MEBA Convention News 12_08_10 by AIN Publications

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INSIDE... • Hawker Beechcraft boosts global support

Vol. 42 No. 30

DECEMBER 8, 2010 ExecuJet Aviation’s Dubai facility is a new service center for Embraer’s Legacy aircraft. The manufacturer is set to expand its support network as jet deliveries gather pace in the region.

Rising exports of its business aircraft family have prompted Hawker Beechcraft to expand significantly the extent and capacity of its customer support facilities, especially here in the Middle East. Page 12

• Lufthansa Technik is complete supporter

DAVID McINTOSH

German aircraft engineering group LHT can provide the finest finishing touches for VIP aircraft, as well as put things right when maintenance is needed. Page 14

• G650 is a long-legged speed machine Gulfstream is throwing down the gauntlet to competitors in the large-cabin business jet sector with its new G650. Page 23

Embraer’s jet influx prompts deal on local support network by David Donald

• Al Bateen is a bizav oasis for the Gulf The downtown location and airlinefree environment at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport stakes its claim to be the Le Bourget of the desert. Page 28

• Dassault takes cockpit technology to new level The Falcon jet family is continuing to benefit from avionics advances through programs such as the enhanced flight vision system and EASy2. Page 29

Embraer announced yesterday at MEBA the appointment of the ExecuJet Aviation Group as an authorized service center for the Legacy 600 and 650 aircraft. Scheduled and unscheduled maintenance will be undertaken at ExecuJet’s Dubai base, which has also recently joined

a new global service network for Hawker Beechcraft (see page 12). The facility is already a long-established service center for Bombardier. ExecuJet and Embraer are now in discussion concerning the extension of similar services to other members of the

Brazilian airframer’s executive aircraft family. Embraer also has another authorized service center in the region, in the shape of Falcon Aviation Services in Abu Dhabi, and a locally based parts distribution center, CEVA Logistics. Further recent Embraer activity in the Middle East has seen the first 70-seat E170 Shuttle (part of the “E-Jets” family that includes the Lineage 1000) delivered to Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s leading corporate flight departments. The first aircraft was delivered last month and is already operational. An unspecified Continued on page 4 u

Al Maktoum gets bizav action at last by James Wynbrandt The delayed arrival of business aviation at Dubai’s new Al Maktoum International Airport got a kickstart here on the opening day of the MEBA show yesterday. Airport developer Dubai World Center (DWC) and the Al Futtaim Services Company (AFSC) signed an agreement to establish general aviation services at the ambitious new hub. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, and Omar Abdulla Al Futtaim, vice chairman, Al Futtaim Continued on page 30 u

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HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (right) and Omar Abdulla Al Futtaim shake on an agreement bringing the first business aviation services provider to Dubai’s new Al Maktoum International Airport, possibly clearing the way for other companies to follow.

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SHEIKH AHMED CUTS RIBBON AS INDUSTRY CUTS DEALS HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Dubai Aviation City Authority, cuts the ribbon to open the fourth Middle East Business Aviation show yesterday. The exhibiton’s strong start seemed to confirm local n convictions about a business aviation recovery in the Gulf region, with booth occupancy up more than 40 percent from 2008.

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Embraer boosts support uContinued from page 1

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number of further deliveries to Aramco are to be made before the end of the year. Meanwhile, at the MEBA show yesterday Falcon Aviation Services took delivery of the first of two Lineage 1000s it had ordered at the Dubai Air Show in 2007 as part of a larger package of Embraer jets. Embraer has now delivered seven of the ultra-large executive jets, plus two of the similar E190 head-of-state aircraft for governmental use. Five Lineage 1000s are now flying in the Middle East. The popularity of the Lineage 1000 in the region is in line with the company’s analysis of the global business, which suggests that Middle East customers prefer a larger cabin. The company, therefore, has high hopes for its forthcoming Legacy 450 and 500, which are the only aircraft in their class to offer a flat floor and standing room. The new models also feature fly-by-wire controls, currently available only in the Falcon 7X, ACJ, G650 and Lineage 1000, which are all much larger and more expensive aircraft. The Legacy 450 and 500 have passed critical design review and are now in the detailed design and certification phase. Metal began to be cut for the Legacy 500 in April, and first flight is scheduled for the second half of next year. By the end of 2011 Embraer’s new plant (and associated customer design center) in Melbourne, Florida, should be ready to start the production of eight Phenom 100 light jets per month. The Phenom family has helped make Embraer the fastest growing business jet OEM, with 17.2 percent of the

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In a symbolic handoff, l to r, Sergio Frias, v-p of contracts for Embraer Executive Jets, presents a key to the first of two Lineage 1000s to Saif M A Al Mugheiry, COO of Falcon Aviation Services, as part of a larger order of Embraer jets. Looking on are Capt. Jeff Roland, Falcon Aviation; Capt. Craig Kennedy, v-p of operations for Falcon; and Colin Steven of Embraer. Five Lineage 1000s are now flying in the Middle East.

world market for the first three quarters of 2010. Up to September this year it delivered 67 aircraft, more than any other manufacturer. While the company’s analysis suggests that Latin American and U.S. markets could lead recovery in the executive jet arena, hitting the numbers experienced in the 2008 peak by around 2017, the Middle East remains a vitally important market, with projected sales of at least 300 aircraft of all types worth $11 billion over the next few years. Embraer predicts that around 60 percent of those aircraft will be in the large/ ultra-long-range/ultra-large categories, two of which are catered to by the Legacy 650 and Lineage 1000. The company remains coy about any developments in the ultra-long-range category, which

4aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

is the only one that will not be covered by Embraer’s line-up once the Legacy 450/500 is available, but states that capability is being studied. Deliveries of the Legacy 650, the company’s latest jet, got under way on November 22 when Lord Alan Sugar received his aircraft for operation by Titan Airways at Oxford, UK. However, London Executive Aviation was the first to begin commercial charter operations with the type in early December. In fact, this aircraft (G-RBNS) is on display and for sale by Business Air International here in the static, having flown to Dubai from St. Petersburg, Russia, on a charter. Last week the first Legacy 650 was delivered into the Middle East with the handover of an aircraft to Arab Wings in Jordan. o

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Emivest Aerospace on the brink of bankruptcy by Charles Alcock Emivest Aerospace, manufacturer of the SJ30 light jet, is less than two months away from

liquidation under the terms of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that it filed for in a U.S.

court on October 20. The company has until January 14 to find a buyer to avoid winding up under Chapter 7 rules. Any prospective buyer would have until February 4 to complete the deal. The former Sino-Swearingen company has a strong Dubai connection, with an 80-percent stake in it having been acquired by Emirates Investment & After 16 years of development costing some $700 million, the SJ30 light jet appears headed for extinction.

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6aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

Development in June 2008. The Dubai group renamed the San Antonio, Texas-based firm and pledged to provide at least $150 million in fresh investment (and potentially up to $1 billion). Chapter 11 court documents indicate that Emivest has identified several prospective buyers for its assets. Management applied for $4 million in debtorin-possession funds to keep the business operating during the proceedings. The remaining 20 percent in Emivest’s stock is controlled by investors from Taiwan, company founder Ed Swearingen and another of the original investors, Doug Jaffe. Production Struggle

After 16 years of development and estimated expenditures of $700 million, the SJ30 was certified in 2005. At the time the company said it had more than 200 orders for the aircraft. Since achieving certification, Emivest has struggled to reach a commercially viable production rate for the $7.2 million aircraft. The last delivery went to actor Morgan Freeman and was made here in Dubai in December 2009. Only one other aircraft was delivered in 2009. None have been delivered since and three aircraft are currently stranded on the production line. Court documents revealed that Emivest actually infused $38.4 million into the company from a revolving credit line. More than $60 million of Emivest’s debt was accumulated over the last two years. Even if the company finds a buyer and restarts operations, it is unlikely to be able to deliver more than the three aircraft currently under construction over the next 24 months, according to documents in the bankruptcy filing. Emivest is not listed as an exhibitor here at the MEBA show, nor is SJ30 distributor Action Aviation. o

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Local Legacys find help at ABS Jets’ door by Charles Alcock ABS Jets is ready to start supporting Embraer Legacy operators in the Middle East

Be entertained.

now that it has secured CAR 145 maintenance approval from the United Arab Emirates

Make calls.

Send a text.

to provide base and line support for these aircraft. The Czech-based company, which operates six Legacys, will now be seeking the same approval from other Arabic states. In addition to the Legacy, the ABS Jets EASA 145-approved facility in Prague is also an Embraer authorized service center for the Phenom 100 very

Do e-mail.

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ABS CEO Vladimír Peták

Teleconference.

light jet. It can also support the Citation Bravo. The engineering team can handle scheduled maintenance (up to C-checks), as well as tasks such as avionics upgrades, APU replacement and cabin modification. New Hangar in Prague

Meanwhile, ABS Jets (Stand E256) has begun construction of a 65,000-sq-ft hangar at Prague’s Ruzyne Airport that will triple the size of the company’s premises. In the neighboring Slovak Republic, ABS is seeking approval to build another new hangar for its base at Bratislava Airport in the next two years. According to ABS commercial director Radomír Šanák, the company has already sold about half the space in the new hangar in Prague. Currently, the company operates 11 aircraft and it expects the fleet to grow over the next few years. Of those 11, seven are available for charter: five Embraer Legacy 600s, a Bombardier Learjet 60XR and a Cessna Citation Bravo. For private owners, the company manages three Gulfstreams, a Legacy and a Boeing Business Jet. “In the next two or three years, after the hangar is built, we want to enlarge our fleet faster and continue moving along the same trajectory over the next 10 years so we can obtain optimal synergies between operations and services,” said ABS Jets CEO Vladimír Peták. “A fleet of 30 is the optimal number to obtain business synergies.” ABS, which was formed in 2004, is owned by European finance groups J&T and PPF and employs 200 people. Peták joined the board in mid-2007 and was chief financial officer before being appointed CEO. He is a former commercial pilot license holder and still flies privately. o

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8aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

