“As strong believers in the slogan ‘culture trumps everything,’ safety, execution and service are deliverables created by the L.J. culture,” said L.J. Aviation vice president of operations Ed Kilkeary, Jr. “Being a member of ACSF creates a vehicle to look beyond metrics and uncover the glue that makes us one.”

"We are honored to welcome Mark and Scott Kelly to NBAA-BACE," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "They are truly remarkable figures in America's aviation and aerospace industry, and we know attendees will appreciate hearing the lessons they’ve taken from their distinguished military service, participation in the space program and their experiences in leadership and overcoming obstacles.”

“Jet Aviation San Juan now delivers industry-best FBO and flight-management services to customers at this increasingly busy destination and one of the most convenient airports for international travel in the region,” said David Paddock, senior vice president and general manager, Jet Aviation Regional Operations USA. “It’s the only FBO in the Caribbean with an on-site, full-service U.S. Customs and Border Protection terminal that conveniently provides all of the customs, immigration and agricultural services our international customers need.”

Global expansion through business acquisition in aviation: the better way?

To increase geographical presence, decrease competition, accelerate expansion – just a few reasons why companies choose business acquisition as an inorganic mode of expansion. With yearly worth of worldwide mergers and acquisitions topping €41 billion it’s only natural that increasing number of deals has been recorded and anticipated in the aviation industry as well. With a vast experience in such cases, international, publicly traded aviation holding company Avia Solutions Group is all eyes and ears right along, ready to acquire relevant businesses at a price of up to €50 million. 

“With Stratus ESG, we were focused on developing a simple solution to minimize installation costs for non-glass panel aircraft that didn’t have WAAS GPS,” said Derek Aslakson, aviation product manager at Appareo. “With Stratus ES, we are responding to demand from aircraft owners who have already equipped with WAAS GPS navigators and are looking for an affordable way to meet the 2020 mandate while utilizing their previous investments,” Aslakson said. “Stratus ES meets that demand with one of the most attractive price tags on the market.”

“We have now an international certification to validate our level of safety compliance with international standards and an ingrained safety culture. The core of IS-BAH is the implementation of a Safety Management System, giving confidence to our international customers, and other stakeholders, that our fixed based operations and ground handling are world class,” said Segun Demuren, CEO and founder of EAN Aviation. “Aside from the lengthy preparation that spanned nearly three years, our investment has paid off. We are very proud to have achieved this important recognition as we continually work hard to meet international expectations.”

“The Airware partnership is a welcome addition to our program, and part of our strategic plan as we begin our training classes this fall. We are making considerable progress with the venture, following meetings at EBACE and the NBAA Flight Attendant Conference where we started our cabin crew training program under the leadership of Scott Arnold,” said Paula.

While the demand for pre-owned business jet and turboprop aircraft remains unchanged, record low prices are enticing value-focused buyers to act, according to Asset Insight’s Q2 2017 issue of its Asset Insight Market Report (AI² Market Report). Turboprops and small jets lead the list of aircraft in demand with this Quarterly Market Report analyzing both the value and maintenance exposure of 92 fixed-wing models and 1,881 aircraft listed for sale.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be receiving this accreditation.” says Cat Air Service General Manager, Robert Whitehead. “We are still a fairly new and humble Swiss company compared to the global network FBOs based at Zurich Airport. So, it’s a great achievement for us to be officially recognized for our hard work and dedication to our customers and the quality of the services we provide.”

Chris Battaglia, Director of Charter Sales for Meridian Air Charter, says, “We are honored that the efforts of our team have been recognized by NetJets for seven quarters running. This is a testament to our consistently high level of service in a demanding and complex industry. I am proud of our team who continues to provide and enhance the customer experience day in and day out.”

Unique II Worldwide Premiered Chauffeured Services, the choice for luxury ground transportation travelers nationwide, as well as worldwide, has expanded its offices to now include the Fontainebleau Aviation location in Opa-locka, FL.

Unique II Worldwide services its clients from The Meridian location in Teterboro, New Jersey as well as the Opa-locka, Florida location. “After serving our clients for the past 15 years within the private aviation industry with a 5 star+ rating, it has allowed us the opportunity to join forces with another quality operation, Fontainebleau Aviation. This new location will allow us to provide the same quality service our clients have become accustom to.” explains Marcello Bustamante, CEO of Unique II Worldwide.

“Completing an inspection of this degree, on time and on budget, exhibits the incredible talent and work ethic of our entire team of maintenance technicians at New World,” said Chris George, New World Aviation’s Director of Maintenance. “The ability of New World to complete a diversity of inspection levels in-house, provides substantial value and benefit to our customers.”

Robert Squires, Vice President of Operations, Chartright said: “We are proud to see that our hard work and commitment to developing a culture focused around safety and quality has been recognized by IBAC with this highest ranking certification. We are excited to be one of only a select few to have been awarded the IS-BAO Stage III certification in Canada.”

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced that it has delivered its 550th Gulfstream G550, solidifying the aircraft’s position as one of business aviation’s most popular jets.

“This milestone delivery affirms the continued demand for the G550, one of the most dependable and sought-after aircraft in the world today,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “The G550’s best-in-class range and payload have earned it a lasting reputation as a versatile aircraft for business aviation and an ideal platform for special missions.”

DC Aviation emerged in 2007 from the former DaimlerChrysler Aviation, a DaimlerChrysler AG subsidiary that was founded in 1998. During its 19-year corporate history, DC Aviation has acquired comprehensive experience in aircraft management. In March 2016, DC Aviation expanded its operating license to include the commercial use of helicopters. This step enabled DC Aviation to operate and charter helicopters, in addition to business jets.

“To have four first flights and fly more than 570 hours in less than six months is a remarkable achievement,” said Dan Nale, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “The rapid maturity of this program is due to the work we did before the flying even started — the strategic planning, the research, the lab development — combined with the success we’ve had in the similar G500 program. Thanks to our concurrent flight-test programs, we can apply lessons learned from the more mature G500 program to the G600, resulting in a more streamlined certification effort.”

“As Congress debates FAA reauthorization, NBAA has continually supported measures aimed at aviation system modernization. It is imperative we ensure the U.S. has the world’s best air transportation system, today and in the future,” NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said.

The new legislation will require companies incorporated or registered in the Cayman Islands to maintain a register of information about their beneficial owners to be held at its registered office in the Cayman Islands maintained by a licensed corporate services provider. This register will be submitted to a secure non-public centralized platform maintained by the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands.
The new requirements will apply to companies incorporated under the Companies Law and to limited liability companies formed and registered under the Limited Liability Companies Law, 2016. This will include ordinary resident and non-resident companies, special economic zone companies, exempted companies (including limited duration and segregated portfolio companies) and limited liability companies.

“Working together with other aviation organisations brings many benefits to all concerned and encourages information and knowledge sharing. We are delighted to have CAASA supporting the first AfBAC EXPO and anticipate their members will welcome the opportunity to highlight their business to the African business aviation sector,” said Rady Fahmy, CEO of AfBAA.

Virgin Atlantic Airways recently presented its global award for Best Loved Lounge 2016 to IAM Jet Centre Grenada. The prestigious award is determined by votes from their premium cabin passengers across all third party lounges worldwide. "IAM Grenada is pleased to host Virgin's Upper Class passengers with our bespoke St George's Suite arrival and departure service - including in house Customs and Immigration processing, duty free selections at your seat and personalized service from our British Butler Institute trained staff," says Gaby Kozub, IAM Jet Centre Grenada FBO Manager. " This award is particularly meaningful to us as it reflects the guest experience that we work hard to deliver every day."