Industry News

• NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen welcomes the confirmation of Duane Woerth as U.S. representative to the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization. Thirteen aviation associations, including NBAA, urged Senate leaders to confirm Woerth.

• NBAA releases its 2010 Business Aviation Fact Book, a profile of the industry that offers real-world information and data about its value to citizens, companies, and communities across the country.

Nextant Aerospace — completes the first flight of a fully-equipped 400XT aircraft with Williams International FJ44-3AP engines. The engines replace the Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5 engines on the original Beechjet 400A.

NTSB — National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a landing-gear failure involving a CRJ jet manufactured by Montreal-based Bombardier — the fifth such case in the past two years. The crew of the Atlanta Southeast Airlines jet was unable to deploy the right landing gear; no one was injured.

• NTSB is offering a three-day course, “Transportation Disaster Response: A Course for Emergency Responders,” at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, VA November 16-18, 2010.

Office of Management and Budget — completes its review of a notice of proposed rulemaking calling for new equipment and operating requirements for commercial helicopter operations. The NPRM stems from concerns raised over the increasing number of accidents involving commercial helicopter operations and air ambulance operations in particular.

PATS Aircraft Systems — announces that FAA has issued a Supplemental Type Certificate for its B757-200 Auxiliary Fuel System. The approved fuel system has been successfully installed, tested, and certified in the six-tank configuration and can extend the range of the aircraft to more than 5,000-nm.

Piper — continues to expand its supplier list for its PiperJet single-engine personal jet with the selection of Millennium Concepts to provide the seats. The Millennium lightweight leather seats will be equipped with adjustable headrests, will recline, and include a break-over seat back.
• Piper workers are told the company will eliminate 60 positions, representing roughly 6 percent of the workforce.

Port Authority of NY & NJ Board of Commissioners — authorizes two actions that will help position Stewart Int’l Airport for immediate and future growth: $2 million in planning work for the future expansion of Stewart’s terminal; the board also authorizes a two-year air service development incentive program to entice passenger airlines and charter tour operators to initiate non-stop service to new markets.

StandardAero — officially reopens its engine shop at its Springfield, IL service center. At 265,000 sq. ft. of production and support function floor space, Springfield is StandardAero’s largest business aviation shop and services a significant volume of TFE731-powered aircraft.

Sun Air Jets — announces the expansion of its corporate aircraft maintenance division to provide high quality scheduled and unscheduled maintenance services to other jet operators. Located at the Camarillo (CA) Airport, the company has satisfied the FAA standards and has been issued a Part 145 Repair Station Air Agency Certificate.

Tampa Int’l Airport’s — five-member board of directors selects Dallas executive VP Joseph W. Lopano as Tampa’s new CEO.

United Airlines — and Continental Airlines Inc. close their mega-deal with the combined entity overtaking Delta as the world’s largest airline.

USA TODAY — reports that most airports in the U.S. have stepped up efforts to clean up their operations and generally do not find such “green” tasks to be overly taxing on their operations, according to a report released this month by the Government Accountability Office.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection — is partnering with the DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate to develop performance standards for container security technologies.

FBO Snapshot
Signature adds Fresno to its network