AfBAC EXPO, the African Business Aviation Association’s first combined conference, exhibition and static display, has confirmed that it is being supported by the South African Civil Aviation Authority, whose Director of Civil Aviation, Poppy Khoza, will give a key note speech.

The conference theme will focus on the evolution, sustainability and longevity of African business aviation and will take a contemporary approach to draw delegates into debate. High level speakers, panels led by leading industry professionals, and esteemed presenters including an Academy Award Winner, will stimulate debate.  Increasing profits whilst reducing costs, maximising operational efficiency in a competitive market and adapting to the unexpected, crucial in a constantly changing business aviation environment, will be the triptych of topics underpinning discussion. The conference, to be held on 29 November, will be followed by the Expo, two days of exhibition and static display forming a stage of continued debate.

The avionics team of Flying Colours Corp., the North American MRO business, has completed its first installation of a Rockwell Collins, Pro Line 21™ Advanced avionics suite for the flight deck of a Bombardier Challenger 300.  The fitting of the state-of-the-art cockpit upgrade was carried out in conjunction with a scheduled heavy maintenance check at the Flying Colours Corp. KSUS, St Louis, MO. The aircraft was returned to the private customer on time and on budget.

Locally owned and based Aviation Management Services (Cayman) Ltd. (AMS) announced that aircraft owners registered in the Isle of Man may want to seek professional advice regarding potential Value Added Tax (VAT) issues as a result of a recently disclosed data breach.

On 26 October 2017 the lead news story on the national radio station of the Isle of Man, was about Value Added Tax (VAT - or sales tax) on aircraft being imported into the European Union. Importing aircraft into the Isle of Man is certain to become part of a major global news story likely to be detrimental to privately registered aircraft.

ARGUS International is pleased to announce Ultimate Jetcharters, a charter operator based in North Canton, Ohio, has achieved the prestigious ARGUS Platinum Rating. This accomplishment places Ultimate Jetcharters in the upper five percent of over 1,000 U.S. based charter operators. As the highest level of the ARGUS Ratings, the Platinum Rating, is awarded only to those air charter operators who have demonstrated successful implementation of industry best safety practices relative to their operations and maintenance.

ASD Avia Consulting is pleased to announce that Argos VIP and its entire network of Fixed Base Operation (FBOs) facilities across Italy have chosen ASD Avia Consulting to handle their IS-BAH™ Standard (International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling) accreditation from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). Argos VIP operates 15 FBO facilities in Italy, all of which operate under one unified safety and quality management system.

Speaking at the ceremony, Will Curtis, Managing Director, London Biggin Hill Airport, said: “LoCATE upholds our vision of a sustainable future for the airport and the local community by honouring our proud history and investing in both infrastructure and personnel growth. As a pioneer for business aviation in the UK, a large part of our focus is on training a new generation of aerospace industry professionals and creating 2,300 new jobs by 2030.

Aircraft operators utilizing California’s Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) will soon need to prepare for runway closures and construction, as a District Court judge on Oct. 16 denied a preliminary injunction and dissolved a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the city’s planned runway-reduction project. The City of Santa Monica has been authorized to reduce the length of SMO’s sole runway under the terms of a unique, highly unusual settlement agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced in January of this year.

“This year’s show was special in many ways,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We celebrated NBAA’s 70th anniversary, and how our industry is stronger when we work together. We gathered in the company of aviation leaders and legends, like Capt. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and Capt. Jim Lovell. We saw the launch of exciting new products, and we brought a citywide convention to Las Vegas, which the city welcomed with open arms.”

Bolen said that with this year’s convention, NBAA hoped to “make Las Vegas proud, just as Las Vegas has made America proud.” Before the launch of the show, NBAA Charities made a $10,000 contribution to the Las Vegas Victims Fund, and throughout the event, the association encouraged show participants to contribute to the fund as well. During the show’s opening session, local leaders welcomed attendees, saying “with all of you, our city will continue to be Las Vegas strong.”

ExecuJet, part of the Luxaviation Group, has announced that its FBO in St Maarten, which along with the rest of the island was extensively affected by Hurricane Irma, is back to operational capability following the handling of a transient business jet.

