to welcoming a further four aircraft to our fleet in the next few months.”

The arrivals boost the managed fleet to 54 aircraft, of which a large proportion is available for charter.

ExecuJet Europe will also be launching commercial helicopter charter operations from its London Cambridge FBO later this year. The operator is scheduled to receive a global helicopter Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority in December 2013.

Its managed fleet already includes two Eurocopter EC155 helicopters based at Cambridge Airport, with an additional two contracts in the final stages of negotiation.

Operations director John Brutnell says: “There has been great demand from our existing fixed-wing customers to include helicopter

ExecuJet Europe md Gerrit Basson is pleased to see charter activity increasing, especially with mid-size and large jets.

Ettore Poggi (left), md of ExecuJet Africa, alongside ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria ceo Peter de Waal.

operations in our service offering. In addition to the benefits of our expanded charter services, our

managed helicopter customers will now be able to enjoy the advantages of ExecuJet’s buying power for items such as fuel and insurance, which can significantly decrease operational costs. We look forward to expanding our helicopter fleet and providing the same excellent aircraft management services our fixed-wing customers currently enjoy.”

Elsewhere, ExecuJet is introducing customs and immigration services at its FBO at Murtala Muhammed airport in Lagos, Nigeria. Officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian customs and immigration authorities will now process all international business aircraft arrivals and departures at the facility. Ettore Poggi, md of ExecuJet Africa, says: “These new services are a direct response to customer demand. Our passengers and crew can now enjoy a more efficient and comfortable passage when arriving in or leaving Lagos.

This additional capability reinforces our commitment to provide the highest level of customer service in Nigeria.”

On-ramp refuelling has also been introduced at the FBO, with two dedicated Jet-A1 fuel tankers provided by MRS, which are on-call 24/7 with backup fuel available. Ceo of ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria Peter de Waal adds: “The handlings at our Lagos FBO have increased considerably, almost doubling in the last six months. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved so far and of the response and support we have received from all parties, including our staff.”

NBAA 22nd-24th October, Please visit our stand 8817

Only one fuel card has Air BP people behind it Air BP Sterling Card is the fuel card that includes the support of highly experienced Air BP people around the globe.

• Immediate access to fuel in more than 600 fully audited locations around the world • Round-the-clock help and dedicated support • Complete online invoice management through our unique eNabler system There’s no substitute for Excellence

airbp.com/GA

8 OCTOBER 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Dedicated XLS helps Roleski expand the market for sauces

FlairJet ceo David Fletcher feels that his company’s broad Phenom experience will serve it well in light of its latest acquisition. He is pictured with a Phenom 100.

Owner seeking Phenom expert looks to FlairJet UK-based FlairJet is adding another Phenom 100 to its managed fleet. The aircraft is configured in a four-seat club arrangement and will be offered for third-party charter based at London Oxford airport. It joins a privately owned Phenom 100 based in Bari, Italy, and a Cessna XLS and Citation Bravo based at Cambridge International airport under the FlairJet AOC. FlairJet absorbed the operations of Marshall Executive Aviation under one AOC in June, following the company’s acquisition by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group in March. The management teams have subsequently been merged with an operations base at London Oxford airport and administration and accounts at Cambridge International.

“Our main role is aircraft management, so people buy aircraft and approach us for management,” explains FlairJet chief executive officer captain David Fletcher.

“Because we are known to be the Phenom people, when our client

found an aircraft and decided on the Phenom 100, then they contacted us for management. So we are very pleased.”

FlairJet has carved out a reputation for managing Phenom aircraft reliably: “I’m not sure of the exact number now but we have probably delivered 27 or 28 Phenoms,” Fletcher adds. “The majority were from the factory in Brazil. We’ve delivered some second hand aircraft to people all over the world. We are well known in the Phenom community, being the first to operate on the G register both the 100 and the 300. So it’s nice to get calls like that from people who are looking or who have found an aircraft and want it managed.”

The aircraft is currently going through re-registration, and is a 2010 model with about 350 hours total.

“It’s been fairly well utilised over the past two or three years,” continues Fletcher.

“People love the interior of it. For a relatively small aircraft it is very roomy inside and it is also

beautifully appointed. BMW was involved in the design so it makes for a seamless transition for people when they turn up in their BMW or their Bentley. It’s a very spacious and well-appointed cabin.”

Fletcher also details the likely destinations of the 100: “It will do a lot of routes to Paris, Zurich, Geneva, Nice and Cannes.

“I hope that now the market is picking up we are going to see more and more of these come into Europe and hopefully we can pick them up for management. We’ve flown a lot of Phenom hours and got some of the most experienced pilots outside of north America. We hope to grow our fleet significantly over the next couple of years.”

Fletcher does not, however, want his company to be seen as a ‘one trick pony’. “We are trying to avoid being known just as the Phenom people and we are looking out for other managed aircraft. We will be expanding our AOC area to cover worldwide operations very shortly,” he concludes.

Single-source GSE

Polish food industry supplier Roleski, a family-owned producer of sauces and dressings, has obtained its first dedicated jet, a Citation XLS, which it purchased from a German owner via Atlas Air Service. Roleski had previously operated a number of turboprops, most recently a Pilatus PC-12, but will now be able to serve a broader and more distant market.

Management team member Jakub Kolodziej says: “We were looking for an upgrade from our PC-12, to have something which would allow us to conduct business in countries such as Spain, Portugal or even Turkey. We were also looking for a faster aircraft.

Cessna was the first choice that came to mind, due to the popularity of its aircraft.”

Kolodziej praises Atlas’ sales team, especially sales director Hans Doll: “I have to say that the sales and aftersales support we got from Atlas Air was really good. In a nutshell, we were looking for a faster aircraft and we found that the XLS fulfils all our requirements. The seating capacity, the range and especially the speed were of primary importance. What also helps is that the XLS is a very popular aircraft and there are many aircraft of this type in operation. This by itself proves the reliability. It is a fast, spacious and reliable aircraft that seems to match our needs one 100 per cent.”

Roleski’s Citation XLS takes off from Mielec airport in southern Poland.

The aircraft is a 2005 model and having taken delivery of it in August, Roleski reports that its total hours now stand at around the 2,600 mark.

Kolodziej is pleased with the way it is performing so far: “The flights that we have had in it have been really great.

When you compare it to a turboprop, it is better in every respect. Nothing beats flying from the south of Poland, where we are based, to the seaside in 40 minutes.

“We had a couple of aircraft before, starting with some small ultralights. We then had a Piper Malibu, then we switched to the Pilatus, so the XLS is really the first jet we’ve been using. Marek Roleski, the owner of the company, is not a stranger to such flying because he has

World class service from Menzies Aviation: Now fully open at Barcelona T +34 609 603 567 E BCN.FBO@menziesaviation.com VHF 131.875, SITA BCNGA7X

If you need it, we have it! AERO has all the right equipment for your ramp and hangar. Make it easy on yourself — call the pros that know!

See us at NBAA, Booth C7431, Oct. 22 - Oct. 24 in Las Vegas!

Ground support equipment

+1 208-378-9888 | www.aerospecialties.com

been flying with NetJets and other companies for quite some time now.

The XLS is quiet, it is smooth, more spacious, really fast and once again I have to say it is reliable. It’s a pure pleasure to fly in.”

