Latest from Jeff Apter
EBAA France sees signs of impending economic recovery
France has not been as badly hit as many other countries by the financial crisis and neither has its business aviation community, according to the French c
Thales to ink service, spares deal with Hainan
Thales is opening a new facility in Singapore today that will employ more than 400 in activities encompassing its complete electronics and systems product
Engines
Leap-X to power Chinese airliner
The recent selection of CFM International’s LEAP-X1C engine to power the 150- to 190-seat C919 airliner family being developed by Commercial Aircraft of Co
Engines
Turbomeca looks to boost its presence in Asia Pacific
Safran’s helicopter subsidiary Turbomeca could be back in the contest to provide the powerplant for the Z15 helicopter following China’s recent decision to
Aircraft
Asia-Pacific region is key to Airbus’s future
Airbus closed 2009 on a positive commercial note with orders for 85 aircraft received in December–27 from Asia-Pacific customers, including 16 A330-200s fo
Aircraft
Lineage 1000 starts life in Arabian Gulf service
Embraer’s first Lineage 1000 executive jet is making a debut here at the Dubai Airshow, six months after it was delivered to launch customer Aamer Abdul Ja
Aircraft
ATR’s new 600 series to enter service in 2010
Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) is a little over a year away from completing certification of the new -600 version of its ATR 72 twin turboprop, with th
Aircraft
ATR formally unveils -600 series
Franco-Italian regional aircraft maker ATR last month presented to the public the ATR 72-600 during a ceremony in Toulouse, France, where it also confirmed
Engines
Daher-Socata mulls NTx power, says partners will determine type
Daher-Socata’s target of formally launching a new eight- to 10-seat or equivalent weight twin-engine business airplane sometime next year is still planned,
Aircraft
MyAir grounding forces CRJ1000 order recall
Bombardier Aerospace has lost its firm order for 15 CRJ1000s from MyAir after Italy grounded the airline and suspended its license to fly on July 24.
French Riviera sees sharp decline in bizav traffic
Business airport traffic in the Côte d’Azur, France’s wealthy Mediterranean Riviera, suffered dramatically as a result of the global financial crisis in th
Dassault looms large over Thales
Thales, Europe’s third largest civil and defense aerospace group, makes its first appearance at Le Bourget since it acquired a new shareholder and executiv
Engines
Safran/GE progress new nacelle venture for future powerplant
Safran and General Electric are stepping up activities at their newly formed nacelle joint venture with the appointment of Steve Walters as president.
Engines
Orders drop at CFM, but LEAP-X goes on
New engine orders slumped badly for CFM International during the first five months of this year.
French aero industry must rally in crisis
French aerospace industry association GIFAS believes the current crisis will be long.
Airports
Spain’s growing bizav sector weathers the economic storm
In the not-too-distant past, Spain’s business aviation sector consisted of one major operator, Gestair, and a sprinkling of smaller companies each opera
Engines
Daher-Socata mulls NTx powerplant decision
Daher, the French family-run firm that now owns Socata, is pressing ahead with investments to ensure the maker of the TBM 850 single turboprop is well-plac
Aircraft
Daher-Socata Going Forward with NTx Plans
Daher-Socata early next month at EBACE will formally announce plans to invest almost $330 million to develop a new eight- to 10-seat twin-engine aircraft t
FBOs
Le Bourget FBO sale win-win for the FlyingGroup, JetEx
Dubai-based JetEx Flight Support has made its first move into FBO management by buying the FlyingGroup facility at Paris Le Bourget Airport.
Tuninter Crash Pilots Get 10-Year Jail Sentence
A court in Palermo, Sicily, has sentenced Capt.
Aircraft
ATR confident it can weather the storm
ATR took in record revenues of $1.3 billion in 2008 and says that despite the financial crisis it will top that figure this year.
Aircraft
First showing in region for VIP Airbus ACJ
The Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) on display here at the MEBA show is the first to be shown with a true VIP interior.
Charter & Fractional
European charter operator expands fleet of turboprops
Despite its name, Luxembourg-based Jetfly is a fractional ownership aircraft program that uses single-engine turboprops exclusively.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
Piaggio to double Avanti production
Italy’s Piaggio Aero has introduced a third cabin choice for its six- to seven-seat Avanti II twin-turboprop, and expects to almost double production this
Weak dollar forcing some companies out of Europe
While orders notched by European aerospace OEMs and suppliers in the last year have reached record levels, the continued weakness of the U.S.
Engines
Despite design milestones, Snecma still seeks Silvercrest launch platform
Snecma remains “very satisfied” with the performance of its Silvercrest core engine demonstration program despite its failure to secure a launch platform f
Aircraft
Airbus finds growing market for its corporate widebodies
Airbus, to date, has sold more than 100 single-aisle airplanes in executive configuration, including its first double-deck A380 “Flying Palace” and, in the
Aircraft
Pilatus boosts capacity of PC-12NG production
Fresh from the announcement by Pilatus (Booth No.
