Aviation Tax and Aircraft Sales Tax

Pre-owned Update: U.S. Market Recovers Slowly, as Europe Stumbles

AIN online — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:13:52 PST

Pre-owned Update: U.S. Market Recovers Slowly, as Europe Stumbles By most accounts the fourth quarter of last year was active. While not atypical for that period, the activity was a good sign for the market that tradition seems to be intact, or at least reestablished after being pushed off course a few years ago. With [...]

Bizliner interiors biz booming

AIN online — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:13:52 PST

Bizliner interiors biz booming With growing demand for large executive aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, cabin completion and refurbishment centers specializing in bizliners are finding plenty of work to feather their own nests, and there’s more to come. Final numbers for Airbus and Boeing executive aircraft deliveries last year were not available at press time, [...]

Euro Researchers Envision ‘Personal’ Air Transport

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:13:43 PST

Euro Researchers Envision ‘Personal’ Air Transport European aerospace research organizations are close to completing a study of a personal air transportation concept that could be realized in 2030 to 2050, in which passengers would use small pilotless aircraft to fill the gaps in the scheduled air transport network. Under the PPlane concept, a passenger or [...]

GE Charts Course for Robust Bizav Business

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:59 PST

GE Charts Course for Robust Bizav Business GE Aviation, while it may still be associated largely with commercial and military powerplants, has been focusing its gaze on the business aviation market over the past several years. Shawn O’Day, head of the company’s business and general aviation marketing, told AIN that although business aviation has historically [...]

GE Charts Course for Robust Bizav Business

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:59 PST

GE Charts Course for Robust Bizav Business

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:59 PST

Alison Price Launches Bizav Catering

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:58 PST

Alison Price Launches Bizav Catering At 41,000 feet, catered meals are a pleasant diversion, no matter the length of the flight. London caterer Alison Price On Air has set its aims just a bit higher than a pleasant diversion. Maybe a lot higher. The London-based business aviation catering start-up is new to business aviation, but [...]

Airport Options Abound for London Olympics

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:57 PST

Airport Options Abound for London Olympics One of the airports most conveniently placed for access to the northeast side of London, where the main Olympic venue is situated, is Stansted. Located right next to the venue, London City will be in high demand, and airports such as Southend, Luton and Biggin Hill also are likely [...]

Learn More About London’s Olympic Flight Plan

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:57 PST

Learn More About London’s Olympic Flight Plan The UK CAA will hold a briefing on Olympic Airspace flight planning on Saturday, March 10 in London, in conjunction with the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN). The event, part of the Airspace and Safety Initiative (www.airspacesafety.com) will be held at the Royal Geographical Society, where the RIN [...]

Bizav Prepares for London Olympics

AIN online — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:56 PST

Bizav Prepares for London Olympics The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a campaign to educate those operating to and from the 2012 London Olympic Games this summer about the airspace restrictions to be imposed and how to handle them. Major restrictions will be in place centered over London and the Olympic Park from [...]

Cannes Airshow Expects 20,000 Visitors

AIN online — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:58:26 PST

Cannes Airshow Expects 20,000 Visitors Organizers of the sixth annual Cannes Airshow, to be held from June 7 to 9, expect to welcome more than 20,000 visitors at its Cannes-Mandelieu International Airport venue in the heart of the French Riviera. “There is nearly a 15-percent increase in participation this year compared with the 2011 show,” [...]

Aircraft Acquisition Seminar Guides Operators Through the Buying Process

AIN online — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:58:25 PST

Aircraft Acquisition Seminar Guides Operators Through the Buying Process In today’s business environment, making the case for business aviation is more important than ever, and that was the focus of Conklin & de Decker’s 12th annual Aircraft Acquisition and Planning seminar. The December event at the Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., drew 42 attendees from [...]

Bombardier Rolls Out First Global for NetJets

AIN online — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:56:13 PST

Bombardier Rolls Out First Global for NetJets Bombardier Aerospace and NetJets celebrated the rollout of the fractional provider’s first Global-series jet today, in this case a Global 6000 (neé XRS). Last March, NetJets placed an order for 50 Globals worth $2.8 billion, as well as options for an additional 70, breaking the fractional provider’s tradition [...]