Kolodziej goes on to explain the function of the aircraft: “We use the aircraft for business travelling. We are a big company – we produce mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, sauces and dressings. We have our own brand, Roleski, which is very strong in Poland, but we also collaborate with the biggest corporations in the world, so we have quite a lot of flights all across Europe.

We visit and audit our suppliers, we have meetings with our key clients, and apart from the business meetings we also take part in numerous conferences and symposiums all over the world, to promote the concept of family business. We fly quite often and to quite varied destinations.

Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain and Italy are our most frequent ones.”

Not only will the XLS allow Roleski to reach a wider array of locations, it will allow the company to do so in a shorter space of time: “With the PC12, when you hit an unfortunate headwind of between 50 and 100 knots, a flight to France can take between three and three and a half hours, whereas right now we will be able to get there in less than two hours. The PC-12 is an excellent aircraft and we would never change it for anything else in the turpoprop range, but our needs have simply grown to a level where a jet is a must, because time has become the most valuable asset.

“We believe the XLS will significantly improve our chances in the markets of western Europe, because we will be able to meet with our clients on a more frequent basis, and we will also be able to make some better deals with potential suppliers by being able to visit more of them in a working week. We see it as a huge time saver,” Kolodziej continues.

Expansion into new territories is another benefit he foresees: “We believe that having this aircraft will allow us to expand our business to countries where perhaps we are not that present, and it will also allow us to be a bit more competitive – we will be able to visit the markets a bit more often, to do some market research, and simply to be there.

“We see it as a really good opportunity and the aircraft itself is seen as just one of the tools that we use in order to grow the business, which is always our primary goal,” concludes Kolodziej.

OCTOBER 2013 9

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Fresh Falcon interior breathes new life into Xclusive Jet plans Xclusive Jet, celebrating its eleventh birthday, has taken on a Falcon 900B which it is managing for a private owner, to be based at Cannes. Likely sectors are to Gander in Canada and to west Africa for business. “Despite the aircraft being a 1989 model, it has a brand-new factory fitted interior, so as far as the passengers are concerned, it’s a brand new aircraft,” remarks operations manager Andrew Wood. “Since the beginning of August it has flown around 70 hours, so far with no issues.”

Wood says that the company expects to add the Falcon to its AOC in the weeks ahead. Other trips for the owner so far have been to the US, Caribbean and Moscow. For potential charter clients the aircraft offers superior range when compared with the rest of Xclusive Jet’s fleet.

Wood adds: “The introduction of this aircraft to the charter market will coincide with the extension of our AOC area to a worldwide operation.

Having operated private aircraft across the world for some time, we look forward to doing the same for our charter clients.”

Earlier this year a Citation XLS+ was added to the AOC as Xclusive’s 30th aircraft, along with the return of a Citation II and Hawker 800XP to charter following heavy maintenance.

‘Pilot-friendly’ West London Heliport set to increase business PremiAir chairman Graham Avery says that his company has “professionalised” its Blackbushe heliport facility, by rebranding it under the banner of the West London Heliport.

Avery believes that this will create more charter business for the operator, as PremiAir intends to have its own small fleet of executive helicopters residing at Blackbushe. “We feel that we will get far more charter business because of the facility we’ve got, and all of the efficiencies that go with it,” he says.

Avery feels that more business will be generated due to the fact that the West London Heliport is very appealing to pilots: “Pilots are very important, pilots recommend to their client where they should operate from. There are food facilities here and a business centre.

There is a chauffeur service immediately at the doorway.

We feel very confident that we can expand our charter, because of the services we are operating, added to this ‘pilotfriendly’ factor.”

PremiAir chairman Graham Avery with company promo girls at Helitech 2013.

In light of the increased activity, Avery reveals that fleet additions are expected: “We are negotiating at the moment on acquiring aircraft to enhance the fleet. This is in both the S76 size and Agusta A109 size. We are also looking at a Twin Squirrel. I intend to expand on what we were already doing while also looking to improve the facilities and identifying where we are at in the marketplace.

“The heliport will give the smaller helicopters access to a really professional facility, and from the smaller helicopters’ side people expand into bigger helicopters, especially if they see a nice place to operate from as well.”

The rebranded facility is looking to offer an alternative to London’s Battersea heliport, as Avery explains: “Although we are slightly further out from central London, the cost is more economical. If you get a bad weather pattern, which you quite often do with helicopters, you have got a nice facility to be in if you are stuck here.”

DCAF completes hangar and prepares for UAE launch DC Aviation Al-Futtaim has completed its purpose-built integrated hangar facility with lounge and office areas at Dubai World Central’s aviation city, bringing it a step closer to operational readiness. The joint venture between Dubai-headquartered Al-Futtaim group and Germany’s DC Aviation is claimed to be the only dedicated business aviation partnership at DWC. From its Dubai hub that includes a 5,700sqm hangar and a 1,300sqm lounge area designed to host vvip customers, DCAF will be providing aircraft management, FBO, aircraft maintenance services and business jet chartering to local, regional and international clients.

The facility includes three large passenger lounges, shower areas, a conference room, covered parking and five-star finishing.

“Our decision to invest in DWC stems from our confidence in the significant role this new airport will play in complementing and enhancing the success of Dubai’s aviation industry,” says Holger Ostheimer, general manager of DC Aviation Al-Futtaim.

“Being the first business aviation player to set up its facility at DWC is a major milestone for us and we feel privileged to become a partner in the continuous progress of the UAE’s expanding aviation industry. As we are

inching closer to launching our operations, we take enormous pride in knowing that DCAF is the owner of the only integrated business aviation facility at DWC,” Ostheimer continues.

“Through our unique facilities, our clients will benefit from our comprehensive suite of services across aircraft management, FBO, maintenance and business jet charter.”

DCAF’s line maintenance capabilities will offer operators maintenance, repair and overhaul services from spare parts supply, procurement and storage, to maintenance and airworthiness certification. Charter clients will benefit from the operator’s fleet size and variety ranging from Learjet 40 to the 46-seater ACJ 319.

TWO PARTNERS

ONE EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE Coming soon: Shell Aviation and ExecuJet in Zurich From 1 March 2014, Shell Aviation and the ExecuJet Aviation Group are expanding their partnership to include the ExecuJet Aviation Centre at Zurich International Airport, Switzerland.

The partnership expansion complements the existing services provided at Berlin, Frankfurt and Dubai.

To find out more about the exceptional services provided through this partnership at our existing locations, go to www.shell.com/aviation or www.execujet.com.

Holger Ostheimer welcomes a milestone.

www.shell.com/aviation www.execujet.com

FastFin 412 handles flawlessly for Heli Austria Heli Austria is the first European operator of BLR Aerospace’s FastFin tail rotor enhancement and stability system for the Bell 412. FastFin was recently certified by EASA for installation and flight on this helicopter type. The system enables performance improvements in useful load, wind azimuth tolerance and hover stability for Bell medium helicopters.

Heli Austria has been flying its enhanced 412 for two months. “The overall control and increased safety margins are excellent,” says Roy Knaus, Heli Austria owner. “It’s a really efficient system that is especially beneficial for us at high altitudes.” Knaus’ firm was already the first operator in Europe to buy, install and operate FastFin for the Bell 204 and Bell 212.

