Manhattan corners the market in Premier 1s

Kaan Air has placed orders for two AW169 helicopters,the first in Turkey, plus one AW139 with further optionsfor both types. Celebrating the deal are Ferda Yildiz ofKaan Air and Emilio Dalmasso of AgustaWestland. See full story on page 3.

IBAC appointsEdwards toleading role

Farnborough-based AOC operatorManhattan Jets has signed a newcontract to manage a third Premier 1 jet,expanding its fleet to five aircraft. As a result Manhattan Jets says that itnow manages every UK-registeredPremier 1 aircraft available to charter.

The company has also taken on theoperation of a Learjet 45 on behalf of airambulance operator CEGA.

The newest addition to the Premier 1fleet is available to charter alongsidetwo Learjets (40 and 45XR) and twoexisting Premier 1s which the companyhas managed from new. “With the samesix-seat, club four plus twoconfiguration, a spacious cabin andplenty of luggage space, the Premier 1model is one of the fastest light jets in

its class capable of speeds of up to470mph with a range of 2,345 miles,making it an ideal choice to reach avariety of key cities in Europe for leisurebreaks and time-saving business trips,”says md Steve Westlake.

The company was the first operatorto take delivery of the new Premier 1 inEurope, 19 years ago. “Premier 1s areour expertise. We have grown up withthem and know the aircraft inside-out.Our crew are very experienced and we have more Premier 1 rated pilotsthan anyone else in the country,”Westlake says.

“Adding a third Premier 1 to the fleet makes perfect sense. With the launch of our new flightcommitment programme, Manhattan

Skytime, the demand from businessesfor fixed-cost short-hop flights toEurope is growing and the Premier 1model with its advantageous speed,bigger cabin and luggage capability is an ideal aircraft to service ourbusiness customers.”

The air ambulance Learjet, newlyacquired by CEGA (as reported in EBAN,August 2012), is expected to benefitclients through its capacity to carry notjust patients and medical crews, butalso an accompanying relative oremployer. Its generous interior makes itsuitable for the most complex criticalcare cases, while its auxiliary power unitprovides a climate controlled cabin,even on the ground.

The new jet, which extends CEGA’s

international reach, will join theBournemouth-based company’s fleet ofthree Beech King Air 200 aircraftproviding air ambulance andrepatriation services.

“This significant investment hasbeen made to meet the growingdemand for longer distance critical caretransfers, particularly from emergingand remote destinations back toEurope,” says Graham Ponsford CEGAgroup chief executive.

“Our combined fleet now enables usto offer clients optimum air transfercapabilities, within and well beyondEurope; with seamless medical care andcommunication enhanced by ourintegrated assistance operation.”

The International BusinessAviation Council (IBAC)has appointed KurtEdwards (pictured) as itsnew director general withimmediate effect.

“Kurt Edwards brings to the organisationsubstantial experience ininternational aviationissues,” says IBAC chair-man Peter Gatz. “Previousto coming to IBAC, he served in high-levelcapacities with the International Affairs and Environment Offices of the US FederalAviation Administration. He also led FAAoutreach efforts while based in Brussels and Paris, as well as at ICAO on environ-mental matters.”

Edwards replaces Donald Spruston, theprevious director general who served from1999 to the present. Spruston announced last year his intent to step down. Since thattime the IBAC board has conducted acomprehensive global search to find areplacement with the capability of continuingthe development of business aviation policies and interests on issues such as safety, security, air traffic management andthe environment.

IBAC is the international non-governmental organisation that represents theinterests of business aviation operators fromaround the world in international forums,primarily ICAO.

Its members, including the EBAA and other European and Middle East groups, arenational and regional associations that worktogether to coordinate global policies andpositions for the business aviation communityand to represent the community ininternational rule-making and policy-makingwork. IBAC’s principal office is located inMontreal, Canada, in the headquartersbuilding of ICAO.

Kaan brings the AW169

to Turkey

ISSUE 230 OCTOBER 2012

Continued on page 4

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Managing director of Gama Engineering Harry Lees with Trevor Pegrum, EMEA aviationmanager, Garmin (Europe).

This issue of European Business AirNews is the first to go to 566 extra people, hand-picked becausethey are responsible for 1,950business aircraft, fixed wing andturbine rotary, across the greatcontinent of Africa. From now onthey too will be receiving monthlynews about their peers in Europe,the Middle East, Russia and theirown region, and we hope they find itinteresting and valuable.

In the 23 years since thismagazine launched we havereported on the emergence of

business aviation in eastern Europe,followed its modernisation inRussia and the CIS, and tracked itstransition into a business tool foroverseas investment from the GulfStates. Now we expect to bearwitness to the birth of businessaviation around the wider MiddleEast, and its blossoming around thewhole of Africa.

Our coverage will now have anew diversity. We will continue to bethe leading magazine for businessaviation news throughout thehugely valuable and increasingly

integrated European arena, but we will also be charting oppor-tunities and developments in someof the fastest growing economies inthe world.

Africa has not simply found aplace on our masthead, it will also be an important and integralpart of all our coverage. Our owndirectory, the Handbook of BusinessAviation (www.handbook.aero), is already being expanded toinclude African airports, handlers,charter, maintenance and trainingorganisations. This information can

be consulted online, and will forman important new part of ourprinted handbook next May.

We kick off coverage this monthwith a brief introduction to Africanbusiness aviation (pages 12-13), andnews of the fledgling AfricanBusiness Aviation Association, aswell as first reports of the continent’soperators in our news columns.

These are exciting times, fromSvalbard in the north to Cape Townin the south, and EBAN will be thereto cover it all.

David Wright, Editor

Welcome on board, business aviation professionals of AfricaEDITORIAL COMMENT

A BN Islander aircraft operated by the Belgian coastguard has received a major enhancement with theinstallation of a Garmin G600 EFIS system.

The upgrade was made possibleby the 50th STC obtained by thedesign offices at Gama Engineering,which worked on behalf of ASPAvionics in Belgium. “It has been amost rewarding and productive firstyear for the Gama Engineering

team,” says md Harry Lees. “I am especially pleased that the

growth of our Fairoaks activities hasresulted in us employing three newengineering trainees and that ourdesign office has completed aremarkable number of STCs,reaching the 50th milestone.”

The company held a special fly-inevent for existing and prospectivecustomers at its Fairoaks base in September.

Belgian coastguard upgradesIslander with Garmin

AgustaWestland distributor Kaan Airhas ordered two AW169 and a furtherone AW139 helicopter for corporateoperations in Turkey.

Chairman Ferda Yildiz says: “Weare very proud to buy helicoptersthat are best suited to the demandingTurkish operating environment.AgustaWestland helicopters are themost powerful and the fastest in theirclass, which makes them thepreferred aircraft in Turkey.”

A fleet of over 20 AgustaWestlandhelicopters including the AW119Ke,AW109 Power, GrandNew andAW139, are now operating in Turkeyperforming a wide range of rolesincluding vip and corporatetransport, air ambulance, utility,aerial tours and filming.

Kaan Air’s headquarters are in

Istanbul where it has its owndedicated heliport and maintenancecomplex to support its growingnumber of customers.

Emilio Dalmasso, svp commercialbusiness, AgustaWestland, says: “Thecontract for another AW139demonstrates the continued successof this model in the vip/corporatemarket. There are now three AW139soperating successfully in Turkeywhere the aircraft’s high perfor-mance, cabin size and modern safetyfeatures are recognised as keyadvantages over the competition. Afourth AW139 will be delivered to acorporate customer in late 2012.”

The first AW169 performed itsmaiden flight in May and civilcertification is expected in 2014 withdeliveries commencing in 2015.

Kaan brings the AW169 to Turkey

Perfect Aviation SA is to move its UKsubsidiary Perfect Aviation UK to abigger, 1,066 square metre hangarand offices located at Biggin Hillairport as the company moves tofurther expand its maintenancecapabilities. It has also achieved EASAPart 145 approval enabling it to takeLearjet 45 maintenance in-house.

The new facility has beenextensively renovated and the movegives the company additional rampparking – big enough to park fourmid-sized business jets.

Perfect’s aircraft maintenanceactivities are headed by director ofmaintenance Nigel Cooper whopreviously ran a Bombardier-approved maintenance facility forLearjet 40/45 and Challenger 300types from the same facility. Thecompany already holds approval forLearjet 40/45 maintenance and plansto expand its capability to other typesas demand grows. Together with itsEASA Part-M Subpart CAMO status itcan also offer its services to thirdparty operators.

Perfect Aviation is marking itsthird year of operations and reportsthat it has already built up a solidcustomer base. It prides itself on itshighly personalised service and saysit delivers a fully transparentoperation for the owners of theaircraft it manages.

ExpandingPerfect moves

to larger hangar Air Zermatt has taken delivery of thefirst Bell 429 helicopter in Europeequipped for emergency medicalmissions. The Alpine rescue expertselected the type for its ability tooperate at high altitudes and inextreme conditions.

Recently the fleet has comprisedvarious Eurocopter types, but thecompany is no stranger to Bellmodels. It started operation with aJetRanger in 1968, and also used a 412at the beginning of the 1990s, but thisproved too big for its operation andwas sold a few years later.

The 429 is the first Bell product AirZermatt has flown in about 20 years.“The most important criteria for us is the performance,” says flightoperations post holder DanielAufdenblatten. “Here, the 429 issignificantly stronger than the EC135.We do rescue missions up to 15,000feet, and in summertime, sometimeswith conditions up to ISA+30, the ECgets very weak and we have to startunloading the medical equipment.

“Also, the rotor system of the EChas certain disadvantages. In bumpyconditions, as it is often the case inthe Alps, it can get quiteuncomfortable for the patient. Themast moment limitation on the ECcan be additional workload for thepilot especially in difficult visibility,such as white out conditions. Wehope to get a good improvement herewith the Bell 429.”

For now, Air Zermatt will bekeeping its crews current on bothtypes, as all of the EC pilots have a lotof experience on it. “We are a smallteam of pilots, and like this we keepthe planning more flexible,” addsAufdenblatten.

The EMS equipment is yet to becertified, this being expected in mid-October, so the 429 is not currentlyfully operational.

“Air Zermatt’s selection representsthe culmination of efforts from adedicated team at Air Zermatt andBell Helicopter,” says DannyMaldonado, executive vp of sales and marketing at Bell Helicopter.“This is a significant milestone for the429. It reflects our commitment to theEuropean market and our dedicationto providing the right products forour customers.”

Air Zermatt’s selection of the Bell429 was driven by its requirements for a reliable, fast and manoeuvrablehelicopter capable of performingemergency missions at altitudes ashigh as 15,000 feet, says Bell. A flightdemonstration on the top ofMatterhorn Mountain (14,690 feet),one of the highest peaks in the Alps, issaid to have proved the Bell 429 couldsuccessfully complete the mission.

