Buisness aviation news
The bumper arrival of business jets for the inauguration appears to confirm the strong sense in the industry that the change in the US government is good news for the bizjet industry. The turnaround in bizjet activity in the US, which had been flat through most of last year, stands in contrast to the European market, where activity receded 6% in the last week and is trending at 2019 levels.
Sun Air Jets, a premier provider of air charter services and aircraft management, is excited to announce the newest addition to its charter fleet: the 2024 King Air 360ER. This state-of-the-art aircraft sets a new standard for performance in short- to medium-range flights, underscoring the company’s commitment to providing an exceptional travel experience for its valued clients.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has appointed Derek Zimmerman as senior vice president of Enterprise Supply Chain, effective immediately. In this newly created role, Zimmerman will lead the strategic oversight for procurement, inventory management, logistics, warehousing, repair and overhaul, distribution, and spare parts.
Flexjet, a private aviation company, has once again secured its WYVERN Wingman certification after a successful audit of its helicopter division conducted in November 2024.
Global bizjet activity was flat in week 2, dropping back on the pace of growth in Week 1. Notably there was strong bizjet activity out of airports in the Los Angeles metro area due to the Wildfires catastrophe. There has also been strong growth in flights to/from Palm Beach, as Trump and his team prepare to take office.
Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) has approved ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, to be an overseas repair station for line and base maintenance on Taiwanese-registered Bombardier aircraft.
During an official state visit to the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Uzbekistan's Transport Minister, Ilhom Mahkamov, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with JETEX founder, Adel Mardini, to establish the country's first and only FBO.
FCG OPS proudly announces the appointment of Balan Varma as its Business Development Manager in India. With a prominent career spanning over three decades in aviation, logistics, and customer relations, Balan brings expertise and a robust network within the Indian market to drive FCG OPS’s expansion in the region.
Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC), the world’s leading manufacturer of civil helicopters, has entered an agreement with Rotorcorp Services, LLC., effective January 1, 2025. Rotorcorp will leverage its deep understanding of Robinson Helicopter operators worldwide to advise and help implement a broad range of new company initiatives designed to enhance part sales and aftermarket services.
US bizjet demand continues to trend upwards, as it has done since the US elections in November. Leisure activity clearly spiked in the holiday season, with US-Caribbean flight hours up 25% YOY. In other markets, European activity has dipped in the last week, but is up over the last few weeks, bizjet activity from the Middle East is on the up, whereas trends in Africa and South America are down as we come into 2025. We would expect the positive business sentiment in the core US market to move global activity several points up in Q1 2025 compared to last year.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified ExecuJet MRO Services Middle East’s facility at Dubai’s Al-Maktoum International Airport (DWC) to perform line and base maintenance on Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced the delivery of two additional Gulfstream G700 aircraft to the growing Qatar Executive fleet. The two new aircraft, both delivered using a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), increase the total number of G700 aircraft in the Qatar Executive fleet to six with an additional four scheduled.
Post-Covid demand for business aviation looks strong, notably in the United States where activity is well ahead of 2019. December ended ahead of last year, marking a strong end to the year. Fractional operators have made large gains compared to the last 5 years, contrasting Corporate Flight Department activity. Appetite for business aviation in Europe remains resilient, although small gains compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC), the world’s leading manufacturer of civil helicopters, secured approval from EASA authority, Argentina, Japan, and India for its improved empennage on all Robinson helicopter models. This follows the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) prior approval of the same configuration for the R66 in 2023 and R44 and R22 in 2024. The new empennage includes a symmetrical horizontal stabilizer and tailcone, is now standard on all newly manufactured Robinson helicopters.
FAI Technik, a provider of MRO services, has successfully completed a 7,800 landings’ inspection on a Bombardier Challenger 604, marking a significant milestone in its maintenance capabilities.
Safran Power Units has appointed ExecuJet MRO Services (ExecuJet) in Australia, Malaysia and Dubai as authorised service centres (ASC) for the Safran auxiliary power unit (APU) used on the Dassault Falcon 6X.
