Announcement

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 23rd January 2014, 18:47

Gulfstream kicks off 2014 G650 deliveries

Gulfstream has delivered the first G650 in 2014 to the manufacturer of JCB diggers

JCB’s new G650 M-JCBB (Photo: Steve Blood)

Gulfstream kicked-off its 2014 G650 delivery programme by handing over the first G650 of the year to J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited., the UK corporation behind the yellow-and-black JCB diggers.

G650 msn 6049 / M-JCBB was delivered from Gulfstream’s Savannah home-base direct to East Midlands Airport in the UK, where JCB is based.

The G650 replaces JCB’s 2008-build G550 (msn 5186 / G-JCBB), which Gulfstream has been advertising for sale since November 2013, with an asking price of $39 million.

Although JCB is headquartered in the UK, it has factories dotted in various locations around the world, with a US factory in Pooler Georgia, on the western outskirts of Savannah.

Gulfstream also delivered its 50th G650 (msn 6056 / N374FS) and the second of the year to Fayez Sarofim & Co., a Texan investment consultant, headed by Fayez Sarofim, a part owner of the Houston Texans NFL team.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...50-deliveries/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 23rd January 2014, 18:54

Duncan Aviation completes second Falcon 900B avionics upgrade

Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Nebraska completes a second Universal Avionics upgrade on a Dassault Falcon 900B business jet.

Duncan Aviation has completed a second Falcon 900B with Universal Avionics’ EFI-890R retrofit upgrade. The second aircraft showcases a newly designed interior, paint and fully digital HD cabin/management/entertainment system.

The EFI-890R cockpit upgrade replaces 25 older instruments and significantly improves reliability and situational awareness. The avionics suite includes five high-resolution Universal EFI-890R 8.9 inch Advanced Flight Displays, with Engine Interface Units (EIU) that replace the analog gauges.

“We are thrilled with the momentum we have with two delivered aircraft featuring this exciting upgrade,” said Duncan Aviation’s avionics sales representative Steve Elofson.

“The upgrade offers state-of-the-art capabilities that operators have been asking for, enhanced safety and reduced operational costs. We are very proud to provide this new and exciting upgrade for the Falcon 900B,” Elofson added.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...onics-upgrade/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 23rd January 2014, 22:19

$2.2 billion order for Bombardier

Details of this order were publicised at the beginning of the month.

An unidentified customer is taking 28 aircraft from the Global family, the company’s largest models, and 10 Challenger 605 planes, Montreal-based Bombardier said today in a statement. Bombardier said the valuation was based on list prices for typically equipped aircraft, from which buyers get discounts.

The deal followed a Dec. 24 deal for 10 Challengers valued at $280 million at catalog prices, and a $259 million order announced yesterday for 10 different planes in the Challenger family. Bombardier didn’t identify either of those purchasers.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-1...ness-jets.html

Newsdesk Note: Anyone familiar with who this customer may be, please let us know.

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 29th January 2014, 15:59

G650 backlog doesn't worry Gulfstream parent

Gulfstream’s next available slot for its flagship ultra-long range G650 business jet is almost four years away, according to the airframer’s parent company.

Speaking on a fourth-quarter earnings call on 20 January, Phebe Novakovic, chairman and chief executive of General Dynamics, said the backlog for the aircraft is so extensive that the next available production slot is “in the 45 month range”.

The backlog for the smaller products in its catalogue – the super-midsize G280 and large-cabin G450 and G550 – is also high, with manufacturing availability around nine to 12 months out.

The company anticipates deliveries of 118 large-cabin jets next year, and 40 of the G280s, Novakovic says. That figure would represent a slight rise on 2013, when it handed over 110 large-cabin jets and 29 medium-size aircraft.

Gulfstream has considered increasing production of the G650, but rejected this based on supply chain considerations, noting that “we're very comfortable where we are now”.

“So, when you're manufacturing complex platforms with a robust and diversified supply chain, you want to be very mindful of what your supply chain can handle without driving up their cost, which then [is] reflected in your price,” says Novakovic.

Long-term demand for the jet remains strong, but any “perturbation from a break in your supply chain is very, very difficult to recover from”, she notes.

Gulfstream remains "the primary growth engine for both earnings and revenue" at General Dynamics, notes Novakovic.

