Category: BizJet

Mid-Canada Mod Center (MC2) has completed a substantial flight deck upgrade on a Cessna Citation 560XL aircraft installing a GARMIN 5000 Integrated Avionics System. The modifications, completed for a Canadian operator, enhance situational awareness, reduce pilot workload and address the aircraft’s obsolete CRTs and other avionics. The freshly modernized flight deck is future-upgrade-ready and delivers capabilities equivalent to that in Textron Aviation’s latest business jet of the same class, the Cessna Citation Ascend.

Upgrades include three 14” (35.6 cm) bright, high-resolution flight displays with two intuitive touchscreen controls that serve as the crew’s primary interface to the system. Featuring shallow menus and simple icons that require fewer hand-eye movements, the new flight deck reduces clutter and unnecessary activity while allowing the pilot to control all aspects of the flight—navigation, communication, traffic surveillance, FMS, checklists and intercom and audio systems. Additionally, all engine indications and crew alerting messages are integrated into the flight deck, facilitating enhanced awareness.

“The cost to repair and maintain legacy avionics is driving aircraft operators to upgrade,” said Bill Arsenault, Mid-Canada Mod Center president. “We take great pride in working with our clients to help them tackle their avionics challenges, and we are very pleased to have modernized this Citation flight deck while it was in for maintenance. Safety is always our first consideration, but extending the life of legacy aircraft and knowing they are ready for future upgrades is tremendously satisfying.”

Elevate Aviation Group, the parent company of Private Jet Services and Keystone Aviation, has
approved an additional annual investment of nearly $10 million toward growth. Founder and CEO Greg Raiff said of the investment, “We believe there is space in the industry for an established
platform, one that is focused on servicing the client first. This investment affirms that commitment. It enables us to scale our business by expanding our infrastructure and adding experienced
industry professionals to grow our fully integrated aviation services
platform further.”

The investment comes during an opportune time when competitors are making headlines each week for significant shifts in business strategy and structure at the potential expense of customer service.
Adding to Raiff’s comments is Randy McKinney, Elevate Aviation group president, who shared, “Each of the Elevate Aviation Group business units is benefiting from our investment. Our client-first
focus provides a disciplined approach around systems and processes, all designed to support our talented team members with quality and speed when delivering the best client solutions in the
business.”

Elevate is looking to significantly staff up with talent in client-facing roles across its business units while continuing to expand the footprint as it looks to open offices and destinations for MRO services. “I have been fortunate to hold senior roles throughout my career with other organizations that executed growth initiatives,” said Jon Reed, who recently joined as chief sales officer. “This investment, in support of our strategic plan for scalable growth,enables us to expand our team across charter, management, and aircraft brokerage. By adding to these areas, we can continue to
service our existing and future clients’ aviation needs at the level they have come to expect from EAG.”

Based in New York City, Reed also mentioned the company’s plan to open an office in Manhattan
later this year. In recent months, the company has announced multiple vital appointments to its leadership team, which will continue to drive the growth plan for their respective business units. “Over the last several months, we have focused on building brand awareness and attracting talented professionals passionate about the industry they represent. The additional investment will support EAG’s Total Rewards program offerings to attract and retain top talent in our industry,” commented Jeannie Thorne, vice president of human resources.

Aviation Heaven, an mro and supplier network provider in the business aviation industry, announced the highly anticipated launch of its new website. The company says their redesigned platform is set to improve the way maintenance providers and suppliers connect and collaborate within the dynamic world of business aviation.

Aviation Heaven has developed a state-of-the-art website that offers unparalleled resources and insights to enhance business aviation operations. The new website showcases a host of innovative features designed to simplify the process of finding trusted maintenance providers and suppliers, ultimately saving time and driving better business outcomes.

Key features include:

1. Enhanced Search Functionality: Operators can easily search for maintenance providers and suppliers based on specific criteria, such as location, certifications, capabilities, and more. This streamlined search functionality ensures operators can quickly find the right partners to meet their business aviation needs.

2. Comprehensive Profiles: Maintenance providers and suppliers can create detailed profiles that highlight their expertise, services, and products. These comprehensive profiles empower operators to make informed decisions by providing them with all the necessary information to evaluate potential partners.

