european business air news - april 2010

BUSINESS AIR NEWSE U R O P E A N

ISSUE 202 APRIL 2010

EAS executives plan to expand their managed fleet. Pictured with the company's Hawker 800XP are, from left, Nael Chehab, operations and sales manager; Capt Monzer Oueida,director of operations; and Capt Nicolas Meszaros, EAS gm. Full story page 12.

Air Alsie and Air Partner havelaunched a partnership to build theirpresence and market share in Russiaand the CIS states. “It is a perfect fitfor us,” says Air Alsie vp sales PeterHough. He adds: “Over the years wehave performed thousands of flyinghours in the region but we havestopped short of establishing a salesorganisation or entering the Russianmarket directly.”

Air Partner becomes general salesagent (GSA) for Air Alsie’s wide-bodied charter fleet in Russia and theCIS. Air Alsie has a 21-strong allmanaged fleet which includes twonew long range fly-by-wire Falcon7Xs, two Falcon 2000EXs, a Falcon900EX, a Citation XLS, Challenger 300and the CJ1, 2 and 3 series. “These areideally sized for the discerningRussian market,” Hough says.

Air Partner sales director DavidMacdonald says: “While there hasbeen a slight reduction in use, aselsewhere, the long trend is upwardsfor Russian and CIS users, owing to their geographical location,personal security requirements andtravel preferences.”

Macdonald says: “It’s a win, win for

us and our clients, Russian andinternational. We have access to awide database, a multi-lingualcustomer support team and ability toquickly source business jets that arewell-sized for the Russian market.

He adds: “We have manydiscerning high end clients, amongthem Forbes 100 companies, whocome to us when they wish to charterinto and out of Russia.

“They often need long rangeaircraft of which there is a shortage,so Air Alsie’s flexible fleet will be well received. High net worth Russian flyers in particular attach

a lot of importance to flying in thenewest, fastest long range aircraft.Being able to fly from Moscow non-stop on the near supersonicspeed 7X to Washington DC, Tokyo,Barbados, Bangkok, the Seychelles or the Maldives is going to be very appealling.”

Separately Air Partner PLC says inits results for the six months ended 31January 2010 that the commercial jetbroking division faces marketplaceovercapacity and continued discoun-ting but the private jet broking divisionand JetCard have held up relativelywell. It adds: “The private jet operatingcompany (PJOC) has been placed intoadministration. This decisive actionstops losses.” The company explainsthat the change in the aviationenvironment had removed the needto secure capacity via the PJOC. ButAir Partner stresses that the coreprivate jet broking and JetCardproducts are not affected by closure.

The office network will bemanaged for efficiencies and futuregrowth and, while current tradingremains challenging, there are some tentative signs of fourth quarter2010 improvement.

Air Alsie and Air Partner team upservices in Russia and the CIS

David Macdonald: new partnership

Bulgarian border police willstrengthen border patrols with thedeployment of two AW109 Power lighttwins which will join an existingAW109 Power and an AW139.

“The main mission of thehelicopters, which are procuredunder the Schengen Facilityprogramme funds, is to provide areliable air surveillance capability onthe outer EU borders,” the police says.

Bulgaria is scheduled to become amember of the Schengen Zone, whichis designed to help simplify andcontrol access to the EU from March2011. “These AW109 Powers will beequipped with an impressive range ofstate-of-the-art avionics and mission-dedicated equipment,” Bulgarianpolice say. “They will also benefit fromNVG-compatible cockpit, movingmap, weather radar, FLIR, digitalvideo downlink and video recorder,mission console, searchlight,emergency floats, rescue hoist andexternal loudspeaker.”

Sales points included an ability to change the interior configurationproviding “exceptional versatility” to support different law enforce-ment roles.

AW109 Powers to strengthen

border patrols

Swiss aviator Riccardo Mortara andhis crew have claimed the record forthe fastest flight around the world in a9,000 to 12,000kg aircraft. They had toadd a 12th leg to their trip after plansto land in Keflavik, Iceland, wereaborted due to a volcanic eruption.

Their aircraft, a 1980 Sabreliner 65,took off from Geneva at 06:12 UTC onFriday morning, flew east, andreturned Sunday at 16:06 UTC,completing the 36,770km minimumdistance in 57 hours 54 minutes. The average speed around the worldwas 647km/h.

Mortara says: “This is the first timea record has been set in this weightclass with refuelling stops and beatspioneering pilot Steve Fossett’s timeof 67 hours and one minute whichwas achieved without stops in thestate-of-the-art VirginFlyer in 2006.”

A secondary target was to beatgolfer Arnold Palmer’s 1978 record of 57 hours 26 minutes, which he setin a Learjet 36 – a plane in a lighter weight category to Mortara’s elderly Sabreliner.

Riccardo Mortara (62), co-captainGabriel Mortara (28) and co-pilotFlavien Guderzo (26) flew fromGeneva to Bahrain, then Colombo,Macau, Osaka, Petropavlovsk,Anchorage, Las Vegas and Montreal,before having to urgently changeplans. Mortara says: “Our nextintended destination had beenKeflavik but the volcanic eruptionresulted in all of Iceland’s airportsbeing shut down. Halfway there wewere forced to return to Canada,refuelling in Goose Bay, Labrador,before re-calculating the Sabreliner’sroute. The eruption was the area’sfirst in 176 years and added a hugeelement of suspense to the final dayof the mission, and effectively cost itfour hours.”

With the aborted leg not countingtowards the Federation AeronautiqueInternationale (FAI) minimumdistance, the previous Keflavik-Casablanca-Geneva plan was ditchedin favour of Shannon, then Marrakech,and finally home to Geneva. The totaldistance travelled was 36,900km.

Volcaniceruption fails

to thwart worldrecord team

EAS manages the futureEAS manages the future

For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.For details of how to enter, see page 3.

Aero-Charter Airlines plans to bring more Citations to Ukraine page 3

Shannon seeks to extend US pre-clearance to private charter page 4

DRF Luftrettung brings aerial intensive care unit into operation page 6

New ASC for Greece and other industry news page 14

SPECIAL FOCUSES

Containing costs page 6

Review of the Baltics page 13

For fuel, ground services and all your trip arrangements

Continued on page 4

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MARCH 2010 3EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

BUSINESS AIR NEWSE U R O P E A N

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As we approach the 10th EBACE, wedecided to look back over the last tenyears to chart the evolution ofbusiness aviation in Europe and seewhat we in the Associations haveachieved, both in raising the profileand recognised value of the sectorand in supporting our operators. It isa good story!

