You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘business aviation’ tag.
The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) does sterling work for the industry on many fronts, and here’s hoping its latest campaign strikes fear into the heart of shysters who damage the legal market by operating potentially unsafe flights.
President Brian Humphries recently contacted members, urging them to translate EBAA’s safety concerns in 2010 into real action in 2011. He wrote: “Operating without a valid Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and failing to comply with traffic rights are key concerns for many within the business aviation community. To help eliminate such practices, EBAA has developed a document entitled ‘Is My Flight Legal. Ensure the Safety and Legality of the Business Aircraft you Charter,’ to provide advice and guidance on the subject.”
The document takes the form of an open letter to brokers and customers, asking them to check that their provider is in possession of a valid AOC. Although EBAA doesn’t specify this in its literature, the consequences for customers flying in an illegal flight that suffers an incident could range from huge expense – thanks to lack of insurance – to death. If a service provider is cavalier enough to offer commercial flights without bothering to go through the exacting process of obtaining an AOC, how careful would it be about maintenance, pilot training etc?
It is crucial that business aviation players work together to ensure that flights advertised and arranged are both legally permissible and in compliance with the regulatory safety standards demanded of AOC holders. EBAA’s electronic-only document is addressed to operators and brokers, and it would be more than happy to provide copies to those who wish to use it.
Furthermore, EBAA has created a printed brochure for passengers entitled “Is My Flight Legal. Your Rights as a Business Aircraft Charter Passenger” , which addresses passengers, politicians, authorities and regulators. We urge operators, handlers and brokers to pass these out to clients to ensure they ask the right questions and are aware of the hazards of booking “illegal” flights.
The association asks people wishing to obtain a copy to contact them on info@ebaa.org by 26 January 2011.
EBAA is also asking readers to circulate both brochures (printed and electronic) to their regional and national regulators, authorities and politicians to ensure the widest reach possible for this important information campaign.
If you have any questions or would like to report the promotion or conduct of illegal flights in Europe, I recommend you contact the European Business Aviation Association, which is cooperating with regulators to knock such activity firmly on the head.
http://www.ebaa.org/
Not a business aviation post today, but I was so delighted to see this story, that I wanted to post it. It shows that passengers are now prepared to take a risk to save their lives. Apparently one of the factors that made 9/11 possible was the fact that travellers had become so passive during air travel that the hijackers were able to take over the aircraft without opposition. It seems that people are now more aware – although obviously in this case thankfully there was no real threat. As a regular air traveller I’m pleased to see we are reclaiming the skies.
The story on msn goes that news agencies from Istanbul reported that passengers onboard Turkish Airlines flight 1754 from Oslo thwarted an attempted hijack as a plane was due to land in Istanbul on Wednesday.
According to Anatolia news agency, a Turkish man Cuma Yasar, 40, began shouting threats after donning a ski mask. He demanded that the plane return to Norway. The good news is that two passengers restrained him.
Another news agency – Dogan – reported that Yasar had tried to barge into the cockpit saying: “I have a bomb.” State news agency Anadolu said that he is believed to be mentally ill.
The pilot called emergency services at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport and passengers were quickly deplaned after landing, and Yasar was arrested. No bomb was found. Dogan reported that a passenger was sitting on top of the hijacker when police entered the plane, and Anatolia said that flight attendants had overpowered the suspect.
Norwegian television network TV2 quoted witness Salim Tahar as saying someone in the back of the plane had put on a mask and threatened to blow up the plane in the air. For more see http://on.msnbc.com/hzWWHJ
Must have been a horrible experience to go through for those on board, but hats off to the courageous passengers and crew who refused to go down without a fight.
So it’s still all China, China, China in my inbox as the Western world eases into the New Year. Busy booking guest speakers for Asian Aerospace in Hong Kong – March 8-10 http://www.asianaerospace.com/. Also writing articles on business aviation in China for UK Aopa’s GA Magazine, http://bit.ly/eG0UHc, Aviation International News http://www.ainonline.com, Corporate Jet Investor http://bit.ly/gTOHcW and Jet Gala magazine http://www.jetgala.com.