Cessna Marks Milestone with 400th Citation Mustang

AIN online — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:56:13 PST

Cessna Marks Milestone with 400th Citation Mustang The 400th Citation Mustang rolled off Cessna Aircraft’s Independence, Kan. assembly line on Friday, marking a milestone reached slightly more than five years since the first twinjet was delivered. “What an achievement for Cessna and for the employees in Wichita and Independence who engineer, design, support and manufacture [...]

Quest Kodiak Gets Brazilian OK

AIN online — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:56:12 PST

Quest Kodiak Gets Brazilian OK Quest Aircraft Company received type certification for its Kodiak turboprop single from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). The airplane is now certified in seven countries around the world, and the company continues to work on additional approvals. The Kodiak completed a three-week demonstration tour in Latin America last fall, [...]

Cambridge Professor Dispels Lift Myth

AIN online — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:56:12 PST

Cambridge Professor Dispels Lift Myth University of Cambridge Professor Holger Babinsky has created a one-minute video to dispel the myth that an airplane wing generates lift because the airflow moving over the upper surface has a longer distance to travel and “needs to go faster to have the same transit time as the air traveling [...]

Singapore Show Should Reveal Realities of Asia’s Aerospace Destiny

AIN online — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:55:49 PST

Singapore Show Should Reveal Realities of Asia’s Aerospace Destiny This month’s Singapore Airshow (February 14 to 19) is on track to surpass the previous 2010 event, with more than 900 exhibitors booked to participate from some 50 countries. What many observers will be keen to gauge is the extent to which the Asia-Pacific’s air transport [...]

‘Banner’ Quarter Boosts Gulfstream Aerospace

AIN online — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:50:16 PST

‘Banner’ Quarter Boosts Gulfstream Aerospace Jay Johnson, president and CEO of Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation parent company General Dynamics, said yesterday that Gulfstream had a “banner” fourth quarter, with deliveries of 35 green aircraft–including 12 G650s–versus 20 jets in the same period in 2010. For 2011, Gulfstream shipped 107 jets, eight more than in [...]

Cessna and Bell Find Their Footing in 2011

AIN online — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:50:16 PST

Cessna and Bell Find Their Footing in 2011 Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter parent company Textron yesterday reported a loss of $19 million in the fourth quarter, versus a $60 million profit in the same period in 2010, despite increased revenues and profits at the two aerospace units. Though Cessna delivered 12 fewer Citations in [...]

Aviation Partners Fights Back Against Airbus Lawsuit

AIN online — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:50:16 PST

Aviation Partners Fights Back Against Airbus Lawsuit Aviation Partners filed a response yesterday to Airbus’s pre-emptive lawsuit that seeks to invalidate an Aviation Partners patent for blended winglets. This patent–filed on Feb. 1, 1993, and granted Sept. 20, 1994–is for technology that is the foundation of the Seattle-based company. Since patents perish after 20 years, [...]

Schubach Aviation Donates $10K for Orphaned Animals

AIN online — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:50:16 PST

Schubach Aviation Donates $10K for Orphaned Animals Schubach Aviation ended its year-long “One Cent Per Mile” fundraising campaign for orphaned animals by donating $10,160.19 to Helen Woodward Animal Center. Last January, the San Diego-based air charter firm pledged a minimum of $8,000 to the animal center through this campaign. Schubach will be partnering with the [...]

Bizjets Buoy Bombardier in 2011

AIN online — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:44:42 PST

Bizjets Buoy Bombardier in 2011 Bombardier Aerospace delivered 163 business jets during the 11-month fiscal year that ended December 31, compared with 155 shipped during the 12-month Fiscal Year 2010. (FY2011 was only 11 months because Bombardier’s board of directors voted to change the financial year-end from January 31 to December 31, effective Dec. 31, [...]

Bizjet Flying Off To a Slower Start in 2012

AIN online — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:44:42 PST

Bizjet Flying Off To a Slower Start in 2012 Charter broker Avinode said today that business jet departures in the U.S. have started out somewhat slower this year. During the first 22 days of 2012, there were 99,981 business jet departures in the U.S., according to research done by the company. That number is 6.2 [...]

Gulfstream’s EMEA Sales Chief Assumes New Role

AIN online — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:44:42 PST

Gulfstream’s EMEA Sales Chief Assumes New Role Tarek Ragheb–who has headed the Gulfstream sales organization in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for the past 18 years–is assuming new responsibilities for advising and supporting the group he helped develop, the company said yesterday. In his new role as senior adviser to the international sales [...]

