Eclipse Aerospace < is working with engine-maker Pratt & Whitney to end the limits on the Eclipse 500, imposed by FAA’s issuance of an airworthiness directive (AD) that limits the EA500’s operating altitude to 30,000 feet.
TSA < Transportation Security Administration continues to ease access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Changes implemented on March 1 include increased flexibility with aircraft and crew use, as well as with screening times, says Signature Flight Support. TSA has continued to add portal or gateway airports, from which operators can fly directly into DCA, and now numbers 44 locations.
China < is expected to increase Cessna 162 Skycatcher shipments this year via a new assembly plant. Cessna delivered 30 of the light-sport aircraft in 2010, and the company looks to deliver 150 this year. Skycatcher is built by China’s Shenyang Aircraft and shipped to the U.S. for final assembly.
Bombardier Aerospace < announces a new financing agreement and increased support with a memorandum of understanding with a leading leasing company in China, ICBC Financial Leasing Co., to secure up to $8 billion in financing for Bombardier customers, as well as for maintenance, service, and production initiatives.
ASIG® < based in Orlando is awarded the contract to provide ramp handling services to US Airways Express at Buffalo Niagara Int’l Airport. ASIG is also providing further cabin cleaning services to US Airways’ mainline and express flights as well as cargo line hauling services for both carriers.
Earth Networks < the Germantown, MD-based provider of WeatherBug® products and services and operator of the largest weather observing and lightning network, contracts with Orlando Int’l Airport for improved ground crew safety and operations. The solution includes a professional-grade WeatherBug weather station equipped with a lightning sensor; StreamerRT, a web-based weather visualization and monitoring application; and lightning alerting devices.
GAMA < General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. welcomes the completion of the final step required for implementation of the landmark U.S. - EU Aviation Safety Agreement, which will be effective May 1, 2011. Agreement will streamline transatlantic regulatory cooperation on certification, continued airworthiness, and maintenance.
Connecticut < Governor Dan Malloy releases a budget proposal which includes a provision that would repeal the current tax exemption for aircraft parts and maintenance on aircraft under 6,000 pounds and assess personal property tax on aircraft. House Bill 6387, if passed, would tax aircraft at 70 percent of their value factored by a “mill” rate of 20 (one mill is one-tenth of a cent ($0.001)). According to NATA, a corporate jet valued at $20 million would be assessed an annual tax of $280,000. It appears that there is no weight limit associated with this proposal; therefore, all aircraft in the state would be impacted.
Delta Air Lines < launches nonstop service to London Heathrow from Boston Logan Int’l Airport.
Clariant < a leading supplier of de-icers for aircraft and runways in Europe, is expanding its capabilities in North American by acquiring Octagon Process LLC, a privately-held company based in NY.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. < donates $50,000 to Corporate Angel Network in support of the charity’s 30-year program of arranging free flights to treatment for cancer patients using empty seats on business aircraft.
Boeing < completes the first flight of the 747-8, its largest-ever passenger jet.
LANDMARK AVIATION < enters into an agreement with Int’l Communications Group, Inc. (ICG) to obtain a Supplemental Type Certificates from FAA to install a version of its ICG’s Sora advanced voice and data satellite communications system on Bombardier Challenger 600 series aircraft.
DOT SECRETARY RAY LAHOOD < and more than 2,000 general aviation workers, state and local officials, and industry leaders gather in Wichita for a general aviation rally. The event, held at Cessna Aircraft Company, was organized by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) in partnership with Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Bombardier Learjet and general aviation suppliers throughout Kansas. LaHood tells the group he will try to persuade President Obama to visit Wichita soon.
ACANA < Air Charter Assn. of North America (ACANA) based at Winter Park, FL names Joel Thomas, president and founder of Stratos Jet Charters, Inc., as its president. ACANA, an invite-only, non-profit organization, is comprised of air charter service providers in North America.
ACI < irports Council Int’l, surveying over 900 airports worldwide, reports global passenger traffic grew in 2010 at a better than expected rate of 6.3 percent and cargo rose strongly by 15.2 percent, as compared to 2009. Aircraft movements remained stable at just under 1 percent.