There are interesting acquisitions afoot as leasing giants Minsheng Banking Corporation http://bit.ly/ezSEle start to carve out their territory with a likely fleet order of 10-15 business jets. Meanwhile fractional superstars NetJets Inc http://www.netjets.com will go into China with a 3-way JV, the first bizav venture I’ve heard of to do so. Western companies teaming with Chinese firms have to accept the host partner will have at least 51%.
Hot on the heels of obtaining a Hong Kong Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) TAG Aviation http://www.tagaviation.com announced in December that it would enter China Asia with a JV with the China First Mandarin Group (CFMG). The companies signed a preliminary joint-venture agreement to serve the business aviation market in Asia with aircraft charter, management and maintenance services. The agreement will be finalised when the Chinese government grants approval – probably early 2011, according to Robert Wells, TAG’s CEO. He also said that the joint-venture is the first time where a company that holds an AOC in China is not part of one of the scheduled airlines.
TAG Aviation Asia manages and operates 15 business aircraft. CFMG’s Shenyang-based First Mandarin Business Aviation (FMBA) unit holds a Chinese AOC and operates Bombardier Challenger 604s and 850s. It also holds a Civil Aviation Administration of China CCAT 145 repair station certificate. ”TAG Aviation’s reputation with business aviation clients worldwide combined with its well-recognized global brand make an ideal match for us,” said Zhu Lili, chairwoman of FMBA.
Her husband Li Dong Qi is CFMG’s CEO is a former Chinese air force pilot who flew MiG fighters and attributes his passion for aviation to his former air force experience.
All the above is greatly facilitated by the opening up of China’s skies, as I reported for AOPA back in December. The Chinese government is planning to open up its lower airspace to allow the industry to operate freely. AOPA China, which currently has only double figures of members, believes that within a few years it could have 10,000. The country will begin next year to try out a system under which airspace below 4,000 metres will be separated into three categories – areas under control, areas under surveillance, and areas where aircraft can fly freely after reporting their intentions.
Some 80 percent of China’s airspace is controlled by the People’s Liberation Army. Up to now, pilots have had to request permission for every flight, which could take several days to come through. The state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China wants to be what it calls “a world-class general aviation solution provider” by 2020.
Food for thought for sure…
Reprieve for Coventry Airport?
The BBC reported yesterday that beleaguered Coventry Airport may have won an extra lease of life. According to the news station, a Midlands-based company is looking at buying and taking over the running of the airport, Coventry council said.
The airport is home to several flying schools, including Atlantic Flight Training Academy, sister company to Jordan’s Ayla Aviation Academy – a powerful force in the business aviation field in the Middle East.
Since the recent financial turmoil at the airport resulted airside operations stopping in December, Atlantic has repositioned its aircraft to nearby Wellesbourne Airport (15 miles away). The ground school, however, continues to run uninterrupted from Coventry, where the school also maintains its corporate offices and ground school infrastructure.
There may be good news for Atlantic and other residents though. Last week, Switzerland-based business support firm ADP pulled out of a proposed takeover deal. However, Coventry City council deputy leader Kevin Foster told the BBC that the new local bidder is looking to become partners with ADP.
He said: “The local partner is still committed and the council will continue to work with it to try to bring this issue to a successful conclusion.”
Ocean Sky’s new chief executive officer Stephen Grimes has barely been in post three months, but has already made his ambitions clear. Part of his game plan is to quadruple the number of fixed-base operations under the OS umbrella over the next year moving from three to 12.
Today it has three jet centres in the United Kingdom: Glasgow Prestwick, Manchester and Luton.
“We are in advanced discussions to open new facilities in France, Spain, Italy and Ireland,” said Grimes. “Our plan is to have a chain of FBOs reaching from Ireland as far as Italy, eventually reaching out to the Middle East.”
Ocean Sky has made it clear in the past that the current downturn presents an excellent opportunity for those with pockets deep enough to spend money. The group recently acquired the German aviation company Triple Alpha.
The company’s portfolio includes charter, management, interiors sales, maintenance and FBO divisions.
It is highly likely that the firm will emerge as one of business aviation’s new superplayers once the financial crisis is over.
