Charles Alcock
Managing Editor
Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.
Latest from Charles Alcock
BBA predicts bizav upturn
The BBA Group, which includes the Signature Flight Support chain and Dallas Airmotive, believes that business aviation has bounced back from the post-Septe
Maintenance and Modifications
DIY pitot-static tester
GE Druck has introduced a new air-data line-switching unit to make it easier for operators to test their pitot-static systems.
Rotorcraft
PDG secures funding for expansion
UK rotorcraft charter operator PDG Helicopters is poised to expand through acquisition after sealing a new £7.5 million ($12 million) funding package.
Avionics
Flightman EFB introduced
Ireland-based Aircraft Management Technologies (AMT) launched a new electronic flight book system called Flightman.
Pair of UK firms close flight departments
Two UK corporate flight departments have been quietly closed, and both companies appear to have been having a hard time finding buyers for their middle-age
Training and Workforce
Aerosim wins software orders
Bombardier has contracted with Aerosim-Mechtronix to provide flight management system (FMS) training software for its CRJ200, -700 and -900 family of regio
Rekkof vies for Lufthansa RJ order
Rekkof Aircraft, the Dutch company trying to bring Fokker F70 and F100 twinjets back into production, has said the uncertain status of the Fairchild Dornie
Charter & Fractional
Shell buys into Flexjet Asia program
Shell Aircraft International has signed a multi-year block-charter contract with Rainbow Jet of Beijing, China, under the auspices of Bombardier’s Flexjet
Accidents
Fokker 50 crash in Luxembourg kills 20
A Luxair Fokker 50 twin turboprop crashed on approach to Luxembourg Findel Airport on November 6, killing 20 of the 22 people on board.
Charter & Fractional
London City enters exec charter business
The London City Airport operator has entered the executive charter market with a new Dassault Falcon 900EX.
Airports
LCY’s location draws crowds despite its high parking fees
Location, location, location is the premise on which London City Airport (LCY) has built its new Jet Centre, and it is on the same premise that it will cha
Reims Aviation cites cash-flow crisis as it files for bankruptcy protection
French utility aircraft builder Reims Aviation went into bankruptcy protection on October 30.
Regulations and Government
FAA certifies Airbus Corporate Jetliner
The Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) received FAA type certification on October 28.
Charter & Fractional
A319s to shuttle Airbus employees in Europe
Airbus has hired executive charter specialist PrivatAir to operate a corporate shuttle service linking its facilities in the UK, France and Germany.
Aircraft
Piedmont marketing Saab 340 shuttles
Piedmont Hawthorne has entered an agreement with Saab Aircraft Leasing (SAL) to market twin-turboprop Saab 340s for corporate shuttle use.
FBOs
Execair opens its first FBO in the Caribbean
Last month, Execair completed a new $700,000 FBO on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.
Training and Workforce
FlightSafety Boeing opens London center
FlightSafety Boeing Training International (FSB) opened its UK training center at London Luton Airport on July 27.
Regulations and Government
Avionics Update: FAA approves Collins HGS on regional aircraft
During the ERA assembly held last month in Salzburg, Austria, Rockwell Collins announced FAA certification of its HGS 4200 head-up guidance system (HGS) fo
Flybe answers the no-frills threat
“If you can’t beat them, join them” might well have been the theme for a debate on the challenge posed by the so-called no-frills carriers during last mont
Lufthansa evaluating 728JET alternatives
Lufthansa CityLine is looking at the Bombardier and Embraer regional jet families as alternatives to the firm order for sixty 728JETs that it had placed wi
Embraer 170 stayed home for flight-testing
Embraer had to scrap plans to bring one of its new 70-seat regional jets to display at the ERA assembly in a bid to catch up on slight technical delays in
BAE chalks leasing deals
Attending its first ERA assembly since abandoning development of the Avro RJX regional jet series late last year, BAE Systems was able to announce a wave o
Association elects new board members
ERA members elected four new board members at the end of their general assembly in Salzburg, Austria.
Air Nostrum wins top ERA honors
Spanish regional carrier Air Nostrum has won the ERA’s Airline of the Year Gold Award for the second time, having previously claimed top honors in 1999.
Salzburg hosts solemn ERA general assembly
There was no disguising the subdued, even solemn, mood of Europe’s regional airlines as they gathered for their annual general assembly in Salzburg,
ATR poised to pounce as RJ economics wobble
Turboprop manufacturer Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) believes that European regional airlines’ ardor for the 50-seat regional jet may be cooling and w
Boeing 717 in renewed European sales campaign
Boeing signaled its new resolve to target regional airline applications for its 100-seat 717-200 by putting an aircraft on static display at Salzburg Airpo
Airports
Lull in Global Express sales trickles down to Marshall Aero
Marshall Aerospace, now finishing its sixth Global Express completion for Bombardier, is having to find alternative work for its Cambridge, UK facili
Safety
The First Call offers CPR training
Edinburgh, Scotland-based The First Call offers “first-person-on-the-scene training” for aircraft crews, and it also advises on equipment specification and
Safety
Cost of ownership comparison
The acquisition costs of the three diagnostic systems assessed above vary markedly, but what is the annual cost of ownership to operators? To calculate thi
