Jetcraft acquires CFS Jets
Jetcraft, a major player in business aircraft sales, acquisitions and trading, has acquired Corporate Fleet Services (CFS Jets), a prominent business aviation firm specializing in the turboprop, light and midsize jet markets. Peter Antonenko, president of Jetcraft, called CFJ Jets’s services complementary to his company’s own focus on super-midsize, large, and ultra-long-range jets—providing diverse expertise across aircraft products. Plans call for the companies to continue to operate individually for the time being, Antonenko said.Now “powered by Jetcraft”, CFS Jets is offering its client base greater access to the super-midsize and large jet categories. Both companies are continuing to operate individually, each benefiting from their respective capabilities, including being backed by Jetcraft’s data to support transactions.Antonenko concludes: “This strategic alliance between Jetcraft and CFS Jets represents a significant milestone for both our companies, and our clients, who can now benefit from a combined experience of more than 800 transactions in the last five years alone.”
Eurocontrol forecast update 2023 - 2029
The Eurocontrol spring 2023 forecast is an update of the previously published 7-year forecast in Autumn 2022. Since October 2022, flight movements in Europe have developed in line with the base scenario. The number of European flights in 2023 and 2024 has been slightly revised upwards due to the continuation of vivid pent-up demand (solid bookings, strong tourist flows in Southern Europe). Eurocontrol expects to reach 2019 flight levels (11.1 million) in 2025. After 2025, flight growth is expected to average 1.5% per year in the base forecast, owing to the greater uncertainties within the 7-year horizon (higher inflation, pressure on oil prices, environmental concerns…). As downside risks prevail, the number of flights in the low forecast stagnates from 2025 onwards. www.eurocontrol.int
TAG takes the Global 7500 to the max
TAG Aviation has highlighted its’ aircraft management skills and sleek operations yet again by setting some remarkable milestones with recent long-range flights on their Bombardier Global 7500 fleet. The trips in question were from Hong Kong to Newark and San Jose to Hong Kong, non-stop with flight times of 14:58 and 15:48 respectively, which are amongst the longest flight endurance range of the Global 7500. "Ensuring optimal efficiency is one of the top priorities for our operations team. To achieve this, we diligently monitor weather conditions to plan the most efficient route, both in time and fuel use. Working with the crew supports the planning process and allows us to tailor make the plan to the aircraft." – Karson Wong, Senior Manager Ground Operations, TAG Aviation Asia.
Jet Aviation receives approval for line maintenance in Zurich
Jet Aviation announced that it has successfully obtained approval from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) for its Line Maintenance Repair Station in Zurich. The facility is authorized to perform line maintenance on a range of business aircraft. Jet Aviation launched line maintenance in Zurich in May 2022, under a temporary extension of the company’s Basel site authorizations. Following a successful audit by FOCA in early 2023, the facility is now fully approved for line maintenance on a range of business jets. Jet Aviation established a presence at Zurich Airport in 1969. In June 2021, the site was expanded via the acquisition of the former ExecuJet Zurich FBO facilities. The acquisition added a multifunctional terminal for passengers and crews, a 2,500 square-meter hangar adjacent to the terminal, a second near- 5,000 square-meter arched hangar, and two approximately 5,000 square-meter private ramps to the company’s existing Zurich footprint. Jet Aviation offers base maintenance in Basel, Geneva, Dubai, and Singapore, and AOG services worldwide.
People: EBAA mourns the loss of Athar Husain Khan
The business aviation industry is mourning the death of European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) secretary-general Athar Husain Khan, who passed away unexpectedly on Sunday 26 March 2023. He was 60.
Athar Husain Khan has been the leader of the EBAA Secretariat since July 2018 and his dedication to the Business aviation industry has been key to the Association’s current strength. Athar has been actively involved in European and international aviation for over 30 years and passionately advocated for a better, sustainable future for air transport. A trained lawyer with experience in various fields of law, he enjoyed a wide and varied career in both the private and public aviation sector.
Athar graduated from the University of Leiden with a degree in European law, Human Rights law, International law, and also specialised in Air and Space law. He subsequently worked for the Dutch Ministries of Education and Transport where he was Senior Policy Advisor and Negotiator on Aeropolitical affairs. Athar worked for KLM as Director Government & Industry Affairs, as CEO of the Association of European Airlines (AEA), and – most recently – as head of the European Business Aviation Industry.
Athar was brought up in a bilingual family and spent his early years in the Middle-East, not surprisingly he had a lifelong interest in the interactional aspects of eastern and western culture, religion and politics. An avid sportsman, Athar enjoyed cricket, golf, cycling, running (he has run the New York City marathon three times), and also represented his country at international level at squash. He was a keen aviator and held a private pilot’s license. Above all, Athar was a family man and leaves behind his beloved wife and son.