The Falcon 8X aircraft took off from ExecuJet’s St Maarten facility in the Caribbean on 10 October 2017, signalling the start of a return to normal operations ahead of the holiday season in December. Fuel is available without restriction at the FBO, and the current limitation to daylight-only flights is expected to be lifted following the restoration of navigation aids and runway lights, which is scheduled for completion by the end of October 2017.

“Achieving the platinum rating is a strong statement to the aviation community about our team’s commitment to quality and safety assurance,” said Allyn Caruso, owner of Maine Aviation Corporation. “It’s also a testimony to the dedication and hard work displayed by our staff—without their caliber of service, achieving the ARGUS Platinum Rating certainly would not have been possible.”

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced that NBAA Charities will offer a new scholarship to support the development of aspiring business aviation professionals. The Fred and Diane Fitts Aviation Scholarship will include funds of up to $2,500 to assist four individuals seeking careers as business aviation schedulers, dispatchers, maintenance professionals, pilots or flight attendants.

Scholarships will be awarded in fall of 2018, with selection focusing on applicants who express their dedication to furthering the business aviation industry. Funds may be used for professional or educational training that will help recipients enter the business aviation career path of their choice.

“We’re so grateful to the business aviation community, gathered in Las Vegas, for its generosity and enthusiastic support for CAN’s mission of humanitarian flying,” said CAN Executive Director Gina Russo. “Every charitable flight depends on volunteers and donors, and every flight touches the life of a patient. This event helps make those flights possible.”

Accepting the certificate from James Nicoletti, Audit Operations Manager, Wyvern Consulting, Paul Travis, Acropolis Aviation’s Ground Operations Manager stated: “Retaining Wyvern status is hugely important for our business.  The accreditation is recognised by our valued charter brokers - on both sides of the Atlantic - where our flagship Airbus ACJ319 G-NOAH flies back and forth.” 

ABS Jets, the leading European business jet operator, has received the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Stage III certification. The company is the first in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic to obtain the prestigious international certificate.

TAG Aviation San Marino, a subsidiary of TAG Aviation Asia, has been awarded an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of San Marino (SM-CAA). TAG Asia is the first aviation company in Asia to receive an AOC from San Marino and has already opened a dedicated office and sourced its launch aircraft which is a Gulfstream 650ER.

Desert Jet Center, part of the Desert Jet family of companies, needs your support as we battle the County of Riverside to complete construction of an upscale Fixed Based Operations (FBO) facility at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (KTRM), Thermal, CA.  The County, on numerous occasions has failed to provide Desert Jet Center a fair and equitable opportunity to build upon our 4.4-acre lot at the airport.

Jet Aviation has developed an STC to update, in partnership with Honeywell, soon-to-be obsolete cockpit displays with DU-875 LCD units. The partnership provides a trade-in credit for each DU-870 replaced with a DU-875 before 2018. It further permits displays to be replaced one at a time or all at once.

“Jet Aviation has completed an EASA supplemental type certificate (STC) for this off-the-shelf, certified solution that provides the latest, modern liquid crystal display (LCD) aircraft avionics to replace the old cathode ray tube (CRT) units in Falcon and Cessna aircraft,” said Samuel Nemoz, manager of Direct Sales for Jet Aviation in Basel. “Installing the Honeywell Primus Elite DU-875 Display Upgrade extends the life of owners’ current aircraft while upgrading their avionics suite, improving reliability, and enabling future growth and additional features.”

Following the recent earthquake in Mexico, Hunt & Palmer Cargo Charters have once again been called upon to facilitate multiple flights to transport humanitarian aid into the region in support of the emergency relief work being undertaken there.

This latest requirement for the services of Hunt & Palmer’s air freight specialists comes just weeks after they were involved in similar operations to fly medical supplies, food and shelter to the thousands of people left destitute in the aftermath of the devastating Irma and Rohingya hurricanes.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) stood with a coalition representing more than 200 organizations, supporting one million jobs, and generating more than $200 billion in economic activity, in a joint statement reiterating opposition to legislation for so-called "privatization" of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system.