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Smart Aviation ‘rescues’ Russians attacked by sharks by James Wynbrandt When the Russian tourists who were attacked by sharks in Egypt last week needed emergency medical aid, Cairobased charter operator Smart Aviation came to the rescue with air ambulanceconfigured Citation Sovereigns. “We took the people from Sharm elSheikh to Cairo, and we’re going to be taking them back to Moscow,” said Tarek Fouad, Smart’s manager, commercial and sales, at the company’s stand here at MEBA (Stand C100). Since its founding in 2007 as what Fouad termed “the first private jet company in Egypt,” Smart has grown from two Cessna Citation Model 680 Sovereigns to a fleet of five Sovereigns and a recently delivered King Air 350i. The company is hoping to build on that growth at MEBA. “We are here seeking cooperation with other private jet companies, because sometimes I don’t have [charter aircraft] availability,” Fouad said. “So they can take our aircraft [when they need additional lift to meet demand] and we can take theirs.” Smart is also looking for medical transportation companies seeking an air ambulance partner in Egypt. Two of the Smart Aviation’s Sovereigns are configured for medical flights. “They have all the high-tech medical equipment, and a doctor and nurse onboard,” said Fouad. “They can fly up to seven hours, so we are covering all of Europe, all of the Middle East and most of Africa.” Most of its air ambulance flights are for tourists who become sick or are injured during their vacations, with insurance companies picking up the tab for the flights, according to the company. However, most of the charter work is for private travelers, and since its founding the fleet has flown 4,500 hours, Fouad said. Though operated as a private company,

Smart Aviation is owned by the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (60 percent), flag carrier EgyptAir (20 percent) and the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (20 percent) with a capitalization of $100 million. But Smart chairman and CEO Wael El-Maadawy said the government’s involvement does not preclude other private charter companies from entering the Egyptian air charter market. “There is no restriction,” El-Maadawy said. “The way Egyptian aviation laws are established now allows any company

Officials of Cairo-based charter operator Smart Aviation include (l to r) Fouad Shafik Ahmed, Dr. Mostafa Bahgat, Wael El-Maadawy and Tarek Fouad. They are seeking charter companies to partner with.

to be established in Cairo. If you’d like to have a business in Cairo, it’s a competitive environment.” Smart Aviation has further expansion in its plans. In May the company will debut a new service, cleaning Egypt’s hightension transmission lines with helicopterborne linesmen, a job which is expected to increase the efficiency of the country’s electrical transmission grid by about 15 percent, according to Smart. That same month the company will take delivery of two Bombardier Q400 turboprops with a capacity of more than 60 passengers. “We’re not sure where they will be based,” said Fouad. “It’s a completely different service.” o a very tall order Guess the number of balls inside the tall cylinder at the Ruag display (Stand E132) and win a free aircraft cleaning at any of the company’s four European facilities. The balls represent the number of maintenance events Ruag has completed so far this year. The free cleaning is for the interior and exterior of aircraft up to the size of a Bombardier Global Express. First-time MEBA exhibitor Ruag Business Aviation has locations in Munich, Geneva, Lugano and Berne. The company provides maintenance, paint, interior refurbishment, avionics upgrades, retrofits and engine services for Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer, Piaggio and Pilatus aircraft. The tombola drawing will be held Thursday afternoon here at the MEBA show. n

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HBC pumps up global product support efforts new King Air 250 at the NBAA convention in October. “This is the tenth major King Air product announcement since 2003,” Vick said. All-new King Air

Deliveries of the King Air 250 are to begin in the second quarter of 2011. The model features new Hartzell composite propellers, composite BLR winglets and Raisbeck ram-air recovery systems for the engine nacelles. These upgrades enable the aircraft to operate safely from 1,500 more airports worldwide at maximum takeoff weight, he said, “without making any tradeoffs.” Improved performance for the King Air 250 includes a maximum-weight takeoff distance of 2,111 feet at sea level on a standard day and 3,094 feet at 5,000 feet elevation on a standard day (both over a 50-foot obstacle). These numbers are

This Hawker 900XP midsize jet is one of four aircraft that Hawker Beechcraft has on static display here.

maximum takeoff weight and higher maximum altitude, 400-hour inspection intervals and a 10-year warranty on the airframe. Like the Premier IA, the Hawker 200 has a composite fuselage, metal wings and empennage made of a metal frame skinned with composites. The interior features new stretched club seating with more legroom and side-facing seats. Hawker 200 avionics are the same Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 system as the Premier IA. With a maximum takeoff weight of 13,800 pounds (up

DAVID McINTOSH

Soaring sales of its business aircraft family have prompted Hawker Beechcraft to enlist ExecuJet Aviation to boost its product support network here in the Middle East, as well as in Africa and Australasia. In a recently agreed partnership, ExecuJet has been appointed to run service centers for the U.S. manufacturer here in Dubai, as well as in Lagos, Nigeria; Cape Town and Lanseria in South Africa; and Melbourne and Sydney in Australia. In the Middle East during the last three years, Hawker Beechcraft delivered 34 percent of all new jets and 88 percent of turboprops, said Sean McGeough, Hawker Beechcraft president Europe, Middle East and Africa. It also delivered 44 percent of jets and 90 percent of turboprops in North Africa. “No other manufacturer even comes close,” he claimed. Hawker Beechcraft has also invested $10 million in spares for new distribution centers in London, Dubai and Singapore and established a financing arm with local regional support, he added, “to facilitate loans with the right banks to serve customers.” During the past year, Hawker Beechcraft delivered 15 jets and turboprops in the Middle East/North Africa region, 12 of which were special-mission aircraft. On the static display at this year’s MEBA show, the company is showing four airplanes: the super-midsize Hawker 4000, Hawker 900XP midsize jet, Beechcraft Premier IA light jet and King Air 350i twin turboprop. During the next 10 years, according to Hawker Beechcraft, 60 percent of business aircraft sales will take place outside the U.S. The company’s shift to focus on key growth areas includes moving McGeough to the new role as president for this region from his previous job as v-p international sales. To help Hawker Beechcraft leadership make sound business decisions, said Shawn Vick, executive vice president, the company launched a comprehensive survey of more than 3,000 customers and established a customer advisory board with 50 members from 33 countries. One result of those interactions was the launch of the

From left: Sean McGeough, HBC president for EMEA; Shawn Vick, executive v-p; and Clive Prentice, v-p for EMEA operations, meet the press at MEBA.

450 and 700 feet shorter, respectively, than those for the King Air 200GT. Price of the King Air 250 is $5.79 million. The planned engine and performance upgrades to the Premier IA light jet that were to morph it into the Premier II will now be embodied in the Hawker 200 light jet. Customer feedback indicated that the upgraded Premier ought to be part of the Hawker family. “We agreed,” said Vick. “It deserved nothing less than to be called a Hawker.” Priced at $7.55 million, the Hawker 200 will enter service in 2012. Key features include new Williams International 3,000-pound thrust FJ44-3AP engines (up from 2,300 on the Premier IA), winglets, a higher

from 12,500 on the Premier IA), the Hawker 200 will be able to fly 1,546 nm with four passengers, 371 nm farther than the IA. Maximum cruise speed climbs to 473 knots for the Hawker 200, up from the IA’s 454 knots. And the Hawker 200’s maximum operating altitude climbs 4,000 feet, to 45,000 feet. The flighttest Hawker 200 has already flown 90 times and logged 110 hours since first flight in March. Hawker Beechcraft has begun design engineering on the 400 XPR upgrade for the Hawker 400XP/Beechjet 400A series, after having acquired the first test aircraft for the program. The 400XPR offers significant performance improvements, with replacement of the original Pratt

12aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

& Whitney Canada JT15D-5 engines with Williams International FJ44-4A-32 Fadeccontrolled engines, composite winglets and optional Rockwell Collins Proline 21 avionics. Certification of the $2.24 million 400XPR upgrade is expected in 2012. In other MEBA news, Hawker Beechcraft announced that the Chester, UK service center is now offering the Thrane & Thrane Aviator 200 Inmarsat satcom with WiFi capability for the King

DAVID McINTOSH

by Matt Thurber

Air 200 and 300 series. The company expects to receive a supplemental type certificate from EASA by the end of this year, and plans are under way to obtain an STC for the King 90 as well. Aviator 200 works on Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband service. The Chester facility also received King Air 200 and 300 repair station ratings from EASA and the FAA, allowing the facility to perform inspections, maintenance, alterations and upgrades on those airplanes. o

Jetalliance kicks off Russia, CIS charter ops Jetalliance East has launched charter operations in Russia and the CIS. The company (exhibiting here at the static display) is a joint venture between Aeroflot Russian Airlines and Jetalliance Holding of Austria. The two companies formed the joint venture in July and applied for a Russian air operator’s certificate (AOC) under which they will fly two new Cessna Citations–a CJ3 and a Sovereign–on Russia and CIS charter flights. Jetalliance is also the authorized sales representative for Citations in Russia. The Russian authorities were very accommodating in helping Jetalliance East obtain its AOC, according to Michael Holy, director of marketing for Jetalliance Group. “Everything was very professional and without any surprises,” he told AIN. The two jets are registered in Austria, thanks to a bilateral agreement between the two countries, but fly under Russian regulations. Flight crews are Russian, he added, by regulatory requirement, and are fluent in English. The Citations are based at Sheremetyevo Airport, although trips can be booked from any airport in the Moscow area, according to Holy.

