The study revealed about 80% of flights from Farnborough Airport were related either directly or indirectly to supporting UK business and inward investment. Flights  from the airport are mainly of “high economic impact, time-sensitive in nature and essential in purpose” it concluded. The economic value created by the airport was also said to generate the equivalent of 23,000 full-time employee (FTE) jobs.

The research evidences the value of business aviation to the UK economy and in particular the role of Farnborough Airport in supporting growth and investment, said Louise Hellem, chief economist, CBI Economics. “It is striking the impact that the business aviation sector has on the UK economy, in particular the economic opportunity it creates and the importance of the sector in driving UK competitiveness and growth,” she said.

Simon Geere, CEO, Farnborough Airport added: “These latest findings from CBI Economics support what we have been saying for some time, that the role of business aviation in driving inward investment and creating economic opportunity within the UK is both significant and demonstrable.”

The airport has a critical role to play in supporting economic growth – both at a local level and also across the wider UK, he said. “With Farnborough Airport serving smaller-lighter aircraft, our environmental footprint is a fraction of that of a traditional commercial passenger airport, yet our economic output relative to our size is completely unsurpassed.” 

The research also quantifies the value to the UK of the proposed increase in flights at Farnborough Airport from 50,000 to 70,000 per year, with an additional £1.4bn of GVA being generated within the UK economy every year. More flights would also create an extra 17,900 FTE jobs, claimed the researchers.

The latest research follows an economic assessment last year undertaken by York Aviation, which was submitted last year to Rushmoor Borough Council as part of the airport’s planning application to increase its annual flights from 50,000 to 70,000. This claimed the localised economic impact of Farnborough Airport supported 2,600 jobs and injected £170m of GVA into the local economy each year. This contributed, it was said, to making Rushmoor one of the fastest growing Local Authorities in the UK, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The CBI Economics report is entitled ‘Getting Business Going – The economic benefits to UK plc of business aviation at Farnborough Airport’.

Farnborough Airport was said to create the equivalent of 23,000 full-time employee jobs.

The post Farnborough business flights ‘yield £1.9bn for UK economy’ appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

Before my taster session in the simulator, Domenic Di Iorio, global head of Training, captain and instructor Phenom 300 Flight Operations, CAE made the introductions. Installed in February and welcoming its first trainee pilots in March, the full flight simulator is the ninth Phenom 300 installation operated by Embraer and CAE as part of their joint venture Embraer-CAE Training Services (ECTS) launched last year.

The new simulator – Number 9 – is the second in Europe and follows the installation of other Phenom 300 simulators in Dallas, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada. The Burgess Hill simulator is the second to last in a line of eight full flight simulators at the facility. (Elsewhere in the building is another line of eight simulators dedicated to a range of different aircraft types). There are two Phenom 300 sims in the Burgess Hill facility.

FAA authorisation

The simulator is certified by three authorities: the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Federation Aviation Administration (FAA) authorisation is expected on the Burgess Hill simulator within the next year.

Corporate and owner pilots undertaking initial training on the Phenom 300 will follow an approved training curriculum for issue of a type rating, as required by regulators and operators. Initial training can be from 40 to 100 hours ground training, with a combination of classroom and online training. That’s typically followed by 16 hours as pilot flying (PF) and then 16 hours as pilot not flying (PNF). The Phenom 300 simulator is used for used for both initial and recurrent training.

The flight simulator uses approved aircraft flight data and must meet regulatory requirements with an initial simulator qualification followed by yearly simulator requalification. It’s housed in a fully articulated space accommodating a cockpit, behind which is a flight control consol and additional seating for two trainee pilots.

So how realistic is the simulator? LaRosa who filmed 800 hours of aerial footage for the two-hour movie should know. The aerial sequences were filmed from a converted Phenom 300 camera ship with a gimbal-mounted film camera on the nose and a still camera aft of the cockpit. The aircraft is owned by LaRosa’s friend and business partner Jonathan Spano. (Incidentally, LaRosa is the only non-military pilot to be cleared for a 240-knot (276 mph) flyby over the deck of the Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered super carrier US Theodore Roosevelt, as part of the movie filming).

‘An almost perfect match’

“The Phenom 300 simulator is an almost perfect match for the real aircraft,” LaRosa told CJI. “While the visuals are not perfect, they are amazing. The movement of the simulator is very accurate.”