Sacramento County Airport System < creates 11,000 jobs with a payroll of $442.5 million and contributes approximately $4 billion to the local economy, according to the airport system’s most recent Economic Impact Study. The study includes data from Sacramento Int’l, Mather, and Executive airports.
Qantas Airways < launches non-stop service from DFW.
Iberia Airlines < launches nonstop flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Madrid’s Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD). Iberia Airlines’ three weekly flights will be the only nonstop service between the U.S. West Coast and Madrid.
Cutter Aviation < based in Phoenix announces completion of its implementation of a first-of-its-kind comprehensive FBO Safety Management System specifically developed to provide total safety management for two primary FBO business units: Line Service / Ground Handling and Aircraft Technical Service. The aim of the FBO-ISMS program is the establishment of a culture of safety to better protect technicians and team members of both departments, while ensuring a consistent standard of safety.
Vector Aerospace < Helicopter Services-North America of Langley, BC (www.vectoraerospace.com), a subsidiary of Vector Aerospace Corp., receives renewal as a Sikorsky Aerospace Authorized S-76 Overhaul and Repair Center, as well as renewal as a Sikorsky Aerospace Authorized S-76 Customer Support Center.
NATA < National Air Transportation Assn. partners with McFarren Aviation Consulting to raise funds for the Veterans Airlift Command, a charitable organization that provides free air transportation to wounded warriors, veterans, and their families.
SLC < Salt Lake City Int’l Airport announces plans for a revitalized concessions program at the nation’s 25th busiest airport. Through a competitive solicitation process, vendors proposed products or services in bundled packages of retail spaces. The approach was designed to give concessionaires optimal exposure, better serve airport customers, and bring in new concepts with both retail and food and beverage offerings.Among contracts awarded, local firm Air Terminal Gifts will continue to have a presence, partnering with Atlanta-based Hojeij Branded Foods and garnering 15 locations in the food and beverage program.
American Airlines < teams with British Airways and Iberia and, for the first time ever, coordinate the airlines’ schedules for flights across the North Atlantic — including American’s London express service with 15 flights per day from the New York city area to London.Travelers will benefit from more conveniently timed flights during peak periods.
AUSTIN-Bergstrom Int'l Airport < becomes the first airport in the U.S. to enable American Airlines customers to print their own tags for checked luggage as they use self check-in kiosks. American is testing Self Tag at nine check-in kiosks.
• AUS also begins construction to add two passenger screening lanes and increase the flow of passengers through security checkpoints by over 20 percent. The expansion will bring the number of passenger screening lanes to eleven.
Jacksonville Aviation Authority < offers curbside valet customers at Jacksonville Int’l Airport (JAX) the ability to receive boarding pass at the curbside valet booth.
Lambert-St. Louis Int’l Airport < begins the most intense phase of its Airport Experience renovations in April with the launch of multiple construction projects in Terminal 1. The historic 1934 Monocoupe D-145 plane (once owned by Charles Lindbergh), on display over the C Concourse Checkpoint, will be removed so construction can begin on the relocation of the C Checkpoint. The plane will be restored over the next 12 months before being re-installed.
Air Berlin < is increasing service between Southwest Florida Int’l Airport (RSW) and Düsseldorf (DUS) for the summer, with four weekly flights to RSW effective July 25 through Sept. 12, using A330 aircraft.
Signature Flight Support < opens its Middle East sales office in Bahrain and appoints Karl Bowles as Sales Manager, Middle East.
Duncan Aviation < at Lincoln, NE announces paint expansion plans for its Lincoln facility, adding a new aircraft paint facility with 45,000 square feet to the existing 440,000-sq. ft. facility.
TriState CareFlight < an air ambulance and medical helicopter service with bases throughout the region, opens a base at Taos Regional Airport.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Int’l Airport < adds non-stop service to Baltimore-Washington and Nashville on Southwest Airlines and new non-stop service to Kansas City, MO on Delta Air Lines.
Spirit Airlines < is expanding its network of ultra-low fares in Mexico with the introduction of service to Toluca, subject to foreign government approval, Spirit will operate two non-stop flights per week between Ft. Lauderdale and Toluca Int’l Airport on June 3, 2011.
