Buisness aviation news

Bombardier announced that long-time client Arkasair has added a Challenger 3500 business jet to its VIP Air Taxi and charter fleet, becoming the first customer of a Challenger 3500 aircraft in Turkey. The company has a longstanding affinity with Bombardier aircraft, having operated a Learjet 60, Challenger 300 and Challenger 604 aircraft. The new Challenger 3500 will replace the company’s Challenger 300 business jet.

December appears to be a blip in the steady trend of the last few months, with flight activity growth compared to 2019 diminishing substantially. In fact Europe is now clearly trending below 2019 levels. In the Middle East and Asia, the latest week has seen very large drops in bizjet demand. In the US, the key hub, Florida, saw bizjet flights fall 7% compared to December last year.

FAI Aviation Group, one of the world’s leading global providers of mission-critical aviation services, has extended its partnership with the world-famous McLaren Formula 1 Team. FAI will be known as an ‘official partner’ of McLaren Formula 1 Team and continue to provide executive aviation services to the team. As part of the agreement, FAI Aviation Group is proud to be prominently represented on Lando Norris’ helmet.

At the end of 2022, we looked forward to a more stabilized air charter market as our industry settled into the post-covid era. But it wouldn’t take long until the next fundamental shift was knocking on our doors. Oliver King reflects on the impact of Artificial Intelligence and how to harness its power.

Leonardo and Pratt & Whitney Canada announced the successful completion of the first flight for a AW139 intermediate twin helicopter, powered by PT6C-67C engines, using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Accomplished at Leonardo’s facility in Cascina Costa di Samarate (Italy) on 21 November, the 75-minute flight and ground tests evaluated engine performance with multiple power variation and other systems. The test showed an outstanding response to the new fuel with no significant differences compared to the use of Jet A1 fuel.

TAG Aviation has obtained OTAR-145 approval from the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) for its maintenance stations in Hong Kong, Macau, and Subang, Malaysia.

Daher announced the delivery of its 100th TBM 960, which was provided to a Californian businessman who is stepping up from a piston-engine airplane to this top-of-the-line member of the high-speed, turboprop-powered TBM aircraft family.

Global bizjet activity is now flat over the last 4 weeks compared to last year, falling behind the Covid surge in 2021, comfortably ahead of 2019. Bizjet demand in Europe is weakening towards 2019 trend. Middle East is weaker, with 15% drop YOY in the latest week, although notably the COP conference drew a spike in bizjet arrivals. The US is still relatively strong, especially for the largest operators.

Satcom Direct, the business aviation solutions provider, has received DO-160 approval for its SD Plane Simple Ka-band tail mount antenna, the second variant in its Plane Simple hardware series.

Following the successful first flights of Electra.aero, Inc.’s (Electra) eSTOL technology demonstrator aircraft, Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: VTOL), the leading global provider of innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions, secured early delivery positions for Electra’s hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) production aircraft by executing a deposit agreement. Bristow signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Electra in 2021 to be the principal launch operational customer for the eSTOL aircraft, with a pre-order of up to 50 aircraft.

Textron Aviation today announced a new ProAdvantage program, SustainableAdvantage, to provide owners with an additional option for reducing their carbon dioxide emissions from operating aircraft.

The Lufthansa Group and Lilium signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore a strategic partnership on electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft operation in Europe.

ExecuJet Haite has signed an agreement with Capital Airport Holding Business Aviation Management (CBM) to operate a new MRO facility at Beijing Daxing International Airport. The binding agreement allows ExecuJet Haite to operate a 5,000 square metre state-of-the-art large-scale maintenance hangar with extensive back shops and offices from Beijing.

EcoPulse, the hybrid-electric distributed propulsion aircraft demonstrator jointly developed by Daher, Safran and Airbus to support aviation’s decarbonization roadmap, has successfully performed its first flight test in hybrid-electric mode. The demonstrator flew with its ePropellers activated, powered by a battery and a turbogenerator.

Once the holiday fluctuations are accounted for, November was a flat month for business jet activity, though fractional flying is still at record pace, particularly in large cabin flying, with Florida and Texas the bizjet hubs in the US. In Europe, November saw a slump in demand, with the full month seeing lower activity in France and Germany than back in November 2019.

Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ: LILM), developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) jet, today announces the start of production of the Lilium Jet, following the arrival of the first Lilium Jet fuselage at Lilium’s final assembly line.  In parallel, Lilium’s world-class tier one suppliers – most of which have decades of experience in supporting the certification requirements of commercial aviation – are ramping up production of parts and systems for the Lilium Jet.

Luxaviation is expanding its fleet with the addition of an Embraer Praetor 600 that will be available for charter from January 2024.

Rotor Technologies, Inc., a developer of autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, unveils the R550X, the largest uncrewed civilian helicopter on the market, and begins production.