GE Aviation to open new $50m facility in Hooksett

GE Aviation held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new expansion at its facility here today. GE Aviation began building a 55,000 square-foot expansion today to increase capacity driven by a record backlog in its commercial engines business. This will represent a nearly $50 million investment in Hooksett over the next decade.

GE has a significant presence in New Hampshire, employing more than 1,100 across the state. GE Aviation employs 740 at its Hooksett facility, where employees manufacture rotating parts for military and commercial jet engines. While the expansion for Hooksett will not result immediately in adding additional employees, it will contribute significantly to maintaining stable employment levels at the plant for many years to come.

“This investment will position Hooksett to play a pivotal role in the development of GE Aviation's world-class engines, well known for their durability, reliability and efficiency,” stated Colleen Athans, GE Aviation vice president and general manager, Supply Chain.

New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan attended the groundbreaking ceremony and commented, “This expansion demonstrates GE Aviation's long-term commitment to Hooksett and the State of New Hampshire, as well as how our state’s high quality of life, highly skilled workforce, low-tax environment and responsive state government make us as attractive a state for business as any in the country. We are grateful for GE Aviation’s commitment to the Granite State and the additional growth this expansion will help inspire across the state.”

GE exports to every region of the world, making exports critical to GE business. Approximately 60 percent of GE Aviation’s $24 billion annual revenue comes from exports of their U.S.-made products and services.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE, is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.

Source and image: GE

FL Technics will exclusively represent Future Metals in Russia and eleven more countries

FL Technics, a global provider of tailor-made aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services, has been selected to act as an exclusive representative of Future Metals, which is the leading supplier of aerospace quality metals and other materials to the global aircraft manufacturing and maintenance industry. The company shall represent the supplier in multiple CIS countries, including Russia and Moldova, as well as several neighbouring states, such as Ukraine and Georgia.

According to the partnership agreement, FL Technics will act as an exclusive seller of all Future Metal products, offering a broad range of inventory comprising aircraft quality metals and other specialty items such as seat tracks, seat track covers, welding rod, safety wire, flight control cables and more. All the products are certified for both narrow and wide-body commercial aircraft, including Airbus and Boeing.

Under the cooperation, FL Technics will represent the Florida-based supplier in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova, as well as Ukraine and Georgia.

“Our newly developed business relationship with Future Metals is not only a new source of quality aviation products for the region’s industry players, but also a way more cost-effective solution in comparison to the ones currently available in the CIS market. Whether it is an airline’s internal maintenance unit or an independent MRO, we aim to support all potential customers who require various aircraft metals and other specialty products in their daily operations. In other words, we strongly believe that this partnership will be beneficial not only to us and Future Metals, but also to the entire market,” comments Aldas Juronis, the Head of Components and Materials Sales Department at FL Technics.

Source and image: FL Technics

The first Pilatus PC-24 prototype took its maiden flight

The first ever PC-24 Super Versatile Jet took off on its maiden flight today at 10.00 local time from Buochs airport. Just under 1800 Pilatus staff, all of whom are directly or indirectly involved in the PC-24 project, were there to applaud the business jet as it taxied for takeoff. Prototype P01, call sign HB-VXA, flew across central Switzerland for a total of 55 minutes. The flight went exactly as planned with no problems whatsoever.

The PC-24 is capable of exceptional performance, and this maiden flight was a first opportunity to showcase some impressive credentials: the twin-engine business jet took off from runway 07 in just under 600 m and climbed to 10,000 feet (approx. 3000 m) in around three minutes, where the two pilots completed a series of meticulously planned tests. The maiden flight followed a route across central Switzerland – from Altdorf to Brünig via Engelberg. 

Test pilot Paul Mulcahy, who has some 11,000 hours under his belt, flew the PC-24 as pilot in command. He has already test flown countless aircraft types and has acquired a wealth of experience on twin-engine business jets. "Everything looks great so far! Beautiful handling – the PC-24 flies just as expected – a real Pilatus aircraft!", reported our second experienced test pilot, Reto Aeschlimann, by radio from the cockpit.

Throughout the flight the PC-24 was accompanied and monitored by a PC-21. As is normal on maiden flights, the PC-24 landing gear was not retracted on this occasion. Twelve flight test engineers watched the flight from the ground as they kept an eye on a stream of real-time flight data received from the PC-24. Had the need arisen, these experts could have given the pilots crucial decision-making information: another means of ensuring the safest possible conditions for the entire maiden flight.

A total of three PC-24 prototypes will be built and used to complete a rigorous test programme of some 2,300 hours over the next two years. Fewer than half those hours will actually be flown in Switzerland, the remainder will be flown elsewhere. Certification and initial deliveries of the first aircraft to come off the production line are planned from 2017. 