• Spirit also starts non-stop service between Chicago’s O’Hare Int’l Airport and Atlantic City, as well as service between FLL and Charleston, SC.
Delks Valley Oil < previously a veteran provider and supplier of aviation fuels and related services, announces the formation of Paragon Aviation Group. The new company will represent a group of independent FBOs and small chains and deliver benefits to members through leverage in buying power. Each FBO joining PAG will undergo a comprehensive audit of facility and services; www.paragonaviationgroup.com.
Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance < a coalition of aviation interests that assists airports in planning, implementing, and maintaining airport sustainability programs, is the recipient of the 2011 Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award. Formed in 2008, SAGA’s primary product is a database of airport sustainability programs and practices, including policies, technologies, and strategies that may help a user ( airport, contractor, or tenant) meet sustainability goals.
NAV CANADA < concludes collective bargaining with the Canadian Automobile Workers Local 2245, which represents some 750 employees working primarily in Flight Service Stations and Flight Information Centres.
Consumer Travel Alliance < in a study reports that consumers paid more than $9.2 billion in fees to U.S. airlines in 2010 for checked baggage and other services — fees that were hidden from most travelers when they purchased their airline tickets, because the airlines refuse to share their fee information with travel agents and other distributors. On average, passengers paid a total of $36.80 in fees for every roundtrip ticket.
RAA < Regional Airline Assn. voices strong support for the Essential Air Service program, which faces elimination in Federal Aviation Reauthorization bills moving through Congress.
LAX < dedicates its new Airport Response Coordination Center (ARCC), a $13.9-million facility that centralizes communications and streamlines management of the airport’s operations.
• Los Angeles World Airports also unveils a community hotline — 310-649-LAWA — to report a complaint, ask questions, and get information about construction projects underway at LAX.
Bearskin Airlines < launches daily non-stop service between Waterloo Region and Montreal’s Trudeau Airport, with five flights each business day — three non-stop flights and two one-stop flights via Ottawa.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport < receives nearly $10 million in federal funding for a 30,000-sq. ft. terminal addition that includes two new gates and restrooms. When completed, the airport will have a total of eight gates.
Massport < approves a mid-year adjustment to its rates and charges for fiscal year 2011, reducing landing fees, baggage screening fees, and most per passenger fees while slightly raising some terminal rents at Boston Logan Int’l Airport. Landing fee is $4.61 per 1,000 pounds, which is .14 cents below the $4.75 landing fee approved last year. Baggage fees declined .05 cents from last year’s approved $1.28 per bag rate to $1.23 per bag. Building rates for Terminal A, B, and C are unchanged, while rental rates in Terminal E will increase slightly but will be offset by a reduction in some passenger fees.
United Airlines < begins two flights a day from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Dulles Int’l Airport.
Flight Design < of South Woodstock CT appoints Premier One Aviation as its associate dealer in Miami, serving south Florida and the Caribbean. Importer Flight Design USA also announced it will choose additional sales representation covering the remainder of Florida and the southeastern USA for its German-made light sport aircraft; www.flightdesignusa.com.
SITA < announces its approval as an electronic fares filing agent by both the U.S. DOT and the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), providing airlines with an alternative system to distribute fares data to global distribution systems and online travel agents covering travel to, from, and within the U.S. and Canada.
PBSJ Corp. < a U.S.-based engineering firm, becomes the North American operations of UK-based Atkins.
Chicago Department of Aviation < signs a memorandum of understanding establishing O’Hare Int’l and Beijing Int’l Airports as “Sister Airports.”
NEXT GEN < ITT Corp. and a private-equity partner are preparing a loan-guarantee fund of more than $1.5 billion to help upgrade the nation’s air-traffic control system, a financing plan aimed at ending an impasse over how airlines will purchase new equipment.
Global passenger traffic < at airports grew by almost 4 percent in February, with international up by 4.5 and domestic by 3.4 percent. North America’s passenger figures expanded by 2.8 percent.