His Bell routinely operates between 7,000 and 10,000 feet but sometimes reaches altitudes of up to 13,000 feet.

Shell Aviation

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

10 OCTOBER 2013

Left to right are Cony Oliveira, catering manager for Airborne Catering, Lynse Sutter, flight attendant Premium Jet, Bajram Dzemaili, chef de cuisine, Airborne Catering, and Sascha Gassmann, DeliSky md.

Hygiene, preparation and washing up: a few challenges for in-flight catering In-flight catering in business aviation is an industry which is forever striving to meet the exacting standards of its clientele.

Preparation and storage space within the cabin can be restrictive, yet customers nowadays are regularly provided with ingredients and dining experiences that replicate, or sometimes better, the very finest dishes and the most exclusive ‘on the ground’ restaurants.

As ceo of Baltic Ground Services Poland Linas Geguzis explains, the difficulties go beyond the constraints of the cabin: “Of course the main factor here is the food, and preparing it for serving at an altitude of up to 35,000ft is a challenge not only because of the limitations with regard to preparation process, but also because of the effect such altitude has on the taste buds. The really challenging factor is the new market situation where most of the catering services are outsourced. Caterers must learn to think of themselves as experts in logistics to survive in a

rapidly growing market, whereby every minute spent on the ground costs money.”

Geguzis feels that economic troubles have had multiple effects on the in-flight catering industry: “On the one hand, the rising number of aircraft in the industry has created a growing demand for onboard catering services. On the other, the way catering providers operate could not remain the same as it had been prior to 2008, since the pressure to cut down expenses has led airlines to rethink their business models. In the market where outsourcing seems to be a solution largely favoured by airlines, catering providers had to come up with ways of adapting and requalifying in order to survive.”

These adaptations have been various. One aspect which seems to have been heightened is the pivotal role played by business aviation flight attendants. This is certainly true for Air Culinaire Worldwide, which has recently appointed John Detloff as vp, flight attendant. Ceo Cliff Smith comments: “We know that flight

Sushi and sashimi are two passenger favourites. This plate was created by High Flying Food.

attendants are vital crew members and their knowledge and creativity often make the trip. The addition of John represents our ongoing commitment to the flight attendant community and is central to our vision of redefining the in-flight catering experience.”

Paul Schweitzer, senior vp sales and marketing, furthers this: “The

corporate flight attendant’s role is expanding and they are under tremendous pressure to perform.

They are managing ever-increasing passenger requests, and as the face of the crew to the passengers, they are in need of solutions to help them when the unforeseen occurs. John will work closely with the flight attendant community to develop tailored solutions that will allow them to demonstrate their immense value in ensuring the safe and successful outcome of a flight.

“We recently announced that we are developing a comprehensive programme to meet the evolving and expanding needs of corporate flight attendants. John will spearhead this by identifying current pains, such as ever-changing international trash removal and agriculture regulations, how to correctly verify travel documents, and customs and entry and clearance procedures.

“We actively engage the corporate flight attendant community to identify what they need around the world, both aesthetically and functionally.”

Jet Catairing ceo Thomas Kraenzlein underscores this, as he believes that getting everything right from the crew’s perspective is on a level with ensuring the satisfaction of the passengers.

“The key to our expansion is oriented on the cabin crew’s comfort and needs. Our mission is to serve both passengers and crew members as best we can,” he explains. It is a view also shared by Corporate Catering ceo Nicola Hubert, who cites the importance of her prior experience as a flight attendant in forming her catering company: “Having been a private jet flight attendant prior to starting up with catering, I can fully understand the needs and problems of the crews,” she says.

Aside from the central importance of the crew serving the food, the most pertinent issue is of course the food itself. Speed is undoubtedly of the essence, with London Executive Aviation md George Galanopolous enthusing that its record is “providing a three-course meal in 27 minutes to 10 passengers.” But quality of ingredients and their sourcing is something that the current business jet traveller is becoming increasingly concerned with. Bon Soirée recently conducted a survey and found that even in the last six months there have been trends. Owner and founder Derek Freeman comments: “The results showed that visitors to the UK this summer seem to be caught up in the nation’s celebrations of events such as the birth of the royal baby and have been influenced by television cookery programmes like The Great British Bake Off. This has led to a huge spike in demand to create vintage style afternoon tea, designer cupcakes, cakes and biscuits and speciality teas.

“The mood of a particular period can alter the food choices of clients” “It has been fascinating seeing what our chefs have been cooking for our passengers over the last six months. The increase in requests for cream teas, cocktail sandwiches and cakes makes us realise how the mood of a particular period can alter the food choices of clients.”

The provenance of the food served by catering firms has become of increasing concern to passengers.

Freeman notes: “Our crew regularly specify Welsh lamb, Scottish beef, regional cheeses and even specific waters for the origin of their salmon.

UK-based clients appear to be tuned in to the quality that is often assured by ordering seasonal food.”

But it is not just sourcing which is of prime concern to travellers. Fresh healthy foods also continue to be a

Essential reading wherever you are Global Business Jet Yearbook The reference book for long range business jet owners and operators worldwide. www.gbjyearbook.com

Handbook of Business Aviation

Handbook of Business Aviation

Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa

Asia Pacific

The reference book for fixed wing and rotary business aircraft owners and operators in Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa. www.handbook.aero

The reference book for fixed wing and rotary business aircraft owners and operators in the Asia Pacific region. www.handbook.aero

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

key factor. Freeman reports that 25 per cent of US catered flights opt for meat-free dishes that are low in fat and high in fibre. One in every 15 orders catered for by the chefs at Bon Soirée are for gluten free products and for those with a lactose intolerance. Janus Kamradt of Hangar8 feels the same way, as the health-conscious passenger is increasing prevalent: “In-flight catering has changed in the last two years, and we are doing almost exclusively healthy foods, such as salad and seafood platters. Most passengers prefer to drink mineral water and green teas.”

Comlux points out that its passengers are veering towards lighter options, with Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine fast becoming favourites: “Our vip charter passengers’ favourite dishes range from steamed sui mai with abalone and steamed crystal shrimp dumplings, through to the dessert of choice – a mango pudding with aloe vera.” Sascha Gassmann of DeliSky supports this: “Currently, healthy, organic and light food is very popular, European or Asian style. Especially sushi, even though from the hygiene point of view this is not suitable at all for in-flight catering. Nevertheless it is still very trendy and very often ordered, often for Russian passengers. Most caterers we are working with are also doing their best to provide halal and even kosher food. Some of them, at the major locations, have their own certified halal or kosher kitchen and chefs.

“There is a consistent trend towards healthy and fresh food” “On the other hand, Jewish and Arabic people flying around the world in business jets are obviously aware that they cannot get 100 per cent halal or kosher food at every location around the world so they seem to be used to it and are relaxed about it.”

Allergies are of course honoured but Gassmann says there are never any guarantees: “Somebody with a strong nut allergy will be in high danger on a flight if the food contains even the smallest amount of nuts.

One of our catering partners has stated to me that it is almost impossible to have a 100 per cent nutfree kitchen since traces of nuts can be found in any kind of food.”

DeliSky clients are also demanding the freshest produce: “There is a consistent trend towards healthy light and fresh food, such as raw vegetables, fruit, freshly squeezed juices and also light, hot dishes such as Japanese.”