Aeroflot business aviation subsidiary Aeroflot Plus is based at Sheremetyevo. Aeroflot brought Aeroflot Plus to the new organization and Jetalliance contributed the Citations. Business prospects for Russia and the CIS look promising, according to Holy. Foreign charter operators can’t pick up and fly passengers within Russia because of cabotage regulations, and obtaining permission to fly to Russia and CIS destinations remains challenging. “The need to apply for permissions hinders foreign charter operators from spontaneously taking off to domestic destinations,” he said. And most of the 200 business aircraft registered in Russia are homegrown aircraft like the Yak-42 and Tu-134. Russia has many opportunities for business aviation. Looking at the fleet based and registered in Russia, there is demand for new aircraft.” Jetalliance East is planning to add services, such as Citation sales, financing, aircraft management and maintenance, for Russia and CIS customers. “Our vision,” said Jetalliance Holding CEO Lukas Lichtner-Hoyer, “is to provide complete turnkey services for jet owners.” o

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Here in the Dubai sunshine it is easy to forget the extent to which snow and ice can disrupt aircraft operations. Business aircraft are rarely the top priority at snow-bound airfields. With another bleak winter forecast for Europe, UK-based Harrods Aviation (Stand C250) has taken steps to minimize the effects of winter weather on its customers’ operations from its London Luton base by providing aircraft de-icing and ramp snow removal. Harrods has selected specialist Glistening Jets to provide and operate a de-icing rig at its Luton facility. The £250,000 ($394,000) rig can handle all sizes of aircraft that use the Harrods Aviation FBO facility, and will be available 24 hours a day. Additionally, Glistening Jets will provide a snow-clearing service to keep the Harrods apron and taxiways clear. The new services combine to free Harrods customers from reliance on outside service providers that routinely prioritize commercial airline movements ahead of VIP/business operations. As well as its ground-handling, hangar and operationssupport services at Luton and

London Stansted, Harrods Aviation also has a wide range of maintenance and engineering capability at both locations, plus an engine shop at Farnborough. The Stansted facility additionally provides for rotary-wing support. Here at MEBA the company announced a two-year deal with Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS), the aftermarket division of the U.S. helicopter manufacturer. Under the agreement, Harrods will undertake custom modifications of the S-76 helicopters operating throughout Europe. Harrods is already a Sikorsky customer support center for the type, and will purchase modification kits directly from the company. “Sikorsky continues to increase its global presence, and we welcome opportunities to expand our regional aftermarket support with a quality aviation specialist like Harrods Aviation,” said David Adler, president of SAS. “With a high concentration of Sikorsky operators throughout the European Union, our ability to provide modifications regionally is pivotal for servicing this territory.” –D.D.

Nexus Flight partners on security solutions

which has offices throughout the Middle East and Asia. “Our partnership with FAM International will reassure our customers that we have chosen the best and most comprehensive solution for them.” FAM International, which is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has a long experience in security operations. Among the services it provides are aircraft security, assessment of hotels and other venues, ground transportation security and protection of executives. Through its global organization it provides regional knowledge and insight, and highly trained personnel who are well versed in low-profile security operations. “FAM is uniquely positioned worldwide with regional and incountry managers to monitor each client’s security,” explained Brian Leek, the company’s CEO. “FAM is able to identify associated risks geared to Nexus clients’ needs and then make recommendations to safeguard their assets.” Nexus is a subsidiary of the MAZ Aviation group (Static Display OD3). –D.D.

Nexus Flight Operations Services has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with U.S.-based FAM International to provide its customers with tailored aviation security solutions. With its new operations centers in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Nexus provides a range of flight support capabilities, such as flight dispatch, planning and scheduling for aircraft and crew, trip planning and a global concierge service. Through the new agreement, Nexus can now offer security services as an option. “Security solutions are always critical to choose because you must place your trust in someone else,” said Abdullah Al-Sayed, president and CEO of Nexus,

DAVID McINTOSH

Harrods takes edge off London’s big freeze

T-Tail in the sunset Although it was near the end of a long day, our photographer couldn’t pass up this closing shot. With one day under its belt, this year’s Middle East Business Aviation gathering appears to be pointing toward a business aviation recovery in the Arabian Gulf region. Exhibitor numbers are up more than 40 percent from 2008.

Lufthansa Technik touts MRO and completions by James Wynbrandt Lufthansa Technik, best known for its VIP completions of executive-configured Airbus and Boeing airliners, is also showcasing the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) side of its “VIP and executive jet solutions” at the MEBA show (Stand C305). “Lufthansa [the German airline], our parent company, is operating a lot of our customers’ airplanes,” said Walter Heerdt, senior vice president for marketing and sales. “We know the aircraft, and we know the maintenance, and if they need an engine or component or service, we will get it there very speedily. And this puts Lufthansa Technik in a position to offer a service nobody else can.” As part of its emphasis on offering MRO to VIP customers in the Middle East, last year the company signed a cooperation agreement with Riyadhbased National Air Services (NAS) to develop MRO services that include work on VIPconfigured aircraft. “This is for us a very important milestone,” Heerdt said of

14aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

the NAS agreement, “and we are going to develop this at a pace which is set by both companies jointly.” But Lufthansa Technik is not neglecting its own VIP completions, and the Middle East has long been its most important market, representing about 70 percent of the company’s completions over the last 25 years, according to Heerdt. “We are seeing that other markets are emerging: China, India, Russia,” Heerdt said. “But traditionally the Middle East is still the strongest market for VIP aircraft.” Heerdt also noted that the global economic downturn has had little impact on the company’s business. Its completion centers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Hamburg are currently at capacity, with more work coming. “We have signed [contracts] this year for two BBJs [Boeing Business Jets], and we expect to sign another one this month,” Heerdt said. Going forward, the company has expanded its completion capacity to handle three widebody aircraft simultaneously

at its Hamburg facility. “As it looks right now, in 2013 we will have three 747-8s in our hangar,” while still having capacity for narrowbody completions, Heerdt said, “and we are building up our capability in Tulsa to accommodate up to three A380s.” At MEBA, Lufthansa Technik has a full schedule of meetings with customers. The company currently maintains a sales office in Dubai aimed at commercial aircraft customers, “but we are reinforcing our team here in Dubai for the VIP market,” Heerdt said. In addition to VIP completions for all Airbus and Boeing airliners, the company also offers refurbishment for large-cabin business jets, including Bombardier and Gulfstream aircraft. Heerdt noted that Lufthansa Technik, which has been displaying its capabilities in Dubai since the Emirate’s first airshow in 1989, is a founding member of the Middle East Business Aviation Association. “We are thankful that something like MEBA has been created,” Heerdt said. “The Dubai Air Show is military, commercial and VIP [aircraft], and for this traditionally strong business jet market, I think it’s good now to have an exhibition and show here in the Middle East just for VIP and business jet aircraft.” o

Recognized. Respected. WoRldWide.

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Business as Usual

DAVID McINTOSH

Although MEBA is the third largest business aviation show in the world, its 53 static display aircraft have little or no impact on normal airline operations at Dubai International Airport.

Wyvern and AQS join forces

One brand: One global MRO network that safeguards you and your investment Midcoast Aviation to be rebranded as Jet Aviation

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EMEA & Asia Basel l Dubai l Dusseldorf l Geneva l Hannover l Hong Kong l Jeddah l Kuala Lumpur l London Biggin Hill l Moscow Vnukovo l Riyadh l Singapore l Zurich North & South America l Boston/Bedford l Sorocaba, Brazil l St. Louis l Teterboro

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16aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

24.11.10 14:08

Safety audit specialist Wyvern has joined forces with Aviation Quality Services (AQS) to introduce a common safety standard to the European business aviation market. Wyvern is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gothenburg, Swedenbased Avinode (Stand C755), the leading online charter flight marketplace. It conducts safety audits and consults on a range of safety issues, and has become a leader in the field of providing safety information to corporate flight and travel departments, charter brokers and fractional ownership operators. In the U.S., in particular, the Wyvern Standard has become a well-established indicator of safety and quality, and is a prerequisite for many corporations when it comes to chartering aircraft. Entering into a partnership with AQS allows Wyvern to develop in the European market, where corporate safety requirements are becoming ever more stringent. AQS is part of the Lufthansa Group, and was the first IATAaccredited audit organization. Its primary focus has been on airlines, and it has audited more than 200 carriers to date. This work is conducted from primary locations at Frankfurt, Dubai, Johannesburg and, shortly, Hong Kong. With its audit experience and expertise, AQS was a natural partner to bring the Wyvern Standard to Europe. Wyvern’s audit involves a four man-day on-site inspection and evaluation of charter operators’ operations and maintenance procedures. For the customer the Wyvern Standard offers a means of differentiating it from nonapproved competitors, including those on Avinode’s widely used charter database. A Wyvern accreditation also allows European operators access to additional auditing, training and consultation services provided by AQS. o

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Come visit us at MEBA booth C414.

OnAir links airborne phones to ground net by Bernard Fitzsimons Demand for in-flight connectivity is snowballing, according to Stephan Egli, chief commercial officer with on-board communications provider and first-time MEBA exhibitor OnAir (Stand E105). The Geneva-based company, a joint venture of aeronautical IT/ communications specialist SITA and Airbus, has contracts with 30-plus airlines, more than 10 of them here in the Middle East. Its service enables passengers to use their own cellphones to

connect with the terrestrial telecommunications network via a satellite link. And demand is just as high among private aircraft operators. Originally, OnAir restricted its offering to airlines, but it has responded to demand by expanding availability of the service to include government, VIP and corporate operators. In 2008 Jet Aviation agreed to install the equipment on a range of business and VIP jets, and a similar agreement followed with

OnAir Gets Bizjets Connected OnAir equipment is available as a catalog option on Airbus Corporate Jets and can also be installed on larger classic business jets as well as airlinerbased private aircraft, including the: • Bombardier Challenger and Global Express • Boeing Business Jet • Gulfstream GIV, GIV-SP, GV and G550 • Embraer Lineage 1000 and Embraer aircraft in VIP configuration • Boeing aircraft in VIP configuration • Cessna Citation 10 and Excel Weight is a barrier to installation on smaller aircraft, acknowledged OnAir’s Stephan Egli. “It’s also a question of range. If you are in a very small aircraft and you hop from one place to the next and you’re airborne for an hour there’s much less need to be connected than if you’re flying six or seven hours.” So far, only BBJs, ACJs and larger VIP aircraft have been equipped, he said, but deals for installations on smaller jets are under negotiation. – B.J.F.