PHILADELPHIA Int’l Airport < reaches agreement with Adopt-A-Watt®, Inc., which promotes the funding of clean energy, alternative fuel, and energy efficient programs through community sponsorship recognition. Modeled after the Adopt-A-Highway Program, Adopt-A-Watt® provides Sponsor-able Photo-Voltaic Displays (SPVD), which are energy-efficient solar electric system arrays that are mounted and attached to standard electrical service panels and include an acknowledgement sign bearing the name of a sponsor.
AEA < Aircraft Electronics Assn. presents long-time Duncan Aviation manager Ron Hall its 2011 AEA Lifetime Achievement Award during its annual meeting in Reno.
Gulfstream G650 < crashes during takeoff performance tests in Roswell, NM on April 2, killing two Gulfstream pilots and two flight test engineers during type certification flight tests.
EInnovative Solutions & Support, Inc. < of Exton, PA reports FAA has issued it a Supplemental Type Certificate for the Flight Management System (FMS) for the Eclipse Aerospace twin-engine jet.
Vanderlande Industries < of Atlanta is awarded a contract for the design and installation of a new airport baggage handling system at Terminal 4 at JFK Int’l Airport. The contract is scheduled for completion in March, 2013.
Lufthansa Cargo < expands its network in the summer with a direct cargo flight between Frankfurt-Houston-Atlanta-Frankfurt, using a Boeing 777F Aerologic Freighter.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport < reports United/Continental will offer three new markets for Houston, including Bakersfield, CA, Cedar Rapids, IA, and Grand Junction, CO.
Miami Int’l Airport < North Terminal unveils Experience the Everglades, a collection of 26 large-scale photographs featuring the reserve’s wildlife and landscapes that now line the walls of the terminal’s international arrivals corridor.
Van Nuys Airport (CA) < on April 15-17 hosts the EAA Aviation Experience, a three-day event open to the public, offering an expanded program of aviation activities centered on select national tour stops for EAA’s B-17 Flying Fortress “Aluminum Overcast.”
American Eagle Airlines < launches daily nonstop service to the La Romana Int’l Airport in the Caribbean from Miami Int’l. Airport (MIA), using 50-seat ERJ-145 jet aircraft.
Pittsburgh Int’l Airport < announces that most shops at its AIRMALL will now open at 5 a.m. every day. Passenger traffic has increased in the early morning and the AIRMALL has opened earlier to meet the demand.
Alaska Airlines < announces a $271-million renovation of Terminal 6 at Los Angeles Int’l Airport that will include spacious boarding areas, a new passenger lounge, and more efficient baggage check-in. The project is part of a court settlement in a lawsuit brought by Alaska Airlines, which had disputed terminal-related fees imposed by Los Angeles World Airports, the operator of LAX. Alaska Airlines also agreed to a new 10-year lease for the terminal, and will provide $18.6 million of the renovation cost.
Tucson Airport Authority < Board of Directors approves a Terminal Optimization Study to identify opportunities to most effectively meet current and future space needs in the Tucson Int’l Airport (TIA) terminal complex.Study is an amendment to the East Concourse Gate Expansion Design Project, approved as part of the 2009 Capital Improvement Program, and is a result of the economic downturn.
Springfield (IL) Capital City Airport < reports American Eagle will begin service to DFW Int’l Airport.
AirTran Airways < begins daily nonstop jet service from Tampa Int’l Airport to Key West,as well as twice daily nonstop service between Tampa and San Juan Luis Munoz Marin Int’l Airport
American Airlines Cargo < begins direct service between Shanghai and Los Angeles as well as between Budapest and New York; and is resuming seasonal service between Dublin and Chicago.
Cessna Aircraft Co. < secures orders for 30 aircraft at the Sun ‘n Fun Int’l Fly-In & Expo in Lakeland, FL, including 16 orders for the new Corvalis TTX; 13 orders for high-wing single-engine pistons; and, an order for a Grand Caravan.Five new 172 Skyhawks are targeted for the University of North Dakota.
FLIGHTSTATS < reports North American airlines operations returned to normal after the worst winter in recent history. After nearly 38,000 canceled flights in February, a tally of 12,600 canceled flights were recorded in March.
Aeromexico < announces increased flight frequencies between Miami and Mexico City, adding two new seasonal flights to its current schedule.
