National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Las Vegas
Many attending the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention from 17-19 October will arrive in the US casino capital in a winning mood, thanks to a post-pandemic sector that remains buoyant. Others in Las Vegas may be a touch nervous as inflation continues to stalk the global economy. The outlook largely depends on which direction you look and who you speak to. On the plus side, deliveries and backlogs remain strong, and continue to rise year-on-year, along with the overall value of aircraft shipments. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), deliveries of business jets in the first half of the year rose to 296 units, from 289 in the same period in 2022. Overall turbine aircraft shipments – jets and turboprops – increased by 52 to 586.
Used aircraft values – another benchmark of industry health – are also encouraging. In July, the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) reported higher “resale expectations” for the rest of 2023. It followed a first half in which its members closed 542 deals, 56 fewer than in the same six months of 2022, although IADA described the latter as a “truly exceptional period” for the resale community. However, momentum in business aviation activity has been slowing, after a surge in late 2021 and into 2022 – helped by pent-up demand and first-time users who were keen to avoid Covid-19 exposure and a dysfunctional commercial air transport system. However, according to data specialist WingX, 2023’s decrease in traffic so far is modest, and usage remains substantially up on 2019.
Jet Aviation Launches Staffing Marketplace to Business Aviation Operators
Jet Aviation announced that Jet Aviation Staffing Marketplace is now available for operators. The online jobs portal Jet Aviation collaborated with Portside, a technology solutions provider, to develop Jet Aviation Staffing Marketplace. The web-based and mobile application is designed to streamline the process of matching aviation professionals with posted job openings. The portal launched for candidates earlier this year and is now available for business aviation companies and operators searching for candidates for open contract, hourly and direct hire positions. “We are delighted to launch this innovative digital recruitment tool for the aviation industry,” says Elaine Lapotosky, Jet Aviation’s vice president staffing. “As technology continues to evolve in our industry and beyond, we saw a need to provide candidates and hiring teams with a streamlined, digital, and automated platform that replaced a largely manual process. Earlier this year we launched to candidates, providing an online platform for them to build a robust profile and seamlessly search and apply for new jobs. This next phase opens the tool up to business aviation operators, who now have access to a digitized talent pool that is automatically refined according to their requirements, allowing them to effortlessly and efficiently match the
right person to the right role.”
Gulfstream G500 Gains FAA Steep-Approach Certification
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced the clean-sheet, next- generation Gulfstream G500 has been certified for steep-approach operations by the U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), giving the aircraft access to some of the world’s most challenging airports. The G500 proved its low-speed handling and short-field capabilities in 2021 with landings at airports including London City Airport in England, which has a short runway and strict noise abatement requirements, and Lugano Airport in Switzerland, which is situated in the mouth of a valley and requires an extremely steep approach. “Our customers already benefit from the revolutionary performance and efficiency of the G500,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “We are now pleased to deliver steep-approach capability as well, providing additional flexibility by unlocking access to even more destinations around the world.”
With optimized speed, wide-cabin comfort and efficiency, the G500 offers best-in-class performance along with advanced safety features including the award-winning Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck. The G500 also features the Gulfstream Cabin Experience with 100% fresh, never recirculated air, the lowest cabin altitude in its class, whisper-quiet sound levels and abundant natural light from 14 Gulfstream Panoramic Oval Windows. The aircraft seats up to 19 and sleeps up to eight and can fly 5,300 nautical miles/9,816 kilometers at Mach 0.85 or 4,500 nm/8,334 km at Mach 0.90. It has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925.
People: Julie de Cevins will become the Daher Group’s Sustainable Development Director
From January 1, 2024, Julie de Cevins will become the Daher Group’s Sustainable Development Director. Within Daher’s Executive Committee, de Cevins will be responsible for supporting the Group’s strategies in terms of decarbonization and corporate social responsibility. She joined Daher in November 2018 and was the Senior Vice President of Programs within the Executive Committee from March 2021, subsequently taking responsibility for the Nuclear and Projects Division of the Daher Group from July 2022, along with the interim role as the Industry Division’s Senior Vice President beginning in June 2023. Julie de Cevins has spent her entire career in the aeronautical environment with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, airlines, and MROs for commercial and business jet clients. She has extensive experience in customer management. She followed a dual course in engineering (EPF/ISAE-Supaéro) and business (eMBA from the CPA in Toulouse) before successively joining Thales, Altran Technologies and Airbus as an engineer between 1988 and 1998. Until 2015, she held the sales and program functions at Honeywell Aerospace prior to joining Assystem Technologies as the Vice President of Aerospace