The Bell 429 has conductedextensive flight demonstrations inevery continent, except Antarctica,and has been certified in more than40 countries.

Air Zermatt takes Europe’sfirst Bell 429 for EMS

4 OCTOBER 2012 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Ignaz Gretener of Pilatus presents Kadri Muhiddin of AMAC Aerospace with an elaborate Swiss cowbell.

Aircraft management operator andPilatus PC12 sales distributor for theMiddle East AMAC Aerospace hasopened a new hangar at IstanbulAtatürk airport with a specialceremony during the Airex show in September.

A cocktail reception, hosted by ceo Kadri Muhiddin and coo AtillaGuney welcomed around 200 guests,including leading aviation executives,members of Turkey’s aviation

authority and Turkish media.The facilities, which include

hangarage, offices and shop-floorspace will be dedicated initially tocarrying out maintenance support onthe PC12-NG. AMAC operates avariety of aircraft types undermanagement for a number ofcustomers, from its bases inSwitzerland and now Turkey.

AMAC exhibited at Airex inconjunction with Pilatus, positioning

its privately owned aircraft toshowcase on the static display. ThePC12 is reported to have generatedconsiderable interest from showvisitors. “We are very excited aboutthe prospect for sales in the MiddleEastern region and initial response tothe aircraft has been very positive.Potential clients become even moreinterested when they appreciatemaintenance can be carried out asclose as Turkey,” says Guney.

Turkish base will provide support forPilatus in Middle East region

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Continued from front page

Manhattan is delighted to have beenselected to operate the aircraft: “Wedirectly employ our own Learjet40XR/45XR rated pilots and areresponsible for training the CEGAcrew who will fly the new airambulance,” says Westlake. “All crewundergo an individual focusedtraining process and rigorous crewselection guidelines in line withManhattan Jets’ bespoke trainingmandate, ensuring full compliancewith standard operating regulations.CEGA are in the business of savinglives and we are delighted to play apart in this important work.”

CEGA’s new aircraft has beenadded to Manhattan Jets’ AOClicence. The company will provide anoperational support contract, whichmeans Manhattan Jets is responsiblefor operating the aircraft, selectionand training of crew and all aspects todo with flight operations.

Westlake continues: “CEGA has a massive reputation both in aviation and medical repatriation.The company is the best at what itdoes having flown its own aircraft foralmost 40 years. Both we and CEGAtake a very practical approach todoing things properly. This is a greatopportunity for us to bring anotheraircraft under our expertise andundertake missions that are differentto our usual vip charter.”

CEGA’s investment in the Learjet45 supports its recent launch of aglobal private repatriation division;created to serve individuals in needoverseas who either do not havetravel insurance or find that theirpolicy does not cover them.

Manhattan believes it offersparticularly effective cost-control formanaged aircraft customers. “Weunderstand the need to proactivelymanage the costs associated with allaspects of aircraft ownership,management and charter,” thecompany says. “For example,monitoring fuel costs, exchange ratesand payment options each week to find the most cost-effective airport to uplift fuel and the best way to pay for it, often makingconsiderable savings.”

Manhattan corners the market inPremier 1s

GainJet ceo Captain James McBriderecently made a video presentation insupport of his company’s bid to becomethe national finalist in the EuropeanBusiness Awards.

GainJet extends Boeing fleet

Athens-based GainJet has acquiredan additional Boeing 737 and intendsto refurbish it with a stateroom and54 club class seats to supplement itsfleet of vip large capacity aircraft.Plans include the installation of longrange fuel auxiliary tanks to increaseflight range to about nine hours.

The 400-series model waspreviously operated by KLM RoyalDutch Airlines, and its sale wasbrokered by Cabot Aviation.

GainJet already has a long-range vip Boeing 757 with a stateroom,as well as 737s with interiors for 48 and 60 passengers respectively.

Tanzanair to add King Air 350 to the mixTanzanair is in the process in buying outright a King Air 350, reports md JohnSamaras. This will join other Beechcraft models in the fleet which alreadycomprises two King Air 200 and two Beech 1900D, along with two Reims F406Caravan II and two Cessna 208B Caravans.

Established in 1969, the company operates flights for the mining companies,crew changes for oil and gas companies, medevac, aerial surveillance for anti-piracy and vip transport as well as providing flights to the bush, using unpavedairstrips for big game hunting clients.

Tanzanair also maintains some 65 aircraft, including all Cessna andBeechcraft piston and turboprop types, as well as managing and maintaining aDash 8-300 on behalf of a large gold mining company in Tanzania.

London-based aircraft managementand charter company Oryx Jet hasadded a Challenger 604 to itsmanaged fleet of business jets.

The aircraft entered service inSeptember and is managed fromOryx Jet’s headquarters withinaffiliated partner Rizon Jet’sFBO/MRO facility at Biggin Hillairport. “This latest addition to ourgrowing fleet boasts one of the widestand quietest cabins in its class andprovides an ideal environment for in-flight business meetings orrelaxation,” the company says.

Mike Russell, ceo, is delighted withthe new arrival: “We are excited towelcome the Challenger to ourgrowing fleet, as it further expandsour long range capabilities and allowsus to continue to offer our clientsunparalleled vip service.”

The Challenger 604 canaccommodate up to 10 people and isequipped with on-board enter-tainment and a satellite telephone. Ithas transcontinental range and iscapable of flying non-stop fromLondon to New York.

Oryx Jet’s existing Hawker andFalcon 50 fleet is also complementedby single and twin turbine enginehelicopters. It says it is one of an elitegroup of UK aircraft operators thatcan fly with a paperless cockpit, and

its charter aviation service was thisyear recognised as ‘best charter’ inEurope in The Business Destinations2012 awards.

“Our business is gaining areputation for excellence and we areconstantly striving to improve ourservice levels and our customerexperience,” adds Russell. “Theaircraft management arm of ourbusiness is going from strength tostrength, and we are confident thislatest addition to our fleet will prove apopular choice for business andleisure travellers.”

Oryx brings managed Challengeronboard for charter

Mike Russell believes charter customerswill appreciate the wide-body cabin ofthe Challenger 604.

The Genetics of Agility. With its optimized aerodynamics and high-lift devices, a Falcon delivers the short-fi eld, multi-hop agility of much smaller aircraft. This should come as no surprise. After all, our Rafale fi ghter jets land on aircraft carriers. Designed by the same engineers. Defined by the same DNA. Nothing fl ies like a Falcon.

The number of business jets in Russiacould grow massively to around 1,700 by 2030, according to a reportcommissioned by the JetExpo show in Moscow.

Modest growth in the fleet iscontinuing despite world economicconcerns and global operations areplaying their part, as exemplified bythe announcement that GamaAviation has added two further aircraftmanagement contracts, a BombardierChallenger 850 and a Boeing BBJ2, toits Russia-based portfolio.

The company’s worldwideportfolio now exceeds 80 aircraft andincludes a number of Boeing,Bombardier, Falcon and Gulfstreamaircraft based in Moscow.

“We have been supporting theneeds of our Russian clients for over15 years,” says Tom Wells, generalmanager of Gama Aviation. “Ourclients respect our knowledge of theRussian market, our hands-onexperience of all major businessaircraft types and the global coverageof Gama’s operations. I am proud thatthe Gama team is able to deliver to Russia’s continuously growingbusiness aviation community ourtailored solutions in a safe, service-driven and cost-efficient manner.”

With nearly 30 years of experiencein Europe, USA, the Middle East, andfrom this year Asia, Gama offers itsclients a wide range of aircraftmanagement, charter andmaintenance services. It was one ofthe first business aviation serviceproviders to support Russiancustomers in the 1990s and says thatthe market today remains key to itscontinued development.

The company exhibited at theJetExpo show in Moscow, whereorganisers revealed the results of amarket review. This showed that themost popular aircraft in Russiacurrently are the Legacy 600,Challenger 300 and Challenger604/605. The report also revealed thatto order a vip charter can be cheaperthan flying first class in Russia.

There are 158 business jetsregistered in Russia according toofficial data; 83 per cent of theseaircraft are owned by companies

operating business and charter flightsas well as corporations which operatethem for their own needs. Seventeenper cent are managed by operators onbehalf of private owners.

The report claims that largercorporations (such as Gazprom,Norilsk Nickel, Severstal) usuallypurchase larger aircraft like the Falcon900 or Gulfstream 450/550. These jetsoften operate flights in accordancewith companies’ top managementbusiness schedules. Russianbusinessmen tend to use jets such as

Citations, which are moreeconomical, while private ownersprefer to purchase aircraft such as theLegacy 600 and use it mostly forpersonal travel, the report says.

Most business traffic isconcentrated in the European part ofRussia with more than 63 per cent ofbusiness traffic at the Moscowairports. About 23 per cent of businessflights are operated to St Petersburg.

Vip charters are becoming morepopular with Russian businesstravellers. An average price of business

charter is 40-45 per cent moreexpensive than a group flight in firstclass. However, when a company isordering a short distance charter flightwith a VLJ class aircraft for a group ofsix to eight people, it can be cheaperthan to buy first class tickets for thesame number of passengers on aregular flight.

The report estimates that 525business jets will be purchased inRussia and the CIS by 2020, and 1,016 aircraft in the period from 2021 to 2030.

6 OCTOBER 2012 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

General manager Tom Wells and commercial manager Paul Cremer of Gama Aviation were both on hand at JetExpo 2012 in Moscow at the end of September.

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Beechcraft owners fly in for birthday celebrationPrivately-owned Beechcraft piston aircraft lined up at Hawker Beechcraft’sEMEA headquarters at Hawarden airport in Broughton recently. The fly-inevent was the first of its kind hosted in the UK by Hawker Beechcraft andmarked the manufacturer’s 80th anniversary.

Aircraft owners from across Europe met, shared experiences and discussedthe market. Two-thirds of all manufactured Hawker Beechcraft aircraft are stillin operation today, the company says.

ExecuJet Africa is responding to risingdemand for business aviation inNigeria with the opening of a newbase in Lagos, where two of its ownjets will be based for charter service.

Located at Murtala MuhammedInternational airport, the facility hasdirect access to the main runway andtaxiway and will offer acomprehensive range of servicesincluding maintenance, FBO, charterand aircraft management services.

The FBO has modern groundsupport equipment, a vip lounge and24-hour support capabilities.

Mark Abbott, group FBO director,says: “ExecuJet’s new Lagos FBO is adirect response to the vibrant growthtaking place in this business gateway.The facility will offer the same

outstanding customer experience asour award-winning FBOs in CapeTown and Lanseria, with full MROand technical support capabilities.”