Throughout the 1990s, businessaircraft numbers in Europe hoveredaround the 2,000 mark. However by2007, BusAv was the fastest growingsector after the low cost carriers, andtoday the fleet numbers an amazing3,900 aircraft with activity levelsrepresenting seven per cent of IFRtraffic. Not only that, but our value tothe EU is increasingly recognised bythe Commission, the Parliament andthe Council as providing “…tailored,flexible, door-to-door transportationfor individuals, enterprises and localcommunities, increasing the mobilityof people, productivity of businessand regional cohesion.”

Our value was also starkly by the PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ reportpublished in early 2009 showing that even discounting user benefits,we contributed €19.7billion inannual gross value to the Europeaneconomy in 2007; 0.2 per cent ofcombined GDP (of the EU, Norwayand Switzerland); 164,000 jobs; andcombined annual wages and salariesof €5.7 billion.

Eurocontrol continues to provideupdated reports on our sector and, asa result of all this recognition, the EU

Parliament and Council have eachpublished resolutions on businessand general aviation, recognising forthe first time that our needs have tobe taken into account in airport andairspace capacity planning.

At a practical level to help ourmembers, a new dialogue has beenopened up between US and EUofficials to improve access by EUoperators to the US. This has beenfacilitated by the US/Europeanpartnership in EBACE, which is nowwell established as the premiereevent in Europe, having grown from ashow with only 3,700 attendees whenit opened in 2001 to hosting over13,000 in 2008. Even last year in thedepth of the recession we enjoyedour third biggest show.

Furthermore, after three years ofhard work with the Commission, wehave new derogated security rulesfor our sector, recognising that oursecurity needs are different from theairlines and require a securityframework tailored to our sector. We are also active within SESAR,ensuring that the air trafficmanagement structure of the futurewill properly reflect our equipmentand operational capabilities,allowing these to be exploited safely and efficiently to improve ourutility to customers and minimisingour impact on the environment.Here, regular readers will know wecontinue to fight hard to make theEU-ETS application to our sectorboth more effective and less

bureaucratic, while emphasising our excellent environmentalperformance and our continuingcommitment to minimising ourimpact on the environment.However in EU-ETS there is still avery long way to go!

We have continued to develop IS-BAO so that commercial operatorscan now just obtain an SMS, ratherthan the whole package, and we havearranged training courses and work-shops to underwrite this. Recently we have launched an EmergencyResponse Planning GuidanceManual, which will greatly facilitatewhat has always been a daunting taskfor small operators, who comprisethe bulk of our membership(available at www.ebaa.org).

So after an exciting 10 years it isworth looking back and recognisingthat, despite all that has been thrownat us, business aviation in Europe hashad a remarkable first decade in thenew millennium and can lookforward confidently to the next.

Progress to be proud of

The Aero-Charter Airlines team is enjoying good demand for its Citation services according to the company's Alexey Novak (fifth from left).

Tel +44 (0)1202 573243 AOG +44 (0) 7989 [email protected] www.csecitationcentre.com

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The Ukraine’s ACR Aero-CharterAirlines plans to expand its seven-strong business aircraft fleet to ninewith the addition of a Citation XLS+and a CJ3 in the third quarter of 2011.

The company’s Alexey Novak says:“Our business is growing well despitethe world economic recession and wecontinue to enjoy demand from ourclients for vip charter to a myriad ofinternational destinations.”

Aero-Charter Airlines acquired twoCJ3s in July 2009 adding to its businessaviation fleet of seven Yak-40s.“During the last six months ofoperation each CJ3 has achievedbetween 40 and 50 hours of aircraft

operation per month,” Novak adds.“The aircraft were chosen because

of their suitability for demand in ourregion. We took into account factorsincluding range and the effectivecombination of flight hour costs andthe very comfortable modern interior.The CJ3s are deployed on businessand leisure trips within the Ukraine,CIS countries, Europe and the nearEast. Most of our clients are from the Ukraine.”

The company, founded in 1997,says it is determined to preserve itsmarket leading status in the Ukraine.“We plan to hold our position andincrease our presence in the market

which will help us to spread the scopeand sphere of our business andincrease our activity on foreignmarkets. The emphasis is on efficientdevelopment through painstakingmanagement and the careful andaccurate planning of the work processand time,” Novak adds.

He says that the company’sdynamic development and systematicexpansion of the services range hasearned it a good reputation as areliable business partner. “Manycharter brokers utilise our services. Wedo regular business with a number ofthem and keep them up-to-date withour ‘empty leg’ flight availability.”

Aero-Charter Airlines plans to bringstill more Citations to Ukraine

The Devon & Cornwall police force inthe UK is bringing an EC145 intoservice. “It includes a state-of-the-artinfrared camera, sophisticated videoviewing and recording equipment,and night vision goggles which enablethe crew to see at night almost as wellas in the day,” the force says. “ThisEC145 was ordered in September 2007after police aviation specialists hadassessed all the competition. Itreplaces the earlier BK117 which hasseen sterling service for over 12 years.”

Devon & Cornwall regards itself as apioneer of police aviation in the UKhaving operated support helicoptersfor more than 25 years. The forceexplains: “The EC145’s increased loadcarrying capacity and its flexibility andcost-effectiveness were among factorsin the decision. It is capable of twocrew operation of a pilot and anobserver, who can operate either outof the cockpit or in the cabin.”

Police seeadvantages inEC145’s greatnight vision

Michael Schumacher, who chose thelatest Comlux Global XRS for travel tothe Bahrain Grand Prix, will use thecharter operator's fleet for his vipflights during the 2010 Formula Oneseason. Schumacher says: “I havebeen flying with Comlux for manyyears now. Travelling like this allowsme to get fully rested before theGrand Prix and thus always arrivewell-prepared. The Global ExpressXRS is currently one of the fastest jetsin the world.”

“Comlux is very proud to supportMichael Schumacher for hiscomeback into Formula One” saysStephen Laven, Fly Comlux ceo.

Schumacher, he adds, will extensivelyuse the Comlux fleet which includestwo ACJs, two A318 Elites, fiveGlobal Express, two Global 5000s, twoChallenger 850s, two Challenger 605sand a Hawker 850XP.

EC145 chosen to replace BK117.

Schumacher uses XRS tolaunch Grand Prix comeback

Schumacher chooses XRS comfort.

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4 APRIL 2010 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Shannon airport is seeking to expandits pre-clearance agreement for US-bound flights after the first twoprivately-owned aircraft were clearedthrough the airport’s Universal FBOon 1 March.