Avianca firms up order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft

Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) announcement in February, Avianca has signed a purchase agreement for 100 A320neo Family aircraft, the largest single order ever made in Latin America’s aviation history.

The agreement, which includes A319neo, A320neo and A321neo aircraft, will allow Avianca to maintain one of the youngest fleets in the region as the airline aims to replace airplanes currently operating from their Bogota, Lima and San Salvador hubs.  

“This historic order allows us to solidify our passenger experience strategy in local markets on a broader scale,” said Fabio Villegas Ramirez, Avianca Chief Executive Officer.  “Thanks to the A320neo Family’s fuel efficiency, technical reliability and unique passenger comfort, we can further Avianca’s fleet modernization process, while connecting the region and supporting its development.”

“For over 15 years, Avianca has benefitted from the excellent operating economics and award-winning reliability of the A320 Family,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A320neo brings Avianca the highest efficiency at the lowest cost, making it ideally suited to operate within their network and especially within the region’s challenging airports.” 

Source and image: Airbus

Southeast Asia – a challenge of maintaining the fastest growing rotorcraft fleet in the world

Part of the thriving Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia will remain home to the fastest growing civil rotorcraft fleet in the world this year. Its CAGR is expected to top 21 % and the region will account for 33 % of the global spending on military and 20 % on civil helicopters. Naturally, such a rapid expansion comes with a set of challenges. One of the major ones is related to fleet support, especially in remote areas of the region. Unfortunately, OEMs and independent MROproviders are yet to arrive at a unanimous decision with regard to the most effective solution to the problem.

In 2014, the civil rotorcraft fleet in Southeast Asia maintained an upward trend as the region experienced an increase of 9% and recorded a total of 2463 helicopters by the end of the year (acc. to Asian Sky Group). The region is made up of a large mainland peninsula and more than 20 000 separate islands, so it comes to no surprise that air travel is the most convenient method of commuting for both locals and visitors. However, it is not the only reason driving the aforementioned fleet growth.

According to different studies, more than a third of the region’s helicopter fleet is used for serving the expanding offshore oil and gas industry in Southeast Asia. For instance, the Asian Sky Group report states that the majority of the Myanmar’s 13 helicopters are used for offshore activities. Moreover, keeping in mind that by 2011 offshore had already accounted for 80 % of oil and gas production in the region and since then has remained on a growing projectile until today (acc. to GEOExPro study), it is clear that comprehensive (and fast-responding) service for helicopter maintenance is a must in the region with so many islands, drilling sites and isolated locations.

“The geographical characteristics of the region, namely its remoteness, are certainly a challenge to overcome. The vast geographic spread of Southeast Asia means that your fleet can be thousands of kilometres away from one of around only 80 major service stations in the entire region. Naturally, it translates into a whole new set of challenges for both MRO providers and component suppliers," comments Anatolij Legenzov, the CEO of Helisota. “The main issues that originate from the specific geographic environment include insufficient consumables, long waits and uncoordinated handling of AOG situations. However, despite the fact that all of these problems have been well known for quite a while now, local providers are yet to come up with an effective solution.”

Instinctively, as a reaction to such growth, manufacturers and MRO providers are trying to meet the ever-growing demand for new rotorcraft by establishing their support centres. However, despite the fact that Airbus Helicopters, AugustaWestland, Bell and many others have set up support facilities in the region’s hub Singapore, many experts note that it has done little good when it comes to tackling the issue of remote areas. In fact, what it unintentionally does is spur the problem of maintenance personnel, which is already a hot topic in the region, as Southeast Asia is also well known for its lack of maintenance professionals. The demand for technicians in the region is expected to reach 30 000 by the year 2033, according to Boeing. This shortage, alongside insufficient and out-of-date maintenance equipment definitely adds to the stack of growth-related issues.

“It is important to understand that the helicopter market growth means value only if it is followed by the appropriate solutions in the areas of maintenance, spare parts supply and the technical training for the scattered region. Considering the environment, such services as deployed teams, components exchange or logistics support can really raise some MRO providers above the rest in the region. And as manufacturers tend to ramp up their presence in central hubs only, operators are left to decide between flexible services of independent MROs and the ones provided by manufacturers. Needless to say, finding a reliable provider offering all of the aforementioned services is on top of every operator’s priority list,” concludes Anatolij Legenzov, the CEO of Helisota.

Source and image: Helisota

SWISS to take first Bombardier CS100 series in 2016

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) announced today that SWISS will be the first customer to take delivery and operate the CSeries aircraft when the CS100 aircraft enters service in the first half of 2016. Bombardier also confirmed today that the CSeriesaircraft will make its world debut at the International Paris Air Show being held at Le Bourget, France and will fly directly to Zürich, Switzerland in June as part of a demonstration organized for SWISS’ local stakeholders. 