He’s equally impressed by the Phenom 300 aircraft. “It’s a super capable aircraft – and like any aircraft it’s really all about the training,” adds LaRosa. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E engines, the Embraer jet is rated for single pilot operations and can carry up to 10 passengers. It has a maximum speed of 533mph and a maximum range (with four passengers) of 2,010 nautical miles. About 700 are in operation worldwide.

Back in the simulator, I’m working hard. LaRosa let me follow him on the controls as we took smoothly off. He then turns the aircraft over to me for some gentle climbing turns to the left before descending to trace the course of a valley floor.

Sitting behind us in the simulator is Di Iorio – a 40-year-plus veteran of CAE with more than 1,000 hours on type in his logbooks. Today, he is playing the role of Air Traffic Control giving us clearances. In addition to his own currency training on the simulator, Di Iorio also acts as both an instructor and examiner on type.

Engine fire

Towards the end of our ‘flight’ back to the ‘airfield’, he slips seamlessly into the role of tormentor-in-chief. Without warning, he randomly announces the discovery of an engine fire in our port engine.

LaRosa immediately takes control and starts the word-perfect emergency engine drills. Right engine shut down and ignite fire extinguisher, single-engine operating speed and configuration together with emergency radio calls before touch down. It all goes flawlessly. But the full flight simulator is so realistic, and I’m so invested in the simulated emergency, I couldn’t dispel that haunting feeling of queasiness.

If you enjoyed reading about this taster flight simulator session, buckle up for a ride in the real Phenom 300 camera ship that LaRosa used to film the aerial sequences in the latest Top Gun movie. Published in Corporate Jet Investor Quarterly, we ride with LaRosa as he recalls how the camera ship was born and the challenges of filming a Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from a business jet.

The CAE Phenom 300 simulator is located at CAE’s Burgess Hill facility, West Sussex, UK.

The post CAE puts new Phenom 300 simulator to work at Burgess Hill, UK appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

Victor is partnering with Finnish SAF producer Neste. To date, the company said it has had 427 SAF bookings, with average spend per booking at AED4,500, helping it achieve total CO2 reduction of 653 tonnes.

Sharing its learnings, the company said that: “One in five private aircraft charterers are willing to pay an additional AED4,500 for SAF per booking, providing an average carbon emission reduction of 1.5 tonnes. The average amount of Jet-A fossil fuel Victor customers choose to replace with SAF is 30% per booking. Victor’s aim in 2024 is for at least one in five MENA customers to buy SAF for their jet charter bookings”.

The company said it is working on two-pronged approach of increasing voluntary SAF demand and encourage adoption of its SAF blueprint by other business and commercial aviation companies across MENA.

“Our results in partnership with Neste evidence many flyers acknowledge they are living beyond their environmental means and will therefore voluntarily pay more for their carbon consumption when they fly.  We strongly advocate for the wider aviation industry to accelerate SAF demand by enabling all flyers to voluntarily buy SAF,” said Toby Edwards, co-CEO, Victor.

Victor recently relocated its headquarters to Abu Dhabi from the UK.

Victor and Neste signed a partnership agreement in June 2022 for SAF purchases.

The post Victor to lead wider SAF adoption in MENA private aviation sector appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

The G600 aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney PW815GA engines, departed from Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah and landed at Farnborough Airport, UK.

“Gulfstream is innovating for a sustainable future,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “One of the keys to reaching business aviation’s long-term decarbonisation goals is the broad use of SAF in place of fossil-based jet fuel. The completion of this world-class flight helps to advance business aviation’s overarching sustainability mission and create positive environmental impacts for future generations.”

The SAF was made of 100% Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) by World Energy at their Paramount Facility, California and was delivered by World Fuel Services.

The data gathered from the flight will help gauge aircraft compatibility with low-aromatic renewable fuels, especially under cold temperatures for extended flights.

Anthony Rossi, vice president, Sales and Marketing, Pratt & Whitney said this was a major step as they continue to validate the compatibility of their engines with unblended SAF.

“We’d like to thank all our partners for their help in making this milestone flight happen, and for their ongoing partnership in collaborating with the extended SAF community to champion the aviation industry’s path to 100% SAF usage,” said Burns.

Gulfstream are also the first business jet Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to fly on 100% SAF.

This announcement comes just a week before Virgin and Rolls Royce plan to fly the first commercial aircraft trans-Atlantic flight using 100% SAF on November 28^th, taking off from Heathrow and landing at New York JFK.