Derek Collins, operations managerat Shannon, says: “The US Customsand Border Protection Agency isbeing fully briefed on the agreement'sfirst operational month. It has been agood start but we would like to extendthe hours of operation and work onbroadening the agreement to includeprivate charter operators as well asnon-revenue aircraft.”

Full US pre-clearance of aircraftallows passengers to make all thenecessary immigration, customs andagriculture inspections at Shannonbefore departure to the US. Shannonis the first location outside of the USwhich offers pre-clearance to privateaircraft, currently daily between 0700and 1500.

Director of Shannon airportMartin Moroney says: “The responseof international private jet operatorshas been extremely positive and we are keen to develop this significant business prospect byallowing the world’s major private

jet operators the opportunity toexperience the benefits of the servicefirst hand.”

Brendan O’Grady, md of UniversalAviation in Ireland, says: “We canreport that the first month has

provided a great opportunity toassess demand and prove theattractions of the service for aircraft

that currently might notautomatically use Shannon. Apartfrom pre-clearance, which allowspeople to land in the US with thesame status and convenience aspassengers on a domestic flight, theairport has competitive fuel pricesand is convenient for a technical stop.

“Effectively, Shannon can be a‘one-stop-shop’ for private aircraft.The extension of the pre-clearanceagreement to Part 135 aircraft is,from our point of view, a verydesirable objective.”

More than €20 million has beenbudgeted for the new pre-clearancefacility which has a separateprocessing area for general aviation.“We’d like to move the agreementforward to encompass the full GAsector,” says Collins.

The first two private aircraft tobenefit from pre-clearance were US-registered and flew from Europe tothe US. “They reported that theability to refuel, clear the formalitiesand then land at any domestic airportin the US was extremely convenient,”says O’Grady. “We expect thesepositives will be appreciated by agrowing number of aircraft in thecoming months and years.”

Shannon seeks to extend US pre-clearance to private charter

Jonathan Howells, Universal Aviation regional director Europe, Middle East and Africa (left) poses with US ambassador to Ireland DanRooney, Shannon airport officials and US Customs and Border Protection officers at a ceremony dedicating the new GA pre-clearancefacility in Shannon.

Cessna CitationAuthorised SalesRepresentative www.timleacockaircraft.com +44 (0)1258 818181

Belgium’s FlyingGroup is working toincrease its share of the Dutch privatecharter market. Ben Paindavin,marketing and PR director, says the company is developing activitieson Dutch soil by increasingoperations out of Rotterdam, TheHague and Schipol.

“Established as a key player inprivate aviation in Benelux, wesignificantly strengthened ourEuropean network with the launch of operations in the Netherlands,”Paindavin says. “After the preparatoryphase in mid-2009, we are readytoday to claim our share of the Dutch charter market. We have based three types of private jets

in the Netherlands – the Mustang, the Challenger 604 and the Falcon 50EX.”

He points out that more than 2,000destinations can be reached withinEurope and beyond from Rotterdamand Amsterdam.

Paindavin says two four-seatMustangs operate from bases inRotterdam, Antwerp and Luxem-bourg while a Falcon 50 configuredfor eight passengers is based atSchiphol Amsterdam. “TheChallenger 604 which will serviceHolland offers a spacious andluxurious cabin and is configured for12 passengers.”

FlyingGroup manages a fleet of 25private jets and operates fromairports including Antwerp, Cannes,Paris and Luxembourg.

FlyingGroup steps up operations in Hollandas it builds new European business

Danny Cabooter and Yves Meelbergs onduty for FlyingGroup.

Continued from page 1

A key part of the 12-leg journey werethe ‘pitstops’ with JetEx Flight Supportone of the sponsors. Each time thecrew landed, they urgently refuelledand took off again. Planned stopsranged between 28 minutes inColombo and 55 minutes inPetropavlovsk. The unplanned stop inGoose Bay took 64 minutes.

Mortara says: “To complete thiscircumnavigation and establish a newrecord is a tremendous honour andthe proudest moment of my career.Steve Fossett’s time in this category ofplane was a challenge to beat, but Iwas confident we could do so.

“In fact, we set our target a littlehigher, and aimed to beat ArnoldPalmer’s record in a lighter weightclass. We came so close to achieving

this, and would have done so by fourhours were it not for the volcano inIceland. Everything was going to planuntil Keflavik. In the 35 years I havebeen flying across the Atlantic I havenever heard of this airport closing. Wedid calculations on weather and riskslike this for the last 40 years and therisk of a volcanic eruption that woulddisrupt our trip was not something wewere expecting.

“We learned of this halfway toKeflavik from our previous refuellingstop in Montreal. We had two options: return to Canada, or divert to Shannon.”

Marcel Meyer, FAI executive officerrecords, says the procedure is for theFAI to study a complete dossier ofevidence submitted after a review bythe national member before formallygranting a world record.

Volcanic eruption fails to thwart world record team

Record celebrations: pictured from left are Flavien Guderzo, Tom Zorman (missioncontrol), Riccardo Mortara and Gabriel Mortara (co-captain). Photo: Fanny Eternod.

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Knowledge is the key in the battle to contain engine and aircraft costs

Unexpected bills can disrupt cashflow and even ruin businesses.Maintenance agreements andwarranties, like insurances, directdebits and standing orders, arepromoted on the premise that theyprovide “pay as you go” peace ofmind, contain the growth ofliabilities and help prevent costsescalating to dangerous levels.However, while there are schemesdesigned to mitigate the expense ofmaintaining private aircraft andtheir engines, it seems that most, ifnot all, owners and operators willface a degree of uncertainty, notleast because rises in costs willalmost certainly be passed on evenduring current contracts.

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helping private owners smooth thecost of maintenance liabilities.

Ocean Sky says that when it isasked to take on the management ofan aircraft it looks closely at any coveroptions that may already be in placeand then provides the necessaryadvice for the owner to make anobjective and educated decision onwhich programmes to enrol.

Andrew Hughes, md aircraftmanagement, points out: “There are avariety of schemes which allow theowners of aircraft to insurethemselves against the potentiallyhigh cost of engineering-related coststhat can result from any incidentresulting in damage to an aircraft.These are principally dividedbetween manufacturer backed andapproved schemes or insuranceschemes offered by third partysuppliers. In general the schemes canbe tailored to suit the needs of theclient with the level of cover adjustedto match both the owner’s budget and

appetite for risk. “It is vitally important that the

owner is fully aware of the potentialcosts involved in an engine orairframe type incident where the billcan reach seven figures very quickly.In general cover can be restricted tojust cover engines and APU or insome schemes whole airframeprotection can be acquired at apremium. Clearly it is also importantto consider both the age and value of the aircraft concerned whenmaking the decisions about whetherto opt in or out of an appropriatescheme and equally the provision of a specific level of coverage may be a requirement of a finance ormortgage provider who will always be looking to ensure that the value of the financed asset is protectedwhere possible.”

