Month: December 2022

Travel Daily Media – Reports

Deborah Scott, finance director of component supply specialist Artemis Aerospace, reveals four times that private jets were put to good use.

Delivering essential medical equipment
During the pandemic, many countries lacked the medical resources and critical means to care for COVID-19 patients. Global air cargo carriers were under mounting pressure, with IATA estimating that they were oversubscribed by 30%.

To alleviate this pressure, a number of private jet companies turned their attention to supporting international COVID-19 response efforts by transporting tonnes of medical equipment, including face masks, PPE and medicines, to destinations in need of assistance. One such company was Vimana Private Jets, which delivered more than 300 tonnes of medical resources between March and July 2020.

Sending supplies to Ukraine
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, private charter airlines aided with support efforts by delivering essential supplies to refugees, including food, clothing, toys, baby milk and nappies. Alongside this, aircraft were used to transport refugees out of war zones and away from danger to safety.

Helping patients access life-saving treatments
When patients are bedridden and need to access urgent support overseas or be repatriated, a conventional aircraft may not be suitable for their transfer. In these cases, renting a business jet is a necessity.

Unlike commercial aircraft, business jets offer the flexibility and space required for accommodating essential life-support machines and other medical equipment when transporting patients. When patients are immunocompromised, then using a private jet also helps to limit their exposure to other people and passengers, either on the ground or during the flight.

Delivering transplant organs
While transplant organs are often transported by conventional cargo planes, private jets are crucial to the transplant process when an organ’s viability outside the body is only a matter of hours long or when it needs to be delivered to a difficult-to-reach destination. Business jets offer the flexibility of quick turnaround times and are small enough to land in remote areas – essential for saving.

Khaleej Times – Reports

The Mebaa Show 2022 drew to a close on Thursday, with a series of key deals and announcements made over the three days, all set to drive the business aviation industry forward.

The significant event in the business aviation calendar welcomed attendees from 95 countries across the three days, with an increase in international attendees compared to the previous Mebaa Show, marking a significant moment for the global business and private aviation industry.

Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of Mebaa – the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association, said:“This has been a remarkable Mebaa show and it has been incredible to see industry leaders come together to drive real change for the future of business aviation. At Mebaa we also want to empower the future leaders, and it was fantastic to welcome students who have an interest in our sector and provide them with the platform to network with industry players and learn more about the vast opportunities available to them.”

“The business aviation industry has grown significantly in the last couple of years, not only in the Middle East region where mega events such as Dubai Expo 2020 and the Qatar World Cup have led to increased demand, but also in many key international markets. Throughout the three days, we have seen an industry transition with significant levels of innovation, technological advancement and digital transformations right across the show, along with many key deals and new announcements, all showing that this sector growth is set to continue well into the future.”

Tim Hawes, Managing Director of Tarsus Group, said:“The ninth edition of the Mebaa Show has seen a lot of innovation and positive discussion, and we look forward to seeing the impact that the show has made in the coming months and years. A key highlight for this year was the launch of the BizAv Talks conference. It was brilliant to hear industry leaders and specialists from across the globe share their insights on some of the key themes shaping the industry, including sustainability, future aviation and emerging markets, and we were proud to see all audiences really engage with these discussions.”

The brand-new BizAv Talks conference featured sessions from over 45 industry leaders throughout the show, with day three focusing on the daily theme of ‘Accelerating private aviation with collaboration’. Sessions highlighted the importance of collaboration within the business aviation ecosystem to help open up new opportunities, streamline services and tackle issues facing the sector.

A huge number of exhibitors – including many returning, along with new industry leaders – connected with internationals visitors for insightful discussions while showcasing the latest innovation, technology, aircraft and solutions.

Carlos Brana, Executive Vice President, Civil Aircraft at Dassault Aviation, also commented:“Dassault Aviation presented our popular Falcon 8X very long range trijet at this year’s Mebaa show and exhibition, where it drew a lot of interest from the many prospective buyers and operators who also visited our chalet. Middle East owners appreciate the qualities of the Falcons and we were able to discuss face to face with guests our two brand new Falcon 6X and 10X programs. Just as importantly, Mebaa Show was an opportunity to look ahead and present our expanding regional product support network, which will include the company’s ExecuJet MRO Services unit at Dubai World Central to serve business jet operators in the Gulf region, opening in early 2023. We are delighted to support such a dynamic regional business aviation industry, with Mebaa Show at its heart.”

Meanwhile, Ammar ‘Jay’ Alhussari, Founder and CEO of Prime Trip Support, said:“The Mebaa show has been a very successful show for Prime, we have been extremely busy meeting clients, partners, and forging alliances. Our team has been full throttle since day one and there are no signs of it slowing down! We are very pleased with the level of interest we have garnered here at the Mebaa show and are impressed with the excellent organization.”

The Mebaa Show 2022 was held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

Gulf News – Reports

Vertical Magazine – Reports​

Under the terms of a deal signed at the MEBAA 2022 show, Falcon Aviation Services will accept the helicopters over the next year for renewal of its fleet used intensively for Falcon Tours sightseeing helicopter flights.

The COO of Falcon Aviation Services, Capt. Ramandeep Oberoi said: “We are very pleased to add five brand new H130s into our fleet for our helicopter sightseeing tours operations. This will further our presence in the market and help us double this business in the coming years both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”

Airbus Helicopters Head of Africa Middle East, Arnaud Montalvo, said: “We’re delighted to receive this important vote of confidence from a highly professional operator which already has long experience with our helicopters.”

The good looking H130 is an intermediate single-engine helicopter with a spacious cabin for one pilot and up to seven passengers which is popular with pilots who love its sporty and safe flying qualities.