SAF Investor spoke with Gene Gebolys, president & CEO, World Energy recently on The SAF Podcast, listen to the full episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/13894405

The post Gulfstream completes trans-Atlantic flight on 100% SAF appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

The aircraft is now based at London Luton Airport’s Signature Flight Support FBO and is available for immediate charter, according to Centreline’s parent company Pula Aviation Services.

Gus Paterson, chief operating officer, Centreline, said: “Centreline has a lot of experience flying Embraer executive jets, especially the Legacy 500. We are very excited to be able to offer the new Praetor to our customers.”

The new Praetor 600 is based on the Legacy 500 but has a higher fuel capacity and more powerful engines, according to Paterson. With a 4,018nm range, trips such as London to New York, São Paulo to Miami, or Dubai to London are all possible with no need for stopping. The aircraft also features a six foot high, flat-floor cabin and a vacuum service lavatory. The aircraft can seat up to nine passengers with recliners and a sofa.

Centreline’s fleet now comprises of Beechcraft King Air 200s, Embraer Phenom 300s, Legacy 500s, Praetor 600s, Dassault Falcon 900LXs and a Falcon 8X based across the UK and Guernsey, Channel Islands.

The post Centreline adds new Praetor 600 to charter fleet appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

The group’s two-year plan to establish and accelerate the delivery of SAF includes a SAF mandate consultation which will open for responses this month, assessing feedback from this in the third quarter (Q3) of this year, confirming the details of the mandate policy in Q1 2024 and legislating the mandate in Q4 2024, ready to start in 2025.

It added the goal of having at least five commercial-scale SAF plants under construction by 2025.

The plan was published during the Sustainable Skies World Summit at Farnborough Airport, where the Jet Zero Council and the Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced the government’s plans to reach “Jet Zero” by 2050.

Alongside SAF, the government said it would invest more than £1m into research on the development of liquid hydrogen aviation technology.

“This government is a determined partner to the aviation industry, helping accelerate new technology and fuels, modernise their operations and work internationally to remove barriers to progress,” said Harper. “Together, we can set aviation up for success, continue harnessing its huge social and economic benefits and ensure it remains a core part of the UK’s sustainable economic future.”

Speaking at today’s summit on the feasibility of getting to SAF production to 10% of all produced per year, International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general, Willie Walsh said: “We can do it. I am not saying we will get to exactly 10%, we may miss it slightly we may exceed it, but is it possible that we can create sufficient evidence of demand that will encourage people to invest and governments to realise this is the way forward, absolutely.”

Walsh added that he gains in confidence every day that 2050 climate targets will be reached. “When I look at what airlines are committing to SAF, when I look at the quantities being invested in terms of infrastructure to build the refineries.” But the industry and government need to work together and that is why policy framework is so important, said Walsh.

There is no time to waste, according to Haldane Dodd, executive director, Air Transport Action Group. So much so he cut his presentation time in half in order to demonstrate how little time industry has to action its climate goals. “Governments now need to work a net zero strategy into their planning just as industry has committed to do. But setting a goal is just the first step, making it a reality will be a whole lot harder.”

One key area of attention Dodd noted is the transition away from fossil fuels towards low carbon energy.  Last year around 200,000 tonnes of SAF were produced and used globally. “We have 26.5 years to get up to somewhere near 400m tonnes being produced and delivered every single year if we are to close in on that net zero goal. We can’t underestimate that challenge. The oil industry took off at around the same time as powered flight and have been necessary partners ever since. Pivoting away from over a century of development is never going to be easy,” said Dodd.

The post UK government to mandate SAF by 2025 appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

XR activists gained entry to ground handling operations event AIROPS, held by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), to stand on the stage chanting slogans and holding a banner that read: “Make them pay”.

The protest took place alongside similar demonstrations across the globe, including private jet terminals at London Luton, Amsterdam Schiphol, Bromma Stockholm and Malpensa Milan and Lisbon. There was also a protest outside a Bombardier facility in Victoria, Australia.

In response to the protests, EBAA secretary-general, Athar Husain Khan, said: “Business aviation has a vital role to play in supporting the growth and competitiveness of companies across Europe and we are determined to do so in a way that is safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible.”

Scientists and climate activists have crashed the #AIROPS23 private jet conference in #Brussels! These ultra-rich individuals and industries are fueling climate breakdown at the cost of the most vulnerable. We cannot afford to let them continue business as usual.#MakeThemPay pic.twitter.com/te6eytfldf

— Extinction Rebellion Belgium (@XR_Belgium) February 14, 2023

The association also said AIROPS is Europe’s premier event for ground handling operations which promotes safety, professional working culture, employment, as well as sustainability in business aviation. “As an educative platform, AIROPS gathers pilots, flight operations professionals, and ground handlers, from all over Europe, to discuss topics related to flight operational security, the EU’s landscape for airspace control, as well as the industry path towards achieving net-zero by 2050, among others.”