Hughes advises: “The impact onthe residual value of the aircraftshould also not be overlooked whenmaking the decision on the selection

Ten tips for containing costs• Make addressing costs as big a priority as providing the best personal

service

• Know what is and what isn’t covered in the contract

• Choose the right expert services option – management company,manufacturer, maintenance specialist, fractional operator

• Pay special attention to engine provisions such as those covering TBO and HIS

• Study the different levels of packages available and their possible impact on resale values

• Make sure upgrades, particularly the major ones such as engine changesand bespoke cabin conversions, are covered or incorporated inarrangements

• Check that the maintenance provider consistently invests in trainingprogrammes

• Examine whether partnership arrangements can generate cost-defrayingincome

• Ask the right informed questions, preferably making a written list of concerns

Lastein family celebrates Bel Air contract milestoneThe Lastein family are celebrating a milestone for Denmark’s Bel Air. Owner andpilot Susanne Lastein says the company has been awarded a firm contract foroffshore shuttle services by Maersk Oil & Gas, Denmark, which can run untilAugust 2013. “This supersedes the ‘call off’ contract which began operation inthe summer of 2009. The new contract will mean an increase in the size of theBel Air operation and comes after a great deal of hard work on the part ofeverybody at the company.” The family celebration photo shows the Lasteins –Bjarne, Louise, Camilla, Susanne, Frederik, Julie, Jacob and Malene. In thebackground is the AW139 ‘Spirit of Agusta’.

DRF Luftrettung has converted itslatest Learjet 35A into a flyingintensive care unit. Based at Karlsruheairport near Baden-Baden, the aircraft was refitted by the company’stechnicians. “For six monthsspecialists in the maintenance facilityof DRF Luftrettung installed elec-tronic systems, medical equipmentand devices,” reports technicaldepartment head Wolfgang Stein.

He explains: “According toEuropean aeronautical regulationsaircraft have to be equipped withcertain electronic components. Forexample, an enhanced groundproximity warning system, a flightdata recorder and weather radar areall included.”

Stein says the Learjet 35A was alsogiven technically modified aerofoils toreduce aerodynamic drag. “The newLearjet offers even better workingconditions for staff because theinterior was adapted to suit therequirements of the paramedics andthe emergency physicians.”

The new Learjet 35A was usedwhen the medical crew transferred afive-year-old boy with a heart diseasefrom a hospital in Stuttgart to theairport. The emergency physician andparamedic provided medical care onboard of the ambulance during histransport to a special clinic.

DRF Luftrettung operates sixaircraft for the worldwiderepatriation of patients under thebanner of the European AirAmbulance (EAA) and in cooperationwith the Luxembourg Air Rescue(LAR). As well as five Learjet 35Asthese include one King Air Beech 200.

Stein says the new red and whiteliveried Learjet 35A replaces one ofthe previous Learjets which is nowused as a stand-by aircraft. He adds:“Last year, 794 repatriations wereconducted, flying patients fromabroad to their home countries.” DRFLuftrettung also operates 30 HEMSbases in Germany for emergencyrescue and intensive care transportsbetween hospitals.

DRF Luftrettung operates newaerial intensive care unit

Jacques Chauvet, svp worldwide customer service, says Dassault’s FalconCare programme will soon celebrate its 100th contract.

APRIL 2010 7EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

of suitable schemes; theinclusion of the aircraft on aninsurance scheme may notactually enhance the value ofthe aircraft but it willcertainly make it a moreattractive option whenplaced against a similaraircraft without coverage.”

In general terms thevarious programmes operateby charging a fixed annual feewith additional per hourflying costs. Depending onthe supplier they may insiston a monthly payment basedon a fixed number of flyinghours which would then bereconciled at the end of theyear against actual flyinghours where a calculationwould be made whether anyadditional fees or refunds arerequired.

Hughes adds: “For pre-owned aircraft withoutexisting cover then a buy-inpremium will often berequired subject to atechnical survey on thehistory of the aircraft. In thecase of new aircraft then themanufacturers will normallyoffer their own OEM backedschemes such as Rolls RoyceCorporate Care, BombardierSmart Parts Plus or EmbraerExecutive Care.”

A typical airframeprogramme covers virtuallyevery part, component,assembly and system on-board the aircraft, excludingthe engines and APU for alimited contract term. Pricingfor this type of programme isbased on historical data forthe aircraft type concernedalong with data for thespecific airframe beinginsured, any aircraft withunusual modifications canexpect to be paying addi-tional premiums due to thehigher risk associated withnon-standard modifications.

Coverage can be arrangedto include both scheduledand unscheduled main-tenance, including in somecases the parts, labour andshipping costs of the parts.The addition of other factorssuch as avionics, tyres andbrakes and the levels oftechnical support requiredcan all impact on the costs ofthe annual and per flyinghour premiums payable.Cover can also be providedfor the inclusion of futureairworthiness directives orservice bulletins which canagain become significant andunexpected costs if the owneris not careful.

Hughes says: “The Tip-to-Tail programme offered byJSSI is ideal for an aircraftowner who is looking for asingle source solution for theentire aircraft including theairframe, engines and APU.This allows an owner a degree of predictability inengineering costs, but it isworth noting that theseschemes are a form ofinsurance with no rebates inthe event of the owner notmaking a claim against theprogramme.”

He adds: “The BombardierSmart Parts programme iscurrently used by more than900 aircraft owners andoperators around the worldand is available across the 15aircraft types offered by themanufacturer. It providescoverage for the airframecomponents (including avio-

nics) but not the aircraft’sengines or APU which wouldmore typically be covered bythe respective manufacturer.”

‘Power by the hour’, OceanSky says, is a good example of an OEM manufacturerscheme. It encompasses anafter sale fleet support optionthat provides the owner withfixed engine maintenancecosts over an extendedperiod of time. The owner isassured of accurate budgetswhile avoiding theunexpected cost spikesassociated with AOG events.

London ExecutiveAviation (LEA) uses ‘power bythe hour’-style programmesfor the company’s six Citation Mustangs (ProParts,PowerAdvantage and Pro-Tech), four Citation Excels (a mix of ProParts andPowerAdvantage dependingon the aircraft) and fiveLegacy 600s (EmbraerExecutive Care for airframesand engines).