3. JetProfile: Introducing JetProfile, an advanced aircraft type pre-filtering tool exclusively available on the new Aviation Heaven website. This groundbreaking feature empowers operators to effortlessly set up their specific aircraft type and authority, instantly unlocking a meticulously curated list of maintenance providers and suppliers specifically tailored to their aircraft. With JetProfile, operators can bid farewell to time-consuming searches and confidently connect with trusted partners who possess the expertise and qualifications to cater to their aircraft’s unique requirements. Experience the convenience and precision of JetProfile, revolutionizing the way operators find the perfect maintenance providers and suppliers for their aircraft.

“We are thrilled to unveil our new website, which represents a significant milestone for Aviation Heaven and the business aviation industry as a whole,” said Andreas Past, CEO of Aviation Heaven. “Our goal is to provide operators, maintenance providers, and suppliers with a cutting-edge platform that streamlines processes, facilitates collaboration, and drives exceptional business outcomes. We believe the new website will revolutionize the way industry professionals connect and interact.”
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To celebrate the launch, Aviation Heaven will be offering exclusive promotions and incentives for maintenance providers and suppliers who join the platform. This limited-time opportunity allows businesses to take advantage of the heightened exposure and access to a highly targeted audience.

Explore the new website at http://www.aviationheaven.com.

The Mente Group recently conducted independent research to determine the efficiencies of cloud-based digital solutions for business aviation. In consultation with Bluetail, the leader in aircraft records management tools, the Mente Group explored its market value proposition through in-depth interviews with Bluetail clients and other industry stakeholders. The outcome of the research reveals a positive ROI, and the results are published in an aviation industry white paper titled: “Evaluating the ROI of Cloud-Based Maintenance Information Management (MIM).”

“This white paper shows that Bluetail’s business aviation solution can address specific challenges across organizations to preserve value, reduce workload and increase efficiencies, explains Vince Restivo, Chief Operating Officer of Mente Group. 

The white paper includes important findings about ROI, such as:

•       Up to a 50% reduction in research time during maintenance events

•       Machine learning has proven to reduce manual indexing time by 100%

•       50% reduction in FAA Part 135 conformity research time

•       30% reduction in compliance tracking and reporting time

Additional Benefits of Digitization

MIM solutions not only improve the efficiency of aircraft maintenance processes but, with back-to-birth records, the value of the asset is protected. These backed-up records in the cloud remain linked to the plane regardless of its current owner, if sold, transferred from one operator to another, or moved to a different location.

Environmental Impact Reduction

Eliminating physical aircraft records reported annual cost savings and an additional benefit of reducing the carbon footprint. This is an important gain for the aviation industry, especially considering its ongoing commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives.

To download a free copy of the Mente Group’s “Evaluating the ROI of Cloud-Based Maintenance Information Management (MIM),” visit:https://bluetail.aero//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Bluetail-ROI-Study-by-Mente-Group.pdf

Montreal, Quebec-headquartered AIRHAWKE has completed the acquisition of fellow Canadian business Berletex Aero Design. AIRHAWKE, which specializes in delivering the engineering necessary to convert, complete or modify executive, special mission or cargo aircraft, now wholly owns Berletex.  

The acquisition, which began just over a year ago, has seen AIRHAWKE CEO David Vanderzwaag embrace the twenty-five-year legacy of Berletex and add new customers, services, and workforce to deliver an enriched portfolio of options. Vanderzwaag is working alongside Berletex founder and vice-president of customer relations, Ross Bellingham, who remains with AIRHAWKE, to ensure customers receive engineering services with the same excellence and reliability that Berletex is famed for.  AIRHAWKE has already added more than 10 new team members to the business, increasing the workforce to 25.

“We have admired Berletex for a number of years and appreciated the incredible depth and breadth of the knowledge within the company,” said Vanderzwaag. “It was the company’s strong reputation, the talented workforce, and an impressive client portfolio that initially caught our eye. Now that we have worked with the team for over a year, we have discovered even more potential than we originally anticipated and are excited to continue providing high-quality services to our valued existing customers, as well as new ones. AIRHAWKE customers expect excellence, and we plan to meet and exceed these expectations.”  

Integration of new technology has already begun with state-of-the-art solutions and certification services being incorporated into design projects to expand offerings and improve communications while reducing time and optimizing budgets. AIRHAWKE has also introduced the concept of an internationally distributed workforce which leverages collaborative tools to support customer projects with employees located close to or at customer facilities onsite across the globe.

AIRHAWKE is marking the transition by unifying the Berletex and AIRHAWKE brand under the single AIRHAWKE name. Aligning the companies is aimed at streamlining processes, service provision and will simplify customer support. Leading the brand transition and marketing strategy is Rachel Vanderzwaag, VP Marketing. 