Gassmann points out that in order to serve the highest quality dishes, the work can sometimes be outsourced: “For special cuisines, such as Japanese, the caterers usually purchase the dishes from top notch Japanese restaurants rather than cooking it themselves,” he says.

Paul Schweitzer of Air Culinaire tells EBAN that its Selections of the Middle East menu is made with certified halal products in accordance with Middle East customs, and as with Gassmann’s firm this points to a passenger who is not just healthconscious, but may also have religious observances which must be upheld. The provision for Jewish and Muslim clients has broadened, with many caterers, including Craig Sharp of High Flying Food, choosing halal suppliers on this basis: “Halal meat is a regular request,” he says. “I am extremely proud of our ability to fulfil bespoke requests ‘off menu’ too. Our willingness to prepare specific

OCTOBER 2013 11

AIRCRAFT NEWS...

Teal Group foresees 16,126 helicopters in a decade

Hangar8’s Madagascan prawn salmon mousse is prepared with the utmost care.

requests results in excellent feedback and subsequent referrals for new business, and my team of chefs are recruited for their wide range of cuisine skills while also having a speciality such as pastry or sushi.

“Sometimes we have requests such as both gluten and dairy free combined, which may be challenging – but we always find a solution, and we always choose our suppliers on that basis, allowing for flexibility.”

Suppliers are fundamental to the quality of the end product, and as Jirina Kubova, chief flight attendant for ABS Jets of Prague, illustrates, sourcing high quality produce has not always been an easy task: “Catering for business jets in Prague is no problem nowadays, because there are now several specialised suppliers. A few years ago the situation was different. There was a limited choice of catering and it was pretty expensive. It was not at all easy to serve demanding charter customers.

“Our flight attendants had to be very well organised and informed about restaurants in Prague to serve our customers the highest quality of food.”

In-flight caterers are now having to choose these suppliers under a more stringent budget too, as a byproduct of the 2008 recession. This is easier said than done, as it is impossible to reduce some costs, according to Hubert at Corporate Catering: “You cannot save on the cooling chain, so price is what it is in the end, to guarantee safety.” Hubert asserts that to keep up with demand and competition, versatility is key: “In this global industry you need to be versatile and offer global food.”

“Most business jets don’t have a fridge in the galley” To offer global food is a noble aim, but for many companies it is also about getting the costs right.

Schweitzer comments: “We’re continuing to invest in internal systems that increase our efficiency, which we can then pass on to clients via savings. We also understand that our clients are feeling the effects, so we make sure to give them plenty of menu options that meet their budget requirements.”

Indeed some operators think that this has gone too far, with CorporateJets Barcelona believing that for the product on offer, cost is far too high: “From a general point of view, prices are quite above the quality provided. Even though food presentation is nowadays excellent,

Teal Group is predicting that 16,126 rotorcraft worth $193.1 billion will be produced between 2013 and 2022, in its annual world rotorcraft overview. The forecast numbers include production of 10,308 for civil users, worth $60.3 billion, and 5,818 military machines.

“These numbers represent respectable growth (41.1%) over the previous ten years, when production totaled 11,275 machines worth $136.9 billion,” says Richard Aboulafia, Teal Group vp analysis.

The study finds Eurocopter is poised to remain the civil leader, with the broadest product portfolio and most aggressive market presence. AgustaWestland is in second place, thanks to the AW139 and the A109. Bell occupies third in the civil market.

from Jet Aviation late last year. It handles private aircraft visitors through its FBO lounge and crew rooms. The company is actively recruiting more engineers to complement its MRO activity at Bournemouth airport.

TAG on the line for Bombardier at Le Bourget TAG Engineering Le Bourget has been appointed as a line maintenance facility for Bombardier business jets.

Eight Bombardier licensed technicians are based at the centre, which is able to provide line and base level maintenance services for Learjet 60 and 60XR, Challenger 300 and 605, Global Express, XRS and Global 5000, as well as Global 5000 and 6000 equipped with the Bombardier vision flight deck.

Dassault delivers 500th 2000 Dassault Aviation has delivered its 500th Falcon 2000 from the Little Rock completion centre. It will be operated by a UK customer.

The Falcon 2000 fleet has accumulated nearly two million flight hours to date, having first flown in March 1993.

RUAG certified for MD helicopter upgrades

Linas Geguzis of Baltic Ground Services Poland believes caterers must become outsourcing experts to excel at the top level.

price and quality are not equal.”

DeliSky’s Gassmann presents a different view, and is of the opinion that prices are as competitive as possible, with customers very welleducated nowadays as to the finances involved: “The economic downturn has resulted in much stronger focus on costs in the business aviation industry. Whereas in the past, business jet operators and private jet owners haven’t been aware of the catering expenses, nowadays many operators work with strict budgets per flight or even per person per flight.” Price must be as much a priority for operators as it is for customers.

Another important consideration is the storage and preservation of the dishes prior to and even post-serving.

Gassmann describes food hygiene as a “massive issue” in the business aviation trade, with not enough being done to monitor it: “Only a few catering providers are actually strictly working according to the well known HACCP standards,” he believes.

“The food is usually delivered two to four hours before departure. Most business jets don’t have a fridge in the galley and only some FBOs and handlers have a fridge available to cool food. This is a particular issue during summer time. Good caterers provide cooling boxes with wet and dry ice so that the food can be kept cold for several hours. But the problem is that cooling boxes are rather expensive and are very often not returned to the caterer once the plane has left.”

Dry ice can also pose problems: “It is often used but it is considered as dangerous goods on board an aircraft and the dangers of dry ice for aviation safety are often underestimated. It dissipates CO2 gas into the cabin,” he adds.

Continued on next page

The Citation Latitude is just months away from its first flight.

Latitude fuselage takes wings

RUAG Aviation has been officially authorised to perform the full range of maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services for the McDonnell Douglas MD 500, MD 600 and MD 900 helicopter series. The firm has previously integrated an advanced avionics suite in an MD 520N and installed TV broadcasting equipment on an MD 900.

Cessna has completed the wing mate on the Citation Latitude first test article. The Latitude is expected to take its first test flight in the first quarter of 2014.

The aircraft is designed to fly two crew members and up to nine passengers to 43,000ft in just 23 minutes. It will have the widest cabin of any Citation jet, with a 6ft cabin height, and will be equipped with Cessna’s clarity cabin management system.

Dassault names JETS at Biggin Hill

Air Service Basel apponted for King Airs

JETS has become an authorised service centre for Dassault. The agreement endorses the company to undertake line maintenance on the Falcon 900 and 2000 at its expanding London Biggin Hill MRO facility.

JETS is part of the 328 Group and acquired the MRO business

Beechcraft Corporation has appointed Air Service Basel in Switzerland as an authorised service centre for the King Air series. Air Service Basel is a full service FBO, as well as an EASA and FAA approved maintenance organisation and repair station at the Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse.

Rita Weber designed a collectable EC135 for Eurocopter, which was exhibited in Monaco.

Eurocopter displays collectable art helicopter At the Monaco Yacht Show Eurocopter exhibited a “collectable” art helicopter aboard the Quattroelle, an 86-metre yacht. The EC135’s cabin interior and exterior paint scheme were designed by German artist Rita Weber. “A helicopter doesn’t have to be just a technical accessory, it also can be a work of art,” Weber states.

