Latest News

Beech Readies To Sell Hawker Jet Division
May 16, 2013, 3:30 PM
May 16, 2013

Beechcraft, which recently emerged from bankruptcy protection and is now focused on its piston and turboprop products, expects to sell its mothballed jet division in the coming months. According to CEO Bill Boisture, the company has already completed disposition of its remaining inventory of approximately 20 new and pre-owned Hawker 4000 and Premier IA jets, a move he said went “better than planned,” though he declined to offer details about the revenue derived from their sale.

European Bizav Flying Continues Slump
May 16, 2013, 3:25 PM
May 16, 2013

Business aircraft flying in Europe contracted by 3.6 percent year-over-year in the March and April period, according to recent data from business aviation information provider WingX Advance, based in Hamburg, Germany. “Activity [in Europe] remains in the trough it entered in the fourth quarter of 2012, with no recovery in sight,” the company said.

FAA Approves Automated Rig Approach for Sikorsky S-92
May 16, 2013, 3:20 PM
May 16, 2013

The FAA approved an automated rig approach for offshore operators on the Sikorsky S-92, offering new functionality for the medium-twin helicopter. The system is said to “reduce cockpit workload by 60 percent” and allow safer operations under challenging weather and operating conditions. Sikorsky has been developing the “rig approach” system since 2007 in cooperation with operator PHI.

Embraer Gets Production Certificate for U.S.-assembled Phenom 300s
May 16, 2013, 3:15 PM
May 16, 2013

The FAA presented Embraer Executive Jets with a production certificate to assemble the Phenom 300 at its Melbourne, Fla. facility yesterday. Embraer has delivered three U.S.-assembled Phenom 300s since the first one came off the line in March. The Phenom 300s are assembled on the same production line as Phenom 100s, which have been coming off the line at the Florida plant since December 2011. Embraer’s light jets are now being assembled in Florida at a rate of three aircraft per month, less than half of the full capacity of eight a month.

Gulfstream G650 Sets Shanghai-Newark City-pair Record
May 16, 2013, 3:10 PM
May 16, 2013

A Gulfstream G650 set a city-pair speed record last month on a flight between Shanghai and Newark, N.J., flying the 6,855-nm route in 13 hours and 32 minutes, the Savannah, Ga.-based aircraft manufacturer announced yesterday. The jet took off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on April 18 carrying five passengers and four crewmembers. ATC restrictions kept the G650 below FL310 for the first hour before it was cleared to climb to its normal cruising altitude of FL410 to FL510.

Eurocopter Revenues Fall in 1Q13
May 16, 2013, 3:05 PM
May 16, 2013

In the first quarter of 2013, revenue at Eurocopter fell by 13 percent, to €1.04 billion ($1.35 billion), with deliveries of 58 helicopters during the three-month period. Parent company EADS attributed the downward performance to the ongoing “technical problems with the Super Puma/EC225 fleet.” Affected have been both deliveries and the service revenue generated by helicopter operations. In the first three months, Eurocopter booked net orders for 51 helicopters, the company said.

Rockwell Collins Venue Cabin Management/Entertainment System Really Delivers
May 16, 2013, 3:00 PM
May 16, 2013

Rockwell Collins has surpassed 250 deliveries of its Venue cabin management and entertainment system for business aircraft. Unveiled in 2007, Venue is an open-architecture design that “accommodates future technologies,” such as the company’s new Skybox solution that allows content to be shared and viewed on Apple devices inside the cabin. According to Collins, Venue can easily be scaled for business aircraft ranging from King Airs to bizliners.

VIP Eurocopter EC175 Likely To Be Unveiled at EBACE
May 16, 2013, 2:55 PM
May 16, 2013

An announcement made this week by cabin equipment manufacturer Vision Systems hints that Eurocopter will unveil a VIP variant of the EC175 medium twin at EBACE, which opens on Tuesday in Geneva. Vision Systems said it provided a Wi-Fi network, a tablet application, ceiling displays for movies and electronically dimming windows–all integrated in a cabin management system–for the EC175 that will be displayed at Eurocopter’s EBACE booth.

Southwest Signs To Be Launch Customer for 737 Max 7
May 15, 2013, 11:43 AM
AINonline
Southwest Airlines will be the first operator of Boeing's new 737 Max 7 narrowbody from 2019. [Photo: Boeing]

Southwest Airlines has triggered the program launch of Boeing’s 737 Max 7 narrowbody by converting 30 options that it holds for the existing 737 Next Generation family into orders for the new model.

Study: 2013 World MRO Market Worth $49.2B
May 15, 2013, 11:23 AM
May 15, 2013

The world commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market will reach a value of $49.2 billion this year, according to recent market research conducted by Visiongain. The commercial aircraft MRO market is forecast by Visiongain to experience growth over the next decade, providing numerous business opportunities.

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