The statement also noted business aviation’s role as “testbed” for technological development, referencing innovations such as light composite structures, global satellite positioning (GPS) and winglets. “These technologies, later adopted by commercial aviation, have significantly contributed to increasing the efficiency of our operations and reducing emissions in the whole aviation sector,” said the EBAA.

Last week, Corporate Jet Investor’s London 2023 conference was also disrupted by protestors. The activists, from Fossil Free London and Just Stop Oil, gained entry to the conference before disrupting a session from the EBAA’s secretary-general. One of the activists, interviewed outside shortly afterwards, who wished to remain anonymous, told CJI they were protesting because they are “terrified about the future” and “what the climate is going to do to people around the UK and across world”.

The protestor added: “There are lots of things we have to do deal with that [climate crisis], but the most unjust and gratuitous part of it is the corporate aviation industry. It is a tiny, tiny minute proportion of people who are responsible for a grossly disproportionate share of carbon emissions and those are the people who are going to be most insulated from climate change’s effects.”

A fellow activist, who also wished to remain anonymous, told CJI: “I think it is fundamentally a social justice issue. There are people across the world who are already feeling the impact of the climate crisis. Yet the people inside this building are acting like nothing is wrong. Most people in the world have never sat on a plane, so to then go one step further and start talking about private aviation shows a complete disregard for human life and safety – as well as the safety of our natural environment.”

Read more about the climate change protest at CJI London 2023.

The post Extinction Rebellion protestors takeover stage at EBAA’s AIROPS conference appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

The Indian market is “booming” and is expected to remain strong, according to Simon Davies, sales director, Global Jet Capital.

At the CJI London 2023 conference, Davies, who covers sales in the Middle East, India, UK, Africa, Turkey and Eastern Canada, said: “Contrary to the rest of the world, the Indian market is a booming market with some challenges that are faced by individuals related to protests around ownership of corporate aircraft. But they’re still not deferring the activity and we think that market’s going to remain quite strong.”

He told Corporate Jet Investor (CJI) that the UK market for private jets is “slower than some of the other markets”, having “stumbled our way through what Brexit has been doing to operations”, although he is “still optimistic there are going to be opportunities” for the region.

Discussing the market in the Middle East, Davies said he is “starting to see a lot of activity”. He said a challenge in that part of the world, from a financial perspective, is that many aircraft are bought with cash, which could lead to refinancing in the future. 

Global Jet Capital hosted the Welcome Cocktail Reception on the first day of the CJI London conference.

For more about what was discussed at CJI London 2023, read our report on the conference as it happened here. 

The post CJI London on camera: India is ‘a booming market’ appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

The post Arena Television: Fresh air financing appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.

The French arm of British-based Air Charter Service reported that the passenger side of the business has bounced back from the downturn in revenue caused by Covid-19 restrictions. “We have seen a real return to business for all of our three main divisions following the past couple of years,” said Alexandre Busila, CEO, ACS France.

“Our private jet division has seen almost triple the amount of revenue of last year, with many clients choosing larger aircraft and longer trips as the restrictions have eased all over the world.”

Justin Bowman, CEO, ACS said that after restructuring for the long-term benefit of the company,  he is pleased with the performance of the company’s French division.

“The office has gone from strength to strength over the past 12 months or so,” he said. “Since Alex and his new leadership team have been in place, we are now in good shape to look to the future and to expand the team.”

According to Busila, the group’s charter division has seen first-half growth of 71% on last year’s figures. This reflects the return of meetings, incentive-related travel, conferences and exhibitions (colloquially known as the MICE industry) and sports travel.

The firm’s cargo flight volumes have also experienced growth on the previous three years: A 78% increase on 2021 and 20% more than pre-pandemic levels.

“After the initial spike in 2020 of shipping PPE [Personal Protective Equipment], we are now back to charters for automotive parts, project logistics, livestock, textiles and even perishables,” said Busila.

After the improved performance of the French market, Bowman is considering further investment for ACS France.

“We have plans for further investment in France and we feel that Alex’s success has laid the groundwork for this,” he said.

The post Air Charter Service France bounces back appeared first on Corporate Jet Investor.