The EC135 features an exclusive interior: a silk carpet, bespoke leather in fuschia and cashmere covering the interior wall.

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

12 OCTOBER 2013

w w w. c h a r t e r b r o k e r. a e r o Events industry is major source of business for ACI

Eaglets prosper thanks to Air Partner

Air Charter International reports a considerable increase in demand for supporting charters for the events industry, namely car launches and movie shooting.

The demand has been overseen

by Ian McEwan, the company’s special projects manager, who has in the past organised air support for movies such as Skyfall and The Fast and the Furious.

Since 2008 Air Partner has been involved in a major project to relocate live sea eagle chicks from Norway to Edinburgh. One year on since the final cohort of chicks were transported, and the first sea eagle has been hatched in east Scotland for just short of two centuries.

Lindon Cooper of Air Partner comments: “The birth of the male sea eagle chick marks the beginning of a new era for the birds in the east coast of Scotland. We are thrilled to have been involved in such an exciting time for Scottish wildlife. “We adapted the aircraft environment to maintain the optimum conditions for the birds, ensuring the cabin was kept as dark as possible, the temperature at 14 degrees and noise at a minimum.�

CAM company director Ian Morrow onboard a Global XRS, one of the jets available on Jet Spec App.

CAM releases Jet Spec App to solve empty legs Creative Aviation Media has released a mobile app called Jet Spec, which allows clients to search by airport, operator, distance or date for empty sectors.

A map showing current location as well as arrival and departure location can be viewed and clients then have the option to contact the operator, email the flight to themselves or book.

The app is backed up by a web site used by operators to upload the empty sectors. Flights so far have included London to New York, Malaga to Moscow, Belfast to Dublin and Dubai to Shanghai.

Flaps takes stock after 10 successful years Flaps International is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and director Pete Williams reports a “terrific�

September with bookings including Premiership footballers, European fair trade traffic and Hollywood’s Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Williams praises the work of the operators he has been involved with, in particular Silver Cloud Aviation in Germany which, with its XLS: “Pulled out all the stops to help us with an exacting and difficult vvip itinerary this month, which took in the UK, France, Hungary and Turkey.�

Air-Dynamic at the forefront of Swiss market Air-Dynamic is now conducting its business in Switzerland, with a representative office based at the airport of Lugano, Agno. The broker is seeking to become the focal point for vip luxury transportation with jets and helicopters in and out of the country. A significant portion of business is coming through a deal negotiated with GlobeAir. The official unveiling took place at the end of September, with 90 vip guests treated to an evening of Davai cocktails and jet demonstrations. Lugano will also be key in providing connections to ski resorts in the Swiss, French and Italian Alps.

Claire Murray joins Jetlogic

Jetlogic expansion calls for two appointments Jetlogic has taken on two new team members in order to facilitate expansion at its head office in Edinburgh. Claire Murray joins as marketing and charter sales executive, having worked in the travel industry for seven years. Pawel Slotwinski has also been recruited, as operational systems executive.

The High Flying Food team: chef Daniel Gilmartin, chef Bruce Carlington, head chef Darren Hawkins, chef Darren Searle, md Craig Sharp, administrator Sascha Bownes and chef Darren Scarrott.

Continued from previous page

Hubert has been horrified at some of the safety standards she has witnessed, and cites the low quality aircraft galleys as a stark challenge: “Galleys have not been developed by any means and this needs quick attention,� she remarks. “Most aircraft galleys are poorer equipped than a camping wagon. The passengers expect a five-star meal with a silver service. But if they only knew where the food has been stored in the last hours before serving, in non-chilled cabinets, drawers or even the forward lavatory, I think most passengers would go ballistic! “Food does not stop spoiling because it reached the FBO. The opposite is true – this is when the food starts its phase in developing bacterial growth. “There is a ‘kitchen’ where the drawers are filled with the wonderful china dishes, shining cutlery and sparkling baccarat glasses but no place to put the food.�

Hubert’s concerns do not stop there: “The next challenge after serving is the washing-up. The water is often unsafe or not hot enough for washing the dishes. Furthermore, garbage is just as hot a topic; all the packaging the catering came in has to be disposed of during the flight with a waste place sometimes not bigger than a A4 page in all directions. “Galleys are the most creative place for flight crew to work, but the industry forgot to modify them, when they made aircraft with more range and more luxury,� she says.

Despite the trickier aspects associated with the in-flight business aviation catering industry, there has been no shortage of lighter moments in recent times, with companies fielding a wide variety of bizarre requests. “Beef brain with mashed potatoes,� quotes Craig Sharp on the subject. London Executive Aviation’s

Air Culinaire Worldwide is making service in the cabin a top priority with the appointment of John Detloff as vp flight attendant.

Clare Armstrong has also dealt with a pop star of late who requested Wotsits in a Pot Noodle. “Although that wasn’t too difficult to achieve,� she says.

Such requests are commonplace, and not always in line with the local delicacies: “We’ve seen it all. From the high net worth individual who wants only red M&Ms and diet Dr Pepper, to the request for double cheeseburgers in rural India. No matter how difficult the request, we leverage our global partners to meet our customers’ needs,� says Paul Schweitzer.

Aerochefs also describes occasions when it receives orders for pet food: “Food for a travelling dog is a rare occurence, but an order for pet food does happen from time to time. Our policy, of course, is to duly process such an order. We have heard comments, saying that on some flights, dogs seem to enjoy better meals than the crew.� Ike Riekstina, cabin crew at London Executive Aviation, also recalls the unlikeliest of orders: “I recently worked on a European music tour which came to an end in a small village in northern Spain. The band requested, out of the blue as part of their final meal, cottage pie – not exactly ‘rock star’

Column sponsored by

Global Broker Programme

PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS IN AIR CHARTER BROKERAGE

WWW.BACA.ORG.UK

THE BALTIC AIR CHARTER ASSOCIATION

Comlux flight attendants regularly serve Asian fusion cuisine as a healthy option.

food, but also not easy to find in the land of tapas and paella. No-one locally had any idea what it was or how to make it. I had to source a recipe online myself and asked the head chef at the village’s best restaurant to prepare the meal, which he kindly agreed to do. After much tasting and nodding of heads, we presented it to the band who loved it and vowed to return to the chef’s restaurant on their next tour.�

It seems apt to end with arguably the most significant and current trend in in-flight catering, which is the online and mobile ordering system. This is something which has rocketed in recent times and for Gassmann it is his company’s USP: “Our catering order system and our iOS app which are specially designed for the business aviation industry are a great asset to us. Through one single point of access, our customers can order their catering at over 120 different airports with a clear overview of the costs.�

“Galleys are the most creative place for crew to work, but industry forgot to modify them�

Hubert reinforces this, but says the system is not always helpful to the caterer because of ‘buddy’ behaviour: “There is little doubt that today, email is the way to order. The problem with that is, as everybody can send an order with their iPhone or tablet, the orders come in with no structure. “It all comes in like we are buddies and we have to remember the dislikes, allergies and reheating facilities on each aircraft. There is no more corporate identity, no structure. “Crews also think you have a person 24/7 sitting at the computer just waiting for their order. If you do not write back, they just forward the order on to the next caterer and that’s it. No calling to confirm, no cancelling when passed on to another caterer.