TrueNorth’s Express globalizes WiFi phones TrueNorth Avionics of Ottawa, Ontario is giving away one of its new Express system modules here at MEBA (Stand E412). Announced in September, the Express system allows users of WiFi-equipped smartphones to send and receive e-mail from anywhere in the world. The Express module works with the aircraft’s existing Aircell 3100 airborne telephone system, which connects via the Iridium satcom network, allowing “light” e-mailing (generally without attachments) at a 2.4 kbps rate. The first TrueNorth Express system installation was done earlier this month in a Dassault Falcon 900. TrueNorth Express works with Apple iPhones, RIM BlackBerrys and Droid mobile phones. TrueNorth Express costs $10,995, plus installation. “We see TrueNorth

Express as a way for customers to walk on the airplane, immediately connect with their Express broadband system and begin sending messages right away,” said company president Mark van Berkel. TrueNorth has also released a compact broadband satcom, the Simphoné Global Broadband 200 system designed for airborne communications via laptop The first TrueNorth Express system was installed on a Dassault Falcon 900. It works with Apple iPhones, RIM Blackberrys and Droid mobile phones. The cost is $10,995, plus installation.

Aviation Center Cologne (now ACC Columbia). The company is also talking to additional potential installers. “From a technology point of view it’s essentially the same equipment on a private or commercial jet,” said Egli. “It wasn’t very difficult to adapt.” The four items of onboard equipment for the GSM/ GPRS service that is most popular with private operators are the picocell that acts as the cellphone base station; an onboard channel selector that is required to ensure compliance with all the regulations; a small server that establishes the call between the ground network; and the onboard network, and a modem that connects with the satellite. “We also have a WiFi service,” said Egli, “but we see the demand much more on the GSM/GPRS side. Passengers on a private jet are typically not people who travel with laptops and want to mess around with WiFi connections. They just want to turn on their phones and use them.” Even without WiFi on board, smartphone users can access the Internet in the same way that they would on the ground. Installation costs can range from $200,000 to nearly $1 million depending on the size of the aircraft and its existing equipment. “Normally we try to install all these things during C checks,” Egli explained. computers and smartphones/ mobile devices using the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband satellite network. Global Broadband 200 provides up to 200 kbps throughput and comes in a small unit containing the satellite data unit and amplifier connected to a small-footprint fuselagemounted blade antenna ideal for turboprops and light jets. Global Broadband 200 weighs about 12 pounds and costs $48,000, plus installation. For faster throughput, TrueNorth also offers the Global Broadband 300 and 400, which deliver 300 and 432 kbps service, respectively. To meet the demand for the Express system and other products in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, TrueNorth has added new dealers to its roster. These include Swiss-based AMAC Aerospace, Comlux Completion USA, the UK’s Lees Avionics and Ruag Aviation in Germany. TrueNorth vice president Dan Martella has been assigned a sales leadership position for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. o

18aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

OnAir enables passengers on airlines and private aircraft operators to use their own cellphones to connect with the ground telecommunications network via a satellite link.

OnAir is also an Inmarsat reseller, Egli said. “We are an Inmarsat SwiftBroadband distribution partner, so if an operator simply wants a satellite connection using SBB we can provide it. That is something that can be done within a day or two, as long as an SBB-capable satcom is installed in the aircraft.” Although the satellite coverage is global, the need for regulatory approval from individual countries before aircraft can use the service in their airspace means there are still some gaps in OnAir’s provision. The other big exception is

U.S. airspace, where the Federal Communications Commission bans the use of cellphones on board aircraft. “The rest of the world has embraced it, so we hope that will change fairly soon, Egli said. “In Europe we have essentially 100 percent coverage; Asia is improving, so it won’t be long before you can use the service pretty much anywhere.” o

UVAir clients check fuel with mobile apps Universal Weather and Aviation (Stand C325) has introduced the second release of its Universal Mobile application. This allows UVAir cardholders to access their online fuel management accounts through any Web-enabled mobile device, including iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, or Android. Via Universal Mobile, UVair customers can look at what their total fuel charges will be for a planned trip. They can also request fuel releases, as well as view savings and volume reports to help them in planning and budgeting. The application was launched in October and can be accessed by any Universal client who creates a registered user account at www.universalweather.com. Universal Mobile automatically detects the type of mobile

device a user is operating and optimizes the format to best fit that device. The first release of Universal Mobile provided users the ability to view and manage the details of their trips through Universal Trip Support Services on any mobile device via Universal’s Web-based UVtriplink Trip Status application. Future releases will come in early 2011 and will include: UVflightplanner.com, UVdatalink, QICP weather, UVTripPlanner, and online invoices. –C.A. AINonline iPhone App NOW AVAILABLE

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Turkey’s Gözen shines in European FBO survey In February this year the operations of Gözen Air Services (Stand E240) at Istanbul’s Atatürk airport ranked number one in a reader survey of European FBOs conducted by European Business Air News. At face value, it was a surprise choice given that the Turkish operation was competing against much higherprofile FBOs in Europe. But the achievement highlights the company’s success in providing high-value services to business aviation as part of the wider Gözen group’s activities that also include a charter airline

(Freebird Airlines), luxury yacht charters, aviation security services and training. Gözen Air Services was formed in 1979 and evolved into a provider of airline support and ground-handling services. The company’s activities naturally flowed into the business aviation sector, and it now supports virtually all of the business movements in and out of Turkey. It has operations at nine Turkish airports: Istanbul-Atatürk, Istanbul-Sabiha Gokcen, Ankara-Esenboga, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Izmir, Adana-Sakirpasa and Adana-Incirlik. The last

primarily supports foreign airlines operating military charters. At these locations Gözen provides ground handling and fuel. It supports flight planning and operations, including slot arrangement and overflight clearance, while offering a range of concierge services. Turkish security requirements prevent the company from having dedicated VIP terminals, but the company has its own luxurious lounges and services within the airport terminals for VIP passengers. Gözen provides aircraft management and support for numerous private operators within Turkey, accounting for some 70 to 80 aircraft. For example, it manages the fleet of TAV, the construction and airport operation company that built the

roofs of the seven Emirates A380 hangars here in Dubai. Increasing business between the Middle East and Turkey, in both corporate and leisure fields, is one of the main drivers of Gözen’s growth. Turkey has become an increasingly popular leisure destination for Middle East travelers in recent times, spurred in part by a film industry that is popular in the region. The company has numerous partners in the Middle East, including the principal business aviation operators. Responding to a rise in demand for corporate charters, Gözen is looking at acquiring its own large VIP aircraft to operate under the airline’s air operator’s certificate. The carrier operates Airbus A320/321s at present and previously flew

Seca enticing ME bizav to get engines overhauled in France

EADS Seca is at MEBA for the first time, suggesting it is easier for a Middle Eastern company to have its engines overhauled with Seca in Paris than at a U.S. company. According to Seca, there are few other options in this part of the world.

by Thierry Dubois Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW300 series, as well as General Electric CF700s and Pratt & Whitney JT15Ds and PT6 turbofans and PW100 turboprops. In 2009, Seca’s revenues were close to €100 million ($140 million). The EADS subsidiary overhauled about 350 engines at its Gonesse facility, near CDG. This year, however, it is feeling the impact of the downturn in business aviation flying activity, which is expected to translate into a 15-percent decrease in business. o

DAVID McINTOSH

Paris-based engine maintenance specialist EADS Seca is making its first appearance at MEBA (Stand C232), promoting its relative proximity to the Middle East. According to sales and marketing vice president Jean-Jacques Reboul, a business aircraft operator based in the region may find it convenient to have its engines overhauled in France since there are few options in this part of the world. “We already have a handful of customers in the Middle East,” Reboul told AIN. He claimed that Paris’s Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) is an effective logistic hub that allows the company to ensure short turnaround times. “It is easier for a Middle Eastern company to have engines overhauled with Seca than at a U.S. location,” he said, pointing to the smaller difference in time zones as one factor. The company reported that 10 percent of its business currently comes from the Middle East and Africa combined, but that figure is growing, Reboul said. Also growing is its 10-percent share of Asia Pacific. Meanwhile, he said, the Americas account for approximately 15 percent of Seca’s revenues and Europe 65 percent. In terms of type of customers, charter operators and corporate/private operators each account for 40 percent, with government operators representing the remaining 20 percent. Seca offers major overhauls, hot-section inspections, access to an engine rental pool, engineering support, accessories maintenance, spare parts trading, training, 24-hour hotline, AOG desk and onsite support. It also provides service packages that include fleet management, engine monitoring and customer training. “We help operators cut their maintenance costs and their CO2 emissions,” Reboul said. In the business aviation sector, Seca supports Honeywell’s TFE731 series and

MD-83s, so either type could be accommodated easily, although the Boeing BBJ is also an option. Similarly, a rise in demand may result in the purchase of VIP helicopters. This has become an increasingly important part of the company’s work, exemplified by the provision and support of helicopter travel to and from the Turkish F1 Grand Prix. Gözen is also looking at expanding its aviation fuel business. It is currently the only licensed fuel provider in Turkey outside of the multinational companies, but has no storage facilities of its own. If implemented, fuel storage would allow the company to further support its customers by offering fuel at lower prices. –D.D.

vistaJet opening new vistas This Bombardier Challenger 605 is part of a 28-aircraft fleet operated by charter group VistaJet. It is increasingly stationing its identicallyliveried jets, which also include Global Express XRSs, in the Middle East to meet rising demand in the region. The operator is due to take delivery of two more 605s and six XRSs during 2011 and 2012. VistaJet also operates throughout Europe and Asia.

20aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

Ibex ready to offer one-way charters by James Wynbrandt Beirut-based Ibex Air Charter is making its public debut at MEBA with a plan to introduce a new fare model to the Middle East charter market. “I want to start charging on a one-way system, which makes [charter] very feasible and economical,” said Munzer Awaida, Ibex Air Charter’s consultant for business development. “So now is the opportunity for me to put something in front of the aviation market.” Awaida, with long aviation experience in the region, was brought to Ibex by owner Ahmed El-Hage, who also operates his family-owned Trans Air Congo Airlines, based in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Ibex currently operates a Hawker 850XP, and plans to add a Challenger 604 and a Hawker 800A to its fleet soon. The 800A will be based in Brazzaville, where El-Hage operates a hospital for trauma victims, and will also be used for air ambulance service. Air charter flights have traditionally been sold at round-trip rates to cover the cost of returning the aircraft to its home base, even if the charter customers

travel only one way. But over the past year one-way pricing has seen significant growth in the North American market, and Awaida believes Ibex can successfully replicate this model

in this region. Potential charter customers have already queried the company about buying block charter time, and Awaida thinks that activity will lead to the availability of “empty-leg”

this region, “especially in the U.S.,” he said. “When they want to come to the Middle East, this is where I can really give them service.” The company’s plans will be fine-tuned over the next six months, Awaida said, but its intention is to open offices and also base aircraft in Dubai and Riyadh, adding to Ibex’s flexibility in offering one-way pricing. o

Live your dream.

