U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION Wednesday formally extended the comment period for its proposal requiring advance notice and approval for general aviation international flights (BA, Sept. 17/115). The comment period, originally due to close today (Nov. 19), was extended until Dec. 4. Both the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the National Business Aviation Association requested a 60-day extension (BA, Nov. 5/206), but CBP declined to provide more than 15 days additional time.
Was appointed senior vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Bernegger has served with Jet Aviation for more than 15 years, holding positions of increasing responsibility within the company's EMEA & Asia aircraft charter and management divisions in Zurich, Switzerland. He was named senior vice president and general manager of the EMEA & Asia charter division in November 2000. While in that role, the charter operation doubled its net sales, and he helped launch Jet Aviation's new "Skylliance" charter partner program.
SERVICEELEMENTS won a three-year agreement to provide its Service Culture Enhancement programs for employees at Landmark Aviation's four maintenance repair and overhaul operations in the U.S. ServiceElements will assess Landmark Aviation service and then develop a series of workshops, seminars, Web-based programs and consulting services for the company's managers, supervisors and front-line technicians. ServiceElements expects that about 1,000 Landmark employees will participate in the various programs.
ARINC is planning to build an extensive network of VHF air-ground stations in the Middle East. ARINC already has installed two VHF stations at Bahrain and Dubai, and said it "now plans an aggressive rollout of VHF stations across the region to support the increasing requirement for ARINC data link services in the Middle East." ARINC also is expanding its coverage in Africa with the deployment of VHF stations in Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Capetown in the coming months.
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is painting a bullish forecast for strong sales of both business aviation and airline airplanes over the next 10 and 20 years.
PRESIDENT BUSH Thursday urged Congress to pass a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, saying, "If we really want to solve the problem, it's time for Congress to modernize the FAA." Bush noted that his Administration has supplied a "blueprint" that looks at congestion pricing and a new FAA financing mechanism [user fees]. He lauded Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) for their leadership in the reauthorization effort. Both Lott and Rockefeller have been pushing for a $25 air traffic control user fee.
November 28 - FAA 4th Annual International Aviation Safety Forum, Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Va. (202) 267-3883 December 10 - American Association of Airport Executives, Seventh Annual Aviation Security Summit, Arlington, Va., Contact Carter Morris at (703) 824-0500 or e-mail [email protected] December 10-13 - National Agricultural Aviation Association, Annual Conference and Expo, Reno, Nev., Contact NAAA at (202) 546-5722
JETCRAFT TRADING, the recently established strategic alliance between Jetcraft Corp. and Jet Aviation, will offer aircraft sales and acquisition services at Jet Aviation's Dubai facility for clients in the Middle East.
ATR received a memorandum of understanding from Malaysia Airlines for 10 ATR 72-500s with options for five more. The contract, valued at $285 million including the options, calls for the aircraft to be delivered in 2009 and 2010. Malaysia Airlines subsidiary MASWings will operate the aircraft to expand service to the states of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. The new ATR 72-500s will be configured with 68 seats.
WHILE LOOKING AT CONGESTION PRICING as one longer term approach to relieving congestion, Bush and Transportation Secretary Mary Peters last week announced a series of short-term initiatives for the heavily traveled holiday season. These include opening military airspace along the East Coast and putting a "holiday moratorium" on all non-essential maintenance, construction and renovation projects at FAA facilities so the agency can dedicate personnel and equipment to the flow of traffic.
The Environmental Protection Agency Friday released a notice seeking comment on a petition from the Friends of the Earth environmental group for a study of the health and environmental impacts of lead emissions from general aviation gasoline. The group in 2006 appealed to EPA to find that lead emissions from aviation gasoline "cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare," the EPA noted. The environmental group further asked EPA to propose emission standards for lead in avgas.
Fan Jet Falcon C, D, E, F and G; Falcon 200, Falcon 20-C5, 20-D5, 20-E5 and 20-F5 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0182; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-138-AD] - This proposal would require operators to verify the correct assembly of the elevator bellcrank at Frame 26. If the elevator bellcrank were found in the reverse orientation, it would need to be reinstalled prior to further flight in accordance with either Dassault Service Bulletin F20-768 (dated May 23, 2006) or Dassault Service Bulletin F200-122 (dated May 23, 2006).
AIRCELL's Axxess EZ satcom system received European Aviation Safety Agency certification for installation on Bombardier Challenger 600, 601 and 604 business jets. AirCell introduced the system late last year as an alternative system that can reuse MagnaStar aircraft wiring and component locations on business aircraft. RUAG Aerospace Services in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany installed the system on a Challenger 604 for the certification.
The benefits of using gas-to-liquid synthetic jet fuel will undergo testing next year under a new cooperative effort launched this month. Qatar Airways, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Shell and Qatar Fuel Co. and Qatar Petroleum are part of the team. Detailed plans remain to be set, but Shell Aviation Vice President Sjoerd Post says the first flight trials should take place before the end of next year.
While fleet orders for billions of dollars worth of new Airbus and Boeing airliners grabbed the headlines at the Dubai Air Show, business jet makers also padded their already sizable order books during the aerospace exhibition that concluded last week in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Model 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29171; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-154-AD; Amendment 39-15251; AD 2007-23-05] - Requires revision of the "Airworthiness Limitations" section of the "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. This AD resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency. FAA estimates that this AD will affect seven aircraft on the U.S. Registry and will cost U.S. operators a total of $560, or $80 per airplane. This AD goes into effect December 11.
THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION had wanted to publish a proposed rule to extend the Twelve-Five security program now in effect for Part 135 charter operators to corporate and private operators of aircraft with maximum gross takeoff weights of 12,500 pounds before Thanksgiving (BA, Nov. 12/218). But an industry source said last week that the agency is now aiming for mid-December to get that NPRM published. A comment period of 60 to 90 days is anticipated.
DHC-8-400 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0183; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-146-AD] - This proposal would require operators to conduct a one-time inspection for damage of the spring support bracket and support beams of the forward baggage door, aft service door and aft passenger door, as applicable, in accordance with Bombardier Service Bulletin 84-52-51, Revision A (dated September 8, 2006). If damage is found, operators would need to repair or replace any damaged bracket, support beam or doorstop.
Clearwater, Fla.-based Avantair continued to expand its business of selling fractional shares in the Piaggio Avanti P.180 pusher prop, reporting a 52.9 percent increase in revenues for the company's first quarter of 2008, ending Sept. 30, 2007. Avantair brought in $25.7 million in revenue and the number of fractional shares grew 30.8 percent, from 382.5 at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2007 to 552 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Washington policy consultancy ICF International plans to expand its reach in the transportation market with a definitive agreement to purchase transportation specialist Simat, Helliesen & Eichner (SH&E) for $51 million. The acquisition will strengthen ICF's services in the airline, airport and aviation industry and will enable the company to offer a broader array of services in ongoing programs, ICF said.
Dart 528, 529, 532, 535, 542 and 552 series turboprop engines [Docket No. FAA-2006-24825; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-17-AD] - This proposed AD would add the Dart 552 to the list of engines required to undergo a dimensional inspection of the intermediate-pressure turbine (IPT) disk or an ultrasonic inspection of the seal arm contact between the high-pressure turbine (HPT) and the IPT disk seal arm. The IPT disk would have to be reworked or replaced if it is worn beyond acceptable limits.
Bombardier Aerospace has launched a new fee-based support program for older Learjets and Challengers so it can focus specifically on the needs of these so-called "classic aircraft" (CA) operators and provide "effective technical and service solutions."