Etti Poggi, md of ExecuJet Africa,comments: “Africa needs modern,safety-regulated aviation services tofacilitate the expansion of manyindustry sectors. ExecuJet iscommitted to meeting thatrequirement and contributing to theadvancement of an efficient, high-growth African economy.”

ExecuJet Africa has recently addeda fully refurbished Falcon 900EX to itscharter fleet, which has long rangecapabilities providing a travelsolution particularly to clientstravelling into West Africa, the MiddleEast and India.

ExecuJet bases aircraft atnew facility in Lagos

ADAC Air Rescue is continuing theprocess of introducing EC145 andEC135 helicopters as replacementsfor its BK117 fleet, and placed ordersfor 14 EC145 T2 and three EC135 P2e,to be delivered 2013-2017.

“ADAC’s commitments for newhelicopters and their associated SARequipment represent an investmentof over €130 million in the future ofair rescue operations in Germany,”managing director Stefan Wesslingexplains. “Eurocopter is providing anaircraft with unbeatable performancecharacteristics to replace our BK117helicopters over the long-term.”

Eurocopter’s Wolfgang Schodersays: “We are very pleased that ADAChas once again chosen Eurocopter,marking a continuation of more than 40 years in our close andsuccessful cooperation. With theEC145 T2, ADAC will be operating thenewest aircraft in the light twin-engine helicopter category. It wasdeveloped in close consultation withair rescue organisations with thespecific aim of further satisfyingoperators’ exacting safety andperformance requirements.”

With an existing fleet of 49helicopters, ADAC is one of

Eurocopter’s largest Europeancustomers in the emergency medicalservices market segment.

The “yellow angels,” as ADAC’shelicopters are sometimes called,operate from more than 35 helicopterbases across Germany.

The new helicopters will be fittedwith medical equipment and thecommunication tools needed forrescue operations. Sporting ADAC’sclassic yellow livery, they will bedeployed as air ambulances fortransporting intensive care patientsfrom one hospital to another, as wellas in rescue missions.

Yellow angels stay faithful to Eurocopter

If a business aviation company doesnot interact with the media, thisprobably indicates hidden internalflaws such as poor service orinappropriate levels of staff training,and has a negative impact on theefficiency of the company. This wasthe conclusion of a round-tablemeeting ‘Media and businessaviation’ hosted by the RussianUnited Business Aviation Association(RUBAA). The round-table discussiongathered representatives of theRussian media specialising inbusiness aviation.

“In this age of informationtechnology, companies need tocommunicate with the publicthrough the media,” says AlexeiKorolev, analyst at Upcast Mediaagency. The only exceptions, he says,may be the private companies thatwork for just one client. “If a companyworks on the open market and avoidscontact with the media, sooner orlater it will affect the efficiency of itsactivities,” Korolev adds.

RUBAA urgesbusiness aviationto harness media

Heli Air is now fully operational at themost recent of its seven bases, atGloucestershire airport.

The company is Europe’s largestRobinson helicopter distributor andoperations at Gloucester are expectedto expand to include a five-seat R66and a Bell 206 JetRanger in the nearfuture, followed by additional R22sand a Bell LongRanger.

The Gloucester base will be hometo Heli Air’s new flight instructoracademy. Captain Mike Buckland, a specialist in training commercialpilots to become helicopter flightinstructors will be the base manager.He has extensive knowledge ofpiloting, flight instruction and pilotskills testing and examinations aswell as public transport capabilities,and will be responsible for all Heli Airactivities at the base, including itsongoing development.

Brian Kane, head of sales andmarketing, says: “The company hasbeen expanding continuously over

the past two years and when theopportunity arose to secure a newlybuilt facility adjacent to the controltower, we were quick to seize it.

Gloucestershire airport is verycentrally located, close to the M5 andthe A40 roads, and has a largehelicopter presence already.”

OCTOBER 2012 7EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

FlightSafety: Enhancing Safety for Generations

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An open day marked the launch of Heli Air’s new base.

Seventh base hosts flight instructor academy

MENA Aerospace Enterprises ofBahrain has made a number ofmanagement appointments tosupport its sustained growth andregional expansion.

Dr Mohamed Juman, md, says:“We are pleased with the progress ourbusiness units have made in Bahrain.However, like most companies, weneed to focus on markets throughoutthe region. With these appointments,we are aligning our key managementstructure in a way that allows us tofocus on the regional andinternational aviation businessopportunities while solidifying ourbase in Bahrain. These changes willallow us to expand our serviceoffering and markets in a manageableand measured manner.”

Ralph Eisenschmid, previouslyceo, has been appointed to the role ofexecutive director. He has been partof the management team since thecompany’s founding in 2004, and willcontinue to be responsible forbusiness development and strategicplanning with the addition of caringfor the groups’ corporate affairs andregulatory compliance.

Omar Mattar, formerly generalmanager, has been promoted to therole of ceo responsible for alldivisions and operations in Bahrain.Mattar spent 31 years with Gulf Airbefore joining MENA during last year.

Khalid Albinfalah has beenappointed to the role of generalmanager of SA MENA Avionics, thegroup’s avionics installation andrepair division.

The corporate group consists ofMAE Aircraft Management whichoperates business jets and airlinersunder its Bahraini AOC; MAE JetCharters Company which sells andcoordinates vvip travel on charteredbusiness jets; SA MENA Avionics andMAE Aviation Real Estate.

Managementteam at MENA isstrengthened for

internationalexpansion

Ralph Eisenschmid, with the companysince its foundation, becomes executivedirector.

Omar Mattar steps up to the role of ceofor all operations in Bahrain.

Jet Aviation’s Moscow fleet goes globalJet Aviation is about to add a Moscow-based Global 5000 to its fleet ofmanaged aircraft. The company isworking in close cooperation with theSwiss FOCA to bring the aircraft ontoits AOC, and expects it to be availablefor charter in December. It will bemanaged by Jet Aviation and availableas soon as approval for commercialtransport is secured. It will comfor-tably accommodate 10 passengers fora range of up to 9,000km.

“We are thrilled to make thisGlobal 5000 available to our chartercustomers in Moscow, where long-distance, wide-body business jets arepreferred,” says Claudio Peer, vp ofsales for aircraft management andcharter, EMEA and Asia.

Ian Ludlow, general director at JetAviation Moscow Vnukovo, says:“Having entered into a spare partsagreement with Bombardier, we havean excellent working arrangementand are committed to upholding thehighest service standards.”

8 OCTOBER 2012 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Twinjet’s Keeble looks back overthirty highly eventful years

Twinjet Aviation has marked the 30th anniversary of its establishmentin 1982 by chairman John Keeble and original co-founder PaulaDownes at Luton airport, where thecompany maintains a permanentbase and operations department to this day. The business originallybegan as an international aircraftbrokerage, but has developed intoaircraft management andsubsequently aircraft operations withthe opening of a dedicated operationsdepartment in 1999.

Over the years, Twinjet hasachieved a number of aviation firstsin the UK. In 1999, it was issued with apublic transport AOC and a type Aoperating licence by the UK CAA, theonly UK-based private jet operator tobe awarded this licence, certifying thecompany to the same operatingstandards as commercial airlines.Twinjet was also the first UK operatorof the Airbus A319 type and currentlyhas an ACJ and a Challenger 604under full aircraft management.

In 2008, Twinjet Aircraftestablished its first overseas base inDubai. Established to serve existingclients in the Middle East region, itenabled the company to extendaircraft sales and managementservices into Asia, the former SovietUnion and the Far East.

Keeble’s recollections are vivid:“When we launched Twinjet, webegan business with one telephoneand one aircraft to sell. We are now aninternational and multilingual teamof aviation professionals with officesaround the world.

“In 1982, the market for corporatejets was quite well established in bothEurope and North America and wasbeginning to take off in the MiddleEast and Africa. However, thebusiness jets available were mostlywhat we now call mid-size – largelythe Falcon 20 and HS125.

“Public perception does seem tohave changed from the 80s wheremost owners tried to hide ownership.I think that fractional ownershipschemes have helped with imageproblems, although there are severalmajor British household names thatdo not publicise ownership –especially in the supermarket arena!

“The most significant change tothe brokerage world was the intro-duction of the internet. No longercould dealers control the market;

anyone can type in ‘Gulfstream 550for sale’ and obtain ten hits!

“My original partner, an exMarines F4 Phantom pilot, Richard CJones, summed up the early days ofbrokerage with the phrase: ‘John, wehave to create and maintain an air ofambiguity.’ No longer possible withinternet coverage.

“I have met and made friends withmany characters during the past 30years, both as professional brokersand customers. One of my first clientswas a Nigerian chief who insisted onacquiring a Hawker 125-1B. I tried toadvise him that for his extendedfamily, this would not do the job. Firstflight from Luton, a truck appearedwith the luggage – 17 trunks, a 12 feetsquare carpet, many baskets ofcatering and 11 passengers. I resold

the aircraft later that month!“A Spaniard, Carlos Fanhul, came

by mistake to our office in HalcyonHouse, Luton, looking for RogersAviation, Cranfield. A cabbie dumpedhim and left. Together Carlos and Isold eight corporate jets to Spanishclients over the next three years.

“An Essex based painter anddecorator, who made money in theNorth Sea oil platform business,bought a Hawker from me andinsisted on painting it matt black. Thecabin temperature soared whenparked in the south of France suchthat the aerosols on board exploded.We resold that later in white.

“Finally, I delivered a beautifulSaudi-owned Boeing 727-200A to aCrown Prince, resident in Geneva. Atthe closing meeting, 22:00 hours inthe palatial residence overlookingLake Geneva, the financial advisorwhispered to HRH to requestconfirmation that all the technicalrecords were available for inspection.‘Yes, they are in the stores at theairport,’ I said. ‘I would like to seethem here before I pay over the bankdraft,’ said HRH. Two hours later, 300kilos of records, in stained woodencases, were deposited on HRH’s 18thcentury Persian carpet. He paid.

“I think that the scale of financialpressure is much greater today thanthose recessionary periods of theearly 80s and mid 90s. In the earlydays, I could stop paying the salariesbecause there were only three of us.We have today, in the group, morethan 40 employees with mortgagesand families. So, I have to work veryhard to ensure that their positions arenot compromised – a huge incentive.

“To summarise, the job of thebroker even in the electronic world isto be available 24/7 to take telephonecalls, be you in a ski chalet, a beach ora remote African airfield; personalservice sells aircraft.”

Twinjet in action – before the desksarrived.

John Keeble established Twinjet in 1982with a staff of three, but the companyhas grown considerably since then.

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

Me & My Aircraft:Super midsize

jetsNOVEMBER 2012

MEBAA highlights the vital rolethat business aviation plays in

humanitarian workThe Middle East Business AviationAssociation is showing its support forthe United Nations World FoodProgramme by supporting the FourthGlobal Humanitarian AviationConference in Jordan, whilepromoting business aviation as acritical component in the supplychain that delivers food to people interritories where no other form oftransport has access.