Hawker 900XP Gets Russian Nod

AIN online — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:44:42 PST

Hawker 900XP Gets Russian Nod Hawker Beechcraft received type certification for the Hawker 900XP midsize business jet from the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) Aviation Registry in Russia, the Wichita-based aircraft manufacturer announced yesterday. The twinjet can reach any point in Europe from Moscow or St. Petersburg, according to Hawker Beechcraft. With the Russian approval, the [...]

Gulfstream G280 Obtains Provisional Israeli Approval

AIN online — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:33:10 PST

Gulfstream G280 Obtains Provisional Israeli Approval Gulfstream Aerospace told AIN yesterday that the super-midsize G280 obtained provisional type certification from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) on December 29. “We are nearing provisional certification from the FAA,” a Gulfstream spokeswoman added. “Full CAAI and FAA type certificate will follow, clearing the way for customer [...]

Cessna Citation Ten Makes Maiden Flight

AIN online — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:33:10 PST

Cessna Citation Ten Makes Maiden Flight Cessna’s swift midsize Citation Ten made its maiden flight from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport on Tuesday afternoon. Commanded by Cessna engineering test pilot Michael Voigt, the more than two-hour sortie evaluated stability and control, handling qualities, the autopilot and autothrottle system, engine operability and the Garmin G5000 avionics. Cessna expects [...]

Amstat: Pre-owned Bizcraft Market Improved in Q4

AIN online — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:33:10 PST

Amstat: Pre-owned Bizcraft Market Improved in Q4 The pre-owned business aircraft market showed improvement in the fourth quarter, according to data released today by business aviation information services firm Amstat. But, it added, performance was not consistent across market segments. At the start of the new year, 13.7 percent of the worldwide business jet fleet [...]

Aviation User Fees Are Still Not Dead

AIN online — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:30:44 PST

Aviation User Fees Are Still Not Dead In the wake of the White House response to an online petition opposing President Obama’s $100-per-flight fee proposal, AOPA is calling on its members to contribute to its Political Action Committee “to help our friends in Congress.” Craig Fuller, president and CEO of the 400,000-plus-member organization, issued a [...]

Kestrel Aircraft Moving to Wisconsin

AIN online — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:30:44 PST

Kestrel Aircraft Moving to Wisconsin Kestrel Aircraft is abandoning plans to set up the headquarters and new production plant for its K-350 single-engine turboprop in Brunswick Landing, Maine. Yesterday, the company announced a $118 million deal to locate in Superior, Wisc., on land adjacent to Richard I. Bong Airport and begin construction in June. The [...]

Cirrus Restructures Debt, Presses On with Jet

AIN online — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:30:44 PST

Cirrus Restructures Debt, Presses On with Jet Cirrus restructured more than $13 million worth of loan and lease obligations related to its Grand Forks, N.D. production facility with that city’s growth fund. Cirrus employs approximately 90 people in Grand Forks who make composite component parts for its SR piston aircraft that are then shipped to [...]

Signature Flight Support Launches New Loyalty Program, Aviation Card

AIN online — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:30:44 PST

Signature Flight Support Launches New Loyalty Program, Aviation Card Signature Flight Support launched a new customer loyalty program and a fuel card this week at the NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference in San Diego. The Signature TailWins loyalty program rewards customers with points for fuel and handling purchases within the Signature network. Points can be [...]

Embraer’s Savior, Maurício Botelho, Abruptly Resigns

AIN online — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:23:25 PST

Embraer’s Savior, Maurício Botelho, Abruptly Resigns Maurício Botelho, the president and CEO of Embraer from 1995 to 2007, today resigned as chairman of the board at the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer “for personal reasons.” Botelho successfully led the company’s restructuring, growth and globalization, turning a money-losing operation into a profitable one. The year before Botelho took [...]

