May 8, 2008

GAMA: Bizjet Deliveries Climbed 40 Percent in 1Q

By Chad Trautvetter

The business jet market has continued its spectacular rise, while turboprop shipments grew modestly and piston deliveries dropped sharply, according to first-quarter aircraft delivery stats released today by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Industry billings increased 16.1 percent, to $5.3 billion, an all-time high for the first quarter, though overall shipments were down by 7.5 per more

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AINaudiocast: Ed Iacobucci, DayJet

By Chad Trautvetter

On Tuesday, Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet made the difficult decision to put its growth plans on hold after not being able to obtain another $50 million in funding to move to the next stage. As a result, the per-seat, on-demand air-taxi operator laid off 100 of its roughly 260 employees and now plans to sell or lease out 16 of its 28 Eclipse 500s. Click more

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FAA Might Put Freeze on Polished Frost Rule

By Matt Thurber

The FAA today issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to remove wording in Parts 91, 125 and 135 allowing pilots to take off with frost on wings, stabilizers and flight controls “if the frost has been polished to make it smooth.” The polished frost rules are found in 14 CFR 91.527(a), 125.221(a) and 135.227(a). According to the FAA, 11 known crashes shortly after takeoff followed efforts to smooth more

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Senate FAA Reauthorization Bill Hits Another Snag

By Paul Lowe

The Senate bill to reauthorize and fund the FAA is once again stalled on the tarmac because of procedural infighting between Republicans and Democrats. After a surprise compromise that would create no new user fees, lobbyists thought the Senate version of FAA reauthorization was on its way to quick passage. But senators quickly lined up with amendments to the measure, some of which had nothing to more

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Embraer’s Finances, Backlog Flying High

By Chad Trautvetter

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer recorded first-quarter sales of $1.34 billion, a nearly 61-percent increase year-over-year, and a profit of $85 million, the company said yesterday during an investor conference call. Embraer’s firm order backlog at the end of March increased 8 percent over the previous quarter, to a record $20.3 billion, due to robust sales of its business jets and E170/190 more

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EU Emissions Plan Gets Roughed Up in Congress

By Paul Lowe

John Bruton, the European Union’s Ambassador to the U.S., received a decidedly undiplomatic reception while testifying on aviation emissions before the House aviation subcommittee on Tuesday. The ambassador got into a rancorous spat with Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who was designated acting chairman of the subcommittee at the time. What drew the congressman’s ire was an EU proposal that an airlin more

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Judge Finds FAA Liable for 2003 Helicopter Midair

By Matt Thurber

U.S. District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper disagreed with the NTSB’s probable cause of a midair between two helicopters on Nov. 6, 2003, at Zamperini Field in Torrance, Calif., and ruled that “Defendant United States, acting by and through the conduct of its ATC, their supervisors and the FAA, caused serious injuries to Gavin Heyworth and caused the death of [Robert Bailey and Brett Boyd.]” T more

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