Presented by the World FoodProgramme, the event hasgovernment backing from the UAEand Jordan, ICAO, the Flight SafetyFoundation and the respectivenational and international aviationauthorities, joining together todiscuss how aviation can helperadicate world hunger.

The event offers a platform todebate programmes and projectsrelated to aircraft certification,maintenance, operations, training,and aviation safety.

Speaking about the partnership AliAhmed Al Naqbi, founding chairmanof MEBAA, says: “Business aviation isnot generally associated with itshumanitarian efforts, as it goes aboutplaying a silent but incredibly

significant role. Our members’ aircraftcan often provide the fastest way todeliver humanitarian assistanceduring emergencies caused either byman-made or natural disasters.Coupled with this is the importance ofaviation safety in order to avoid anyaccidents that may add further stressto what could already be consideredas volatile situations.

“So for MEBAA, the GlobalHumanitarian Aviation Conference isthe perfect platform to promote ourmembers’ value and expertise inhumanitarian efforts, and toparticipate in on-going dialogueregarding aviation safety globally.”

The conference also gave aplatform for the first HumanitarianAviation Awards Ceremony organisedby the WFP. The award categories are ‘The humanitarian leadershipaward’, ‘The aviation safety advocacy award’ and ‘Humanitarianaviation safety supporting partner recognition’.

These symbolic awards will bepresented to an individual or organi-sation within the aviation industrythat has excelled in contributiontowards a humanitarian cause.

OCTOBER 2012 9EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

General Aviation

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For further information about our Sterling card or Flight card programme visit www.airbp.com/ga, contact us on +44 845 082 1701 or e-mail sterling @bp.com

Luddites or realists?Business charter is yetto embrace new media

The average business aircraft owner oroperator spends his working life in closeproximity to technology at the cutting edge.Whether it is fly-by-wire, glass cockpits, flightplanning and tracking or satellite commun-ications, it can all be part of everyday flying.So you might expect such technophiles toalso be at the forefront of new media,building business by providing new andexciting ways for customers to be in touch.For the most part, you would be wrong.

In this survey we asked helicopter,turboprop and business jet charter companiesacross the EMEA region to tell us about theirnew media experiences. We found that mostfelt it was essential to have a professional-looking web site with pictures and facts aboutthe fleet and capabilities, some thought it wasuseful to supplement this with Facebook orTwitter offerings to promote new develop-ments, but very few have taken the next step toprovide users with mobile apps.

Even the social media users were fairlyevenly split between “it’s not very useful” and“it is good for driving up traffic to the web site.”Virtually nobody makes sales through it.

And so it is that the iTunes store and theAndroid marketplace remain uncluttered byair charter operators, with the early adoptersfew and far between.

Premium Jet is one of the industry’s apppioneers, and makes use of Avinode’s iPhoneapp that allows customers to search for regularbusiness jet charter round trips and emptylegs. Sales and marketing director MarcelWepfer reports that it has found somepopularity, with several hundred customersdownloading it since it hit the iTunes store. Hesays: “We were Avinode’s first customer. Thedevelopment was easy for us, since Avinodewas doing the programming; we just had tosend in pictures and colour codes so that itfitted to our corporate identity.”

In Premium Jet’s case, the app is certainly

helpful. “This is measurable since we getrequests (and bookings) through it every nowand then,” says Wepfer. “However, sometimesit’s impossible to find out how a new contactgot to know us – maybe through the iPhoneapp, maybe by personal recommendation,through our web site or otherwise.”

On the web site, users can find an onlinecharter quoting tool and all available emptylegs, both features developed by Avinode.

Avinode’s apps were first developed twoyears ago when it was looking into new waysfor member charter companies to reach theircustomers. Versions are available that allowthe operator to provide quotes for all charters,empty legs only, and to offer just its own fleetor the whole Avinode system.

As publicly-distributed software, tailnumbers are not quoted and on the brokerversion the operator name is not quoted, butthe figures and availability are real. To date, tenoperators are using the apps. Avinode reportsthat, in general, members are happy about themarketing effect it has, helping to spreadawareness of their brand. “However, success isnot automatic and it has to be seen as part of abroader strategy,” says the company.

Some apps are simpler than others. HenleyAir is a helicopter and flight training centrebased at Rand airport in Johannesburg and itsiPhone app HenleyCam features frequentlyupdated panoramic views of the activitiestaking place on the helipads.

Webmaster Marc de Fontaine reveals thatHenleyCam has proved successful andcontinues to draw in users. “During periods ofdowntime for the app we have had requestsfrom as far afield as America, Australia and theUK asking when the webcam will be functionalagain,” he says. “From a more local point ofview, the app has provided an important safetyfeature for pilots flying into and out of Randairport. They are able to see the weatherconditions here and plan flights accordingly.”

Although Henley Air has both a Facebookpage and Twitter account, de Fontaine finds itdifficult to say whether these social mediatools have improved charter business, but hedoes believe they have increased the profile ofthe organisation in general. “Henley Airrecognises the importance of being on theseplatforms and they link in well with the website to provide good coverage to all our users.”

He suggests that a good web site is essentialto any business nowadays and even moreimportant in the competitive world ofhelicopter charter and training in South Africa.“I think this is where Henley Air has done

Social media users help promote the Rizon Jetbrand, says ceo Captain Hassan Al-Mousawi Continued on next page

Oryx Jet and Rizon Jet are embracing mobile media and developing their own app, planned for launchearly next year. Pictured is Oryx Jet ceo Mike Russell.

APPS ANDDIGITALMEDIA

proving prohibitive. “We are stilldreaming,” says Boltoukhine, addingthat Facebook and Twitter accountshave not boosted business at all.

One of the most obvious issues thata fully functioning app in charterbusiness presents is the loss of directcontact with customers, the point atwhich a more suitable service oraircraft could be offered. GhaithSemaan at Nasjet (SA) reports that,while its commercial airlines makesfull use of all forms of mobile andsocial media, the private aviation sideis better suited to a more personalapproach. “We are already one of thelargest operators for private jets in theregion with more than 30 operatingaircraft. Facebook and Twitter helpmore when a business is new andgrowing. Personally, I am unsure howit would help when the organisationhas been established for over 20 yearsand has a very large client base.”

Emphatically stating his caseagainst booking through an apprather than over the telephone is K5-Group’s Erik Scheidt: “I am awareof a lot of fancy apps and features butwe decided at K5 that we shouldconcentrate on our business of flyingpassengers from A to B.

“None of our clients ever managedto get to B by swiping along on theiPhone! I leave it to others to developapps that tell you what to do and how.Those apps are counterproductiveconcerning communication. Iappreciate talking to people andperhaps finding out that there isanother airport close by which suits them better. Or by talking abouttheir last flight we can improve on the next trip.”

Turkish Helicopter operatorSancak Air has a Facebook accountwhich is used mostly for the latestcompany and aircraft news. Generalmanager Yavuz Murat Yüzgen lookson an effective web site as animportant tool: “The information youprovide and the initial impression ofthe web page attracts customers.Having a good and up-to-date webpage takes the company one stepabove its competitors.”

Kenya’s Phoenix Aviation has a

news section and video on its web site,an element that Ingrid Strahammerbelieves gives added confidence tothose making bookings. “I feel a goodweb site is the key to gainingconfidence in potential clients,” shesays. “Most people will look at the website of a company before making anyenquiries, especially in aviation inAfrica. Internet in Kenya is not quitewhat it is in Europe. We are slowly butsurely getting there and the internetspeeds are improving every day.”

Phoenix has made a consciousdecision not to involve itself in socialmedia. “We decided to keep awayfrom Facebook and Twitter, whichmight indeed gain us new businessbut we decided to not follow the‘migration’. It definitely has its prosand cons but I decided to steer thecompany away from this. I might lookinto an app for Phoenix though!”

Another believer in the power of agood web site is Carol Sobey, ceo ofJNC Helicopters in South Africa. “It isa very strong business tool – it’s theonly way of getting your name outthere internationally as well as locally.The would-be student and client getsa good understanding of what thebusiness is like, size of fleet, andprices.” Online tools include theweather and student videos.

Ari Tiittanen, managing directorand pilot at Finnish operatorHeliwork Oy, is also focusing on astrong internet presence. “A good website is very important, this is the wayyou are found today. You have someidea (name of the owner, type of workwanted, name of the company, etc)and then you use Google. We are stillworking on our web pages.”

Hangar8 does not have its ownapp, but commercial director AndyBaker has prior experience having setup an app around two years ago forhis company Air1Charter. Simplescreen shots of the site and a directcontact page where a press of thescreen can call in or email an enquiryare available to users.

Baker is one of the few respondentswho felt that a web site was not ofgreat importance: “People don’t readweb sites any more, it’s how youpresent your quote and listen to theneeds of the client. Industryknowledge, ability and flexibility arekey,” he concludes.

“Our company Grossmann JetService is indeed friendly with socialmedia,” says marketing managerDavid A Couto. “However, we havedecided that it is best to use it only tostrengthen brand awareness, toincrease transparency and to improveour reputation.”

“There is something we need to becareful about in our industry, namelythe privacy our clients require.Therefore we discounted the appswhich could have a negative impact,such as those based on geo location orthe ones to share pictures, even whenthere is a good chance we wouldbenefit from an indirect endorsementsince we travel often with celebrities.There are times when they chose tomake their life non-public.”

The use of Facebook to indicate acompany’s popularity can bemisleading. Couto cites the instanceswhere some are happy with getting‘likes’ in high volumes which may beentirely irrelevant to the business. Headds: “Twitter is unfortunately notwidely used in the CEE countries,although we do have it and use it fromtime to time.”

Efficient customer care, a goodservice, and continuous affordabilityare more important than a good website, according to MyJet marketingmanager Laura Rossi. Facebook andLinkedIn accounts do not help thecompany gain much business,although Rossi admits that it is notvery active in this area.

Will Banks, chief pilot at CheshireHelicopters, believes that his com-pany’s Facebook and Twitter pages donot generate any bookings directlybut do help to raise the main web siteup the search engine rankings. “Iwouldn’t say we have any innovativefeatures, but we have a very dynamic,professional site,” he says.

“Web sites must be kept up-to-dateto encourage people to revisit,” saysChristopher Mace, md of SaxonAirCharter, which has a Facebook page,with Twitter to follow shortly.“Facebook is a source of information,and we use it as a tool to update ourclients about the company, new offersand services.”

Mace reports that the company’sown online charter quote system, aform that generates a personal callback, works well and receives manyenquiries: “It is a chance to showcasethe company; we at SaxonAir feel this is a very important aspect of our overall marketing and brandimage awareness.”