LEA md GeorgeGalanopoulos says: “We’veonly been operating theMustangs for two years, so inthese early days it is difficultto establish the cost-effectiveness of ProTech. Butwe know that ProParts, whichwe use for our newerCitations, has worked well.We have very rarely usedparts over the total value ofthe programme, whichmeans that, by the terms ofthe agreement, we usuallyreceive back 65 per cent ofthe remaining unused fund atthe end of the contract. Atfirst this process might seemlike an expensive way tomaintain the aircraft, but it isactually an approach thatbrings you valuable peace ofmind and enhances theresale value.”

Galanopoulos adds: “Soalthough the ProTechprogramme might appearexpensive in the first years ofan aircraft’s operation, whenjets are still under warranty,you enjoy peace of mind andpredictable operating costsfrom the outset. And again, ifyou decide to sell the aircraft,a ProTech background isdefinitely a plus point.”

Galanopoulos is happywith the service he receivesfrom Cessna and Embraer,although he admits thatwaiting for Citation parts toarrive from Wichita, Kansas,can be frustrating. “Embraeroperates a large parts depotin Paris, so aircraft-on-ground requirements aredealt with relatively quicklyin Europe.”

Are there negatives in theworld of ‘power by the hour’?Galanopoulos acknowledges:“You pay up front in effect,and you only see the benefits

when parts are required, orthe engine needs anoverhaul, which could be 10years down the line.”

But: “ProParts simplifiesthe planning, budgeting andprocurement of airframe and avionics spare partsrequirements for Citationaircraft. Programme coverageincludes all parts andconsumables needed for line,scheduled and unscheduledmaintenance events.”

Galanopoulos says Power-Advantage helps the customermanage engine maintenancecosts by providingdependable original equip-ment manufacturer (OEM)parts coverage for line main-tenance and scheduled andunscheduled engine events.All parts for hot sectioninspection and overhaul areincluded in the coverage.

ProTech is the latestaddition to the CitationProAdvantage family ofprogrammes. As an option toProParts, ProTech is acomprehensive main-tenance labour programmefor Mustang owners andoperators.

Partnerships with operators

Not surprisingly, theproviders of cost smoothingmaintenance programmesand arrangements haveentered partnerships withoperators. Jet SupportServices, Inc (JSSI) and AvconJet of Austria provide anexample.

Louis Seno, president andceo of JSSI, says that, as one of the world’s largest,independent providers ofhourly cost maintenanceprogrammes for the businessaviation industry, thecompany is focusing onexpanding its business in keyregions and has appointedVienna-based Avcon Jet as itsnew sales representative foreastern Europe, Russia,Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Alexander Vagacs, ceo ofAvcon Jet, says the part-nership with JSSI will help“protect aircraft owners fromunexpected costs of main-tenance and provide peace ofmind through a predictablemaintenance budget.”

JSSI, founded in 1989,stresses the importance ofhourly cost maintenanceprogrammes for aircraftengines and airframes. Senosays: “JSSI provides itscustomers with comprehen-sive, flexible and affordablefinancial tools for managingthe often unpredictable costsof operating and maintainingnearly all types of turbine-powered aircraft, includingjets, turboprops and turbine

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AirMed’s engineers looking over one of the nine PT6-61 turbineengines covered by the Pratt & Whitney FMP.

Continued on next page


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powered helicopters. JSSI servescustomers globally and managesmaintenance services through itsworldwide infrastructure of certifiedtechnical service representatives.”

Avcon Jet, which operates a fleet of25 jets, says that such maintenanceprogrammes should be “intelligentlyintegrated” with complementaryaircraft services and solutions such assales and acquisition, financing andmanagement etc.

Seno says: “There are three mainreasons to consider an hourly costmaintenance programme; the needfor budget stability, maintenance costsavings, and increased residual valueof the asset. Reducing costs andachieving a stable and predictablemaintenance budget are critical tasksin today’s market. The challenge with self-reserve is that it is hard toforecast the true cost of an engineoverhaul that will happen in the future, plus be prepared to cover any catastrophic or unscheduledevent that could happen. So anhourly cost maintenance programmesimply protects the owner/operatorfrom the unpredictable cost ofaircraft maintenance.

“For in-service aircraft, JSSI givesthe owner the ability to enroll mostaircraft onto an engine programmewithout the need to pay up front forhours already flown, often astaggering amount,” Seno says.“Instead, JSSI offers the option todefer this buy-in until a futurescheduled event occurs, allowing theowner to invest their precious capitalelsewhere in their business. All thewhile they are also getting great peaceof mind knowing that anyunscheduled event is covered by JSSI.”

He adds: “Enrolling aircraft engineswith JSSI at the time of aircraft deliveryis a smart decision. Not only will theowner or operator ensure completebudget stability throughout the life of

the engines, but they will see anincreased value of the aircraft at thetime of resale. The market is provingthat now, more than ever, we see thataircraft on a JSSI programme areselling at a higher price and morequickly than those not on a JSSIprogramme and this added value iseven recognised in the Aircraft BlueBook published today.”

JSSI, he says, is not tied to oneaircraft or engine manufacturer, so itcan cover an entire mixed fleet ofaircraft that might consist of anythingfrom an S-76 to a BBJ.

Seno says the company’s technicalservice representatives have been

with JSSI for many years and haveexperience with a wide cross section of engines and aircraft. “Nosingle programme can meeteveryone’s individual needs. JSSI has arange of programmes that can becustomised to meet aircraft owners’and operators’ special requirements.”

These include the comprehensiveJSSI Premium, the JSSI Select which focuses on scheduled andunscheduled maintenance costswithout coverage for life limitedcomponents and the Tip-to-Tailprogramme designed for the clientdesiring a single source option for theentire aircraft. “We are the only

company in the industry that providescoverage for virtually any combinationof airframe, engine and APU models,”Seno says.

“It’s not easy to manage theoperating costs of an aircraft in today’s market and our programmes will help lower overall maintenanceout-of-pocket expenses. Our newFarnborough headquarters will be theEuropean base for administration,which will enable JSSI to better serveEuropean clients. We are extremelyoptimistic about the Europeanmarket recovery, so our primary focusas a company is to further develop ourinfrastructure, making sure that wecontinue to implement the bestpractices that have distinguished JSSIover the years.”

Aircraft manufacturers that havedeveloped their own programmesdesigned to smooth the costs ofmaintenance for clients and theirauthorised centres all stress theirspecialist experience.

Rolls-Royce trademarkMore than 400 Gulfstream aircraft are enrolled in Rolls-Royce’strademark-registered CorporateCaremaintenance programme. Theseaircraft are the Gulfstream G550,G500, G450 and G350. The G550 andG500 are powered by the Rolls-RoyceBR710 engines, while the G450 andG350 use the Tay 611-8C engines.