SWISS was previously announced as the launch customer for the CSeries aircraft program after parent Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Lufthansa) signed a firm purchase agreement in 2009 for 30 CS100 single-aisle aircraft for SWISS.

“Following the performance results and flight test data, we are pleased that the CSeries aircraft is very much in line with our performance expectations and sustainable fleet requirements. Therefore, we are looking forward to being both the launch customer and the first airline that will operate the CS100 aircraft,” said Harry Hohmeister, Chief Executive Officer, Swiss International Air Lines. “It’s an honour to mark this occasion with the confirmation that theCS100 aircraft will make an appearance at our hub in Zürich mid-June.”

“SWISS has long been an interactive and highly engaged customer; participating in the many development aspects of Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft - it’s only fitting that our friends from SWISS be the first to operate the CS100 aircraft in service,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

“SWISS and its parent Lufthansa are known for their cutting-edge technical and operational excellence and we look forward to supporting them as our first operator.”

Source and image: Bombardier

Managing the unique: a jet owner’s nightmare

According to Forbes, currently there are 1 741 members of the ultra-wealthy club around the world. Moreover, analysts at Global Retail Solutions Group forecast the number of luxury consumers globally to reach 400 million by 2020. Needless to say, it is they who, according to Bombardier, are expected to drive the number of business aircraft purchases to 22 650 by 2023. In addition, seeing a business jet more than just a means for transportation, the new owners, especially those from the emerging markets, are driving the demand for unique interior refurbishments as well. However, while the urge for unique in the segment is understandable, the real challenge usually comes after the actual design work is done.

Reacting to the ever-growing demand for more cost-efficient aircraft, Airbus recently announced plans to offer clients a 3-5-3 cabin configuration on its Airbus A380, creating rows with 11 seats on the largest commercial jet on the planet. In the meantime, in the world of private travel many “new-born” jet owners seem to be moving closer and closer to having a truly home-like experience in their machines.

“With the luxury market heating up, a lot of what was predominantly seen in the West is now permeating to the emerging markets. For instance, as the economic powers shifted their base towards the east, China emerged as the new market for luxury brands to expand their market after most avenues in the west had either slowed down or been saturated. What this translated into was a considerable amount of spending on luxurious products by the Chinese, such as the $88 000 Korean anti-aging treatment at the Ritz Carlton, Seoul, or even the purchase of a private island by one Chinese millionaire,” comments Vitalij Kapitonov, the CEO of KlasJet. “Naturally, in such a scenario, buying a private jet and making it truly unique isn’t something impossible. In fact, it was recently revealed that there are quite a few people in the emerging markets, who spend considerable sums of money to redo their jets at regular intervals.”

As sales of private jets continue to grow, many international companies (such as Talcao Aviation, Aeria Luxury Interiors, Delta Interior Design), as well as the local ones are busy meeting the demands from private jet owners to customize their jets. Needless to say, refurbishing a plane comes at steep prices. For example, it may cost more than $30 000 to do as little as install a new carpet for a large-cabin in a Gulfstream G550. Moreover, installing entertainment systems and other elements like selection of rare fabrics for the upholstery could push the price even higher than what it is.

“Although most private jet owners are new to owning an aircraft, design and quality are both important elements for them. Many customers of design companies do not change the engine, power generators and avionics of a jet, but they tend to redecorate the interior every three years. Many clients use their aircraft for doing business, so the jet needs to reflect who they are and the image they wish to project to the world. In the meantime, although these kinds of investments truly make an aircraft unique, the expenditure on private jets does not end with purchase, design and equipment. The costs continue on wards with aircraft maintenance, service and other expenses,” explains Vitalij Kapitonov, the CEO of KlasJet.

According to General Aviation Services, 350 to 400 hours of flight time per year should usually justify full ownership of a private jet. Conversely, Business Jet Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Survey unveils that the majority (58, 9%) of frequent flyers only flies 100 or less hours a year. In addition, crew salaries, required training costs, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, hangar rent, insurance, avionics software updates, and many other expenses including taking care of the luxurious interiors must be paid to keep the aircraft ready to fly when you need it. Basically, this means most of the jet owners are constantly experiencing losses.

“We observe a great deal of owners losing money over untapped aircraft and this situation is extremely unpleasant. People invest millions, sometimes billions to make their flying home exclusive and unique; however, the potential of such an aircraft is literally wasted if a plane is not used constantly. As the cost of managing your own aircraft can vary between $700 000 to $4 million per year, putting this job into the hands of a third party provider can be an answer to the issue, as the customer would be protected from unanticipated losses while the provider is enabled to make an honest profit to maintain the upwards growth,” concludes Vitalij Kapitonov, the CEO of KlasJet.

Source and image: KlasJet