Revenue at its aerospace division in 2013 rose to $8.1 billion, up from $6.9 billion the year before. Operating profit was $1.41 billion, an increase on 2012's figure of $858 billion.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...parent-395169/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 4th February 2014, 17:55

International Corporate Jet & Helicopter Finance Conference 2014

Coverage from International Corporate Jet & Helicopter Finance Conference being held from 4-6 February 2014 at London's Royal Garden Hotel

Updates:

9.45 The first day of the 4^th International Corporate Jet & Helicopter Finance Conference is underway in London. Alasdair Whyte, editor of Corporate Jet Investor, kicked things off by telling a joke about the expensiveness of EBACE for the third time in less than a year. The room at the Royal Garden Hotel is packed from the front to the back and Rolland Vincent from JETNET is currently taking the room through the company’s business jet forecast.

10.05 Richard Koe, managing director at WINGX Advance, is giving some fantastic insights into European business aviation activity. Koe says there was a notable shift away from fractional jet ownership to private charter in 2013, as well as a 30 per cent increase in ultra-long-range flights from Europe. WINGX predicts a 2-3 per cent increase in flight activity in 2014 compared to 2013.

BizJetBlogger {via Twitter}: Second vote of the day: 58% of attendees say that Gulfstream have the easiest job selling aircraft.

10.32 Tom Perry, Cessna: “I think all the OEMS up here [on the stage] would tell you that there’s always a good time to buy and always a good time to sell. Right now, it a very good time to buy, but probably not such a good time to sell.

12:42 IBA Group is distributing its Business Jet Asset Report 2013 to conference delegates. The company says there will be 25,125 business jets worldwide by 2020.

15:05 Time for another vote: 67 per cent of attendees say they think that aircraft brokers and OEMs gloss over the real cost of owning a private jet.

Dougherty Quinn {via Twitter}: Jeffrey Lowe tells CorpJetInvestor that Bombardier & Gulfstream have 69% of bizjet market in China.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...-blog-day-one/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 12th February 2014, 08:35

Cessna eyes large-cabin jet

Cessna is aspiring to offer a large-cabin aircraft in its future business jet line-up, as part of its continued focus on new product development and platform enhancements. "We are conducting advanced research and development across all of our product spaces and there are a number of designs on the drawing board," says Brad Thress, Cessna’s senior vice president of business jets.

Cessna Latitude

Cessna entered the large-cabin arena in 2008, with the launch of the Columbus. The programme was cancelled less than 18 months later following the onset of the global economic downturn. "We can see the importance of having a large-cabin business jet in the Citation family. Aircraft in this sector generate strong revenues and stability for OEMs so there is a desire to be there in the long term," he adds. For the time being, Thress says Cessna’s priority is to bring its top-of-the range super-midsize Longitude to market in 2017. "Once we have built up a critical mass of customers for the Longitude, we may consider offering a larger aircraft [to capture the move-up market]," he says.

Cessna’s business jet product offering is mainly centred on the light-cabin and midsize sectors, which have borne the brunt of the economic crisis. During this painful period, the airframer has seen its annual deliveries plummet from a high of 466 in 2008 to only 139 last year. "It has been a tough few years," Thress says. "The market, particularly the light jet sector, is still stagnant.

Markets such as Europe and Brazil softened considerably last year and this impacted heavily on sales. During this period, we also delivered far fewer Sovereigns and Xs [than the previous year] as customers were waiting for deliveries of the upgraded versions of both aircraft," he adds. According to Flightglobal’s Ascend Online Fleets database, Cessna delivered 22 Sovereigns and six Citation Xs in 2012 compared with 13 and 1 respectively in 2013. The midsize Sovereign+ was certificated late last year and deliveries are now under way.

The latest version of the super-midsize, high-speed X is scheduled for certification this quarter and deliveries will begin immediately after, Thress says. "The business jets are greatly enhanced versions of their predecessors and we are very happy with the level of interest in both aircraft," he adds.

Meanwhile, Cessna is readying its Latitude for first flight this quarter. The nine-seat aircraft was launched in 2011 to fill a gap between the superlight XLS+ and the Sovereign. Cessna is building five aircraft for the certification programme – three flying and two static. "This is an exciting time for us," Thress says. Certification and entry into service are scheduled for 2015.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...tation-395800/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 13th February 2014, 19:48

Gulfstream delivers 100th cabin management system

Gulfstream has delivered the 100th aircraft, a Gulfstream G650, equipped with the aircraft manufacturer’s cabin management system.

The Gulfstream-controlled and designed equipment, known as the Gulfstream Cabin Management System (GCMS), is standard on Gulfstream G650 and G280 aircraft and is part of the Elite Interior option for the G550 and G450. The GCMS app allows customers to control the interior systems and options – including temperature, monitors and lights – across Gulfstream’s entire fleet from one handheld device.