Gulfstream points out: “Power bythe Hour is a registered trademarkname owned by Rolls-Royce. Thecompany has replaced that namewith CorporateCare, at least forbusiness aviation purposes.”

CorporateCare will be available for the new Gulfstream flagshipaircraft, the BR725-equipped G650,which is scheduled for entry-into-service in 2012. Gulfstream says:“CorporateCare is a fixed-cost enginemaintenance management planbased on hours flown. It is made up

of high-value services, includingengine management, asset andlogistics services, engine repair andoverhaul and encompasses theexperience and technical excellenceunique to the OEM.”

It adds: “CorporateCare, whichstarted in 2002, is available for new and in-service engines. The most important financial benefit itprovides operators is enhancing the aircraft’s residual value. If theaircraft is sold, the CorporateCaremaintenance plan is transferable.CorporateCare also gives operatorspredictable maintenance costs,reduces their need for capitalinvestment in the form of spare partsand tools, and increases aircraftavailability since a lease engine isincluded in the programme if yourengine is in the shop.”

Aircraft enrolled in theCorporateCare programme must beworked on at authorised Rolls-Roycefacilities, which number 40worldwide, or by one of Rolls-Royce’s250 authorised mobile technicians.

Most Gulfstream G150 aircraftoperators subscribe to the HoneywellMaintenance Service Program (MSP)for the Honeywell 731-poweredaircraft. MSP, similar to Rolls-Royce’sCorporateCare, will be available for the HTF7250G-powered G250,which is scheduled for entry-into-service in 2011.

Engine maker Pratt & WhitneyCanada offers its Eagle Service Plan, a pay-by-the-hour programme, for Gulfstream G200 operators. Theaircraft is equipped with Pratt &Whitney Canada twin 306A engines.

Phil Lammiman, md Bourne-mouth, England-based CSE CitationCentre, says: “Having been a CessnaAuthorised Citation Centre for 21years we have grown up with thepower advantage programmes thathave been introduced by Cessna overthe years. Originally the first

Continued from previous page

Avcon Jet enjoys a partnership with JSSI. Pictured are: Johanna Röthlin, EsmeraldaFernandes de Sà, Stefanie Leutgeb, Martina Stelzl, Roman Wiedenhofer, AlexanderVagacs, ceo, Maximilian Maruna, Mark Cobb and Wolfgang Kainz.


QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE USA3 Saddle Road Cedar Knolls NJ 07927 USA

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SWITZERLANDRinaustrasse 452 CH-4303Kaiseraugst Switzerland

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programme was called Pro Parts. Thisprogramme consists of a contractbetween the aircraft owner oroperator and Cessna for the supply ofparts only for the airframe. The ownerpaid Cessna a rate per flight hour andCSE fitted all the required parts andclaimed the cost back from Cessna.”

He adds: “The programme ensuresthe customer receives genuine Cessnaapproved parts with all the associatedwarranty and good quality. To qualifythe parts must come through Cessnaparts department. The programme isvery comprehensive and covers justabout any airframe part on the aircraftwith very limited restrictions. From abusiness perspective this has workedvery well for CSE. Purchasing is madeeasier as we have one port of call forparts supplies. This reduces ouroverhead as we do not need apurchasing department to sourceparts. The other added benefit for theowner is a known expenditure onparts on a monthly basis and theeffective reduction of the shock ofhigh cost items that may be requiredfor the aircraft. This helps ourrelationship with the customer assurprises are limited in the overallmaintenance process.”

Cessna has extended theprogrammes to take in enginescheduled maintenance including hotsection and overhaul to varying levelsof support and more recently labourcontracts that support all scheduledand unscheduled servicing.

Lammiman says: “We have seen ahigh take up of the programmes on theMustang. Out of the 18 Mustangs wemaintain 70 per cent have the full suiteof power advantage programmes. Anadded benefit of the supportprogrammes is higher values on theaircraft. Any aircraft that has supportprogrammes will command highersales values than an equivalent aircraftwithout programmes.”

Dassault offers FalconCare, afinancial product that coversscheduled and unscheduled main-tenance costs based on hourly,monthly and per landing rates.Jacques Chauvet, svp worldwidecustomer service, says the programmewill soon celebrate its 100th contractand has been very successful.

“FalconCare is based on the ‘Payas you Fly” philosophy. It means thatthe operator will be charged monthlyaccording to its specific flight activitybased on the flight hour numbers, thecycles (landings) and a fixed rate per month,” Chauvet adds. “It wasdeveloped after extensive discussionswith current Falcon operators andmatches their requirements to take allthe surprises out of budgeting formaintenance operations.”

Dassault recently undertook a

major review both of its company-owned and its authorised servicecentre (ASC) network. Chauvetreports: “The traditional network hadworked well in areas with large Falconfleets such as Europe and the UnitedStates, but had to take into account thedevelopment of the Falcon fleet in newemerging markets for business, as wellas the growing number of transientaircraft in these regions. DassaultFalcon has five company-ownedservice centres and 26 ASCsstrategically located throughout theworld. These centres are now focusingon three different categories ofmaintenance and other serviceoptions are being added, making thenetwork more flexible and accessible.”The company has recently added five satellite service stations with‘GoTeams’ positioned on four

continents offering consistent accessto high levels of service.

James Hebert, manager SmartServices Business Aircraft, saysBombardier launched Smart Parts forits Challenger 600 and 601 series in1986. “Customers paid a monthlyflight hour rate for comprehensivecomponent coverage of a wide rangeof airframe systems includingavionics.” There was an innovativetwo step approach to flight hour ratepricing providing operators withlower rates during aircraft warranty.This approach was also applied to itsengine coverage programme in lateryears. Hebert recalls: “Marketacceptance was strong and additionalprogrammes were developed withexpanded aircraft coverage over thenext 20-plus years, with SmartServices established as the umbrella

of Bombardier’s cost per flight hour solutions which include SmartParts, Smart Parts Plus, Smart PartsEngine Coverage and SmartMaintenance Plus.”

Six years after Bombardier’sacquisition of Learjet in 1990 its SmartServices offerings were extended toinclude the then current Learjetaircraft models. Bombardier’s cost perflight hour programme growth nowembraces 17 of its models: theLearjets 31A, 40, 40XR, 45, 45 XR, 60,60 XR; the Challenger 300, 601-1A,3A/3R, 604, 605, 850, 870; the GlobalExpress, Global 5000 and Global XRS.