Spot Air sees growth in Europe Air charter group Spot Air is expanding its services into additional European countries after experiencing significant growth during the past two years. Headquartered in Cairo, the Spot Group (Stand C720) includes Spot Air Egypt, Spot Reisen in Germany, Spot Air UK, EU Air and partner company Astra Associated Services in Italy. During the coming year, Spot Air expects to fly to Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia. Recent new business includes trips from CIS countries and Europe to Dubai and Dar Aslam. The company launched the EU Air subsidiary in Egypt to meet needs of charter customers and will begin operating aircraft next year. Next up for Spot Air’s growth plans is a new service for groups of VIP passengers. Aircraft will be adapted for passenger loads of 30 to 60 people, and concierge services will assist on travelers’ needs. o

return flights that can seed the one-way fare market. “We’ll charge 50 percent [of the full fare, one-way rate] on empty legs,” Awaida said. As for the full fare, one-way prices, “We are not expensive, [but] we are not cheap,” he added. With its public debut, Awaida is eager to meet corporate business aviation users looking for access to

Visit us at booth C 305

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More mobility for the world

www.ainonline.com • December 8, 2010 • MEBA Convention 05.11.2010 Newsaa 13:31:21 Uhr21

news clips Pilots across India will soon see the Shell Aviation sign going up for the first time at a number of airports as the international fuel supplier expands its presence from two airports to 12 in the country. Locations soon to welcome Shell Aviation service include Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, Calicut, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore and Mangalore. Shell currently operates at Bangalore and Hyderabad. The new Indian service, under the Shell MRPL Aviation Fuels and Services Private Ltd. banner, is a joint venture between Shell and Mangalore Refinery & Petrochecmicals Ltd. (MRPL). Shell Aviation has also recently expanded its presence at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, at London City Airport and at Roskilde Airport in Denmark. Shell (Static Display OD5) claims it is the only multinational oil company with a government license to market aviation fuel in India. The company plans to enhance operational and safety standards in India’s aviation services industry by introducing international best practices, operational efficiencies and pricing transparency.

DAVID McINTOSH

z Shell Aviation Expands Indian Presence

static display draws in the new jet set

z Comlux Inks Three More To Management Pacts Three more, undisclosed, aircraft owners have signed up to have their jets managed by Comlux The Aviation Group, with deliveries due to take place over the next 12 months. In the first quarter of next year, a new Bombardier Global 5000 will join the Switzerlandbased company’s fleet, followed by a Dassault Falcon 900LX in the second quarter and an Airbus ACJ in the fourth quarter. The arrival of the new Global 5000 will take Comlux’s fleet of this type to eight of the long-range aircraft. It already operates five ACJs and is due to receive a VIP A320 early next year. The aircraft are operated by its Fly Comlux division.

Cake was on the menu at Ocean Sky here at the MEBA show yesterday when the UK-based business aviation services group celebrated the opening of its new office in Dubai. Ocean Sky (Stand E312) is offering aircraft charter and management services in the Middle East market, but, following up on its business model in Europe, intends to expand into areas such as FBOs and jet acquisition in this region. The new Dubai office is led by Neil Backhouse (right), pictured here with Ocean Sky CEO Steve Grimes.

DAVID McINTOSH

z Taking a Slice of the Middle East Market

z Executive Sky Sees Phenomenal Growth Executive Sky managing director Khaled Akkawi said yesterday that growth at his two-year-old Beirut, Lebanon-based charter company has been nothing short of phenomenal, with “2010 revenues up 500 percent over 2009.” Executive Sky (Stand E113) currently operates a two-aircraft fleet, a Learjet 60 and a Hawker 700. Marketing coordinator Christine Mdawar said the company hopes to have its first large-cabin business jet, a Falcon 900, operational for charter next spring. Executive Sky might base the 900 in Saudi Arabia to reduce ferry time to that region’s client base. As the exclusive broker/operator for these aircraft, Executive Sky sets an ambitious business goal of 100 charter hours per month for each aircraft. Mdawar said the company reached that goal a few times in the past year, especially during the high season. She said the company’s most popular destinations this year, all from Beirut, have been Dubai; Nice, France; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and London airports Farnborough and Luton. Customers’ aircraft of choice for the short trips is the Hawker 700, while the Learjet 60 can make it to the UK nonstop under most conditions. Mdawar added that Executive Sky hopes the Falcon 900 will encourage clients to make regular trips to the U.S.

As the first day of this year’s Middle East Business Aviation show opened, there were plenty of attendees waiting at the gates to eyeball the newest wares from the business aviation industry. And there was a lot to see, with no fewer than 53 aircraft lined up for inspection on the static display stage.

Fokker Aircraft joins MEBAA A new member of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) is Fokker Aircraft Services (FAS), the Dutch maintenance and conversion company (Stand E345). The move has been made in response to considerable expansion in the company’s Middle East and North African customer base. “With our rich heritage and expertise in outfitting VIP cabin interiors for Airbus ACJ, Boeing BBJ, Bombardier and Gulfstream aircraft, in addition to the attractiveness of our new Total Care Programme, we have captured the attention of a growing customer

base, particularly in the Middle East,” said Eric Cuppen, Fokker’s director of aircraft completions and conversions. “Fokker Aircraft Services is proud to be a member of MEBAA,” continued Cuppen. “It is a strong organization for all who take part in the business aircraft industry and in such an important region. We are pleased to already count some important companies in this part of the world as customers.” This year FAS delivered a VIP-configured Airbus A318 to a customer in the region, and is currently nearing completion

Thrane & Thrane shows wireless handset here Satcom specialist Thrane & Thrane (Stand C428) is presenting its Aviator wireless handset for the first time at MEBA. The stylish handset works in conjunction with the company’s Aviator SwiftBroadband sys tem, allowing anyone onboard to make and receive in-flight calls, whether they are the pilots contacting ground control or passengers making personal and business calls. Noise and echo cancellation is incorporated to optimize audio quality, and the handset features a 3.5-mm jackpoint to

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connect to a headset. Other features of the Aviator handset are a 2.2-inch TFT color screen, automatic power-up and powerdown, lithium-ion battery and charging cradle, adjustable keypad backlight and the ability to display alarms of the Swift Broadband unit. The device complies with the wireless local area networking (WLAN) 802.11b/g standard. o

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of a VIP A320 for an African customer. With a 16,000-square-meter facility at Woensdrecht in the Netherlands, FAS has over 400 staff to serve Airbus, Boeing and Fokker operators. The company undertakes a wide range of MRO, modification and conversion activities in commercial, government and military sectors. It has the ability to provide custom-designed solutions and to perform both internal and external modifications. Among its services are testing and certification to meet GCAA, EASA, FAA and local requirements. –D.D.

Beirut Operator Signs for CAE Training Executive Aircraft Services (EAS) yesterday signed a contract to have its Bombardier Global Express pilots trained at the Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT) facility here in Dubai. Crews with the Beirut-based operator already receive flight training there for the Challenger 300 and Hawker HS125 aircraft. The Global Express training will be conducted on a new CAE 7000 Series that was installed at ECFT in April. EAS is an aircraft charter and management operator. n

Gulfstream 650 topples speed and range records by Chad Trautvetter The Gulfstream G650 will be the world’s fastest and longestrange business jet when deliveries of completed customer aircraft enter service in 2012 (unfinished “green” deliveries will actually begin later next year). Its wide cabin will also boast the latest in comfort and convenience. The $64.5 million twinjet, which first flew last year, is both a significant departure and a natural progression from the manufacturer’s previous and current line of large jets– airplanes whose lineage and fuselage diameter can be traced back to the Gulfstream II of the 1960s. Power on the G650 comes from two 16,100-poundthrust Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, which are more efficient than their BR710 predecessor. The new engines produce almost 5 percent more takeoff thrust while reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by 5 percent and smoke by 10 percent. They are also 33 percent quieter than the BR710s, reducing noise levels to 17 decibels below Stage 4 standards. The new engines, increased use of metal bonding and composite materials, combined with more efficient wing design, translate into better aerodynamics, weight savings and greater efficiencies in manufacture and operation. For example, the

G650’s huge 28- by 20.5-inch windows are 16 percent bigger than the G550’s but use 78 percent fewer parts, thereby cutting assembly time in half. The oval windows are also spaced farther apart than the G550’s and are slightly higher on the fuselage to improve viewing angle. According to Gulfstream, the G650 can fly the 6,370 nm from Dubai to Chicago some 90 minutes faster than any other civilian jet. The aircraft can also land in adverse weather thanks to integrated head-up and synthetic-vision systems that include the Gulfstream enhanced-vision system (EVS), synthetic-vision primary flight display system and head-up display. The EVS uses a forwardlooking infrared camera that captures actual ground images and projects them on the pilot’s head-up display, while the synthetic-vision system employs 3-D color terrain images from an onboard database. Gulfstream didn’t want to make the jet so large that it couldn’t land in places that ban aircraft weighing more than 100,000 pounds, such as Aspen, Colorado; Sun Valley, Idaho; and the New York Cityarea Teterboro Airport. Nor did it want to have to rely on ground-based systems such as power carts.