A six-month trial of the AvinodeBroker link had its pros and cons,according to Mace: “While it was anexcellent tool and gave an indicativeprice and filtered many of therequests, the filtering system also cutout any direct client liaison which wefelt was more important.”

For Executive Air in Harare,Zimbabwe, the most universal form ofelectronic communication, thehumble email, remains king. “Being inthe bookings office, we are constantlyon our email and frequently getsimple requests from clients asregards aircraft capacity and routesflown, for which we can refer clients toour web site,” says Lara Langlois.

“In my opinion a good web site isvery important for a company,especially in a world where so muchresearch is now done over theinternet. Our site is useful in that wecan refer clients to it to look at ouraircraft, find out about our fleet, pilotsand maintenance support.

“We do have a Facebook page, butfind most of our business is generatedby email. Facebook is really only a

10 OCTOBER 2012 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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APPS ANDDIGITALMEDIA

particularly well but for a differentreason: our web site does not have allthe fancy programming features ofmajor graphics. We find these are timeconsuming when the web site loadsand can be very irritating to users.”

Rizon Jet’s charter business iscurrently developing an app which itexpects to be available early next year.In the meantime, the company’sofferings in terms of charter availab-ility are covered by third party brokerapps. “We recognise the importanceof an enhanced web and mobilepresence to help brokers and directclients find better charter deals,” saysceo Captain Hassan Al-Mousawi.

Doha-headquartered Rizon Jet hasFacebook, Twitter and LinkedInprofiles to raise awareness of thebrand and gain a competitive edge.Al-Mousawi says: “If we canencourage our customers to sharetheir experiences and talk about ourbrand, we will be one step ahead ofour competitors who have yet to fullyembrace the opportunities presentedby social media. We don’t necessarilysee these platforms as sales gener-ators, but we appreciate the advan-tages of having ‘brand ambassadors’spreading the word about Rizon Jet.”

Al-Mousawi does not believe that afancy web site will attract customers:“What’s important about a web site is the user experience. Innovativefeatures are great if they enhance theexperience, but there’s no point beingtoo innovative if the user doesn’t wantclever gimmicks.”

Developing an app that meets theneed to customise each flight to theclient’s requirement is the challengefacing Anastasios Economou atAthens-based ICSS SA.

Once the app has been launched,Economou believes that aconsiderable number of customerswill make use of it. “However, as ourservice is very customer oriented andevery flight takes a large amount ofpersonal customisation, it is hard toset up something standardised thatthe customer will find useful.”

Planned for launch in time for nextsummer’s seasonal traffic, it will workon both iOS (Apple mobile operatingsystem) and Android platforms.Features will include alerts about theflight; an update on helicopterlocation; weather updates; request forquotation; suggested destination;safety of flight information; andthings to see at your destination.

“Our business has a Facebook andTwitter account. We think it will behelpful in the future to gain newcharter business, as social mediamarketing is one of the latest methodsof advertising on the internet,” saysEconomou. “We try to use these toolsnot only to attract new customers butalso to increase the traffic on our web

site, and we try to make use of thebiggest advantages of social mediatools – the speed of communicationand the ability to tailor marketingmessages to the audience.”

Economou believes that a web siteis the face of a company: “A lot ofpeople do online research beforepurchasing something and an attrac-tive web site can draw more and moreusers to visit it. The more traffic ourweb site has, the better the chancesare to generate higher profits.”

Another company workingtowards making an app available isArab Wings, based in Jordan. Head ofsales and marketing Manal Obeid saysthat the company’s Facebook andTwitter presence do not give a lot ofreturn in new business, while its website is updated regularly to givepotential customers a good idea ofwhat Arab Wings is about.

Qatar Airways’ private jet divisionhas launched a Russian language website to promote its product in thebuoyant Russian market where luxurytravel is on the rise. Akbar Al Baker,ceo, says: “Russia and the CIS nationsare one of our key markets due to thecontinuing booming economy in theregion. The launch of a Russianlanguage site improves QatarExecutive’s ability to serve existingcustomers in the region and attractnew clients.”

Chel-Avia in Russia has a Facebookpage that, while not utilised for itscharter business, is helpful for itstraining and sightseeing side of thebusiness. Irina Manatina believes thatthe ideal web site should offer amedium through which the customercan find answers to all their questions.

Cost is the barrier to thedevelopment of an app at Oya VendéeHélicoptères, according to NicolasBoltoukhine. Alongside that, thecompany would like to connect itsweb site to its helicopters in-flight,ideally via iPad, although again cost is

Qatar Airways ceo Akbar Al Baker says the company’s Russian language web site meets the needs of a key market.

Premium Jet was Avinode’s first appcustomer according to Marcel Wepfer.

ARINC’s app delivers a paperless cockpitexperience.

Continued from preceding page

OCTOBER 2012 11EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

place where existing customers viewan updated status, or pictures ofrecent flights posted by our pilots,”Langlois says.

Baltimore Helicopter Servicesdoes not have its own app, but doesmake use of Twitter, Facebook, Yelp,Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTubefrequently. Jessie Bowling, director ofsales and marketing, says: “I believesocial media plays a large role inestablishing brand credibility,especially for our regional helicoptercharter services in the US and Israel;while many of our followers may notlead to a direct sale, I think it isimportant to make the service knownand desirable to everyone in the area.”

Bowling feels there are similaritieshere with the marketing strategies ofluxury goods brands in that socialmedia helps create value to clients byoffering them a product that is desiredby many but obtainable by only a few.

“More importantly, using socialmedia has been a great way toimprove our online visibility andsearch engine optimisation. When aclient is looking for your service, itshould be right at their fingertips.Social media offers the chance to havea multitude of web sites advertisingyour service while only spending afew man hours to update and keeppages interactive,” adds Bowling.“This has certainly led to more peoplefinding our service and, subsequently,more charter sales.”

Web and social media form part ofan integrated marketing strategy atCello Aviation. The airline says it hastotal belief in its product but as arelatively new operator, having justcelebrated two years in business,raising awareness is a key objective.

Cello’s sales team reports that it isalmost unheard of now for those theyspeak with not to have someawareness of the airline. Social medialike Twitter is used to ‘drive’ traffic tothe web site. As well as providing vitalinformation about the airline, there isalso a YouTube link featuring a varietyof company footage and a regularlyupdated news section.

Cello recognises that the web is thefirst port of call for people looking forinformation about a business andbelieves that an attractive andinformative web presence is essential.

Using a Facebook page to leadclients onto its web site is a strategythat works for ACM Air Charter.Director of sales and marketing JonasKraft says: “We designed a new website in spring, where we show ourcustomer an interactive 3D hangar inthe style of our facilities at our Badenairport base, with useful anchorpoints to zoom to the differentservices offered, such as charter, fleet,handling, maintenance, training etc.

“We also have a fleet navigator toget a comparison of our differentaircraft in terms of range, space,baggage space, age etc.”

The company web site is themodern day equivalent of thebusiness card, suggests Kraft. “Thefirst impression is very important toget a feeling of the company. But it

must also have useful informationand images.”

Agreeing with Kraft’s belief that theweb site has replaced the businesscard is Bjorn Mollet of ASL PrivateJets. “A good web site is veryimportant, it’s a way people can startto know your company and we havejust built our new one.”

Vladimir Petak, ceo of ABS Jets,explains why the company does nothave an app for its charter business:“The main reason is that charterbusiness is not our core business,therefore we didn’t set preference for it when we were creating our newweb pages.

“We started our Facebook accountseveral years ago to keep ourcustomers updated about our newsand achievements, but I don’t think itgenerates new business for us.”

ABS Jets launched its new web sitejust weeks ago. Petak feels it is veryimportant to offer clients a crediblesource of company and corporateinformation. “It describes our serv-ices, introduces the team, shows thelatest news, company achievementsetc. It is very modern, elegant, offeringplenty of information; at the sametime it is user friendly and easy tocheck on iPads or smartphones. In thecustomer zone, our customers can getall necessary documentation.”

Privatair has plans to develop itsown app in 2013. Also in the pipeline,but currently under wraps, is anonline project for charter: “It is tooearly to talk about it,” says TanyaMolskaya. “We also have a new website up to the latest standards ofdesign that we are very pleased with.”

Take your pick from thecommercial appsThose providing services to businessaircraft operators have been rathermore eager than the operatorsthemselves to invest in new mediacommunications.

A professional pilot who took anapp he developed for his flightdepartment and turned it into acommercially-available productbelieves the iPad is revolutionising theaviation industry. President of CockpitApps Robert Creek says: “Pilots oneverything from a Gulfstream 550 allthe way to a Cessna 152 are using theiPad. We have just scratched thesurface with respect to using its fullcapabilities. It is having a positiveimpact on flight operations, in termsof efficiency and saving money.”

We found a variety of companieswith apps already well established intheir marketing or product supportstrategies and these are just a few:• Cessna’s Citation PerformanceCalculator maximises takeoff andlanding data and offers a tool fordetermining engine-out perfor-mance. It is FAA-approved on the PCand in the process of FAA approval onthe iPad. Cessna’s Loading Calculatoruses an aircraft-specific weight andbalance file to determine takeoff andlanding weight and centre of gravity

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after entering passengers, cargo andfuel load. Cessna is currently workingon the Electronic Operating Manual,which uses a worldwide airport andnavaid database to plan a route,calculating time, fuel and distance. • ARINC Direct’s iPad app provides apaperless cockpit experience. It givesaccess to the flight plan, withBluetooth simultaneous annotationfor pilots, GPS moving map with radarweather overlay, access to weatherand NOTAM information, Europeanand North American AIP charts andapproach plates available.• Multi Service Aero’s smartphoneapp of its FBO Locator allows pilotsand flight planners to locate Aero Cardaccepting merchants around theglobe. A variety of fields includingIATA, ICAO, country and city can besearched. The map utility zooms intoan area, showing all acceptingmerchants there. • Colt International has released atrip-planning app that providescustomers with the same informationdigitally that they could get by callingin for updates. • TAG Farnborough airport’s iPhoneapp gives pilots information about theairport, including METAR/TAF feedsand radio frequencies, services andfacilities available locally. Users areable to submit handling requests andfind lists of useful contacts. • Duncan Aviation has improved itscontact app. The AOG Service appenables stranded operators to find thenearest location and offers 24/7phone numbers and tech represen-tative contacts. Mobile-friendlyversions are available of myDuncanaircraft project management web siteand the parts search site. • Universal Avionics offers UniNetMobile for Android, a mobile versionof the UniNet web site. It allowsoperators to browse account infor-mation, view orders/invoices,download database subscriptions andaccess customer support information.Remote operators are able to updateFMS navigation data remotely. • G-OPS has revamped its image andweb site to better reflect thecompany’s international reach. A newnavigation system and home pagelayout allows operators and flightdispatchers to quickly send ahandling request online.• Cockpit Apps iLOG provides flightcrews with a simple alternative totraditional pen-and-paper flight logs.The app follows a crew through atypical day, tracking components likeduty and flight time, VOR checks, andRVSM altimeter settings. ■

Vladimir Petak, ceo of ABS Jets, is aproponent of the user-friendly web siteas a key marketing tool.