It is the quietest helicopter on the market in its category, helped by Airbus’ Fenestron shrouded tail rotor and automatic variable rotor speed control which make it a friendly neighbor in cities with a noise signature 6 dB below international ICAO limits.

The H130’s simple design, use of composite materials and the experience drawn from Airbus’ mature Ecureuil family contribute to reduced maintenance costs and high availability.

Located at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport and Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, Falcon Aviation Services provides a wide range of operational and aviation support services, which include oil and gas aviation support, maintenance repair & overhaul (MRO), bespoke business jet charters services and helicopter sightseeing tours, fixed base operator (FBO), aircraft management services and continuing airworthiness management (CAMO), heliport management and Inspection, among others.

Aviation International News – Reports

On-demand, average hourly charter rates moved lower for light and heavy jets, but were higher for turboprops and midsize and super-midsize jets between October and November, according to private aviation charter marketplace JetASAP. Based on 1,983 quotes fliers received through the JetASAP app, fliers saw an overall 4.5 percent increase in hourly rates.

Specifically, light jet hourly rates fell 3 percent to $6,812 while heavy jets edged slightly lower by 0.3 percent to $13,916. However, rates for turboprops climbed 12 percent to $3,839, followed by a 9 percent increase for super-midsize jets to $11,723. Midsize jet rates increased 5 percent to $8,215.

“During the month of November our clients received an average of 7 quotes per trip request, which is a strong sign the industry is getting back to normal after unprecedented demand last year,” said JetASAP founder and CEO Lisa Kiefer Sayer. “Even with the rate increase in pricing as we expected, we are seeing great quotes come through the app.”

Aviation International News – Reports

Gulfstream Aerospace (Static A12) is showcasing the five-cabin-zone G700, the U.S. company’s forthcoming ultra-long-range flagship, this week at MEBAA 2022 in the model’s debut appearance in Dubai. Boasting what Gulfstream claims would be the tallest (6 feet 3 inches; 1.90 meters) and widest (8 feet 2 inches; 2.49 meters) cabin in a purpose-built business jet, the 7,500-nm G700 is expected to enter service in mid-2023.

The G700 on display features a corporate-configured cabin along with what Gulf-
stream terms an “ultra-galley” with more than 10 feet of counter space; a grand suite with fixed bed and bright, spacious lavatory with shower; circadian lighting system; and new seat design. “It really shows the flexibility of the design that our team has created,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns.

The twinjet arrived in Dubai during a world tour aimed at demonstrating the precocious maturity of the aircraft model, which has been in flight testing since early 2020. Gulfstream’s G700 tour began following the aircraft’s NBAA-BACE debut in Orlando, Florida, in October and includes some 20 cities on six continents, with visits to Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, for the Future Investment Initiative and Bahrain for the Bahrain International Airshow already in the logbook.

With a Mach 0.85 long-range cruise speed and Mach 0.90 high-speed cruise, the G700 set eight international city-pair speed records during flight tests and established another on this tour for a flight from Istanbul to Van Don, Vietnam, where the model had its Asia-Pacific debut last month at an event hosted by the Gulfstream sales representative Sun Air.

“Vietnam and Southeast Asia are strong developing markets for Gulfstream,” said Burns, adding that the company is “bolstering resources to support customers there, including field service coverage from Gulfstream customer support and the Gulfstream FAST field and airborne support teams.”

Gulfstream is also enhancing support for customers in Africa, recently announcing plans for an authorized warranty facility in partnership with ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria in Lagos to provide spare parts and warranty and maintenance service for the G450, G550, and G650/650ER. The 275,000-sq-ft (25,548-sq-m) facility will include an international departure/arrival terminal, FBO, and maintenance operations.

Following MEBAA, the G700 world tour will resume on a route that will cross Europe, Africa, Australia, and South America.

The G700 inherits the flagship mantle from Gulfstream’s best-selling G650/650ER, but with a longer fuselage. Next up is its longer-range (8,000 nm) sibling, the G800 with the same fuselage as the G650, and this will follow the G700 into service within six months. But certification of both was delayed due to new FAA software validation requirements for the digital flight control system.

Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO of Gulfstream parent General Dynamics, said in late October the company believes that “we will certify [the G700] this upcoming summer, but much depends on available FAA resources.

“When we give you sort of our best guess on when the certification is, that’s a result of a lot of things that we control and that we can talk about with certainty,” she said, “but ultimately, this is an FAA issue, and it’s the availability of their resources, and they are the regulator and they’re going to control it.”

The FAA started the type inspection authorization process for the validation in early October. Novakovic noted the company and regulators have “cooperated very well,” that the software system makes this “the most mature aircraft to enter the FAA certification process,” and internal testing preceding the FAA review revealed no issues that would delay approval.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream is also developing the G400, introduced last October as “the first new entrant to the large-cabin class in more than a decade,” according to the company. Expected to enter service in 2025, performance specs call for a range of 4,200 nm at Mach 0.85 or 3,950 nm at high-speed cruise of Mach 0.88. First flight is scheduled for early next year.

A member of the previously introduced G500/G600 family, the G400 shares its larger siblings’ high-speed wing and winglets, Pratt & Whitney Canada 800GA-series engines, Symmetry flight deck with fly-by-wire controls and BAE active sidesticks, and fuselage cross sections (6 feet 2 inches high by 7 feet 7 inches wide).

While the G500 and G600 are follow-ons, respectively, to the G450 and G550, the G400 fills a slot in the Gulfstream lineup as a slightly larger, more advanced alternative to the super-midsize G280, “conceived and designed with direct customer input,” according to the company. It offers what Gulfstream calls “long-range, high-speed performance; cabin comfort; and environmental efficiency unrivaled in its class,” along with a 30 percent gain in fuel efficiency over the G450.