NBAA 65th Annual Convention

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:58:55 PST

Title: NBAA 65th Annual ConventionLocation: Orlando, FLDescription: Attending for Advocate – Jonathan Levy, Lou Meiners & Scott BattleStart Date: 2012,10,30End Date: 2012,11,01

TBMOPA Convention

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:57:32 PST

Title: TBMOPA ConventionLocation: Amelia Island, FLDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,10,24End Date: 2012,10,27

AOPA Aviation Summit

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:56:16 PST

Title: AOPA Aviation SummitLocation: Palm Springs, CADescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,10,11End Date: 2012,10,13

MMOP Convention

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:54:54 PST

Title: MMOP ConventionLocation: Colorado Springs, CODescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,09,19End Date: 2012,09,22

Citation Jet Pilots Annual Meeting

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:53:40 PST

Title: Citation Jet Pilots Annual MeetingLocation: Coeur d’AleneDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,09,12End Date: 2012,09,16

AirVenture

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:52:15 PST

Title: AirVentureLocation: Oshkosh, WIDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou Meiners, Scott Battle & Greg HarperStart Date: 2012,07,23End Date: 2012,07,29

Lawyer Pilot Bar Association

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:50:41 PST

Title: Lawyer Pilot Bar AssociationLocation: Williamsburg, VADescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,07,11End Date: 2012,07,15

COPA Migration 10

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:49:30 PST

Title: COPA Migration 10Location: Duluth, MNDescription: Attending for Advocate – Scott BattleStart Date: 2012,07,05End Date: 2012,07,09

POPA Convention

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:48:16 PST

Title: POPA ConventionLocation: Sarasota, FLDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,06,07End Date: 2012,06,09

AeroExpo UK

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:46:28 PST

Title: AeroExpo UKLocation: Sywell, UKDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,05,25End Date: 2012,0527

EBACE

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:44:13 PST

Title: EBACELocation: Geneva, SwitzerlandDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,05,14End Date: 2012,05,16

41ST aNNIVERSARY NAFA Conference

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:42:13 PST

Title: 41ST aNNIVERSARY NAFA ConferenceLocation: Savannah, GADescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou MeinersStart Date: 2012,04,24End Date: 2012,04,27

Phenom Jet Pilots Annual Meeting

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:39:13 PST

Title: Phenom Jet Pilots Annual MeetingLocation: Savannah, GADescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou Meiners & N458LMStart Date: 2012,04,12End Date: 2012,04,14

NARA Spring Meeting

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:35:55 PST

Title: NARA Spring MeetingLocation: Scottsdale, AZDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou Meiners & N458LMStart Date: 2012,03,28End Date: 2012,03,30

38th Annual Sun’n Fun Fly-In

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:32:48 PST

Title: 38th Annual Sun’n Fun Fly-InLocation: Lakeland, FLDescription: Attending for Advocate – Lou Meiners and Scott BattleStart Date: 2012,03,27End Date: 2012,04,1

Great Lakes Aviation Conference

Greg Harper — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:29:56 PST

Title: Great Lakes Aviation ConferenceLocation: Ypsilanti, MIDescription: Attending for Advocate – Scott BattleStart Date: 2012,01,20End Date: 2012,01,21

No Holiday Cheer for Bizav Flying in December

AIN online — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:22:18 PST

No Holiday Cheer for Bizav Flying in December Business aircraft flying activity in the U.S. fell 2.2 percent in December, compared with a year ago, according to TraqPak data released this week by aviation services company Argus. While Part 91 flying remained in positive territory with a 2.1-percent increase over December 2010, it was not [...]

VistaJet on BRINC of Global Expansion

AIN online — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:22:17 PST

VistaJet on BRINC of Global Expansion Aircraft charter provider VistaJet plans to step up its expansion of operations across Russia, Asia, Africa and South America, the company revealed in a presentation to financial analysts in London today. By 2015, the Switzerland-based group also intends to double the size of its fleet to more than 60 [...]

Former Gulfstream Test Pilot Flies West

AIN online — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:22:17 PST

Former Gulfstream Test Pilot Flies West Former Grumman and Gulfstream Aerospace chief test pilot Robert Smyth, 84, died Tuesday at his home at the Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala, Fla. During his career at Grumman, he test flew the F9F Cougar, F11F Tiger, A-6A Intruder, F-14A Tomcat and the Gulfstream I twin turboprop, in addition [...]

Embraer Delivered 99 Executive Jets in 2011

AIN online — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:22:17 PST

Embraer Delivered 99 Executive Jets in 2011 Embraer delivered 50 business jets during the fourth quarter, a figure that includes the first Phenom 100 assembled at its new facility in Melbourne, Fla. For the entire year, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer shipped 99 executive jets (83 light jets and 16 large jets), down from the 115 [...]