UniNet Mobile is Universal Avionics’mobile version of its web site.

Middle Eastern 747-8 is a first for AACAssociated Air Center in Dallas hassigned a contract for the vvipinterior completion of a wide bodyaircraft for a Middle Easterncountry. It is the first Boeing 747-8iseries completion for AAC and itssixth wide-body completionproject. AAC will take delivery ofthe green aircraft during the fourthquarter of this year.

ABS celebrates 7,000During September ABS Jetscelebrated the 7,000th aircraft to behandled since they started as ahandling agent in 2008. Thelandmark customer was an EmbraerPhenom 300 which stoppedovernight in Prague en-route.

Jan Kralik, ground operationsdirector, says: “The team at ABS Jetsinitiated a strategy to ensure thatour handling department isperfectly placed to manage theincreased demand. We opened ournew hangar in the latter part of 2011and have expanded our handlingdepartment with an increasednumber of agents. The team isperforming extremely well, it is greatto see our plans turning into recordbreaking results.”

ExecuJet expands Dubai FBOExecuJet Middle East has expandedits FBO at Dubai Internationalairport by taking over the largestdedicated business aviation

terminal in the Middle East. Itsfacilities now include the terminalbuilding previously managed byExecutive Flight Service and offeradditional lounge space, expandedcustoms and immigration services,including e-gate services and duty-free shopping. In a further serviceenhancement, ExecuJet manages allground handling for aircraft usingthe FBO.

Mike Berry, md, ExecuJet MiddleEast, says: “Our introduction of full ground handling services inDubai is another important devel-opment, giving us an enhancedlevel of control over aircraft arrivalsand departures. This change willenable ExecuJet to offer an evenmore efficient service to passengersand crew.”

New FBO owner commitsto LutonRSS Enterprises Ltd has acquiredOcean Sky Jet Centre and itssubsidiary companies Ocean SkyEngineering, Ocean Sky AircraftInteriors and Ocean Sky Jet Centre(Prestwick).

RSS has appointed Eddie Allisonas group managing director tooversee the development of thebusiness including thecommitment to the on-going newbuild of the flagship FBO at Lutonairport. The businesses will berebranded as RSS Jet Centre, RSSAircraft Engineering, RSS AircraftInteriors and RSS Jet Centre(Prestwick) respectively.

OPERAT IONS NEWS . . .APPS ANDDIGITALMEDIA

Universal renovates Stansted FBOUniversal Aviation UK has inaugurated its renovated FBO at LondonStansted with a celebration attended by clients, airport officials andmedia. The refurbishment includes all-new crew and passenger lounges,a business centre and video conferencing facility, two client meetingrooms, private screening facilities, and ultra-modern showers andchanging rooms. “This facility may have a new look and feel, but we’ve hada presence at Stansted for 28 years and in Europe for almost 40,” sayschairman Greg Evans. “In the last two years, we’ve added two newEuropean Universal Aviation locations in Venice and Girona, bringing ourtotal in Europe to 11. And, through the acquisition of Air Culinaire, we nowhave two owned kitchens in London and Paris.”

cent of the Hangar8 charter fleet isbased there. Activity has grownsignificantly in only 18 months ofoperating in the continent.

Chief executive Dustin Drydensays: “Africa is a vibrant emergingregion and one of the fastest growingeconomies in the world. Oil, miningand food industries are all growing;air travel in Africa is up 9.8 per cent this year. With a consumermarket of one billion people and a$1.6 trillion forecast consumer spendby 2020, we see a healthy future forbusiness aviation.’’

The majority of charter bookingsare made by passengers flying intra-Africa, to the Middle East and Europe.Travel domestically and todestinations in Dubai, Saudi Arabiaand Qatar in particular are growing indemand, Dryden notes. Hangar8 hasrecently added medical evacuationflights to the types of services offeredto its client base.

The company has line main-tenance facilities in Lagos, Abuja andPointe Noire.

One of the challenges of operatingwithin Africa is that some of thedomestic destinations can be ‘off thebeaten track’ and therefore moreoperationally challenging than thoseof more developed continents.Hangar8 has tackled this issue byensuring that the right aircraft for theenvironment have been based there.Traditionally Hawker 125 series andChallenger 600 series tend to be more resilient to the environmentalconditions found in Africa.

As a public company, Hangar8 hashad an ‘open book’ approach whenentering the market and has strivento communicate effectively with theright departments within thegovernments of the local areas.Hangar8 demonstrates serious andprofessional intentions to grow in theregions where it operates.

Dryden adds: “Basing aircraft inAfrica can double the charter benefitfor an owner due to the increasingdemand in the area.”

As the reputation of Hangar8grows, forecasts suggest that oneaircraft a month will be added tothose based in Africa, from both thecharter and managed aircraft fleet.

As reported elsewhere, ExecuJet isexpanding its presence in Nigeria,having already built up FBObusinesses in Johannesburg andCape Town in South Africa. VistaJethas also been targeting Nigeria for growth in its international charter network.

Avjet Corporation has added two new Part 91 aircraft manage-

ment bases in Abuja and Lagos,Nigeria, operating a Gulfstream IVSP and Gulfstream 450 in support of the aircraft owners’worldwide operations.

There are home-grown charterbusinesses with an eye for expansionas well. Namibia-based WestairGroup has acquired a 19-seatBeechcraft 1900 passenger airlinerwhich will initially be useddomestically to accommodatethe needs of the growing oil and gasproducing industry. “When the initialcontracts expire, it may be used eitherin the charter market or in the wider context of contract flying indifferent parts of the Africancontinent,” the company reports.

Westair has also recentlyexpanded into the Tanzanian marketby purchasing a 50 per cent share in a Tanzanian-based company. AReims F406 has been earmarked tostart this operation from the end ofJuly next year and the group islooking at adding a Cessna 208 to thefleet. Westair foresees this as agrowth area with a lot of potential forfurther development.

The group, after four years ofplanning and development, nowholds a Tanzanian AOC as well asaircraft maintenance organisationlicenses and will be based on theisland of Zanzibar where apermanent crew will be housed.

Brokers such as Air CharterInternational, the Dubai-basedaircraft charter and leasing company,are experiencing an upward trend inthe number of requests from theAfrican continent. “We’ve seencharter requests from the Africancontinent raise by 25 per cent,” saysCaroline Jongma, charter sales.

ACI has been working withoutsized charter for over 20 years as itregularly ships machinery andequipment for the oil trade to Nigeria,Angola and Sudan. This year,however, it has seen an increase inbusiness charter from the Africancontinent. “We believe the higherdemand is resulting from businessesrealising that executive charters, aswell as cargo charters, are valuabletools that can underpin their day-to-day work,” says Jongma.

“Passengers can land convenientlyclose to their destination, some ofwhich are quite remote, at the timethat they want, with the people theyneed to be with, which is valuablefrom a security perspective for theregion. They are also familiar with ourservice and know that we have anexcellent set of contacts in the region.

“We often win deals as we manageto source aircraft that others cannotand through bespoke knowledge canprovide alternatives to meet theclients’ needs,” adds Jongma. Alreadya growing market, ACI anticipatesthat the African continent willbecome an increasingly importantsource of business, particularly forreliable, well-maintained and securecharter aircraft.

Trip support company and charterbroker United Aviation Servicesunderstands the tremendous value ofinvesting in the African aviationmarket and says it has been makingan impact in Africa for over adecade. “For many of our clients,Africa has been a populardestination. The continent surelyappeals to those seeking an exoticand premium travel destination,whether it’s an all inclusive SouthAfrican safari tour or a lush eco-tourin Madagascar,” says marketingexecutive Zamzam Ibrahim. “It isn’tonly the vip travel segment that UAShas been chartering to Africa;business travellers are also making upa large proportion of incoming trafficin African airways. In recent years,Africa has clearly attracted theinterest of foreign investors, due to itsabundance in natural resources andits developing economy, with severalAfrican nations boasting double-digitGDP growth rates. In UAS’ dailyoperations, this has been evident as

Major western operators see the potential of the African market and get in early

12 OCTOBER 2012 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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AFRICANREGIONALREVIEW

The continent of Africa clearly hasmassive potential for businessaviation; long distances betweencommercial centres, large rawmaterial reserves in remotelocations, and a huge population.

EBAN’s own subscriber databaselists 1,926 aircraft, including allturbine helicopters, turboprops,business jets and piston twins –although our records are patchywith regard to the latter – and theseare very unevenly spread. In factover 800 are registered in thedominant business aviation centre,South Africa, with Kenya (150),Nigeria (149), Angola (93), andTanzania (80) following up. The leastdeveloped nations are often home toonly a handful of aircraft.

It seems highly likely that futuregrowth in GDP across the continent,predicted to be in excess of six percent on average per year, will pushthis number higher.

The leading international businessjet operators have already recognisedthat there are good opportunities inbringing European standards ofaircraft operations into emergingmarkets, where overseas investorsand growing domestic industries

The King Air series is popular throughout Africa.

need effective transport.Hangar8 currently has four

African bases in Johannesburg, Abujaand Lagos in Nigeria and PointeNoire, Congo. Currently, over 70 per

Hangar8 is active throughout the region, under the guidance of its Africaceo Chris Perry.

There are over-flightissues, lack ofinfrastructure, high fees....

OCTOBER 2012 13EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

CHAR TER BROKER NEWS . . .

Avolus boosts RussianpresenceAvolus has appointed EkaterinaKryukova (pictured) as generalrepresentative for Russia/CIS, andformed a Russian non-executiveadvisory board for Avolus Vostok.Registered and based in Russia,Avolus Vostok will arrange dom-estic charter flights and can acceptpayment in Rubles. Kryukovapreviously worked from Londonwhere she developed Russianbusiness so that it now accountsfor over 45 per cent of thecompany’s turnover.

“The Russian market has alwaysbeen a strategic part of ourbusiness. In fact, we were the firstinternational broker to become amember of the Russian BusinessAircraft Association,” says ceoAlexis Grabar.

BACA asks: is bigger really better?Would having fewer aircraft oper-ators with larger fleets benefit theair charter market? A panel chairedby BACA’s Dick Gilbert and consist-ing of brokers Alex Berry fromChapman Freeborn, Sandy Boyerfrom Hunt and Palmer, and MarkGreen from Oxygen Aviation, pon-dered this question at the BusinessAircraft Europe event, Biggin Hill.