The quieter engines not only enable the G650 to conform to all existing and anticipated airport noise restrictions, they also make for a quieter cabin. The fuselage’s oval shape is more aerodynamically efficient than the G550’s round-tube design and offers more cabin space. The unfinished cabin measures 102 inches wide and 77 inches high (75 inches finished). The G650’s floor is 80 inches wide (15 inches wider than the G550’s) and the interior sidewall-to-sidewall width (at shoulders, seated) is 98 inches. This means more seat recline, legroom and stateroom options as well as larger galleys, lavatories, baggage and crew-rest areas. The wider floor allows for larger seats, wider aisles and the ability to seat three across in conference and dining groupings. Its main entry door is massive–almost 75 inches tall, versus 59.25 inches on the G550. The baggage area provides 195 cu ft of space and is accessible at all altitudes through the aft lavatory. The G650 has a 100-percent fresh-air system and provides a lower cabin altitude than other large business jets–4,850 feet when flying at 51,000 feet and 2,800 feet when flying at 41,000 feet. The environmental-control system features quieter air distribution than the G550 and independently vented lavatories. The G650’s cabin can be configured for 11 to 18 passenger seats in one of 12 floor plans, including six with forward galleys and six with aft galleys, with or without crew-rest areas. The mid-cabin credenza

opposite the conference area can be replaced with two single seats and a sidewall table. This effectively creates a six-seat conference/dining area. The optional aft stateroom area, forward of the aft lavatory, is available with forward galley plans. It features a single seat, table, storage, a 27-inch LED monitor and a berthing divan. The wide floor means that when the divan is deployed there is still ample aisle clearance to allow access to the aft lavatory and the baggage compartment. Gulfstream showed a finished Gulfstream G650 cabin for the first time at the NBAA Convention in October in Atlanta. The full interior is in G650 flighttest aircraft S/N 6004, which, besides being used for certification trials, will be used to shake out the cabin itself. Standard cabin equipment includes two electrically articulated seats with heated back and base cushion. A divan in S/N 6004 is more couch-like and has one-touch, electrically actuated berthing. Also new in the G650 is the company’s own Gulfstream Cabin Management System, which provides digital control of cabin systems through touch-screens, capacitive touch switches and passenger control units. Using an iPod Touch synched to a particular aircraft seat, passengers will be able to control the lighting, temperature, speakers, monitors, entertainment equipment, window shades, CabinView system and flight attendant call. The company plans to deliver

up to 12 “green” Gulfstream G650s in the second half of next year, following U.S. certification in midyear. To date, the twinjet has accumulated nearly 900 flight-test hours–about half of what Gulfstream expects to log for the entire certification program–and a fifth aircraft is scheduled to join the program later this month. The aggressive flight-test program precluded Gulfstream from showing a G650 here at MEBA. Jay Johnson, chairman and CEO of Gulfstream parent company General Dynamics,

G650 Specifications and Performance (selected items) Price: $64.5 million Passengers: 8 to 18 Crew: 2 Range (@ Mach 0.85): 7,000 nm Maximum cruise speed: Mach 0.925 Cabin Width: 8 ft 6 in Cabin Height: 6 ft 5 in Cabin Length: 53 ft 7 in Cabin Volume: 2,138 cu ft

hinted last week that at least one of the aircraft might have achieved supersonic flight during testing. Gulfstream will build the G650 at a new 308,000-sq-ft production plant in Savannah, Georgia, using ultra-lean manufacturing techniques. The company has about 200 orders for the airplane. o

Gulfstream Brings Trio to Dubai Gulfstream is showcasing three of its most popular models here at MEBA 2010: the mid-range G200, the long-range G450 and the ultra-long range G550. These airplanes stand in the static area right in front of Gulfstream’s chalet (A9). Larry Flynn, Gulfstream’s senior vice president, marketing and sales, confirmed that “Gulfstream has more than 100 airplanes in the Middle East, a number that has more than doubled in the last decade. MEBA represents an ideal opportunity for us to communicate our aircraft’s tremendous capabilities.” The company is hosting a regional operator’s forum today to provide technical presentations and updates on maintenance and operational subjects relevant to Gulfstream operators in the region. –R.M.

www.ainonline.com • December 8, 2010 • MEBA Convention Newsaa23

DAVID McINTOSH

An aggressive flight-test schedule prompted Gulfstream to keep its new G650 at home in Savannah, Georgia, in lieu of flying here to MEBA. The twinjet has racked up 900 flight-test hours.

Flying Colours has delivered seven corporate conversions of the Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet Series 200, which it markets as the CRJ ExecLiner. The Canadian company is looking for offshore partners.

Canada’s Flying Colours seeks help on CRJ conversion work by Ian Goold Canada’s Flying Colours is talking to potential partners outside North America to support operators for which it has completed Bombardier Challengers. About 90 percent of its clients to date have been on other continents and it has already had preliminary discussions with prospective joint venture partners. The completions and maintenance company is now engaged in its ninth corporate conversion of a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Series 200. It sees large potential for similar modification of larger CRJ variants, and has been approached about similar work on other regional jet designs. Flying Colours also is expecting to be appointed

the preferred installer on Bombardier Global-series aircraft of granite-skinned floor panels produced by Germany’s List Components & Furniture. “We have seen a very active growth in our green Bombardier Challenger completion program, which has led to numerous other maintenance and refurbishment opportunities from [overseas] clients,” said president and chief executive John Gillespie. Flying Colours (Stand C309) said it is “leaning toward” a partnership with a company that has an established client base and is “educated about the specific geographic culture, infrastructure and workforce.” The prospective partner will also have to be ready to put up some

24aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

fresh investment for the new venture. The Canadian company had expanded with the 2009 acquisition of Missouri-based JetCorp Technical Services, which provided additional maintenance and completion capacity and, more important, a much-sought U.S. presence. Six of its seven corporate CRJ completions delivered over the past four years have comprised its in-house “CRJ ExecLiner” design, the seventh (S/N 7211) being the single Project Phoenix third-party conversion for a Middle East broker for sale to an Asian customer. Flying Colours is currently working on two more ExecLiners scheduled for delivery in February and May 2011. Gillespie confirmed that possible conversion of two other airframes for clients, one previously earmarked for potential completion as a second for Project Phoenix has not proceeded. Given the proven requirement for such conversions, it is ironic that the

Bombardier CRJ is itself developed from the Canadair CL-600 Challenger corporate jet. The CRJ conversion market has been driven by steady demand since the Flying Colours project was launched more than five years ago. Indeed, Gillespie reports that interest has been up significantly in the past couple of months. “We see a strong demand for the CRJ ExecLiner conversion going forward,” he said. So, is there also potential or demand for similar corporate conversions of the larger Bombardier CRJ700 or CRJ900 variants? “We are in discussion with several potential customers. We have done extensive research on these airframes and feel there is tremendous potential for converting the CRJ700 and CRJ900. This would also include the installation of additional fuel to boost the standard range, similar to [that] in the CRJ200 conversion.” In addition, Flying Colours has been approached by several potential customers over the past few years about converting the Embraer regional airliners into business jets, but it has not proceeded beyond initial discussions. The company also is talking with clients and Bombardier about expanding its relationships for aircraft completions beyond the Challenger 850 series. Accordingly, it is planning to expand the Flying Colours head office and sees a possible larger range of products as supporting the requirement for international partners. Finally, having completed work earlier this year on installation of a List Components & Furniture “stone floor” in a Bombardier Global 5000, Flying Colours said last month it expected to be appointed preferred installer of such furnishing, which is offered for the CRJ ExecLiner and Challenger 601 and 850. Typically, the floor panels can be fitted in entry/galley and forward and aft lavatory areas. Granite slices about 0.1 inch (2.5 millimeters) thick are attached to lightweight backplates, which provide “high elasticity without losing the necessary floor-loading requirements,” according to Flying Colours. The floor is engineered to fit specific locations and is sealed to prevent liquid penetration. o

Artistry reaches new heights

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LIGHTHOUSE

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Visit us at booth C310

The wider world aerospace industry will be here at the Dubai Airport Expo site for the 12th edition of the biennial

Dubai Air Show next December 13 to 17. Companies wanting to exhibit at the 2011 show can lock into frozen 2009 prices if

they make a booking before the end of this month. The 2009 Dubai Air Show achieved growth of around 18 percent, with increased exhibitor numbers from companies based in the Middle East and North Africa reflecting increased aerospace activity in this region. The event attracted 890 exhibitors from 47 dif- Organizers of the 2011 Dubai Air Show expect it will draw 950 ferent countries and almost exhibitors, up from the 890 representing 47 different countries that 53,000 trade visitors from were on hand for the 11th biennial event last year. 138 countries. Show organizer F&E Aerospace Middle East (AIME) show is set to return (Stand E313), which also runs the MEBA to Dubai for the third time, after successshow, is anticipating that the 2011 ful events in 2008 and 2010. The next show will draw as many as 950 exhibi- show, also organized by F&E Aerospace tors. Despite the unsettled world econ- (www.aime.aero), runs Feb.1-2, 2012. The main focus of AIME has been omy, the Middle East is seeing increased spending in the air transport and defense airliner interiors and cabin technology. sectors. More than $14 billion worth of However, exhibitors at the second show deals were announced at the 2009 Dubai held in February 2010 reflected growing interest in high-value business airAir Show (www.dubaiairshow.aero). o Meanwhile, the Aircraft Interiors craft interiors.

Fujairah airport beckons bizav

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26aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

Fujairah International Airport, here at the MEBA show for the first time (Stand C740), is touting the benefits business aircraft operators can find at a site that is far less crowded than Dubai International Airport. Fujairah has a new FBO and, from 2011, a new highway in and out of the emirate will shorten the 48-mile drive to the center of Dubai to about an hour. “We want to highlight business aviation opportunities on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates,” Charles

Hajdu, strategy and business development manager, told AIN. He maintained that Fujairah’s airport is close enough to the centers of business and population in the northern emirates. The airport management team is keen on integrating its development plans with those of the Fujairah government. “If a company has an interest in establishing its business in Fujairah, we offer assistance in sponsorship and obtaining a trade license,” Hajdu said. At the airport, business jet operators will find low charges for landing, parking and handling. In addition to the new dedicated business aviation terminal, hangars and maintenance workshops are available. “We are about to expand the apron to create dedicated business aircraft parking, next to the business aviation terminal,” Hajdu said. Additional infrastructure, such as catering and hotels, is a few minutes’ drive from the airport. Hajdu and his colleagues are just beginning to market Fujairah as a business aviation airport. “Last year, we saw about 500 business aircraft movements and our target for the future is modest–10 percent of the total business aviation market of the UAE,” he said. The aforementioned movements accounted for 1.7 percent of total traffic at Fujairah airport. “Nevertheless, it is important for our development as it encourages other business activities in a symbiotic relationship; in the same way that aircraft maintenance has helped promote our cargo business, we expect business aviation to promote related services,” Hajdu asserted. These services can be, for example, chauffeur- driven limousines, business hotel venues and executive services as well as aircraft sales, marketing and aircraft maintenance facilities. –T.D.