FAI Aviation Group, provider of mission-critical aviation services, offering fixed-wing air ambulance, special missions, charter and aircraft management, as well as full MRO services returns to EBACE this week in buoyant mood. The company, now in its 36th year, opened FAI Technik’s new maintenance base at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in February and business has kept solid into 2023 across its business.

FAI says its Berlin facility has been fully booked since it opened the MRO, completing base and line maintenance on around 30 Hawker and Beechcraft series aircraft so far. The facility is attracting clients mostly from Europe and Africa.

FAI is also widening its workforce with the addition of circa 10 team members including engineers, mechanics, bolstering its Berlin headcount to around 40 qualified professionals.

“We’ve enjoyed three highly successful months of FAI Technik’s MRO business in Berlin,” said Michael Axtmann, managing director, FAI Technik. “The hangar floor has been full since we opened and looks to remain so for at least the next few months. It’s been a great start for us and we look forward to welcoming many more customers in the future.”

The Berlin facility complements FAI Technik’s existing center of competence for base maintenance and modifications of Learjet and Bombardier aircraft at its headquarters at Albrecht Duerer Airport, Nuremberg. With labor production close to 100,000 man-hours, 2022 marked the busiest year for FAI Technik since it was established more than 30 years ago.

Strong Q1 Results Follow Outstanding 2022

Following record sales across the business in 2022 with consolidated group revenues of more than €130m, Q1 results were up by close to 20% across the group compared with 2022.  Charter revenues and air ambulance revenues both increased by 16%. These results come as charter sales continue to slow down, both within Europe and transcontinentally, also FAI’s operations face the ongoing challenge of high fuel prices.

A leader in the long-haul air ambulance sector, FAI’s award-winning air ambulance business is a cornerstone of its offering. Since the end of the pandemic, the group has experienced a steady increase in air ambulance work, completing approximately 600 missions over the past 12 months, up 10% compared with the same period last year. Despite a challenging outlook owing to uncertain global economics, FAI remains optimistic for 2023 in this sector.

McLaren Racing Partnership Success

FAI has successfully partnered with world famous race team, McLaren Racing as their official aviation provider since early 2020. The collaboration with this strong brand has enabled FAI to raise its profile within the Formula 1 community. It has also underlined its reputation as a professional and reliable operator. FAI anticipates continuing its relationship with McLaren into 2024.

“F1 racing has a strong alliance and many synergies with business aviation so I’m pleased to see that Toto Wolff, Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, and F1 executive Susie Wolff will be opening the EBACE show as keynote speakers. Our partnership with McLaren has been hugely positive for us and we look forward to continuing to support them,” stated Siegfried Axtmann, FAI`s chairman and founder.

Flying Colours Corp. reports it is attracting increased interest from European business aircraft owners and operators seeking a single source of capabilities for maintenance and refurbishment work. The latest European customer will be harnessing the full scope of Flying Colours’ Peterborough capabilities, its highly skilled workforce and experience working on the Bombardier Challenger platform when the Challenger 605 is inducted for maintenance, paint, interior upgrades and landing gear overhaul in Q4 this year. 

“The fact that we have all the services required to complete the work under one roof, technicians with thousands of hours of experience, and a state-of-the-art paint shop is a real draw for European owners,” says Eric Gillespie, executive vice president of Flying Colours Corp. “The strength of the UK and European currencies also make the trip across the pond financially worth it. The owner appreciates the value working with us brings to his operations in terms of capabilities and finances.” 

The scope of work includes an extensive 16-year, 192-month inspection and landing gear overhaul. While the aircraft is down, the 12M/24M/36M/48M and 96-month items will be performed, along with any recommended Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives that may be due. The owner is working with Flying Colours to define the interior refresh, but minor wood repair work, an updated divan covering, and a new carpet are all under discussion. Externally the aircraft will receive a full fuselage strip and paint as a bright white paint effect will be complemented with feature gray and blue stripes along the fuselage, up the plane tail and across the rudder. The maintenance, interiors and exterior work will be conducted in parallel, which significantly reduces downtime and maximizes the budget. Flying Colours estimates the scope of work will take approximately ten weeks. 

“Aircraft on the ground are not earning their keep, which is why carrying out multiple work streams simultaneously from a single supplier is a major attraction for European owners. We’re currently in discussion with a further three European aircraft owners of large jet cabins and look forward to welcoming their airframes later this year,” said Gillespie.