Berry thinks that Europe stilllags behind: “In the US, an oper-ator with 50 aircraft would beconsidered a ‘mom and pop’business. In Europe, it is treated asthough it was the ‘world’s biggestoperator’. These small operatorswith two or three aircraft are finan-cially completely unworkable.”

Boyer wonders if there shouldbe more regulation of air charterbrokers, especially with so manynew brokers entering the marketover the last two or three years.“Maybe there should be acertification for brokers, whichwould ultimately be a benchmarkof achievement and help to weedout the weaker brokers?” he asks,while calling for similarly highstandards among operators. “Toomany instances arise when abroker has not been at fault butloses the client when the operatorfails to take responsibility.”

ProAir works for winningteam at Le MansProAir was appointed by Audi toorganise charter flights for itsguests for the Le Mans 24-hourrace weekend. The majority werescheduled to Le Mans airport, andon to the racetrack, but some jetswere routed to an alternate airportnearby due to the insufficientlength of the runway. The

coordination of the return flightsafter the finish of the race provedto be a challenge, the companyreports: “Almost all aircraft parkedat crowded Le Mans airport triedto depart at about the same time.”

Jet Assist mergesJet Assist, Northern Ireland-basedbroker of aircraft charter and sales,has merged with Almac Aviation toform Jet Mach Aviation Europe(not to be confused with Jet Machin the US).

“The aim of this joint venture isto offer aircraft charter worldwideat excellent rates as well as makeuse of the personal relationship wehave with aircraft owners,” saysdirector Ian Morrow.

“Almac Aviation was formed in2007 by Mark Crawford who is aqualified and practising aircraftengineer. We had been workingtogether for a while and it madesense to create this merger.”

Chapman Freeborn opensoffice in SwedenChapman Freeborn has opened asales office in Sweden, headed byChristian Stridsberg (pictured) whowas previously sales manager forSweden’s largest GSSA.

“Sweden has a huge potential inthe field of aircraft charter flightsfor both passenger and cargo,” saysStridsberg. The companysuccessfully opened a similaroffice in Denmark in 2011.

Property investment bringsnew charter opportunitiesWith continued euro instability,recent reports show that theinvestment interest for Germany’s800,000+ millionaires is beingincreasingly pushed towardsproperty, and to the top end of themarket. So says online charterbusiness PrivateFly ceo AdamTwidell. “This is having an impacton private charter flight bookingsand patterns, as illustrated by theemergence of Sylt as a risingprivate aviation hotspot, with itsWesterland airport.

“The North Sea island housessome of Germany’s most expensiveand sought-after addresses, andwe have seen a striking increase inprivate charter bookings to andfrom Sylt in the last quarter, fromthe private and business aviationmarkets. A growing numberare private property investors.”

Twidell sees this correlationbetween real estate and privateaviation happening as a widertrend: “We are seeing notablegrowth of private charter by thereal estate industry in Europe andalso globally.”

we have had an increase in demandfor charter services, diplomatic flightsand business aviation to Africa.”

Despite the heavy traffic into thecontinent in terms of aviation, thereare key challenges in operating to andfrom Africa. Infrastructure, fuelshortages, communication (fixed andmobile) are just a few of the factorsUAS urges operators to considerwhen trip planning to Africa.

For the aircraft manufacturers,Africa is opening up a whole newmarketplace. AgustaWestland hasrecently sold another AW139 to anundisclosed southern Africancustomer for vip/corporate transportoperations. This latest sale follows thesale of AW139s in vip/corporatetransport configuration to customersin several southern African countriesincluding Namibia, Zambia, CongoBrazzaville, Rwanda and South Africa.

The continent also continues toprovide business opportunities foraircraft support and refurbishment.Completions specialists AssociatedAir Center has signed an agreementfor the maintenance and interiorrefurbishment of a Boeing BBJ for a West African head of state. The work will take place over the nextseveral months.

The customer is a repeat customerof AAC, since it delivered the aircraftfrom new back in 2006. “The return ofthis aircraft to AAC, for this first majorwork-scope since initially enteringinto service, was possibly due to thereliable interior and interior systemsinstalled by AAC and the support ithas provided this customer for thelast six years,” says Chris Schechter,vp and general manager.

AfBAA makesprogressMoves to establish an AfricanBusiness Aviation Association areprogressing well since its firstmeeting in December 2011.

Launched at the EBACE show thisyear, where it was hosted by Gainjet, it

has the goal of establishing businessaviation as an asset that is recognised,valued and supported bygovernments, their respective civilaviation authorities and enterprisesthroughout Africa.

At that time it estimated that 368business jets were registered in the 56countries on the African continent,the majority of them long range, largecabin aircraft.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist toknow there are challenges to businessaviation in Africa,” associationchairman Tarek Ragheb says. “Thereare over-flight issues, lack ofinfrastructure, high fees and a lack ofconsistency in regulations.”

Ragheb, a senior marketingadvisor to business jet manufacturerGulfstream, has led the drive for the creation of a pan-Africanorganisation. A US citizen of Egyptian origin, he was also involvedin the formation of the Middle EastBusiness Aviation Association.

A former NBAA president isassisting with the formation of AfBAA.Jack Olcott is serving as a consultantto help structure the missionstatement, bylaws and policies.“Having an ‘umbrella’ organisationallows the African business aviationcommunity to speak with one voice,and have the gravitas that I think isimportant for advocating the benefitsof this form of transportation,” Olcottsays. “This will be a very positivedevelopment for Africa, and for theglobal business aviation community.”

In addition to MEBAA, whichrepresents business aviation interestsfor the Middle East and North Africa(MENA) region, the Business AviationAssociation of Southern Africa(BAASA) represents operators in thatcountry. That leaves most of the restof the continent unrepresented,

Olcott notes. “Everyone in businessaviation has a common objective: toincrease acceptance of businessaviation as a valid form oftransportation,” he says. “We don'tsee this as competition with othergroups, but rather as collaboration.

“There is precedent, as EBAA (theEuropean Business AviationAssociation) has been very effectivein broader Europe, though there areregional European associations aswell,” Olcott notes. “North Africanoperators could benefit fromadditional representation, and thefeeling is that a more Africa-centricorganisation would be beneficial tothe area as a whole.”

AfBAA will apply for membershipto the International Business AviationCouncil, which represents the world’sbusiness aviation associations. “Wehope to use that venue to have activecommunication with the wholebusiness aviation community,”says Olcott.

Z-Aviation Services, based inEgypt and with an office in Sudan, iskeen to see the association makeprogress. “Our company is engaged inground handling services in Egypt,North and South Sudan. I can say thatregarding the Egyptian market, thecharter sector has been very low inthe past 18 months due to thepolitical changes which have beenoccurring,” says md Omar Zarkani.

“Z-Aviation Services has recentlybecome a founding member of thenew association, and other membersrange from operators, aircraftmanufacturers, fuel suppliers, tripsupport companies and FBOs.”Zarkani goes on to list them: “AfrijetBusiness Service, Air BP, BestFly FlightSupport, Crystal Ventures Limited,DALIA AIR Private Jets, EmbraerExecutive Jets , Evergreen AppleNigerian, ExecuJet Aviation, GainjetAviation, Gulfstream Aerospace,Hawker Beechcraft, NEXUS FlightOperations Services, ParamountGroup, Piero Scarpellini, SatcomDirect, Skyjet Aviation Services, TarekRagheb, Universal Weather andAviation and ourselves.” ■

Gaining the raw experience: bushflying in sub-Saharan Africa

Bush flying through the moredesolate parts of Africa remains afirm choice for pilots seeking raw,unadulterated flying experience.Indeed, it has long been anattractive route for CPL holdersfresh out of flight school looking tobuild up their flying hours.

However, bush flying jobs havealso managed to draw a sizeablenumber of experienced airlinepilots looking to escape the relativemonotony of their work. Nowadays,there are opportunities forexpatriate pilots in Africa with aslittle as 300 hours on a Cessna208/210 or King Air 100/200,although salaries remain somewhatlow (ranging from $800 to $1,700)for a joining co-pilot. Fitting to this theme, it raises the question:what challenges could one expectfrom a bush flying career in sub-Saharan Africa?

The term ‘bush flying’ is used todescribe aircraft services operatingout of makeshift airfields, typicallyin remote locations. In manyinstances, ground infrastructure ispoor or otherwise non-existent andflying conditions routinely quitebasic. In the case of Africa, regionalairline pilots are presented with aunique variety of occupationalhazards. Not the least of these is theconstant uncertainty in all aspectsof flying, whether the pilot works foran emergency relief operation, on

contract with outreach miningcompanies or charters touristflights for foreign visitors.

Bush pilots might regularlycontend with airfields that arenothing more than grassywoodland clearings. Additionally,the runway threshold could bemarked with merely a few paintedstones. The standard lack ofperimeter fencing means thatroaming elephants, impala, or otherwildlife present a very real hazard.Indeed, this may necessitate

perhaps more than the one flyoverto persuade them to vacate thelanding strip, while sparking fear indisillusioned passengers.

Even once the aircraft is safely onthe ground, failure to surround thetyres with thorn bushes may renderthem chewed to pieces by hyenasand lions. However, as some pilotshave reported, that alone won’tsuffice in deterring a nearbyelephant from wreaking havoc.

In addition, hazards may presentthemselves in the form ofdisappearing ground infrastructure.Pilots have recounted arriving at an airfield only to find the windsock and the pole it wasattached to missing after merelydays of being re-erected.

Routine is something bush pilotsin Africa can be sure to avoid. Forexample, a morning flight mightinvolve the delivery of porkproducts to expats living in anIslamic subdivision while the returntrip could see the carriage ofextensive weaponry. Expatriatepilots working in the region mayalso be exposed to the dangers ofwar, banditry, substandardmaintenance as well as a host ofdiseases including hepatitis,malaria, Ebola and dysentery.

However, while there arenumerous challenges facing thebush pilot, the rewards andexperience gained are priceless.

by Skaiste Knyzaite, ceo of AviationCV.com

In recent years, Africahas clearly attractedinterest from foreign

investors

14 OCTOBER 2012 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

TBM parties in La BauleThe TBM Owners and PilotsAssociation welcomed 40 partici-pants in La Baule, France, for itsEuropean chapter’s yearlyconvention in September. A total of19 TBM pilots landed their aircraftat St Nazaire airport, arriving fromAustria, Bulgaria, France, Germany,the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,Switzerland and the UK for threedays of meetings and social events.

Bombardier gathering in BerlinFollowing similar events inFrankfurt in 2011 and Amsterdamin 2010, this year’s Bombardiermaintenance and operationsregional conference was held inBerlin and drew more than 250Bombardier business aircraftoperators and suppliers.