“We’re excited to reach this milestone because it reflects the appeal of the Gulfstream Cabin Management System to customers,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, worldwide sales and mMarketing, Gulfstream. “We took a novel approach to designing this system, and the response has been incredible. With the intuitive menus and screens, passengers can easily design a cabin environment that meets their requirements for that particular flight.”

Gulfstream initially introduced GCMS on the G650 and later, the G280, the company’s two newest aircraft. Elements of the G650 interior have also been incorporated into an Elite Interior option for Gulfstream’s large-cabin aircraft, the G550 and G450.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...gement-system/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 4th March 2014, 11:11

Austria’s MJet adds G550 to charter fleet

Austrian based charter and management company MJet has added a new Gulfstream G550 business jet to its ever expanding fleet of aircraft available for private charter.

Gulfstream G550 msn 5434 / OE-IGO was delivered from Gulfstream’s Brunswick completion center to Vienna, although the aircraft will be based separately in Eastern Europe.

“We have been impressed by the quality of the completion done in this Gulfstream facility, which is smaller than other completion centers owned by the US manufacturer,” says Konstantin ESSLER, chief operating officer of MJET, who personally accepted the aircraft delivery. “The staff here in Brunswick was responsive and attentive to our remarks and findings. We have succeeded to finalise the acceptance of a very well built aircraft, completed by a manufacturer who has been building bizjets for more than half of a century.”

MJet’s new G550 can carry a maximum of 16 passengers and has a range of 12,500km. On arrival at Vienna Airport, the aircraft will be added to the company’s Air Operators Certification and operated commercially.

With this latest delivery, MJet now manages seven Gulfstream types, including three Gulfstream G200s, one Gulfstream V and one Gulfstream G450.

MJet’s aircraft fleet also includes one Bombardier Global 5000 and one Global 6000. Both of the Bombardier Global private jets are based in Moscow, however several of MJet’s fleet is also based in Kiev.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...-fleet-213/

http://www.mjet.eu/en/mjet-news/mjet-registers-g550

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 26th March 2014, 19:49

Flying Colours completes Challenger 604 delivery to Nigeria

Flying Colours has completed the delivery of a refurbished Bombardier Challenger 604 business jet to a customer in Nigeria.

The refurbishment process took 14 weeks and included a major pre-purchase inspection undertaken on behalf of the client and a number of other calendar inspections including a 96-month inspection. The aircraft also had upgrades on the Ih Flight Entertainment and an Aviator 300 Broadband system.

Flying Colours’ Challenger 604 interior

The modifications, which were completed at the Peterborough, Ontario facility.

Sean Gillespie, executive vice president, Flying Colours, said: “We are really pleased to have completed this Challenger 604 for the Nigerian market. It’s a great step forward in our plans to expand our African presence. Importantly the new client was referred to us by a preferred partner who recommended us because of their experience working with the Flying Colours team; and the fact that we are a Bombardier Authorised Service Facility.”

The company is also working to complete maintenance on a Bombardier Learjet 35 for another African client, ther company expects to deliver the aircraft in April 2014. The work includes maintenance and avionics upgrades. The work is being carried out at Flying Colours facility in St Louis, USA. The Learjet 35 work is scheduled to finish in April after five months when it will be delivered back to the client for private usage.

“We hope these will be just the first of a number of African projects and we’re already in discussions with numerous other potential clients from the continent. The Bombardier product is popular in the region and with our status as a Bombardier ASF, our extensive experience on the Lear Jet, Challenger and increasingly the Global families, we are particularly excited about the possibilities from this burgeoning business aviation sector,” added Gillespie.

Flying Colours has two maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, one in Peterborough, Ontario and the other in St Louis, Missouri.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...ivery-nigeria/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 30th March 2014, 21:26

G650 Sets New City-Pair Record

Gulfstream’s G650 has set another city-pair record, between White Plains, New York and Mumbai, India.

“The G650’s ability to link these two business centers reinforces its utility as a vital tool for corporations to advance their economic interests around the world,” said Jason Akovenko, regional vice president, sales, Asia-Pacific, Gulfstream.

“This aircraft continues to dominate business aviation and proves to be a leader in getting passengers to their destinations in record time. The speed and range of the G650 are just two of the many reasons why this aircraft is in such high demand,” added Akovenko.

The G650 took off from the Westchester County Airport in White Plains on 10 March with two passengers and four crew members on board. Thirteen hours and 49 minutes later, the aircraft landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, giving it an average cruise speed of Mach 0.85 for the 7,115 nm/13,177 km flight.

“This marks the forty-second record the G650 has claimed,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, Gulfstream.