DAVID McINTOSH

Dubai lines up aerospace and cabin shows

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Abu Dhabi gives bizav a downtown gateway by Charles Alcock Abu Dhabi’s plan to invest in developing the former Al Bateen military airbase into a center-city, dedicated hub for business aviation appears to be paying off. Traffic figures for the last quarter of 2010 are on track to show growth of between 25 to 30 percent over the same period last year. “We’re getting calls from all over the world from people wanting to fly here or even set up businesses here,” said Mohammed Al Bulooki, vice president of the new Al Bateen Executive Airport. “The profile of the airport, and the amount of business we are attracting is increasing faster than we had expected, but I suppose it is because we have something that nobody else has [in the Middle East], a dedicated private jet airport.” It expected to conclude a number of deals for new tenants and based operators here at the MEBA show this week. Al Bateen (Stand C600) is owned by Abu Dhabi Airports Co. (ADAC), which also operates the emirate’s main Abu Dhabi International Airport. This is also being redeveloped and still accommodates a lot of business aviation traffic. During the start-up phase, handling at Al Bateen has been provided by ADAC but the airport is now putting together its own FBO team. Al Bulooki did not rule out the possibility that in the longer term it might opt to go into partnership for handling services with an experienced group. Also in the works are plans to establish a dedicated catering facility at Al Bateen, and a hotel. The terminal is also to feature a variety of retail outlets, ranging from core services, such as a pharmacy, to

high-end luxury goods. In mid-November, Al Bateen provided free landing and parking for aircraft arriving for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix car race–the highlight of the 2010 Formula 1 season. The ramp was busy with almost 80 aircraft, but there was still space for more traffic. Al Bulooki told AIN that the airport had wanted to demonstrate its desire to embrace business aviation, which is why it opted to provide free access rather than pursue the standard peakdemand approach of increasing charges. “It gave us a chance to show that there are no delays from [air traffic control] holding, or delays on the taxiways here even during busy times,” he said. Also new at Al Bateen is newly appointed general manager Steve Jones. He has spent the past decade as managing director of the UK’s Oxford Airport, where he presided over a commercial plan in which the facility reinvented itself from being largely dependent on flying school activity to being a specialist business aviation airport. ILS and Precision Approaches

In September, Al Bateen commissioned its new instrument landing system and GNSS/VOR/DME-based precision approach, ending its VFR-only limitation. The airport plans to double its annual movements to more than 12,000 by 2014. The installation of precision landing aids will clear the way for far more operators to use the airport, especially those covered by insurance policies that prohibit VFR operations. Foremost among Al Bateen’s advantages is the fact that it is open around the clock and is barely a 10-minute drive from

Bizav Ranks High in Abu Dhabi’s Vision for 2030 The Abu Dhabi government’s decision to redevelop Al Bateen as a gateway for private and executive flights is an important feature of its ambitious 2030 masterplan to diversify the economy of the emirate. No less than $500 billion is being invested over a 20-year period to establish Abu Dhabi as a global business and cultural hub in the United Arab Emirates. Aviation, aerospace and defense activities is one of 12 economic sectors the government is focusing on. The masterplan envisions the emirate’s population tripling to three million and the number of visitors each year increasing fourfold to eight million. The authorities are keen not to lose sight of the particular needs of business and VIP travelers in this whirlwind growth, which is why Al Bateen is being developed as an oasis for this class of traffic. –C.A.

Al Bateen Executive Airport’s expansive 153,300-sq-m ramp was able to accommodate nearly 80 aircraft during the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

the city center. With taxiing time from landing to the apron being less than two minutes, passengers can be assured of an extremely swift ground transfer, with cars allowed to collect from the ramp area. The airport is even closer to locations such as the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the Al Bateen Wharf Redevelopment (a residential, hotel and leisure complex, including a yachting marina). These are just two of a dozen or more new developments being pursued under Abu Dhabi’s ambitious 2030 masterplan (see box). Already open at Al Bateen is a new executive terminal that features two sizable lounges (one with space for 50 or more passengers and the other around 20), plus a meeting room, and space for catering and for waiting drivers. Customs and immigration clearance is currently handled in the new executive terminal but the governmentowned Al Bateen’s owner, the government-backed ADAC, is making arrangements for these formalities to be completed at the aircraft to allow for even faster processing. Facilities for pilots, including a flight-planning space, are currently provided in the adjacent old terminal building, but work has already begun to provide a purpose-built facility for flight crew. “We want to be sure that we can provide the crew with their own full concierge services, and we will be ready to do this by the end of the year,” said Al Bulooki. There currently are three airport-owned hangars at Al Bateen with space available to accommodate visiting aircraft. The airport management is in discussion with existing and prospective tenants that could see them adding further hangar capacity. For instance, executive charter and aircraft management company Falcon Aviation Services has already built its own hangar. Other based operators at Al Bateen include Abu Dhabi

28aaMEBA Convention News • December 8, 2010 • www.ainonline.com

The new executive terminal at Al Bateen features two lounges–one accommodating 50 passengers and the other 20, plus a meeting room and catering area.

Aviation, Al Jaber Aviation, Empire Aviation, Luxury Air Jet, Prestige Jet, Royal Helite Helicopters and XOJet. Al Jaber Aviation is set to be Al Bateen’s largest based operator since it is in the process of receiving 21 new business aircraft that it ordered in a $1.2 billion investment announced in November 2008 at the last MEBA show. The new fleet will include an Embraer Legacy 600, plus five Lineage 1000s, eight Legacy 450/500s and up to half a dozen Airbus A318 Elites and ACJs. Business Aviation Park

As part of a plan to establish a business aviation park at Al Bateen, ADAC wants to see technical representatives or service centers for every major manufacturer located there. Falcon Aviation Services already has an engineering operation, specializing in the Eurocopter and AgustaWestland helicopters that it operates in its own fleet. ADAC also is keen to attract other aviation businesses, such as training, to the airport, which is already home to the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies. Landing fees at Al Bateen range from AED 185 ($52.86) for an aircraft weighing up to 5,000 kg (11,022 pounds) to AED 920 ($262.86) for those above 50,000 kg (110,229 pounds). Hourly parking charges also vary according to aircraft size, ranging from approximately $5.71 to $24.29 for the apron to between $10.57 and $78.57 for hangar space. The full price list for various handling

options and services has not yet been published. All fuel is provided by ADNOC (Abu Dhabi’s main oil company), which provides a fast refueling service with its own trucks at Al Bateen. The airport is also trying to attract operators wanting to make technical or rest stops during longer, intercontinental flights and Al Bulooki believes the airport’s convenience and fast-turnaround possibilities will be very attractive in this respect. Al Bateen was built in the 1960s as Abu Dhabi’s first airport. The new Abu Dhabi International Airport, 20 miles outside the city center, was opened in 1982. Al Bateen continued to be used as a military base until 2008. It was granted a new civil airport license in June 2009 and has been under redevelopment since then. The airport’s 10,505-foot runway can take aircraft up to the size of a Boeing Business Jet. During the first quarter of 2010, Al Bateen Executive Airport experienced a 30-percent increase in movements. According to the Gulf Center for Aviation Studies, there were about 530 private- and corporateowned jets operating in the Middle East in 2009 and it expects this figure to rise to almost 1,200 aircraft by 2018. The organization also has reported that the United Arab Emirates has now passed Saudi Arabia as having the highest concentration of business jets in the Middle East, with almost 38 percent of the region’s fleet. o

Dassault awaits EFVS approval for Falcon 7X In the next few days Dassault expects to receive final operational U.S. FAA certification for its enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) on the Falcon 7X large-cabin business jet. EASA certification for the system was completed in July and the first aircraft has been delivered, while the FAA airworthiness certification has already been received. The system significantly enhances situational awareness in bad weather and at night. Dassault already has an EFVS on its Falcon 900 and 2000 aircraft, based on a CMC Electronics sensor and a Rockwell Collins head-up guidance system (HGS). While that system is a significant aid to flight, it does not allow for reduction of approach minima. However, the

An image from the Falcon 7X’s HUD shows standard data, plus minima points, overlaid on an image from the EFVS.

system developed for the Falcon 7X employs a new headup display (HUD) and sensors and gives imagery good enough to allow approaches to extend beyond Category I approach minimums in certain conditions. The EFVS for the 7X employs a CMC Electronics SureSight

I-series infrared sensor and the latest Rockwell Collins Model 5860 HGS, the 7X being the first business jet to be certified with this high-resolution LCD display. EFVS certification allows the pilot to continue some Category I and certain nonprecision approaches from the standard published minimums (typically 200 feet) to a 100-foot decision height, equivalent to Category II minimums. The proviso is that the pilot must see something in the HGS at the published minimums, even if the full ground picture is not yet discernible. EASA certification allows an approach to be initiated with a one-third reduction in runway visual range. In the Falcon 7X the EFVS sensor is mounted forward of the windscreen, and can display imagery on both the HGS and head-down screens. At very short ranges there is some noticeable parallax discrepancy between HGS image and the real world, but it is designed for zero parallax at 200 feet and at longer ranges discrepancies are not an issue. New features on the EFVS include two predetermined settings controlled by a single switch, although the pilots retain full control over the system’s settings so that they can adapt it to conditions if they wish. The normal preset provides general situational awareness at night by maximizing sensitivity to give the best possible view of terrain. The approach setting processes the infrared imagery to eliminate the blooming effect of lights at night, and to focus on detecting lights in bad weather, as these are the primary indicators for go/no-go