“Total enrollment in Smart Servicesprogrammes is over 1000 aircraft andparticipation has surpassed threemillion flight hours,” Hebert says.“Evolution of the Smart Servicesprogrammes expands on the initialSmart Parts offering with addedcoverage and transferability at aircraftresale. Buyers wishing to takeadvantage of existing coverage simplyaccept a programme transfer. Shouldthe aircraft not be enrolled duringresale buyers can enroll with acombination of flight hour rate priceadjustments, enrolment fees andenrolment inspection.”

Hebert points out: “Aircraft resalevalues can benefit as buyers areprotected from upcoming coveredmaintenance costs as per theapplicable programme and due to thepedigree of goods and services thatwere available and covered under the programme.”

Common to all Smart Servicesprogrammes is the convenience ofeveryday maintenance items such astire wear, brake wear, landing lights,expendable discard items such asgaskets, seals, o-rings and airframesystem filters, he says. “In addition,and most difficult to predict for anyflight operation, you will find coveragefor most Bombardier issued alert and


Members of the IJM technical department include administration technician Marlene Ulreich, CAMO engineer Amos Hofmann, PCAtechnical director Markus Volk, deputy PCA Markus Schröcker and CAMO engineer Matthias Krapp.


recommended service bulletin kitsand components. By itself, this can bean important element of costcoverage. Beyond these items lies thearea most sought after by operators forcost predictability and budget prot-ection. Major airframe systems arecovered for most scheduled andunscheduled component replace-ments such as: air-conditioning,autopilot, communications, electricalgeneration and distribution, fireprotection, flight control systems,hydraulics, ice and rain protection,indicating and recording, certainlanding gear components, lights,navigation, crew oxygen, pneumatics,windshields, cabin windows, thrust-reverser actuators and switches.”

Certain Smart Services prog-rammes such as Smart Parts Plus alsocover select secondary structure itemssuch as door steps, wing tip lenses,landing light lenses, thrust-reversercascades and composite fairings.

In 1998 Bombardier entered theengine coverage market with its SmartParts Engine Coverage (SPEC) onChallenger 604s. Hebert says:“Operators enrolled in Smart PartsPlus could pay an additional flighthour rate to benefit from SPECcoverage with single monthlypayments for both airframe andengine programmes.”

SPEC is available for Challenger604, 605 and 850 as well as certain 601-3R aircraft with on-condition engine

maintenance. “The programme coversvirtually all engine components andassociated removal and re-installationlabour. Engine shop visits are alsocovered for engine caused events andlease engines under those conditions.Transportation of both the removedengine and lease engine is included.Engine manufacturer service bulletinscategory 1 through 6 are included atnext access or shop visit and may havea maximum value cap over thecontract term. Trend monitoring,filters and ignitors are part of theprogramme. Certain items mayrequire a prorated cost sharing with


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the operator such as achieved lifelimits for repairs.”

Continued programme releasesprovided operators of newly-deliveredBombardier aircraft Smart Main-tenance Plus starting in 2006. “Thisprogramme was designed for theoperator frequenting BombardierAviation Services service centres andcertain Bombardier authorised servicefacilities,” says Hebert.

Smart Maintenance Plus addedscheduled labour inspection costcoverage to all the features found inSmart Parts Plus. “With that, a trulycomprehensive programme wasavailable for the operators’ choosing.All current Bombardier productionmodels are eligible for enrollment attime of new aircraft delivery. Inaddition, for Challenger 605 and 850models, unscheduled labour isincluded out of warranty in years fourand five. Following the first termexpiration operators may convert toSmart Parts Plus for continuedparticipation in Smart Services.”

Bombardier’s actual Smart ServicesAgreements contain details of exclu-sion and coverage and their terms andconditions at all times prevail.

Impact on resale valuesOwners and operators will suffer ifthey skimp on maintenance to thedetriment of the resale price.

W Barry Smith of dealer-brokerBusiness Air International says:

“Whether you like them or have aphilosophical objection to engineprepaid maintenance programmes,when it comes to private jets, they areabsolutely essential when it is time totrade or sell your aircraft. Ourexperience shows that if the aircraft is not enrolled on such a programme, the owner will have toreduce the cost of the aircraft bywhatever it takes to enroll the aircraftonto a programme. Virtually everybuyer is fully aware that the largestexposure in acquiring a used aircraftinvolves unscheduled enginemaintenance and repair. Importantly,the cost to enroll an aircraft on such aprogramme after several years’ use issignificantly more expensive thanhaving paid to be continuouslyenrolled on such a programme. Andthis same concept is becomingalmost as mandatory regardingairframe support programmes.”

Smith adds: “We have noted a mildbuyer preference for maintenanceprogrammes over independentprogrammes, but being on such aprogramme is absolutely mandatorywhen it comes to resale.”

When it comes to resale values,many owners and operators invest inbespoke cabin conversions and theadvisability of looking at how tosmooth maintenance costs is allied topreserving the records critical topreserving resale value.

Fixed feeFabion Beretta, head of Airbuscustomer services department, says a‘VIP Pass’ airworthiness engineeringservice will be available from theAirbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC)from spring of this year. “Prices forthe services related to VIP Pass will becharged with a monthly fixed fee forany range of utilisation up to 1,000flight hours (FH). The only exceptionis for the engines where a price perengine FH will be applied.”

This follows the choice by cabincompletion specialist ACJC of AMOSfor its maintenance services. TheAMOS integrated maintenanceinformation System (MIS) has beendeveloped and distributed by SwissAviationSoftware Ltd (Swiss-AS).“Such high end products are not easilyaccessible to ACJ operators andowners since they require an ITinfrastructure and specific operatingknowledge,” Beretta adds. “ACJC takescare of the IT infrastructure,installation and configuration ofAMOS in its facility. This gives itscustomers ease of use and a guaranteethat their airworthiness data is in goodhands. Specifically developed forexecutive and private operators ofACJs, VIP Pass includes cabinupgrades and refurbishment, airframemaintenance, cabin and airframespares, as well as full engine support.”

Beretta says that ACJC, based atToulouse, France, has alreadycontracted with prestigious customersin Asia, Europe and Middle East. Its200 employees have now completedmore than 15 vip Airbus cabins.

Price advantagesBig airlines use their economicmuscle as large customers and bulkoperators of relatively uniform fleetsto gain low cost terms and conditionsthat tend to elude even the largermanagement fleets focused on asingle type of aircraft. Consequentlyairlines have for years enjoyed priceadvantages in ‘power by the hour’style contracts that effectively helpfix, or at least contain, annual costs,according to Steven Markhoff, ceo ofthe US-based eJet Services, Ltd.