The G650 entered service on 20 December 2012. In 2013, the G650 circled the globe westbound in 41 hours and 7 minutes, setting a world record. It has a maximum range of 7,000 nm/12,964 km at Mach 0.85.

In February 2014, Corporate Jet Investor voted the G650 the best business jet of 2014.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...mumbai-record/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 4th April 2014, 20:13

QEII Utilises Legacy 600 for Royal Visit to Rome

The Queen of England has made use of a Legacy 600 belonging to London Executive Aviation for her recent visit to Rome, Italy:

London Executive Aviation's Embraer Legacy 600 G-PEPI at Farnborough Airport on 15th November 2013 (Photo: Steve Flint)

Her Majesty aboard G-PEPI arriving at Rome

http://www.flylea.com/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 7th April 2014, 22:34

The latest up-date from Eclipse Aerospace on their 550 model:

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 24th April 2014, 17:31

Jet Aviation Asia adds two G450s and a new G550 to their Managed Charter Fleet

Jet Aviation in Asia is expanded its managed charter fleet with the arrival of three Gulfstream business jets by the end of May 2014.

One Gulfstream G550 and one G450 will be based in Hong Kong and maintained by Jet Aviation’s Hong Kong maintenance facility, which is a Gulfstream factory authorised warranty service centre for G450/G550/G650 aircraft.

An addition G450 will also be added to the company’s fleet.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...-fleet-356/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 29th April 2014, 08:40

German Air Rules Changed

After a five year legal battle, Austrian aviation company International Jet Management GmbH (IJM) has obtained a landmark decision from the European Court of Justice that has major implications for the free movement of air traffic into Germany.

On 18 March 2014 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in favour of IJM. According to the Court, a series of fines levied on IJM were not justified and therefore the requirement to obtain approval for inward flights into Germany must be lifted for the entire industry.

Prior to the ruling, any operator flying into Germany from a non EU country departure point had to apply to the German authorities (three days in advance of the flight) for permission to make an inbound flight and the carrier also had to furnish evidence that no German competitor would conduct the flight (declaration of non-availability).

This was a requirement that IJM - just as many other European air carriers - was in most cases unable to meet, for mere lack of time. In the absence of such permission, the authority would introduce fines against the carrier. Charter flights (commercial flights in non-scheduled traffic) from outside the EU (e.g. Moscow or Ankara) to Germany in particular constitute IJM's daily business. While the requirements were in place IJM was eventually prompted by the German authorities to pay fines amounting up to € 2,200 per flight due to the lack of permission for inward bound flights. This was a situation that the company was not prepared to accept.

IJM Managing Director, Robert Schmoelzer (left) and Felix Feller, Accountable Manager & Owner.

"We guarantee our customers that we will be ready for departure within two hours after they book a flight", says IJM MD Robert Schmölzer. “This is precisely what makes business jets attractive for the customers. For us, this authorization requirement presented an obvious discrimination against competitors from Germany, prohibiting us from exercising our traffic rights", he explains. "It is unacceptable that the activities of a service provider that is established in another Member State and legally provides similar services there, are prevented or rendered less attractive by such restrictions", adds Schmölzer.

In 2009 IJM lodged an appeal against the penalties for the first time. The subsequent legal dispute lasted for several years. In the autumn of 2011, the Oberlandesgericht Braunschweig finally referred the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a preliminary ruling. The fact that seven governments of EU Member States issued statements during the Court proceedings shows how important this case is on a European level. Hence, the ruling was awaited with a huge amount of excitement.

The 18th March 2014 ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) was in favour of IJM and means that the Court delivered a landmark verdict that will further advance the liberalisation of European air traffic. IJM has thus scored a victory on behalf of the entire industry.

"This is a huge success that benefits not only our company but all European air carriers flying into Germany from a non EU country", says a visibly delighted IJM MD Robert Schmölzer. "This is another important and right step toward the liberalization of European air traffic," he added.

"The ruling means that operators may not be discriminated on grounds of nationality or the fact that they are established in a Member State other than that where the services are to be provided. All pending procedures must be terminated", says Joachim Janezic, a Graz-based attorney and president of the Institute for Austrian and International Air Law, who represented IJM in the proceedings.

"Our objective was to question this unacceptable situation in the interests of the entire industry", says Horst Nentwich, Manager Flight Operations at IJM, who actively accompanied the relevant proceedings.

