Provo Air Center, one of two service providers at Providentiales International Airport, has seen a post-pandemic surge in traffic like many leisure destinations. (Photo: Provo Air Center) When the Provo Air Center (PAC) first opened its doors in 2001, aside from knowledgeable scuba divers, few could place the Turks and Caicos Islands on a map. But these days it has become one of the region’s busiest destinations for private aviation. Located at Providenciales International Airport, the full-service FBO—one of two service providers on the field—moved into its current 9,350-sq-ft terminal in 2015. “We’re very big on privacy here, so we tried to design the building so that upon arrivals and departures everyone can have their own space,” explained PAC CEO Deborah Aharon, who has been with the company since its founding. “Customers have four different lounges to themselves; we even have a special lounge just for kids with a pirate cave.” Other services and amenities include a large pilot lounge, snooze room with four private rest areas, shower facilities, conference room, laundry, dishwashing, and concierge. “We have the world’s first drive-through customs hall,” said Aharon, adding guests are picked up planeside and whisked inside. “You can stay seated in the golf cart right through the building as you deal with the customs and immigration officers.” Like many leisure destinations, traffic at the FBO has experienced a post-Covid surge with the past year seeing 1,100 more flights than the period prior to the pandemic lockdown. Between private aircraft and some of the commercial carriers that frequent the airport, the facility pumps approximately 5 million gallons of fuel a year. However during the pandemic, the entire island locked down for three months. While most companies in the

ATR unveiled a HighLine collection of high-end cabins for business and commercial operators of its twin-turboprop regional airliners today at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. Created in collaboration with “luxury design experts,” the collection comprises five main cabin configurations, spanning the operational needs of air carriers seeking to offer their customers a premium flying experience, according to the Franco-Italian company. They include the Bespoke VIP cabin, for personal transport or lifestyle missions; All Business Class of up to 30 seats for Part 135 and scheduled private operations; Premium Flex, which can convert standard double-seats into single premium seating for boutique airlines and charter operators; the head-of-state Multi-Section cabin; and Multi-Class, a 50-seat interior with a dedicated first class. With the increased focus on sustainability, ATR noted its aircraft burn and emit 45 percent less fuel and CO2 than regional jets, and it labeled the prospective HighLine-outfitted ATRs “a responsible choice for commercial and business aviation operators.” “Our aircraft offer the same cabin size as the largest business jets while cutting carbon emissions [almost] in half,” said ATR head of business development Tarek Ben Omrane. The high-end cabins, he noted, are part of ATR’s efforts “to disrupt the regional travel industry from within by creating a superb onboard atmosphere and using the lowest-emission technology on the market.” Source AIN Online

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen appealed to lawmakers to update Part 135 pilot rest and duty time regulations as part of the overarching FAA reauthorization bill. Specifically, Bolen supported the elimination of “tail-end ferries” and updated recordkeeping that would more accurately reflect rest and duty-time practices. Lawmakers are expected to release a comprehensive aviation package in upcoming weeks that would reauthorize the FAA’s operating authority and address myriad other aviation issues. Congress faces a September 30 deadline to complete work on the bill. In a June 1 letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and aviation subcommittee leaders, Bolen noted that “preventing and mitigating fatigue remains a universal area of concern.” He pointed to the recommendations of the Part 135 Pilot Rest and Duty Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), which presented a report to the FAA two years ago that outlined suggested updates to regulations. The ARC was unanimous on core principles, he said. This included the elimination of tail-end ferries, which Bolen noted could essentially provide for additional duty time beyond what is allowed by regulation. The ARC further supported the creation of enforceable hard limits and recordkeeping mandates addressing the scheduling of duties and prospective rest. “Currently, an operator may assign, and a pilot may accept, a Part 91 flight at the conclusion of a Part 135 duty period that would have otherwise exceeded the allowable duty limits for Part 135 had the Part 91 flight been considered part of the Part 135 duty period,” Bolen explained. “This practice, referred to as ‘tail-end ferry flights,’ among other terms, allows an operator or pilot to claim the flight is outside the scope of the Part 135 duty period, and therefore, the rest and

While pilot certificates are increasing, the aviation industry is still estimated to be 5,000 pilots short, according to a recent analysis from Jefferies Research Services. Jefferies noted that student certificates increased 54 percent year-over-year in May and were 32 percent above 2019 levels. Meanwhile, private certificates jumped by 54 percent year-over-year in May and similarly are up by 57 percent from the same month in 2019. Commercial certificates were up 47 percent from May 2022 and 32 percent from 2019, while air transport certificates increased 6 percent year-over-year and by 62 percent from 2019. Through May, the FAA issued 49,500 certificates this year. This is 19 percent more than a year ago and 23 percent higher than 2020 levels. ATP certificates are 57 percent higher than in 2020, which Jefferies said implies a “relative near-term pilot supply coming to the market after two years of depressed certs.” But according to the analyst’s pilot supply and demand model, the industry is still undersupplied by 4 percent. Further, it forecasts this shortage will jump to 8 percent, or 12,000 pilots, in 2025 and by 9 percent, or 14,000 pilots, by 2030. This accounts for the fact that 16 percent of today’s pilots are between the ages of 60 to 64 and another 17 percent are between 55 and 59. Jefferies further is considering a fleet expansion that would require additional pilots, estimating a 1.4 percent compound annual growth through 2030 on this end.   Source: AINonline

EASA certification directorate staff members flew the Leonardo AW609 civil tiltrotor in Cascina Costa di Samarate, Italy, on March 16 and 17 as part of its first round of familiarization activities for the aircraft program. These flights follow FAA pre-type inspection authorization (TIA) flights on February 22 in Philadelphia. Leonardo said both sets of flights constitute “an important step forward in the final stages of the certification process” and set “the right pace on the validation process, together with the FAA certification path.” Earlier this month, Leonardo reported that the AW609 civil tiltrotor had reached the “final stages of certification” as the FAA prepares to initiate formal TIA flight tests. Along with the test fleet, three customer AW609s remain in final assembly. However, under questioning, managing director Gian Piero Cutillo admitted that an order for four AW609s from an unnamed European customer, announced at last year’s Heli-Expo, was the largest contract it had received for the type. Company officials have declined to reveal details concerning the aircraft’s total order book, likely pricing, or precise timetable for certification. While Leonardo is noncommittal on estimating a certification date for the AW609, Leonardo emergency medical services specialist Sam Schaab said he expects it to occur “relatively quickly.” The company is marketing the aircraft for a variety of missions, including air ambulance applications.   Source AIN Online

Bombardier, continuing to meet financial objectives in its turnaround plan, has upped its goals for 2025, now targeting more than $9 billion in revenues by 2025 as it plans to deliver 150 aircraft annually by that time frame. The $9 billion marks an improvement from the $7.5 billion goal laid out in 2021, when Bombardier became a pure-play business aviation company, and the $6.9 billion brought in 2022. Increased deliveries would be a ramp-up from 120 in 2022 and the anticipated 138 in 2023. Along with revenues, Bombardier has set more aggressive profitability targets, and is anticipating an adjusted EBITDA of more than $1.625 billion, compared with the original goal of $1.5 billion. “In 2021, we laid the foundation for a stronger, more resilient, and predictable Bombardier by 2025. Halfway down the road, we can say we are delivering on that promise,” said Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel. “All of Bombardier’s strategic priorities are on track or ahead of plan. We are therefore proud to announce today that we are confidently raising the bar.” Contributing to the improved results are returns on its long-term plans to expand its aftermarket revenues, and Bombardier executives said during an Investor Day on Thursday that they are well on their way to achieving a $2 billion annual contribution from that business by 2025, a 50 percent jump from 2020 and up from $1.5 billion in 2022. Propelling this has been a dramatic expansion of its aftermarket footprint that has included the opening of new or expanded centers in Miami, Melbourne, London, and Singapore, among other activities. Also contributing to the improved revenues is growth beginning in its certified preowned program and defense business. However, Martel noted that Bombardier expects those