Oklahoma < Governor Mary Fallin signs into law a measure reestablishing tax credits for engineers going to work for Oklahoma companies as well as the companies that hire them. The bill restores a tax incentive that was put on moratorium last year by the Oklahoma state legislature. Oklahoma is home to more than 300 aerospace companies.
Signature Flight Support < launches its new maintenance brand, Signature TECHNICAir™, which consolidates all Signature-owned maintenance facilities under one unified brand, including the former Executive Beechcraft locations and Signature locations at Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA; St. Paul Downtown Airport; and the newly acquired Yellowstone Jetcenter in Bozeman, MT (BZN).
DENVER, CO < April 4, 2011 — Denver International Airport is happy to report that all three credit rating agencies – Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch – have reaffirmed their ratings of DIA’s outstanding senior lien General Airport Revenue Bonds (GARBs).
NATA/NBAA < National Air Transportation Assn. and National Business Aviation Assn. submit comments to FAA on its proposal to change drastically the ability for aircraft owners to have their tail-numbers blocked from public view. The Block Aircraft Registration Request — or BARR — is a system that permits aircraft owners/operators to have their aircraft data blocked when conducting IFR flights in the U.S.
Vancouver Int’l Airport < selects Simio for Building Expansion Performance Analytics in an effort to save tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary investments in building expansion projects to handle U.S. Customs and Border Protection challenges; www.simio.com.
NETJETS < names Jordan Hansell its chairman after the resignation of David Sokol, who abruptly resigned from parent Berkshire Hathaway March 30.
Bombardier < reports it recorded 74 business jet orders in the fourth quarter ending Jan. 31. Company had a total of 107 orders for the fiscal year.
Cutter Piper Sales < relocates its offices to Jet Source in Carlsbad, CA. Cutter was recently appointed to sell Pipers in Southern California and Hawaii.
Agricultural Bank of China < reports its leasing division will finance Embraer aircraft under a memorandum of understanding that could make available some $1.5 billion in financing to operators over the next five years.
FAA < is prohibiting new residential through-the-fence agreements (RTTF) at public airports under an interim policy released March 18. In addition to the ban on new agreements, FAA is requiring airports with existing RTTF agreements to develop access plans for meeting certain standards for control of airport operations while maintaining nondiscriminatory airport rates.
Paramount Business Jets < of Boca Raton, FL unveils a four-level jet card membership program with a fixed management fee of 10-15 percent.
Robert E. Breiling Associates < of Boca Raton, FL releases the 2010 Business Turbine Accident Review, with more than 500 pages of detailed narrative on over 355 turbine airplane and helicopter accidents and incidents reported worldwide last year. The review provides a summary of; www.breilinginc.com.
Lufthansa German Airlines < offers a new curbside check-in and baggage check service for customers departing from Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s North Terminal, allowing international customers departing from DTW to check bags and receive a boarding pass directly at the curb.
TSA < Transportation Security Administration begins testing an airline crewmember screening system in seven preliminary airports to enhance the verification process for professional flight crews while increasing the efficiency for all that depend on air travel. TSA has been working with Southwest Airlines, the Coalition of Airline Pilots, the Airline Pilots Association, the Air Transport Association and other agencies on the intiative.
Massage Bar < opens two units at the AIRMALL at Cleveland Hopkins Int’l Airport
JFKIAT, LLC < the company that operates Terminal 4 at JFK Int’l Airport, launche a Safety Awareness Campaign to enhance awareness of job safety and hazard prevention. The program includes distribution of a monthly newsletter, The Safety Sentinel, to all employees, as well as selecting a “Safety Employee of the Month”.
Siemens Industry, Inc. < unveils its new Siemens Apron Baggage Screening (SABS) solution LAX’s Terminal 5 for Delta Air Lines. The system provides an inline baggage screening matrix with explosive detection system devices that are linked to the existing baggage handling system at the airport, essentially providing a baggage handling and screening system “in a box.”
Winner Aviation < at Vienna, OH purchases a 14,500-sq. ft. hangar at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
NBAA < National Business Aviation Assn. announces that its annual convention, to be held Oct. 10-12 in Las Vegas, will have two static display areas. A new outdoor static display area will be adjacent to the convention center. Traditional static display will be located at Henderson Executive Airport.