Legal experts agree that the ruling has an enormous impact on the free movement of air traffic in Europe. "This decision by the EJC has repercussions for European aviation as a whole", says Janezic. “After all, such regulations do not only exist in Germany but also in many other Member States, to which the ruling also applies.”

http://www.blueskynews.aero/issue_26...ir_traffic.htm

http://www.ijm.at/en/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 29th April 2014, 08:54

Dassault Upbeat on Falcon 5X Progress

Dassault Falcon Jet have announced that progress of its new Falcon 5X business jet is going well, with a first flight still scheduled for early 2015.

The maiden flight of the new twin-engined type will take place “about one year from now,” says Jean Rosanvallon, president and chief executive of Dassault Falcon. Rosanvallon spoke to Flightglobal at last week’s ABACE show in Shanghai.

The aircraft is “far along the production process” and the company plans to make announcements about the type’s progress at the EBACE business jet gathering in Geneva that runs from 20 to 22 May, says Rosanvallon.

The Falcon 5X

“The 5X is creating a new market segment,” he adds. “It is always tempting to go directly after the Gulfstream 650, but we really felt the market needs a very modern, efficient 5000nm plane. (With the 5X) you can go almost anywhere in the world with one stop in a comfortable cabin. The market reaction is very positive.”

The company hopes to certify the new type in 2016, followed by a first delivery in 2017.

It is discussing the 5X with Chinese lessors for long term orders, but has yet to secure any buyers for the type on the Mainland.

The 5X Interior

“Ninety per cent of buyers in China are first time buyers,” says Rossanvallon. “If they buy a plane, they want it in less than a year. The lead time for the 5X is more than four years. If you have no airplane now, they don’t want to wait that long. People placing advance orders are more in developed markets.”

Dassault’s biggest seller in China is the Falcon 7X. According to consulting firm Asian Sky Group, there are 31 Dassault private jets in Greater China, for a 9% market share. Of these, 15 jets were added in 2013 alone.

The Dassault fleet in Greater China comprises 22 7Xs (of which 11 were delivered in 2013), four 900LXs, three F2000LXs, one F900DX, and one F900EX.

Separately, Rosanvallon expressed scepticism about the prospect that the industry will ever develop a supersonic private jet.

The 5X will offer each passenger a sidewall storage pocket which includes charging ports and a touchscreen control panel offering music, video, and environmental comfort options

“The big hurdle is not technology. We build Mach 2 military aircraft and new technology can reduce sonic booms. There are lot of things you can do now that you couldn’t do at the time of the Concorde, and there are enough billionaires in the world who would find it nice to have a special thing.”

He says that flying from New York to Paris with a supersonic business jet would burn three times as much fuel as Falcon 7X, but provide a smaller cabin.

“Who can justify that that these three hours are so important that he’ll produce emissions three times a normal business jet?” asks Rosanvallon.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ogress-398409/

**Aviafora Newsdesk** · 7th May 2014, 10:28

CJ3 Goes Swimming!

A Cessna CitationJet CJ3, N300ET, has ended up in a pond, after over-running a Florida runway.

The aircraft was on its second flight of the day, having flown first from Orlando Sanford Airport to Opa-Locka Airport in the North Miami suburbs. The aircraft then departed Opa-Locka bound for Spruce Creek with three persons on board, when the aircraft apparently failed to stop, ran off the end of the runway and ended up in a pond.

CJ3 N300ET rests in a pond at the end of the Spruce Creek runway

Local emergency services confirmed that none of the people on board the aircraft during the accident sustained any injuries.

The aircraft was later removed from the pond by a local towing company.

A towing company recovered the aircraft from the pond

Spruce Creek is one of the largest residential fly-in communities in the world, with almost as many hangars as there are homes.

http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/...in-a-pond-321/

**Savoia** · 20th March 2020, 20:03

COVID-19 Affecting Business Jet Travel

Private jet operators are turning away wealthy clients as coronavirus-related travel bans restrict their ability to operate, despite a surge in requests from people willing to shell out as much as $150,000 to secure a spot on their planes.

"There is a new directive or advisory coming out every day," said Rajan Mehra, who heads business aviation company Club One Air. "Tourism is practically frozen for the time being and corporates are not travelling at all unless they have to."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...y-no-to-travel

**Savoia** · 27th November 2022, 20:13

Citation II Makes Emergency Landing at Van Nuys

Subsequent to a nose gear malfunction after takeoff, the pilot diverted back to the point of departure and circled over the field for about an hour and 15 min attempting to extend the nose gear and, to burn off fuel.

Unable to extend the nosegear, the captain elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft landed safely on runway 16R at Van Nuys in California at 17:50. The aircraft received minor damage to it's nose. There were no injuries to either of the two occupants.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/301400

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig-3c7nOKQo

Announcement

Business Jet News

Business Jet News

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment