Business jet traffic rose by 9 percent from the last week of 2023 to the first week of 2024, however, the recent results were 3 percent lower than in the same period a year ago. Turboprop traffic in the first week was slightly lower than a year earlier—about 0.1 percent. Combined Part 135 and Part 91 operations were 2 percent lower than a year ago. Meanwhile, scheduled airline traffic rose 12 percent from the first week of 2023, while cargo traffic decreased by 9 percent.

• READ MORE: WingX Reports Bizjet Activity Continues To Decline

“Global business aviation activity has started the new year slightly behind comparable 2023, which itself was a rebound on locked-down January 2022. The U.S. leisure market appears to be relatively weaker during the recent holiday period,” said Richard Koe, managing director at WingX. “In Europe, the U.K. and France markets were well back on last year, but this was offset overall by strong activity in Turkey and Spain.”

In North America, business jet traffic rose by 7 percent compared with the final week of 2023 but declined by 5 percent year on year. Over the last four weeks, business jet activity is trending 3 percent lower than a year ago. Among the jet categories, super midsize and ultralong-range jets began the year 2 percent ahead year on year while super light and very light jets declined more than 10 percent, WingX said.

Looking at the U.S. business jet market reveals a clear spike in demand on January 2 due to travelers returning from holiday destinations. Traffic at the top airports reflected this notable increase with second-ranked Palm Beach (KPBI) in Florida handling just seven fewer flights than top-ranked Teterboro (KTEB) in Jersey. Miami-Opa Locka (KOPF) and Naples (KPAF) in Florida, and Van Nuys (KVNY) in California round out the top five U.S. business jet airports.

WingX said Florida is “easily the busiest U.S. bizjet state so far this month,” and New York is the top destination for those flying from Florida airports. The Embraer Phenom 300 logged the most flights out of Florida airports, while the Challenger 300 and 350 series flew the most hours.

In Europe, business jet activity increased 3 percent year on year. France surpassed 1,000 business jet flights in the first week of 2024, making it the top market, though activity was 3 percent below last year. The second-ranked U.K.’s activity fell 6 percent year on year, while business jet activity in Spain rose 26 percent.

In Asia, business jet activity declined 2 percent from a year ago, while activity rose 2 percent in the Middle East year on year. Demand for business jets has been strong in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar at the start of the year, with an increase in traffic from a year ago, while activity in Israel in the first quarter is down 32 percent year on year.

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The company on Thursday announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, to explore a potential strategic partnership that would bring eVTOL aircraft to Europe. Combined with its subsidiaries, Lufthansa is one of the largest European airlines by passengers carried—and by some estimates the top dog.

The German airline’s fleet comprises more than 700 commercial aircraft. But as part of a strategy to reduce fleet emissions and improve cost-efficiency, the company has been snapping up new aircraft—such as the Airbus A350-900 or Boeing 777-9—that it says deliver 30 percent lower carbon emissions and fuel consumption than predecessors. 

Now, zero-emissions aircraft are in its crosshairs. The airline hopes to slash carbon emissions in half by 2030 and become completely carbon-neutral by 2050.

“Innovation is part of our DNA,” said Dr. Detlef Kayser, a member of Lufthansa’s executive board who oversees fleet and technology. “The Lufthansa Group aspires to be a global leader in the integration of state-of-the-art products and processes. We want to develop aviation further and drive the transformation of the industry… Only with innovation, courage and determination can we, as an industry, make aviation more sustainable and master the challenges of the future.”

Lilium and Lufthansa want to examine ways the European aviation industry can innovate in areas such as ground and flight operations, aircraft maintenance, crewing, and flight training, the companies said. Should the manufacturer and the airline enter into a strategic partnership, as has been proposed, the two also want to loop in third parties, such as airports and regional partners.

Those collaborations could lead to the development of crucial advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure: vertiports, electric aircraft chargers, and the like. The firms also intend to work with third parties to tackle airspace integration and define clear operational processes—if the partnership comes to fruition.

“The Lufthansa Group has been at the forefront of some of Europe’s most important aviation initiatives, especially in the area of environmental sustainability,” said Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium. “We are thrilled to explore opportunities on bringing eVTOL flights to Lufthansa Group customers.”

Lilium on Wednesday announced it began building the inaugural model of its flagship Lilium Jet, a seven-seat eVTOL air taxi designed for 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm) trips between towns and inner cities.

According to the company’s internal projections, the European market is expected to demand around 9,200 eVTOLs through 2035. The manufacturer will compete with German air taxi rival Volocopter, and several other firms targeting European operations, to eat up market share.

To do so, it will first need to certify the Jet with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Lilium expects to conduct crewed flights with the regulator next year, and the campaign aims to culminate in type certification in 2025.

Last month, the firm notched another key milestone in that process by obtaining EASA design organization approval (DOA). The approval is essentially Lilium’s License to Operate: It grants the manufacturer authority to design and type certify the Jet for safe operations under the agency’s special condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL) rules. DOA is a rigorous process—and a requirement for type certification of EASA Part 21 commercial aircraft.

Simultaneously, Lilium is working to certify the Jet in the U.S. The manufacturer is the first and only eVTOL air taxi company with certification bases from both EASA and the FAA, setting it up for commercial launches in both markets in a few years. South Florida could be the firm’s U.S. launch market.

Lufthansa isn’t the only flag carrier Lilium has agreed to work with. Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, intends to purchase 100 Jets to build a nationwide eVTOL network.

The company’s largest agreement is with Brazil’s Azul: a billion-dollar commercial deal for the purchase of 220 aircraft. It’s also working with Chinese GA transport and helicopter services company Heli-Eastern to bring 100 Jets to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

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The post Lilium, Lufthansa Working on Strategic Partnership for European Air Taxis appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Lego has even made several name-brand representations, including the Learjet, Sopwith Camel, and the Sud Aviation Caravelle. None, however, are likely to excite LEGO-enthusiast pilots as much as the company’s latest offering, Concorde.

• READ MORE: Concorde in Photos

One can only imagine how many interpretations of the iconic supersonic airliner LEGO fans of all ages have constructed, but this latest version probably is what many of them wanted.

The 2,083-piece set is a scale model of the historic aircraft that builders can pose on its display stand in various flight modes. The set also offers detailed landing gear, a tilting nose section, and a removable roof showing the cabin interior.

Built in the 1960s as part of a joint venture between the United Kingdom and France, the real Concorde could cruise at about twice the speed of sound, or Mach 2. This impressive pace cut travel times between the U.S. and Europe down to reasonable lengths. Flights from Paris to New York took about three and a half hours, though one of the airplanes set a record of just under three hours.

The Lego model is 41.5 inches long, 17 inches wide, and more than 6 inches high. Sets will be available starting September 7 at a price of $199.99.

The post LEGO Group Gets Aviation Fans’ Attention with Unveiling of Concorde Set appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As it turns out, however, black swans actually exist, which gives the symbol new meaning: the pursuit of feats that are rare but not impossible.

That’s exactly the mindset of brothers Konstantin and Svilen Rangelov, the co-founders of Bulgaria-based drone cargo airline Dronamics. Last week, the firm completed the successful first flight of its flagship Black Swan aircraft near Bulgaria’s Balchik Airport (LBWB), flown remotely by two commercial airline pilots.

Now, the bearded brothers, who vowed to stop shaving until Black Swan’s first flight, have finally shed the biggest concerns they had about their technology—and their beards.

“Since the day we first imagined what the Black Swan aircraft could look like, we’ve worked towards this flight,” said Konstantin Rangelov, Dronamics CTO. “Today we’ve made history and are proud to have demonstrated the validity of our drone technology.”

The flight, spanning 16 miles and lasting a little more than 10 minutes, won’t be enough to enable a full launch for Dronamics, which is targeting commercial flights in Europe later this year. But with the firm moving steadily through European Union certification of Black Swan, the test served as a partial validation of its technology, which could swing the pendulum in its favor.

“It’s taken an enormous amount of hard work, belief, and drive to prove that what we envisioned works,” said Svilen Rangelov, the firm’s CEO. “We can now focus on the next step, the rollout of our commercial operations, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

While existing cargo airlines regularly carry several tons of payload, that’s not what Dronamics is about. Nor is it attempting to enter the crowded last-mile delivery space, which has been the focus for most drone startups. Rather, Black Swan is designed to stand in for delivery vans.

The aircraft’s maximum payload of 770 pounds places it in line with middle-mile ground transportation. And with a range of more than 1,500 miles, it’ll be able to cover the distance between Chicago and Los Angeles or any two points in mainland Europe. The drone also has a capacity of 125 cubic feet, similar to that of a minivan.

With Black Swan, Dronamics is promising to halve overall costs, reduce delivery times by up to 80 percent, and remove up to 60 percent of emissions compared to other modes of transport, including air freight. Flying within the firm’s network of Droneports, it will initially complete time-sensitive deliveries in industries such as e-commerce, health care, perishables, engineering, and mining.

The company is able to bring down the cost of those trips in part by removing pilots from the aircraft, allowing it to offer deliveries for less than $2.50 per pound—up to 50 percent less than existing same-day air cargo services. However, Black Swan can be flown fully or semi-autonomously.

With last week’s maiden voyage in the books, Dronamics appears to be well positioned for its planned commercial launch later this year: At last year’s European Business Aviation Convention and Expo trade show in Switzerland, the firm announced it had received an EU light UAS operator certificate, the first for a drone cargo airline.

Awarded by Transport Malta Civil Aviation Directorate (TM – CAD), the license allows Dronamics to self-authorize flights across EU member states—including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, which are some of the most regulated in unmanned aviation. Malta is slated as the firm’s base for European operations and, along with Italy, the site of its first commercial flights.

Now, Dronamics is preparing to scale up Black Swan. When that time comes, the firm will leverage the mass production partnerships it signed last year with Cotesa Holdings in Europe and Quickstep in Australia, as well as the $40 million it raised in pre-Series A funding this past February. Laying the groundwork for a potential Series A round later this year, the raise included participation by investors and venture capital funds from 12 countries.

The company also has a few more partnerships with an eye toward the future. Its agreements with Zero Petroleum and Cranfield Aerospace will support fossil-free alternatives to power Black Swan’s engine, which does not rely on electric or hybrid-electric power like the aircraft of rivals Elroy Air, Drone Delivery Canada, or Destinus.

And through its participation in the Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland (CAELUS) program, a consortium led by AGS Airports to develop the U.K.’s first nationwide medical drone distribution network, Dronamics will complete more Black Swan flight trials by 2024. Eventually, CAELUS hopes to enable deliveries of blood, organs, essential medicines, and more, which could make it a valuable partner moving forward.

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How ironic that the Gulfstream G800 one pair handcuffed themselves to had indeed flown across the Atlantic from Savannah, Georgia, on a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a regular part of its flight testing—not as a publicity stunt?

In fact, it’s easier to count those OEMs that haven’t implemented SAF and other short- and mid-term measures than those who have—because it’s a straightforward, here-and-now step most are happy to take. Many OEMs, from Embraer to Textron Aviation, fueled at their headquarters with SAF for the journey, and topped off with more on arrival. SAF is for the moment normally blended with regular jet-A, with testing toward blends up to 100 percent SAF in various stages depending on the airframe and powerplant manufacturers.

Getting to a 100-percent blend aside, SAF is not without its challenges—particularly in its boutique pricing and distribution to FBOs and other airport service providers that can deliver it to those operators wishing to use it.

A Case Study

At EBACE this week, Daher presented its experiences in covering that “last mile” between the delivery of SAF and distribution to its fleet. The company began the project to use SAF at its Aircraft Division facilities in Tarbes, France, in its operations, which include production, testing, training, and ferrying/delivery flights. Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of the division, related that, though the company is eager to set an example, availability of the fuel has been sporadic. 

“Therefore,” said Chabbert, “we took the initiative of going a step further by joining with the Spanish airline Volotea—a carrier that connects small and mid-sized cities in Europe which flies from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport (LFBT) as part of its route network—to convince the fuel provider World Fuel Services to supply SAF on the platform. We expect our example will bring other operators to use renewable energy on (their) airplanes.”

The SAF in question is a blend with 30 percent of Neste MY SAF delivered to the airport by World Fuel Services, provider of jet fuel and other FBO/airport solutions in France, Germany, South Africa, Canada, and Australia. Neste’s MY SAF is produced from sustainably sourced renewable waste and residue raw materials and, in its pure form, is calculated to reduce emissions by up to 30 percent over the fuel’s life cycle.

“With Daher’s adoption of SAF for its needs at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport, all users at this facility can now benefit from our supply of Neste-blended jet-A fuel,” said James Hardacre, World Fuel Services’ vice president of sales for business aviation in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. 

This collaboration with commercial aviation at an airport made the sourcing and reliable delivery possible—but other business aviation operators in both Europe and North America have not been as successful in connecting the dots. It looks simple on paper, but it takes persistence and commitment to bring the fuel to the pump.

The post The ‘Last Mile’ for SAF Presents an Achievable Challenge appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Vienna is the ideal location for CAE’s new business aviation training center in central Europe,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president, civil aviation. “This new center will be a game-changer for business aviation training in the region, offering programs on the region’s most sought-after aircraft platforms in an immersive learning environment. CAE Vienna is another example of the significant investments we are making to bring business aviation training closer to where our customers operate their aircraft.”

In addition to the Global 7500 and Global 6000 full flight simulators, four other FFSs will be installed, their types yet to be determined. The 8,000-square-foot center will have the ability to flex up to accommodate nine FFSs total in the space.

The center is planned to open in the second half of 2024.

Other expansion plans were completed in 2022, with CAE Singapore launched in November with a Gulfstream G650 FFS. And in April, CAE opened its first center on the West Coast of the U.S.  in Las Vegas. Others set to open in 2023 include Lake Nona, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia.

The training and simulation company joins others in the industry in sharing its plan to reach net-zero emissions and sustainable aviation goals. Read CAE’s FY22 Annual Activity and Corporate Social Responsibility Report here.

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Now totaling 90 units delivered in Europe, the Bell 429 has hit the mark with corporate VIP customers, including operations in the French Riviera and the French Alps by Helisecurite, Wucher Helicopter in Austria, Starspeed in London, Greece, and Cyprus, and in Switzerland by HeliAlps, Airport Helicopter, Air Zermatt, and Centaurium Aviation.

“Those seeking an aircraft that offers class-leading transport, speed, smoothness, and superior passenger experience needn’t look any further than the Bell 429,” said Alberto Delgado, CEO of World Aviation. “We’re thrilled to be facilitating the purchase of the first Bell 429 in Spain and we’re confident that both passengers and pilots will be delighted by the premium experience this aircraft delivers.” World Aviation was founded in 2014 and provides pilot training, maintenance, and engineering services in addition to transportation.

“The Bell 429 is continuing to showcase its breadth of abilities for our European customers—from mountain rescue in the Swiss Alps to law enforcement in Sweden and soon passenger transport in the Costa del Sol,” said Patrick Moulay, senior vice president of International Sales for Bell. “The combination of twin engines, IFR capability, and Bell’s BasiX-Pro integrated avionics means the 429 is able to fly in more locations and in a wide range of weather conditions, making it a highly versatile aircraft for the corporate VIP mission in Europe.”

The Bell 429

The 429 model is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PW-207D1/D2 engines, electronically controlled, and cruises in level flight at speeds up to 155 knots. It will carry one pilot plus up to seven passengers, or operate to a range of up to 411 nm or a total endurance of 4.5 hours.

The flight deck features:

• Single-pilot IFR capability (with a dual-pilot option)
• Automatic flight control system (AFCS) featuring redundant digital flight control computers (FCCS) and providing 3-axis or 4-axis capability
• Engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS)
• Other aircraft systems interfaces, warnings, cautions, aural alerts, and automated performance features are provided through the remotely located aircraft data interface unit (ADIU)
• Bell’s patented power situation indicator (PSI) gauge
• Communication, navigation and surveillance system: Garmin GTN-750/650 NAV/COM/WAAS GPS

The post Bell 429 Notches Another Corporate VIP Sale From World Aviation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In 1998—25 years ago—Air Journey was founded to help pilots achieve dreams of long-distance travel with their airplanes. The company now leads globally with its escorted flying journeys. The first trip took four GA pilots flying their airplanes to the southern Caribbean islands of San Salvador, Stella Maris, and Andros. Now, Air Journey has grown to a company approaching $10 million in sales and itineraries ranging from 4 to 76 days, and visiting up to 27 countries.

To celebrate the anniversary, Air Journey plans an extraordinary adventure, Islands of the Indian Ocean and Beyond, to transpire from May 24 to July 22 this summer. The trip will bring pilots flying their own aircraft to the islands of the Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar, along with excursions to Europe and Africa, including gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

“On our Escorted Journeys, pilots fly their own airplanes in small groups on prearranged itineraries by the AJ Team to destinations across the world,” said owner and founder Thierry Pouille in a release. “Every journey is led by experienced Pilot and Journey Directors and each leg is expertly created to accommodate single-engine turboprop to light-jet aircraft, never exceeding 1,100 nautical miles.”

A Journey for Everyone

In its release, Air Journey highlighted a few of its milestone itineraries over the years. “In 2007, the company launched the first Around the World Journey at Sun ‘n Fun [Aerospace Expo] and took off in 2008 for its Eastbound Around the World [trip]. Milestone destinations to follow included Africa in 2011, Australia in 2017, and the Islands of the Indian Ocean in 2022.” This year, 2023, marks another special journey for Air Journey—the first roundtrip circumnavigation of Australia and New Zealand via Europe in April.

How It Works

The Escorted Journeys come thoroughly planned and executed by the Air Journey pilots and facilitators traveling with you. However, if you want to travel independently, Air Journey also provides its Concierge Service for assistance with planning and is reachable during the trip. In partnership with several pilot and owner associations, Air Journey also organizes Association Journeys where pilots can fly with like-minded companions in similar aircraft models.

To learn more about Air Journey and access the 2023 trip calendar, visit airjourney.com or call +1 561-371-6661.

The post Air Journey Celebrates 25 Years with Islands Trip of a Lifetime appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A spokesperson for Garmin confirmed the news with FLYING after the company announced in October that approval was pending. 

At the time, Garmin said its Cessna Citation Excel and Citation XLS G5000 modernization program launched three years ago and that more than 100 Excels and XLSs have added the avionics package to those jets. The next major milestone was to work with European regulators to finalize the permission needed by EASA-certificated operators to install the G5000 integrated avionic suite on the midsize jets. 

“We are thrilled to bring this complete flight deck solution to the European market and further expand the G5000 upgrade program for the Citation Excel and Citation XLS fleet,” Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing, said in a statement.

• READ MORE: Garmin’s G5000 Flight Deck Adds New Capabilities for Some Citations

The upgrade includes FAA and EASA-compliant and integrated ADS-B Out solutions. Operators will also be able to access more airports and lower approach minimums through the PBN/RNP 0.3 with LPV/APV approach capabilities.

Some other G5000 features for the Citation Excel/XLS include:

• Three landscape-oriented flight displays with split-screen capability
• Simultaneously viewing of maps, charts, checklists, TAWS, TCAS, flight plans, and weather
• Electronic charts and geo-referenced Garmin SafeTaxi airport diagrams across all displays
• Touchscreen controllers that as the pilot interface to the flight deck
• Fully digital automatic flight control system (AFCS)
• Autopilot-enabled emergency descent mode (EDM) in the event of aircraft depressurization
• Optional autopilot-assisted underspeed protection (USP) to assist with airspeed management while enabling fully coupled go-arounds.

The post Garmin G5000 Earns EASA Approval for Cessna Citation Excel, XLS appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today, Paris-based Moove announced its next foray, which takes it to the U.S. market with use cases for flight departments in North America. In addition, it is expanding its capabilities to encompass empty-leg scheduling and on-demand fulfillment for European customers.

The web-based platform features a clean user interface designed to flex with the company’s future iterations. Right now, it provides real-time planning and dynamic pricing for operators to show to prospective clients, along with a soft pitch on the benefits of using personal and business aviation.

Growing the Market for Turboprops

FLYING spoke with founder Arthur Ingles regarding the company’s unique offering for business operators, as well as personal transportation. Ingles started the project following six years with Daher, finishing his tenure there leading strategy, marketing, communication, and TBM program direction in September 2021.

Ingles was motivated by the opportunity to not only support the current EU-based fleet of TBMs, Pilatus PC-12s, Beechcraft King Airs, and similar aircraft, but to grow the market by demonstrating to small and medium-sized businesses the utility of this class of aircraft for short-distance flights.

“We offer a platform in order for commercial operators to sell their flights, or manage their bookings, and we are targeting especially professional [flight departments]. We have developed the technology to help us better target managers and their teams so that we can fly efficiently with a private aircraft—specifically smaller ones, because particularly TBMs and PC-12s are a great asset to fly more economically than jets, reducing the environmental footprint of the business aviation. It’s a key topic in France and in Europe in general.”

Ingles recognized the disconnect between the products he strategized to bring to customers, and the utility they could provide beyond their traditional customer base: “I realized when I was at Daher,” he said, “that we [were] serving pilots mostly, owners. When you discuss with any CEOs of small or medium companies in France and Europe, 90 percent of them…don’t even know that general aviation exists, and they don’t even know that it’s a valuable economic option for them—especially when they want to develop their business somewhere where you don’t have a commercial [airline] schedule.”

Moove has focused on illuminating these efficiencies. “We developed a real-time benchmark technology,” said Ingles, “so you can calculate the time and productivity savings you can get out of a private flight versus your three-hour drive to Paris-CDG then the two connections to go into the north of Italy, whereas if you have chosen business aviation, it will have been just a one-hour flight with 10 minutes [drive.]”

Empty-Leg Genius

“We do both the SaaS solutions which enables corporate flight departments and commercial [on-demand] operators to sell and manage their flights,” said Ingles. “And also we’ve tried where there are no commercial operators, to develop shared ownership of TBM aircraft. Because, as you know, if you want to increase your market and be more competitive, repositioning flights are a big issue. Having aircraft based in regions where you don’t have any commercial operators is important.” 

As Ingles mentioned, one key area where the efficiency breaks down lies in repositioning flights—the segments where the aircraft flies without passengers in order to pick up or drop off a primary user. If those segments can be monetized, they turn the wasted time, cost, and effort into an opportunity. On-demand and corporate operators globally are working to tap into selling these “empty-leg flights.”

Moove specifically targets the selling of empty-leg segments with a powerful, proprietary algorithm that captures segments flying nearby a route. This enables operators to offer a refined price for similar one-way flights to prospects, based on matching scores, and thereby increasing drastically the chance of selling their empty legs.

“We are starting in the U.S. with our SaaS offering,” for flight departments, said Ingles, with plans to expand into the on-demand markets.

The post Moove Makes Its Play Into U.S. Corporate Aviation Market appeared first on FLYING Magazine.