Sheer buddy-type behaviour.�

And though the system has been streamlined, Aviation Catering’s Martin Henschel believes another problem stems from so-called catering ‘brokers’ attempting to generate revenue: “There are more and more companies that are trying to get in the market as a catering order broker. They get the orders from the crews and send them to us. “This way, we do not have the direct contact to the crews any more and the whole service gets more expensive for the crews, because the catering broker company wants to make money with it too, without actually doing anything.â€? â–

OCTOBER 2013 13

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

World events and short range demand promise continuing growth in the Gulf The Gulf States are a hive of business aviation activity and, although post economic crisis the general ‘budget allowance’ for charters has diminished, the market appears to be picking up considerably. Parts of the Middle East region are still developing and with Dubai a potential host for Expo 2020, Qatar staging the football World Cup in 2022 and the rapid advancements in Kurdistan, continual growth seems assured.

It is impossible to ignore the oil and gas industry presence in the region and its centrality to the business aviation market. Instability in countries such as Iraq and Syria will involve reconstruction and neighbouring Africa is set to play a bigger role in the oil and gas industry, which will call for charters and assistance.

Air Charter International has been established as a broker in the region since 1994, and is headquartered at Dubai, a central hub. The broker says that 65 per cent of its business comes from Middle East clients, and it is therefore well placed to talk about the current market.

“Most of our flights are executive flights originating out of the Gulf region, mainly Dubai, Doha and Kuwait,” says ACI’s Caroline Jongma.

“Those executive flights are mainly organised for wealthy individuals, holding companies and businessmen. We also are very strong in the outsized and dangerous cargo requests, mainly originating from the prominent oil and gas industry in the Gulf.”

ACI has a dedicated special projects department that assists clients with load plans, crate building and the overseeing of loading and offloading.

Jongma feels that there has been a surge in interest in the past 12 months: “We have seen a clear increase in business, approximately 25 per cent compared to last year, and feel this is the beginning of a new era for private aviation in the Middle East.”

The increase in business isn’t restricted to private executive flights but also to passenger flights, sports teams, large events and other group charters. Cargo movements, mainly for oil and gas to offline and remote locations, and also the helicopter business for special events or quick transfers within the UAE, are enjoying an equally strong presence in the market.

“There is clearly an increase in all segments and we hope it will continue this way, especially now that Dubai World Centre airport is about to attract more charters and airlines,” Jongma adds.

ACI’s wet lease department has also noted an upswing in demand for medium term aircraft. Increases in the leasing business in the past have traditionally been a good sign for the charter business alongside it: “The coming years are looking good for the charter and lease business as a result,” says Jongma.

ACI sees all aircraft types emerging, with all sizes present in the market and all positively influenced by the upswing. As for destinations, the broker tells EBAN that the most popular ones remain the capitals of the Gulf States, at least for flights which originate from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. It also says that an emerging trend is Kurdistan due to recent developments in Erbil and Iraq. The oil and gas industry is once more a

ExecuJet’s team at Dubai International airport. Far right is Dubai FBO manager Dumani Ndebele.

crucial source of charter business in the locality.

As for operators, ACI talks highly of companies in the Gulf and its dealings with them: “Despite a few having closed down over the past years, we still have access to very good and reputable operators. There is an impressive fleet available out of the UAE, and the charter fleet available in the GCC is very young and diverse,” Jongma remarks. “Most of them are still heavy jets but we see more and more medium sized jets popping up in the market.”

It does seem, however, that the smallest jets available for charter out of Dubai are still jets such as the Hawker 800 and Learjet 60. ACI feels there is great potential for light jets in the region for the short intra-Gulf legs. It says that no operator has yet brought a light jet into service for charter at a competitive rate, and that there is certainly scope to do so.

EBAN then spoke to a selection of operators in the region, to gauge their opinion on the market and to find out the very latest company developments in their Gulf operations.

ExecuJet’s Middle East division has added two aircraft to its fleet this year, a Challenger 605 and a Global Express. Both of these aircraft are performing “beautifully,” according to operations director Mark Hardman. A very unusual flight took place this year from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Male in the Republic of Maldives. where the temperature in Kazakhstan was -30°C and in the Maldives +30°C. This provided quite a contrast for passengers and crew, as Hardman explains: “I am not sure if the crew packed thermals or their beach shorts – but I am guessing they

A Gulf Helicopters’ AW139 approaches an offshore rig.

needed both!” He says that flight hours have increased across the board in recent months, with charter flying up by more than 30 per cent in the period. Hardman praises all aspects of his team in achieving this: “The porter, the cleaner, the pilot and the managing director – all of them are key to our success. We all have to work together to ensure we provide the full service experience.”

ExecuJet Middle East was established in 1999 and is part of ExecuJet Aviation Group. It occupied its custom-built premises at Dubai International airport in December 2005, with a second hangar added in 2010 which increased capacity to over 10,000sqm. This has enabled the firm to expand the services it offers and in October 2012 the Dubai FBO grew further by taking over a dedicated business aviation terminal said to be the largest in the Middle East.

Dubai is the main base of ExecuJet Middle East, but other aircraft are positioned across the region. The fleet now includes 17 fully managed aircraft and seven under partial maintenance management. Of the 17 under full management, six are available for commercial charter.

Hardman says that the company is concentrating the majority of its efforts on the Riyadh FBO in the

coming months: “This facility has taken some time to launch and we have had to cut through a lot of red tape, but it will be a great joint venture with NasJet and our first FBO in Saudi Arabia when it is officially operational.”

Gulf Helicopters achieved a significant milestone recently when its AW139 fleet passed the 40,000 flight hour landmark. The operator is said to be one of the largest AW139 operators worldwide and according to AgustaWestland is a “prime player” in the Middle East, with 15

GULF STATES REGIONAL REVIEW

helicopters of this type already in service and three more to be delivered. Gulf Helicopters first ordered the AW139 in 2007 as part of its fleet renewal and expansion plans, and the aircraft has been performing offshore transport missions. The operator is also an authorised service centre for AgustaWestland and one of the first helicopter companies to have a full flight simulator for the AW139 for its own operations and third-party use.

Gulf Helicopters will also benefit from the advantages of AgustaWestland’s family of new generation helicopters having signed a preliminary order for 15 new generation AW189 eight-tonne class helicopters. The operator is owned by Qatar Petroleum, through a holding company, and has been providing helicopter services since 1970. It works with companies throughout the Middle East, India and north Africa, with its own in-house maintenance facility and a team of engineers undertaking fleet maintenance and modification work.

In a sudden move that has only become apparent in recent days, Rizon Jet Qatar has announced that it discontinued operations as of September 30th. The company will remain operational from its Biggin Hill, UK base.

Empire Aviation Group says its business jet charter bookings have risen 12 per cent over the last year.

The company claims to operate the largest managed fleet of business jets Continued on next page

Looking to buy a

pre-owned business aircraft?

Aircraft Shopper Online The Aircraft Market in Real Time

®

www.ASO.com

ASO has worldwide for sale listings of business jets and turboprops that will meet every mission profile. With thousands of listings, ASO.com is the most up to date and comprehensive

Comprehensive data for the Gulf states online free-of-charge The 2013/14 Handbook of Business Aviation, Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa Edition, was published in May, and gives details of many more Gulf states 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

online marketplace for pre-owned business aircraft. With powerful search capabilities, customized aircraft email alerts and enhanced buying tools, ASO is the best place to find your next aircraft. Spend less time searching and more time choosing the business aircraft that’s right for you.