Business aviation advocates are working with government leaders to help ease the transition in the implementation of the new EU passenger-entry programs—the Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). Carriers that fly passengers into the EU must register for EES and ETIAS to enable the verification of travel details for arrivals into the 27 countries that make up the Schengen Area. The programs apply to Part 135 and 125 operations. NBAA noted it is still unclear whether Part 91 operators must comply, pointing out that each state may have a different definition of “carrier.” While deadlines for both programs were delayed (requirements originally were scheduled to begin in September 2022), transitions to them are anticipated to begin this year. The EU is estimating mid-May for the transition to begin with EES, which will replace the manual stamping of passports with electronic records. While the transition will continue until February 2024, manual stamping of passports is anticipated to end by mid-August. ETIAS, an online pre-travel and pre-boarding system for visa-exempt third-country nationals, is targeted for implementation in November. NBAA is coordinating with the European Business Aviation Association and the Canadian Business Aviation Association to help facilitate a smooth implementation for the business aviation community of the programs that are managed and overseen by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (eu-LISA), said NBAA director of flight operations and regulations Brian Koester. The association recommends carriers that travel to Europe begin the registration process and warns that operators should not wait for additional guidance in hopes of being exempt from the requirements. “The responsible position is to register and be

Seeking to expand the business aviation workforce, the UK’s Farnborough Airport will stage a careers day event on January 23. In addition to the management team of the London-area private airport, the event will feature some of its major tenants, including Flexjet, Air Charter Service, and Gulfstream. The latter company has a major maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility at the site. The British Business & General Aviation Association is supporting the careers day, which will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the on-site Aviator Hotel. The group’s managing director, Lindsey Oliver, is due to speak at the event to prospective recruits, including “candidates who are looking to start a career in the industry or experienced hires who are looking for their next role.” More information is available from the Farnborough Airport recruitment team at recruitment @ farnboroughairport.com. The airport—which seeks to fill vacancies in areas such as customer service, operations, and ground handling—has more than 50 companies on-site that collectively employ around 1,200 people. On the other side of the UK capital, London Biggin Hill Airport is holding a Careers Open Day on February 16 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Private Jet Card, Membership Prices Continue To Climb Fixed and capped hourly rate jet cards and memberships increased 4.9 percent quarter-over-quarter, according to private aviation services buyer’s guide Private Jet Card Comparisons. The average hourly price climbed to $11,748 across all categories in the fourth quarter, capping a 21 percent rise for all of last year. However, the company said, “There is light at the end of the tunnel.” It cited daily minimum charges decreasing to 94.7 minutes in the fourth quarter, down from a high of 109.3 minutes in the second quarter. While this is higher than the pre-Covid low of 86.2 minutes in fourth-quarter 2019, the result was the cost of shorter flights dropped by 8.8 percent late last year. Meanwhile, the average cost for fixed-rate jet cards beat on-demand charter pricing in five of 12 different flight scenarios tracked quarterly by the company. The $27,738 average flight price for fixed and capped-rate jet cards and memberships with guaranteed availability essentially matched the lowest on-demand flight costs of $27,853.   Source: AINOnline

Slot Reservations Required for Superbowl LVII With the end of the NFL regular season this past weekend, the business aviation community’s eyes now turn to the Superbowl LVII, which will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12. The championship contest traditionally attracts scores of business jets but will be compounded by a major professional golf tournament—the Waste Management Phoenix Open—held in the area that same week. This will add further business aircraft volume, according to NBAA’s air traffic services. To help expedite the expected traffic to both events, a ramp reservation system is operational and reservations will be required from February 7 to 14 for all arrivals and departures, including drop-and-goes, at airports in the metropolitan Phoenix area. Those airports include Glendale Municipal (KGEU), Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR), Phoenix Deer Valley (KDVT), Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX), Scottsdale (KSDL), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (KIWA), Chandler Municipal (KCHD), and Falcon Field (KFFZ) for Superbowl LVII. Each FBO has been allocated a number of available slot times and reservations must be made through either the service provider or the airport authority as necessary. Regularly scheduled air carriers and air-taxi operations are exempt from the reservation requirement. Due to limited parking availability, drop-and-go operations are encouraged versus overnight stays. With Las Vegas expected to attract its own crowd of private aircraft during the weekend of the big game, as well as its close proximity to the game venue for use as a staging area, Harry Reid International, Henderson Executive, and North Las Vegas airports will also require reservations during that time.   Source: AINOnline