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

mapping out the floorwalking With so much to see and so little time, it’s usually a good idea to map out a strategy for walking the floor. This year there are 338 exhibitors from 33 countries, up from 250 in 2008. Maybe a GPS would help.

decisions. The system also has separate enunciators and audio warnings for EFVS minimums in the primary flight display, in addition to those for published IFR minimums. EFVS imagery in the HGS can be switched on and off, or faded, via a simple switch on the Falcon 7X’s sidestick controller. Training on the new system for pilots using the EFVS with operational benefits consists of a one-day course that comprises four hours of ground instruction and two hours in the simulator, during which at least six approaches are undertaken in various conditions. Testing the EFVS

Certifying the EFVS required a flight-test campaign of about 200 hours, during which 168 approaches were performed. Initially the test team tuned the EFVS to give the optimal alignment with the real world. This work was largely undertaken in

good weather at night. With the EFVS aligned, the campaign proceeded to tests in a variety of conditions, and 80 of the approaches were conducted in operational credit conditions. Unlike CAT III tests, in which aircraft can be flown in good conditions but with the outside view blacked out, the EFVS tests required the Dassault team search for bad weather. The system was tested in dry and wet fog, in snow and rain and at different times of the day to allow for differing heat signatures of ground features. Tests were accomplished at 25 different locations in seven countries, including Canada, where fog is frequently encountered in the summer months. For certification purposes most of these flights were flown with a Dassault pilot and a test pilot from the joint FAA/EASA certification team, with test engineers from both organizations on board. Detailed analysis of

data and imagery was undertaken post-flight, looking in particular at the imagery in its various incarnations, including first-generation sensor imagery, video feed to the HGS and the imagery displayed on the headdown screen. For the future, Dassault expects better capability and further reduced minimums as sensors and displays improve in performance and resolution. A key avenue of development is the use of blended imagery, drawing on video, millimeter-wave radar and the synthetic-vision imagery generated by the onboard database using digital terrain elevation data (DTED). As always, the problem is the correlation of synthetically generated imagery with the real world. At present, however, even the proposed EASy 2 cockpit system for the Falcon 7X will use DTED level 2, which is insufficient to provide the kind of data necessary for low-visibility landing systems. o

EASy 2 Certification Expected 2Q 2011 Dassault’s EASy 2 cockpit is moving toward its certification, which is expected for the Falcon 900 in the second quarter of next year. The cockpit system is to be ready on the Falcon 7X and 2000 by late 2012, around the same time as additional communications functions are expected to be certified. EASy 2 builds on the much-lauded EASy cockpit that is standard in the Falcon range. It is based on Honeywell’s Primus Epic integrated avionics system but has a Dassaultdesigned interface that draws heavily on the company’s fighter work with the Rafale. EASy 2 introduces many new features, the most immediately obvious being the provision of a 3-D horizon integrated primary flight display in place of the EASy’s separate ADI and HSI. The new system incorporates a synthetic-vision system

using digital terrain elevation data (DTED) level 2 and features XM satellite weather updates in near-real time. Previous XM updates did not refresh fast enough to be certified for use as a navaid, but the new system can be employed to guide aircraft around bad weather cells rather than just advise the crew. EASy 2 also permits LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) approaches using GPS/Waas, now in use across the U.S. and due to be debuted in Europe next year, and GPS-based RNP (required navigation performance) approaches that allow curved approaches through difficult terrain to airports such as Innsbruck. EASy 2 also has an automatic descent function that settles the aircraft at 15,000 feet and 250 knots in the event of emergency depressurization or pilot incapacitation. –D.D.

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Al Bateen Airport cuts landing & parking fees by James Wynbrandt 17 percent, but the price cuts are skewed toward heavier aircraft, which previously paid proportionately higher fees. Hourly parking fees remain unchanged for all aircraft below 25,000 kg, while those over 50,000 kilograms have had hourly fees more than halved, from AED 85 ($23)

DAVID McINTOSH

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is slashing prices for landing and parking fees at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport, effective immediately. Al Bateen is the region’s only airport dedicated to business aviation and it is close to the city center of Abu Dhabi.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (third from left) examines a model of Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, which is challenging Dubai as a bizav hub.

Al Bateen Executive Airport general manager Stephen Jones and deputy general manager Yousif Hassan Al Hammadi have cut fees to attract more traffic.

“These are very significant price reductions,” said Stephen Jones, the airport’s general manager. “The reason for this is that Al Bateen wants to be a serious player in the global business aviation market.” The reductions in landing fees average 36 percent, but are skewed toward lower weight aircraft, which represent the majority of the airport’s traffic. For aircraft up to 5,000 kg, landing fees have been lowered to AED 26 ($7) from AED 185 ($50), an 86-percent reduction. Landing charges for aircraft weighing between 5,000 and 15,000 kg have been reduced 77 percent, to AED 62 ($17) from AED 275 ($75). At the heavy end, for aircraft in excess of 50,000 kg, the reduction is a modest 4 percent, from AED 920 ($251) to AED 879 ($240). Parking fee reductions average

to AED 40 ($11). Additionally, all aircraft have four hours of free parking. “These pricings were put in place to make Abu Dhabi a worthwhile place to position your aircraft,” Jones said. “We want to go into the market and win new business, and to do that we’re going to have to provide long term advantages.” Besides attracting new business, the reductions are aimed at bringing benefits in the form of increased traffic to airport service providers currently based at the airport, even as the airport seeks additional tenants. “We need a mix of operators,” Jones said. “Not just charter, we’re interested in MROs [maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities]. We want the best operators, and I think there’s room for more.” o

Al Maktoum gets bizav services uContinued from page 1 Group, represented their organizations at the ceremony. “It is a pleasure to announce that Al Futtaim Services Company will be the first general aviation services provider to establish operations at the only aerotropolis in the Middle East and North Africa region,” said Sheikh Ahmed. “This new partnership represents another milestone in Dubai’s ongoing development as a global aviation hub.” AFSC is planning a joint venture with DC Aviation, a European business jet operator, to provide a wide range of services including business jet charter, management and maintenance. Operations are expected to commence in the third quarter of 2011 with aircraft including Airbus A319 Corporate Jets and Bombardier Global Expresses. Other business aviation services groups have long planned to set up shop out at Al Maktoum, which is being built near the Jebel Ali port and free zone. But their plans have been held up by delays in the development of the airport and the various business parks that are supposed to surround it. “The entry of the Al Futtaim Services Company into the general aviation segment is a key component of our long-term growth and expansion strategy,” said Al Futtaim. “We have carefully chosen a strong partner on our side. The long-term business relationship with DC Aviation assures us of a great prospect for this exciting project.” DWC aerotropolis comprises the international airport and adjacent free zones focused on aviation industries. If it is completed as originally planned, Al Maktoum International Airport will be the world’s largest in both volume and size. o

Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud (left), undersecretary for Bahrain civil aviation affairs, and Graham Williamson, president, TAG Aviation Europe, aircraft management and charter, discuss TAG’s soon-to-be-approved air operators certificate at MEBA.

Bahrain’s ‘open skies’ smooths path for TAG TAG Aviation is in the final stages of receiving an air operator’s certificate from the Kingdom of Bahrain and expects it to be issued by the end of this month. The Switzerland-based business aviation services group began the process of seeking the certificate six months ago and will base a Challenger 605 in Bahrain once it is granted. “We are extremely pleased to take this important next step in TAG Aviation’s future growth,” said TAG CEO Robert Wells. “The Kingdom of Bahrain’s historic dedication to civil aviation and its gateway position to the Gulf region makes it an ideal venue for this new AOC. Bahrain’s “open skies” civil air transportation approach helped encourage TAG to launch the AOC effort, according to Wells. “We at CAA are very pleased to that TAG Aviation has chosen the Kingdom of Bahrain as the hub for its business in

the Middle East,” said Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud, undersecretary for Bahrain civil aviation affairs. CAA welcomes TAG Aviation as its new partner and is fully committed to provide all assistance to make its operations successful.” Separately, TAG (Stand C215) has entered a new agreement with SR Technics to cooperate in the maintenance, completion and refurbishment of Boeing and Airbus business jets. The work will be carried out at SR Technics’s main engineering base in Zurich, Switzerland. TAG Aviation also has just opened its new hangar and office complex at Geneva Airport in Switzerland. The construction project has doubled the size of its facility. Here at the MEBA show today, TAG is expected to make a major announcement about further expansion plans in another key emerging market for business aviation. –M.T.

Al AIN Aerobatic Show attracts top stunt pilots Some of the world’s top pilots are going to battle it out at next year’s Al Ain Aerobatic Show (Feb. 2 to 5, 2011). The Desert Challenge, officially sanctioned by the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI), will be the centerpiece for a show that is expected to attract 130,000 people. Six top-ranked FAI fliers will compete in a series of classic and freestyle aerobatic duels. They will perform in aircraft including the CAP232, the Sukhoi 26 and the Xtreme. “With the addition of the Desert Challenge to a greatly enhanced display line-up and on-ground festivities, we have gone a step further in generating truly global interest for this event and our heritage heartland of Al Ain,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, events

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manager with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, which organizes the Al Ain showpiece in conjunction with the UAE Armed Forces. “The Al Ain Aerobatic Show has firmly established itself as a top-five aerobatic event globally, and we are fully committed to making sure this show continues to soar to new heights. For 2011, we will stage our largest entertainment offering and are extremely confident that it will be sky-high family fun for all.” The show, which is to be held for the ninth successive year, will also include aerobatic displays by jets such as the L-39C Albatross and the vintage British Hawker Hunter. More information can be found at –C.A. www.alainaerobaticshow.com.

Shanghai, China February 28, 29 & March 1, 2012

Asia Is Open for Business Aviation Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Center on Hongqiao Airport Shanghai, China Exhibits, Static Display of Aircraft and Education Sessions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; All in One Location Co-hosted by the National Business Aviation Association and the Asian Business Aviation Association