Buyers use ASO For more information call +1-732-704-9561 or visit us at www.aso.com

VISIT US AT NBAA 2013 BOOTH # C10016

A

14 OCTOBER 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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

Euro Jet opens Prague FBO

Aviation network, the ground support division of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.

Euro Jet Intercontinental has unveiled its renovated FBO facility at Prague’s Vaclav Havel airport.

Euro Jet says it is the only Prague FBO to offer two complementary vip crew lounges. This continues Euro Jet’s five-year anniversary celebrations, which have already included a new lounge opening in Tivat and expansion into Turkey.

Basel Aero opens vip terminal at Sochi Basel Aero has undertaken a soft opening of the vip terminal in Sochi International airport. The terminal will be fully operational in late October. The 4,000sqm facility can handle 80 passengers an hour and will serve its first guests at the upcoming XII International Investment Forum Sochi 2013.

It boasts five conference rooms and a workroom equipped with desktops connected to the internet.

The vip terminal also has a 56-seat common area with catering service provided by The Grand Hotel and Rodina Spa.

Universal Aviation md Yiannis Arkoulis (left) celebrates the company’s 20th anniversary with his team.

Universal thanks clients for 20 years in Greece

Waypoint Leasing partners with Eurocopter

Athens-based Universal Aviation Greece is celebrating its 20th year of providing ground support services throughout Greece and all the Greek islands. Euro Aviation opened in 1993 and was rebranded as Universal Aviation Greece in 2011.

The company is one of the oldest and most established locations within the Universal

Eurocopter and Waypoint Leasing have signed an agreement which enables Waypoint to offer its client base the full capabilities of Eurocopter’s comprehensive partsby-the-hour support services programme. It provides adaptable services coverage that is said to contribute to minimal helicopter downtime, streamline maintenance costs and reduce parts inventory.

WE HELP AVIATION SALES PROFESSIONALS GENERATE DEALS

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

programs

and

valuable

sales

opportunities – turning knowledge into revenue.

VISIT US AT NBAA 2013 BOOTH # C10016 Information that moves you forward

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

Executive directors at Empire Aviation Group Steve Hartley (left) and Paras Dharmecha.

Operations director for ExecuJet Middle East Mark Hardman.

Continued from previous page

in the Middle East, with around 20 jets under management at any one time and several available for private charter.

Paras Dharmecha, executive director, says that having demonstrated the strength of the business model through a global recession in the aviation industry, EAG is now looking to replicate the model for aircraft owners in India: “Empire Aviation took its first business jet under management in India in December 2012, at its base at HAL Airport in Bangalore, where EAG opened its first office. There is already a team of aviation specialists on the ground at the new base.”

EAG’s aircraft management services in the Middle East have continued to expand with a total of five new aircraft added in the last 12 months. Private jet charter has been sustained at high levels, with a mixture of business (85%) and leisure (15%) charter.

Its fleet is mixed, ranging from the Falcon 7X, to Global XRS, Gulfstream G450 and Hawker 800 and 900. In total, between its operations in the Middle East, Africa and India, its fleet consists of 23 aircraft.

The company believes it is one of the largest operators in the world of the Dassault Falcon 7X, with three under management.

The latest aircraft to join its managed fleet is a Falcon 900DX. “This is a very advanced, high performance aircraft and a great addition to our fleet. It is performing well and our substantial experience with the Dassault Falcon range is extremely valuable,” Dharmecha adds.

EAG says that the last 12 months has been an especially exciting period. It launched in 2007, in Dubai, in response to the regional opportunity for business aviation.

Dharmecha says its success can be attributed to a “distinctive asset management approach to aircraft ownership and operation, and a commitment to very high standards

of customer service.” EAG assists aircraft owners in acquiring and optimising their investment by operating and maintaining their aircraft to the standards required to protect its long-term value. It continues to generate double digit revenue growth and has been profitable since its launch.

Dharmecha does, however, point out the challenges posed by operating in the Gulf: “Right now the biggest issue we have in the UAE is the lack of dedicated business aviation infrastructure, but this will change when Dubai World Central is fully operational. As it stands currently, space at Dubai International is becoming more constricted due to the growth of the commercial airlines based there.

“This situation relates back to the regional economy. Until recently, business aviation was considered more of a luxury than an essential business tool. We have been working to change this but the mindset has still not changed completely and, until this happens, there will not be any serious growth in this industry.”

That said, the Middle East is EAG’s home market and the core of its operations. It is continuing to grow “organically,” with an expanding team. Activity is spreading beyond Dubai within the GCC region, in Oman for example. As part of this expanding team, Dharmecha singles out one employee for special mention: Nirav Kotak, head of operations for Empire Aviation, India: “Nirav has made an outstanding contribution to EAG by leading the successful establishment of our new operations in India, setting up the branch operations, building the team and processes, and starting commercial operations,” concludes Dharmecha.

“Dubai World Centre airport is about to attract more charters and airlines” NasJet has enjoyed a year of growth, with aircraft under management expanding by 15 per cent, including its latest BBJ3, further Gulfstreams and a Citation. The company has seen a number of internal promotions, including captain Khaled Al Hamdan who has been promoted to coo, and Turki Al Jawini who has taken up the post of chief commercial officer. Both have been with NasJet for over five years.

An unusual flight recently saw the company fly a number of highly prized hunting birds on its Gulfstream. Each bird was placed on a seat with perches running across

GULF STATES REGIONAL REVIEW while handlers sat in the back.

The operator also launched the ‘world of experiences’ service at the World Luxury Expo in Riyadh earlier in the year. This included the launch of the honeymoon jet card, followed by the corporate jet card at the Euromoney conference in Saudi Arabia. It says that demand in the region is predominantly for long range widebody aircraft, and the majority of its 65 aircraft currently under management are in the large category type. Its ‘core fleet,’ supporting fractional and charter programmes, currently comprises Gulfstream and Hawker types, with many of these aircraft NasJet-owned.

Director of NasJet’s private aviation services Hardy Sohanpal says that his company is the largest Gulfstream operator in the Middle East, and after working closely with Boeing and Airbus is now very much focused on expanding its vip commercial airline fleet: “NasJet’s sister company Nasair is an Airbus operator and a combined support infrastructure leads to an economies of scale cost saving advantage for NasJet when presenting a business case to a prospective aircraft management client,” he comments.

Sohanpal believes the macroeconomic fundamentals for the region remain positive: “Inevitably this has a positive impact on the growth of our business. Even though we have the largest market share for intra Saudi flights, our focus for the last 12 months has been to fly more international trips with flight times no less than four hours. This has been a success, particularly with our institutional clients.”

However, Sohanpal warns that political turmoil in the region cannot be ignored: “There is no denying that headline stories have impacted general aviation in the region. We have seen movements decrease in Egypt and Lebanon, or remain static in some countries for retail clients.

This segment of the market is particularly sensitive to instability based on their reluctance to travel during periods of crisis.”

