Buisness aviation news
In contrast to surveyed industry sentiment, which is apparently buoyant following Trump’s election triumph, bizjet flight activity in the US has actually slackened in the last two weeks. Elsewhere in the world, big political gatherings in Baku and Rio attracted a relative local spike in bizjet usage.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced the ultralarge- cabin Gulfstream G700 recently exceeded 65 city-pair speed records.
ExecuJet Haite has been recognized by the Asian Business Aviation Community (AsBAA) as ‘Best MRO Provider’ for the Greater China and Asia Pacific region.
With just a few days passed since the US election result, the effect on business jet utilisation is not obvious. In fact activity has calmed, followed several weeks where there were more flights than last year. In Europe, the political and economic strife in Germany is reflected in substantial cutbacks in bizav demand. Destabilisation and conflict in the Middle East has equally seen a big step back in flight activity.
EUROPEAN ROTORS 2024, held from 04 November to 07 November at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam, successfully concluded, attracting over 4,600 participants from around the globe. This annual event, sponsored by the European Helicopter Association (EHA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), showcased the latest innovations, regulatory advancements, and best practices in the vertical flight sector.
Farnborough Airport has announced it has completed one of the largest light-weight solar installations in the South East, enabling the Airport to generate 25% of its own power.
Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced a signed purchase agreement for the 100th Bell 505 in Europe to be delivered to private operator, Adam Fawsitt. This sale is one of four Bell 505 purchase agreements signed at European Rotors 2024, all for private operators based in the United Kingdom.
Skyryse, the creator of SkyOS, the world’s first universal operating system for flight, announced that reservations for the Skyryse One First Edition have officially sold out in just six months.
Week 44 capped a topsy turvy 4 weeks in the key US market, with much of October flat-to-negative, but strong gains this week, notably in Florida, also in the US election Swing States, suggesting that the elections may have directly boosted utilisation. The largest European markets are on a stagnant trajectory, with Italy the obvious exception. This week also saw a big increase in year-on-year bizjet traffic in Saudi Arabia.
The US FAA has certified ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, to provide line and base maintenance for Gulfstream G650 and G650ER aircraft.
Toyota Motor Corporation and Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, announced the completion of Joby’s first international exhibition flight which took place at Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Shizuoka, Japan earlier this week.
Bombardier is proud to announce that its new brand evolution has been recognized with the internationally established “Red Dot: Best of the Best” award for Brands and Communication Design in the 2024 Red Dot Award. This sought-after recognition celebrates the exceptional design and creativity of Bombardier’s newly introduced brand evolution. Additionally, Bombardier has received a “Red Dot” prize for the excellence of its logo redesign, further highlighting the company’s commitment to design sophistication.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced its successful completion of ground emissions testing of 100% neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) containing zero sulfur on the all-new Gulfstream G700. Powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, the G700 ground emissions test was conducted to measure multiple fuel types, including a 30/70 SAF blend and neat SAF (a non-fossil-based aviation fuel). The preliminary results of these tests will inform the industry’s path in further reducing the overall climate impact of business aviation.
Bombardier is proud to celebrate the delivery of the 100th Challenger 3500 aircraft, the latest addition to its industry-leading portfolio of aircraft. Since entering service in 2022, the Challenger 3500 aircraft has delivered unmatched versatility, the lowest direct operating costs in its class and rock-solid reliability, and quickly became a top choice for charter operators and corporations around the world. With this new milestone, the Challenger 3500 aircraft sets a new standard and becomes the fastest super-midsize business jet to reach 100 deliveries in history.
The HondaJet Elite II became the world’s first production model twin turbine Very Light Jet (VLJ) equipped with autothrottle, following certification of the system by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which now authorizes Honda Aircraft Company to enable autothrottle functionality on production aircraft. The highly anticipated development represents the next stage in the evolution of Honda’s innovative aircraft, long known throughout the aviation industry for its high degree of cockpit automation.
Business jet fleets have seen a boost in demand in the second half of the October, notably in the US and notably in California. NFL Games have been a draw, as have the GPs in Mexico and Texas. US presidential campaigning may also have spurred activity. The European market was also head-above-water, in contrast to a further slide in activity in the Middle East.
Leading global trade body, The Air Charter Association (The ACA), hosted its annual European Broker-Operator Forum on 16 October 2024 at The Grand Majestic Hotel in Prague. More than 50 senior air charter professionals from over 15 countries across Europe shared their expert insight into current industry challenges and best practices. The event also made for the perfect opportunity to network and engage with members, many of whom were attending an ACA event for the first time.