The three-day programmefeatured more than 50 hours oftechnical updates individuallytailored to each of Bombardier’sLearjet, Challenger and Globalaircraft platforms.

G650 receives typecertificateThe Gulfstream G650 has receiveda type certificate from the FAA, andthe first fully outfitted aircraft areexpected to be delivered tocustomers before year-end. Thecompany has received more than200 orders. The G650 offers a fullthree-axis, fly-by-wire system thatdelivers a number of benefits,including flight-envelopeprotection, passenger comfort,increased redundancy and reducedmaintenance.

Dassault and Avia haveplans for MoscowDassault Falcon and Avia Group areworking on an agreement toestablish an authorised servicecentre at Moscow’s Sheremetyevoairport in 2013. The centre wouldenable Dassault Falcon to signifi-cantly expand its maintenancefootprint in Moscow, a major hubfor Russian-based and transient

executive aircraft. It would alsoprovide a solid presence at thecity’s largest airport, which is proj-ected to experience rapid growth.

Falcons are currently serviced byDassault Falcon’s satellite servicecentre at Vnukovo airport. Thissatellite service station has been in operation for seven years andwill shortly move into a new facility at the Vnukovo-3 executiveaviation terminal.

Eclipse adds anti-skidbrakesAn anti-skid braking system willsoon be available as a new optionfor the Eclipse jet and will beoffered as a retrofit to the existingfleet. In-aircraft testing is completewith certification and availabilityexpected within six months.

ABS allows for maximumbraking energy and skid controlwithout the need for aconventional hydraulic system,which is unique to the Eclipse Jet.

Global 6000 tour continues in AfricaBombardier’s Global 6000 jet hasmade its African debut with a 16-city tour intended to take in 12 countries. “A particular highlightof this tour is our four-day stop inNigeria where we are seeing agrowing interest in private jettravel,” says Khader Mattar,regional vp sales, Middle East,Africa and India. “This gives us theperfect opportunity to highlightthe advantages of businessaviation. We know that once ourcustomers have experienced theGlobal 6000, they’ll truly value itsimportance as a tool for business.”

Piper appoints dealer forTurkeyPiper Aircraft has appointedBAYMAP Aviation at EtimesgutAirport in Ankara as its dealer fornew aircraft sales in Turkey.

The companies jointly exhibitedtwo M-Class aircraft at IstanbulAir Show, the Meridian turbopropand the unpressurised PiperMatrix.

A IRCRAFT NEWS . . .

BGAD12’s static display aircraft provided a focal point for discussion, including this group gathered around Saxonair’s 900XP.

Successful Cambridge show will bring back seminars for 2013

The eighth UK Business & GeneralAviation Day – BGAD12 – took placeon September 18th at CambridgeAirport. Presented by EBAN inpartnership with Cambridge Airport,ExecuJet, Marshall Executive Aviationand Marshall Business Aviation, theevent attracted over 450 attendees.

Saxonair Charter’s Chris Macecomments: “It was a good day and thelayout and feel was an improvementon last year. We had good feedback onour aircraft and achieved the desiredaim to get brokers onto the aircraft todiscuss future charter.”

BGAD is a unique event in the UK business aviation calendar,combining a networking opportunitywith a relaxed informal atmosphere.Reaction to this year’s event has beenso positive that the date and floorplan for BGAD13 have already beenreleased; the show will take place onTuesday, September 17th 2013.

Visitors this year met represen-tatives of 46 exhibiting companiesfrom every sector of business aviationand a varied line of aircraft on thestatic display, ranging from a Falcon 2000LX to a Diamond DA42.Around 16 aircraft graced the tarmacand shared the limelight with adisplay of cars including Bentley,Porsche and Mercedes.

John Brutnell, general manager ofExecuJet UK, says: “BGAD was a greatopportunity for us to show charterbrokers and other visitors the Falcon2000LX. It really is a fantastic aircraft,both in terms of performance andstyle, and is particularly popular dueto its unique appearance.”

The aircraft is part of ExecuJet’s 50-strong European managed fleetand is available for charter from itsbase in Billund, Denmark.

ExecuJet’s Cambridge FBO saw a 30per cent increase in aircraft handledduring the Olympic Games and theteam at BGAD was also celebratingExecuJet Europe becoming thegroup’s latest region to be named aWyvern Wingman member.

“BGAD prides itself on staging aday that is both productive andenjoyable,” says EBAN’s Mark Ranger.“We are always delighted when one of

the exhibitors joins in with thisconcept. PrivateFly created quite abuzz in 2011 with their London busand this year, they elected to turntheir booth into a Scalextric modelcar racing track, where visitors couldsee whether their flying skillstranslated to the track.

There has long been considered across over between the markets forbusiness aviation and other luxurygoods – cars and boats being the two most obvious. Cambridge’slandlocked location made boats anunlikely option, but BGAD wasfavoured by an amazing line-up ofcars from Bentley Cambridge. Visitorscould place their business cards intoa bowl for a chance to win a Bentleyfor the weekend.

The final prize was courtesy ofhosts Cambridge Airport, whodonated a hamper from UK retailersJohn Lewis that was won by GrantFeast of Sprung Instant Structures –the company that built the hangar in which the event was staged.

Co-hosts Marshall ExecutiveAviation recently announced that,under the Pets Travel Scheme, it hasbeen approved as a carrier for thetransportation of pet dogs, cats andferrets into the UK throughManchester and Cambridge airports;in addition to Biggin Hill for whichthe company was already approved.

Pete Stroud, chief pilot,comments: “We’re delighted to havereceived this further approval as itenables us to bring our customersand their pets into the UK at

airports which are of greaterconvenience to them.”

In a separate announcement, thecompany introduced its US visawaiver approved status.

With a fleet of two Citation jets anda Challenger 300, all of which were on display at BGAD, MEA plans tosecure a Canadian Foreign AirOperators Certificate next, to furtherenhance services between Europeand Canada.

With plans for the 2013 staging ofBGAD already under way, theorganising team are bringing back thepopular seminar programme. “Ouraudience numbers did not suffer thisyear due to the lack of meetings, but itis clear that they are a popularelement of BGAD’s unique mix. There are always topics that need to be discussed and this offers an excellent opportunity to provide a platform for focussed debate,” says Ranger.

BGAD13 will also be looking toattract a higher number of potentialbusiness aviation users from the EastAnglia area. “It is excellent that BGADappeals to a wide range of industryprofessionals, but we all need to beselling the concept of businessaviation too – to show people howthey can make it work for their travelarrangements.

“We always have some excellentaircraft on display, so it makes senseto get future customers in toexperience business aviation forthemselves, to join the brokers andowners who already enjoy the BGADatmosphere,” Ranger adds.

Anthony Cook of Cambridge Aero Clubwon PrivateFly’s Scalextric challenge

Sprung Instant Structures’ Grant Feastleft BGAD with a luxury hamper, courtesyof Cambridge Airport’s bdm Jon Harper.

Valencia open, Doncaster followsCessna has opened its third European Citation Service Center in Valencia,Spain, and created a fourth in the UK by acquiring the centre previouslyknown as Kinch Aviation Services at Doncaster Sheffield airport.

The Valencia facility will provide around-the-clock customer supportservices and scheduled maintenance, with capabilities includinghydraulic and battery services, parts support and avionics modifications.

The newly-acquired Doncaster centre provides maintenance,modernisation and paint services. It has been a Cessna authorised servicefacility for the past four years.

Cessna line-up: regional vp European customer service Walter Berchtold, seniorB1 engineer Antonio Santos, AENA director Valencia Julian Camara and seniorvp customer service Joe Hepburn.

OCTOBER 2012 15EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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Landing Gear Overhaul January 2012.

Andrew Pearce Tel: 44-7557-237730

Innotech Aviation. Email:

andrew.pearce@innotech-execaire.com

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT

900XP

2008, MSN HA-0026; TSN 1686.2, CSN

1248. EASA compliant. Eight passenger

executive interior. Forward galley and aft

belted lavatory. Engines and APU on

MSP Gold. Contact: John Keeble, tel: + 44

(0) 1582 733615 Twinjet Aircraft Sales

(UK) Ltd.. Web: www.twinjet.co.uk.

Email: jk@twinjetsales.com

OUR NEXT ISSUE:NOVEMBER 2012

FINAL BOOKING DATE:OCTOBER 29th

TTAF. One owner since new For moredetails contact: Atron. Email:sales@atron.ie

Citation S/II

1985, Airframe TT: 8,576, Cycles: 6,755, TSO: 1,304, Pro Line II, GNS-XLS,GPWS, CVR. New windows 2007, RVSM, Freon air, cosmetics refreshed & Perma-guarded. $995,000 As-Is,Where-Is, How-Is. Tel: +1 403 291 9027John Hopkinson & Associates.www.hopkinsonassociates.com. Email:sales@hopkinsonassociates.com

Citation Ultra

Citation Ultras available. HoneywellPrimus 1000 3-Tube EFIS, HoneywellGNS-XLS FMS, Honeywell MKVIIEGPWS, Honeywell TCAS II w/Change 7,w/ski tube. Recently Permaguard.Recently refreshed interior. Fresh phase1-5. Zero engine option. Tel: +1 403 2919027 John Hopkinson & Associates. Web:www.hopkinsonassociates.com. Email:sales@hopkinsonassociates.com

Citation XL

2000, Asking $3,600,000. JAR-Ops, Basedin Europe, circa 4,400 TTAF. Engines andAPU on JSSI Programs, nine pax. Formore details contact: Atron. Email:sales@atron.ie

Citation XL

2002, Make offer. JAR-Ops. Based inEurope, circa 4,800 TTAF. Engines, APUetc on all programs. Ext lav, nine pax. Formore details contact: Atron. Email:sales@atron.ie

Photos available on request

Photos available on request

Coming upin EBAN

November

- Me & My AircraftSuper midsize jets

- Business aviation inItaly

December

- MEBA show issue- Business aviation atthe crossroads:Europe and the Middle East

- Business aviation inIceland

Global Business Jet Yearbook

Handbook of Business Aviation in Europe

Handbook of Business Aviation in Asia Pacific

The reference book for long range business jet owners andoperators worldwide.www.gbjyearbook.com

The reference book for fixed wing and rotary business aircraftowners and operators in the Asia Pacific region. www.handbook.aero

The reference book for fixed wing and rotary business aircraftowners and operators in Europe and the Middle East. www.handbook.aero

Essential reading wherever you are

©2011 HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. HAWKER, BEECHCRAFT, AND SUPPORT PLUS ARE TRADEMARKS OF HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION.

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At Hawker Beechcraft, we see paint as your aircraft’s first line

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invested millions in a state-of-the-art paint facility in Chester, UK

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