The biggest challenge in Sohanpal’s mind is that posed by the grey market: “GACA and MEBA have been debating the issue for some time, with a number of initiatives proposed to counteract it and we continue to be supportive. Long term, the practice will stifle the growth of our industry in terms of future employment oppor-tunities for Middle East graduates and trainee pilots,” he concludes. ■

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

OCTOBER 2013 15

Career opportunities

Marketplace

Job advertisements can be placed at a cost of UK£52 per single column centimetre, the minimum depth being five centimetres.

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

Contact Mark Ranger on: +44 (0)1279 714509 mark@ebanmagazine.com

forward to receiving offers. Call office for more information. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 399966 JETability.

Web: www.jetability.com.

Email: info@jetability.com

Aircraft for sale Special packages are available for advertising aircraft for sale in EBAN and on our web site (www.ebanmagazine.com). Picture adverts (40 words of text plus colour picture) cost £75 each. You can also choose our new display advertising option for larger inventories.

BEECHCRAFT

Honeywell Primus 1000 3-tube EFIS, Honeywell GNS-XLS FMS, Allied Signal EGPWS, Allied Signal TCAS II w/change 7, UK mods and currently on N reg., Fresh Phase 1-5 Tel. +44 (0) 1534 483372 Email: david.cuthbert@hotmail.co.uk

King Air B200GT 2009 model, TT 725 hrs, Landings 579.

Warranty remaining. Full Raisbeck EPIC Gold package, EU-OPS/RVSM cert, Quiet Cabin system installed. One owner since new and no damage history. ADs and SBs all in compliance. Very new to market. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 399966 JETability.

Web: www.jetability.com.

Email: info@jetability.com

King Air C90GTi 2008 model, TT 715. Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package. Raisbeck enhancements. Private lavatory compartment. Phase and 12 month/ 5 year inspections recently completed. On CAMP. No damage history, always hangared. Available to view immediately.

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 399966 JETability.

Web: www.jetability.com.

Email: info@jetability.com

CESSNA

Citation Bravo 2000 TT: 630 hrs, Cycles: 1,108.

EUROCOPTER

AS355F1

1983 model, Airframe TT 8,473 hrs.

Fresh out of 100hr/Annual/2,400hr/6 year inspections and corrosion and dynamic component checks. No damage history, ADs/SBs in compliance. Float provisions, low skids.

Composite tail rotors. VIP interior.

Priced to sell. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 399966 JETability.

Web: www.jetability.com.

Email: info@jetability.com

Citation Ultra

Citation Ultras available. 17 sold with 8 remaining. Honeywell Primus 1000 3Tube 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

AS355N

1994 model, TT 9160, IFR cert, VIP interior, FADEC, on SBH program. High skids, Dual controls. Fresh out of 100hr/Annual/2400hr/6 year inspections and corrosion and dynamic component checks. No damage history, ADs and SBs in compliance. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 399966 JETability. Web: www.jetability.com. Email: info@jetability.com

CJ2+

2012 model, TT 470.9 hrs, landings 332.

Dual Collins avionics, RVSM, EU-OPS and steep approach certified. Enrolled with Cessna Pro Parts. Factory new exterior and interior. Owner looking

Head of Fixed Base Operations (FBO) Bristol Flying Centre’s FBO has ambitious expansion plans. We need a highly motivated individual to drive this expansion whilst maintaining the high quality customer service which is our hallmark.

The Head of FBO will report to the Chief Operating Officer. He/she will be responsible for: • The profitable operation and growth of BFC’s FBO in accordance with agreed business plans • Working with the Director for Business Development to develop new business opportunities • Development and maintenance of an organisational structure for the FBO which can deliver its planned revenues and profits • Management of the FBO team, with multiple shift patterns, to maximise productivity and efficiency • Recruitment and retention of suitably qualified personnel with timely performance management processes • Highly customer centric delivery of services with a strong focus on excellent products • The safe and regulation compliant operation of the FBO in accordance with BFC’s published procedures • Development and implementation of processes to improve efficiency and quality of delivery of the FBO offering

Key skills and attributes: • Strong commercial acumen and problem solving skills • Excellent time management and prioritisation in a busy environment • Extensive management and leadership experience, with the ability to motivate and drive team performance • Proven 5 star customer relationship management skills • Computer literate and process oriented • Highly flexible with a good sense of humour • Ideally degree educated or highly experienced in a similar environment • Candidates with aviation, hospitality or other relevant background will be considered

Salary indication: An annual salary up to £35,000 will be available for the selected candidate for this demanding role.

Applications: Suitably qualified candidates should send their CVs promptly to The Chief Operating Officer, Bristol Flying Centre Ltd, Bristol Airport, BS48 3DP.

EUROPE MIDDLE EAST RUSSIA AFRICA

OUR NEXT ISSUE: NOVEMBER 2013 FINAL BOOKING DATE: OCTOBER 28th

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 399966 Email: info@jetability.com Web: www.jetability.com King Air B200GT

King Air C90GTi 2008 model, TT 715. Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package. Raisbeck enhancements. Private lavatory compartment. Phase and 12 month/ 5 year inspections recently completed. On CAMP. No Damage history, always hangared. Available to view immediately,

Trust EBAN to deliver

2009 model, TT 725 hrs, Landings 579. Warranty remaining. Full Raisbeck EPIC Gold package, EUOPS/RVSM cert, Quiet Cabin system installed. One owner since new and no damage history. ADs and SBs all in compliance. Very new to market.

www.ebanmagazine.com Cessna CJ2+ 2012 model, TT 470.9 hrs, landings 332. Dual Collins avionics, RVSM, EU-OPS and Steep Approach certified. Enrolled with Cessna Pro Parts. Factory new exterior and interior. Owner looking forward to receiving offers. Call office for more information.

[ find ]

Eurocopter AS355F1

Eurocopter AS355N 1994 model, TT 9160, IFR cert, VIP interior, FADEC, on SBH program. High Skids, Dual controls.

Fresh out of 100hr/Annual/ 2400hr/6 year inspections and corrosion and dynamic component checks. No Damage History, ADs and SBs in compliance.

All Aircraft Subject To Prior Sale / Withdrawal From Market.

Please call for more information.

1983 model, Airframe TT 8473. Fresh out of 100hr/Annual/ 2400hr/6 year inspections and corrosion and dynamic component checks. No Damage History, ADs/SBs in compliance. Float provisions, Low Skids, Composite Tail Rotors.

VIP Interior. Priced to Sell.

The World Leader in Aviation Market Intelligence | 800.553.8638 | +1.315.797.4420 | jetnet.com

The best value you’ll find in a light jet.

Hawker 400XPR. When it comes to power and performance, there are few comparisons. When you consider the price, nothing compares at all. The new Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines allow the Hawker 400XPR to climb directly to FL450. That’s 50 minutes faster than the closest competitor. And the Rockwell Collins ® Pro Line 21™ avionics and new aerodynamic winglets provide an incomparable flying experience — for a fraction of the cost of a new light jet.

All from the company that designed, engineered and manufactured the original.

Visit XPR.Beechcraft.com or contact a sales rep: Western U.S. +1.316.676.0897 Eastern U.S. +1.316.993.7409 I International +1.316.676.1708

©2013 Beechcraft Corporation. All rights reserved. Hawker and Beechcraft are registered trademarks of Beechcraft Corporation.