Textron Could Spin Off Some Businesses

AIN online — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:22:17 PST

Textron Could Spin Off Some Businesses Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter parent company Textron is reportedly conducting a “strategic review” that could result in the divestiture of some of its businesses, according to Reuters. Similar speculation surfaced about two years ago, with no spin-offs resulting. However, analysts believe that the outcome might be different this [...]

Kestrel Aircraft To Land in Wisconsin?

AIN online — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:22:17 PST

Kestrel Aircraft To Land in Wisconsin? A Kestrel Aircraft spokeswoman dismissed reports that the start-up aircraft manufacturer is planning to relocate from Brunswick Landing, Maine, to Superior, Wis., as premature, but acknowledged it was a “possibility.” Next week the Douglas County (Wis.) Board will vote on transferring airport-adjacent county land to the Superior Redevelopment Authority, [...]

Bombardier To Expand Wichita Learjet Site

AIN online — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:19:30 PST

Bombardier To Expand Wichita Learjet Site Wichita’s future as an aircraft manufacturing hub has appeared less than rosy of late, but the outlook took a turn for the better with news today that Bombardier plans further expansion of its Learjet facilities there. This morning, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Bombardier Business Aircraft president Steve Ridolfi [...]

Daher-Socata Logs 38 TBM 850 Deliveries in 2011

AIN online — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:19:30 PST

Daher-Socata Logs 38 TBM 850 Deliveries in 2011 Daher-Socata delivered 38 TBM 850s last year, marking the fourth-best year for its TBM aircraft series since 1990. The more than 600 of the French aircraft manufacturer’s turboprop singles now in service have logged a fleet flight time of 909,921 hours. Most–84 percent, to be exact–of the [...]

Safe Flight Donates $50K to Corporate Angel Network

AIN online — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:19:30 PST

Safe Flight Donates $50K to Corporate Angel Network Safe Flight Instrument donated $50,000 to Corporate Angel Network (CAN) to support the charity’s mission of arranging free flights to treatment for cancer patients using empty seats in business aircraft. The company has a long history with CAN, transporting the organization’s first patient–a 16-year-old boy going back [...]

Arinc Direct Adds Airport Noise Abatement Procedures

AIN online — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:19:30 PST

Arinc Direct Adds Airport Noise Abatement Procedures Arinc Direct announced today that it has added standardized airport noise abatement procedures to its product suite for flight planning, thanks to an agreement with FlightRisk and Whispertrack. As such, the company’s flight-planning suite now includes noise-abatement procedures for more than 22 North American airports, including Teterboro, N.J., [...]

Singapore Seletar Opens New Control Tower as Part of Transformation

AIN online — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:19:30 PST

Singapore Seletar Opens New Control Tower as Part of Transformation A new air traffic control tower opened today at Singapore Seletar Airport as part of an ongoing vision to develop the airfield as a business aviation haven, as well as an aerospace park hub, in the region. The completion of the new control tower comes [...]

Year Ends with Significant Increase in Bizav Accidents

AIN online — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:10:17 PST

Year Ends with Significant Increase in Bizav Accidents Turbine business airplanes experienced a major increase in accidents last year, compared with 2010. According to statistics compiled by AIN, nonfatal accidents involving U.S.-registered business jets nearly doubled from 16 in 2010 to 31 last year, while U.S.-registered turboprop accidents surged from 32 to 43 year-over-year. In [...]

Italy Seeks To Impose Business Jet Tax

AIN online — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:10:17 PST

Italy Seeks To Impose Business Jet Tax Italy’s parliament this week approved plans for a new tax on business aircraft, but details of how the legislation will work in practice are not anticipated until later next month. However, it is expected that tariffs could reach about $385,000 for larger business jets that spend more than [...]

NATA Launches Proactive State Aviation Legislation Effort

AIN online — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:10:17 PST

NATA Launches Proactive State Aviation Legislation Effort The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has launched a new State Advocacy Network (SAN), whereby association member volunteers in every state will serve as liaisons between member businesses, state legislatures and the association. SAN will allow NATA to identify “pertinent legislation and regulations ahead of their implementation in [...]

S&P Affirms Its Hawker Beechcraft Credit Downgrade

AIN online — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:08:47 PST

S&P Affirms Its Hawker Beechcraft Credit Downgrade In a statement released December 14, Standard & Poor’s rating services said its ratings and outlook on Wichita-based Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) are not affected by the aircraft manufacturer’s retention of Perella Weinberg Partners to help assess its revolving credit agreement, the terms of which were last amended more [...]

HBC Credit Downgraded, but Not All News Is Bad

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:07:51 PST

HBC Credit Downgraded, but Not All News Is Bad Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC), like other business aircraft manufacturers, is struggling with markets that are smaller than anticipated. It is also continuing to adjust to markets that “dictate higher costs, lower production rates and an even more highly skilled workforce,” HBC chairman and CEO Bill Boisture [...]

AIN’s Crystal Ball

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:07:49 PST

AIN’s Crystal Ball Judging from the new aircraft programs that are speeding toward certification and those that are languishing, there is a clear indication of where the general aviation industry is heading. The trend is toward well financed, large-company programs involving mostly larger jets. With the exception of well heeled Honda, which continues to back [...]

Embraer Executive Jets Opens Customer Center in Florida

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:07:48 PST

Embraer Executive Jets Opens Customer Center in Florida On December 5, Embraer Executive Jets opened its Global Customer Center at the Melbourne International Airport in Florida and simultaneously delivered the first U.S.-assembled Phenom 100 to Executive AirShare. With this delivery, the Kansas City, Mo.-based fractional provider now has 18 Phenoms (thirteen 100s and five 300s). [...]

NetJets Lawsuit Tackes IRS Excise Tax Problem

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:07:48 PST

NetJets Lawsuit Tackes IRS Excise Tax Problem The U.S. government claims that NetJets owes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nearly $643 million in federal excise taxes, assessed penalties and interest. The amount is just $125 million less than the $768 million in pre-tax earnings that NetJets parent Berkshire Hathaway reported in its last financial report [...]

Bizav Wins Concessions over UK Flight Tax

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:07:47 PST

Bizav Wins Concessions over UK Flight Tax Business aircraft flights from the UK will be subject to air passenger duty (APD) beginning in April 2013. The planned change was announced on November 29, but further details published on December 6 revealed that the British government has made concessions to the bizav community, such as withdrawing [...]

Happy Y2K12: Business Aviation Leads the Way in Biofuels Reserch

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:07:47 PST

Happy Y2K12: Business Aviation Leads the Way in Biofuels Reserch With advocacy groups demanding cleaner air and governments passing more and more stringent engine emissions requirements, aviation has been taking a beating as a prime offender in creating carbon emissions. However, aviation can claim with justification that it accounts for only about 2 percent of [...]

Political Conflict Looms as Major Powers Seek to Defy EU-ETS

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:07:47 PST

Political Conflict Looms as Major Powers Seek to Defy EU-ETS Even as the EU-ETS officially takes effect for air transport, it remains under fire politically and legally from almost every direction. The U.S., China, India, Russia and numerous other states have all made high-level protests against the cap-and-trade system–in some cases backing these up with [...]

ETS Goes Live As Political Battles Gather Momentum

AIN online — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:07:47 PST

ETS Goes Live As Political Battles Gather Momentum The European Union’s controversial emissions trading scheme (EU-ETS) officially takes effect beginning January 1 against a backdrop of ongoing political protests and legal challenges. But for business aircraft operators, the more immediate concern is to be ready to meet the next set of requirements for monitoring, reporting [...]

Is Business Aviation Poised for Recovery in 2012?

AIN online — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:07:39 PST

Is Business Aviation Poised for Recovery in 2012? Two business aviation analysts told AIN that positive economic fundamentals–including strong profits and record-high stockpiles of cash on hand at companies–could lead to “some kind of upturn” for the industry in 2012 relative to last year, despite U.S. political gridlock, Euro-zone economic woes and continued unrest in [...]

New Year Brings New EU Aviation Emissions Tax

AIN online — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:07:39 PST

New Year Brings New EU Aviation Emissions Tax The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) went into effect for aviation users on New Year’s Day, just 10 days after NBAA lamented a European Court of Justice decision allowing European authorities to obligate all operators, including the airlines and general aviation, to comply with the program. [...]

Embraer Rolls Out First Legacy 500

AIN online — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:07:39 PST

Embraer Rolls Out First Legacy 500 On December 23, Embraer rolled out the first midsize Legacy 500–S/N 00001–from the production hangar at the company’s São José dos Campos, Brazil headquarters. “This is a significant day for the Legacy 500 program,” said Embraer Executive Jets vice president of programs Maurício Almeida. “Releasing the aircraft from production [...]

Raisbeck King Air Mods Get Chinese Nod