Markhoff, who comes from anairline background where cost-cuttingis king, believes the global economic

Ocean Sky reviews the best maintenance options for clients.

standards are met and exceeded. A key factor of an efficient main-tenance organisation is an excellentrelations network with maintenanceproviders, aircraft manufacturers and maintenance programmeproviders. Fast, solid and costefficient solutions result from this,generating the customer the highestpossible aircraft availability.”

The company says it is important to have optimal communicationbetween aircraft owners, maintenanceservice providers and other involvedinternal departments such as dispatchand finance. “This creates trulyadditional value for the aircraftowner,” Volk adds.

IJM also employs field engineersspecialising in the Gulfstream V andGlobal 5000 who can directly work onsite if required.

Ludwig says that owners looking at private aircraft purchase andmaintenance can be heartened by amarket recovery that started in thehigh end segment “and can beexpected to continue top to bottomthroughout the coming 12 to 18

months.” He adds: “Long termprognoses are always extremelydifficult. Avima thinks high quality, lowage aircraft can see a recovery of theirasset values over the next five years,which will allow the aircraft purchaserto generate a very good profit uponresale of the asset or looking at it froman operator’s point of view, the valueincrease would cover the operatingcosts for the aircraft for a considerableperiod of time.”

Therefore Ludwig believes thatnow is a good time to both buy anaircraft with confidence and sign upfor specialist arrangements to smooththe cost.

IJM’s engineers say that there has tobe an evaluation as to the optimumtiming for new contracts. “If a newmaintenance programme for airframeor engines is needed the companyshould be skilled at identifying theperfect fit with regards to theservice/cost ratio. The owner-operatorshould check whether themaintenance provider always screensthe market to ascertain the bestpossible solution regarding importantaspects such as cost, quality of work,downtime, otherwise the financialbenefits could be seriously eroded.”

Air ambulanceWhile it is financially imperative forexecutive charter aircraft to operate tomaximum efficiency, it may be amatter of life and death where airambulances are concerned. AirMed,which boasts the UK’s largest airambulance operations fleet of tenaircraft, undertakes critical missionsaround the world. “Reliability isexceedingly important to us,” says ceoRupert Dent. “In order to achieve the

required level of reliability, AirMed hasan integrated EASA part 145maintenance facility based at Oxfordairport and is also a keen supporter ofmanufacturer’s engine maintenanceprogrammes. These programmesprovide AirMed with a significantnumber of benefits as well as ensuringback up if it is required.”

AirMed, among other aircraft, ownsand operates four turbine Cheyennesand two Learjet 35As. In late 2005, asthe company progressively built itsturbine fleet, AirMed analysed thebenefits of Pratt and Whitney’s FleetManagement Programme (FMP) formultiple engines and their EagleService Plan (ESP) that coversindividual engines. Because at thetime AirMed planned to increase thesize of the fleet – it now owns andoperates a total of nine PT6 turbines(there is one stock PT6-61 engine forquick changes if required) – theanalysis indicated that the FMP fleet programme provided the mostsuitable cover. Dent says: “AirMedtherefore decided to sign up for aninitial five-year plan. This plan hasproven to be invaluable, providingloaner engines when one is due anoverhaul, operating advice based onPratt and Whitney’s continuous datagathering from engines in the field,excellent parts delivery arrangementsfor engines as they come in on their routine maintenance cycles,continuous engine trend monitoringwhich will help extend the Time BeforeOverhaul (TBO) and so on.”

Dent adds: “The flexibility of theprogramme has also been beneficial,with progressive additions to thenumber of engines that are covered, as additional aircraft have beenpurchased. One of the key criteria forsigning up to the programme was ofcourse to gain cost improvementsover time. During the past few yearsthe fleet size has built to the currentnine engines. However, because therehas been only one full year where allnine engines have been operatedcontinuously, the cost reductions willonly be seen in a year or two’s time,when year on year comparisons areable to be made.

“One additional financial benefithowever is already clear and that isthat the programme helps to smooththe cost of engine overhauls over itsfive year life. At potentially US$400,000 an overhaul, the benefit tocashflow is important. While the scaleof AirMed’s operation means thatFMP is the right choice, operatorswith one or two aircraft may find theESP alternative more beneficial.”

AirMed’s two Lear 35As arepowered by Honeywell turbofans andthe manufacturer programme that ismade available is called MSP. AirMedhas chosen the MSP Gold alternativefor all four engines. Dent says: “Whileit proved a little difficult at the outsetto get the focus that was required fromHoneywell, AirMed is again verysatisfied with the level of support thatis now being provided. In particular,when the first aircraft beganoperations in July 2009, Honeywellpositioned a spare engine to the UKspecifically to provide the support andback up that AirMed required. AsAirMed is the only UK-based operatorof the Lear 35A and the TFE 731-2-2Bis only used on this type of aircraft, it


recession has further accelerateddemand for maintenance plans thatenable private aviation owners andoperators to know, within certainparameters, what costs are likely to be.

He claims a joint productdeveloped by eJet and LufthansaTechnik provides business jetoperators true airline style ‘power bythe hour’ programmes. “The jointproduct provides owners andoperators of airliners converted toprivate luxury aircraft with lower,more predictable costs, fleet-basedpurchasing and efficiency, and24/7/365 support through eJet’smaintenance and engineeringsupport centre. The LufthansaTechnik and eJet Services jointprogramme offers low-utilisation andsmall fleet airline operators acomprehensive, global package ofnose-to-tail maintenance andoperating support.”

The programme addresses anidentified niche and there areobviously vast numbers of owners andoperators with a diverse make orsingle aircraft fleet who continue toface paying for maintenance on aindividually assessed basis thatinvariably carries a price premium.

The eJet and Lufthansa Technikcost-per-flight-hour programme is forBombardier CRJ and Challenger 850 aircraft and covers engines,avionics, rotables, landing gear,auxiliary power units, wheels andbrakes. “All key systems are covered,including electrical, hydraulic,pneumatic and environmentalcomponents,” Markhoff says.

Lufthansa Technik provides globalmaintenance, repair and overhaulcapability and logistics while eJetprovides 24/7 maintenance control,parts tracking and record keeping,maintenance planning tools, and acustomised maintenance programmefor individual operators. Markhoffsays: “This can reduce inspection andheavy maintenance costs by up to 20per cent. The joint programme is bothJAR OPS and FAA Part 21 compliant.”

The programme, he says, includesno ‘buy-in’ for engine and LLPcoverage. “If no engine event or LLPreplacement has occurred during theterm of the agreement, customers areeligible to receive 66 per cent of themoney paid in for engine and engineLLP coverage returned to them. Inaddition, shipping costs for parts toany commercial airport worldwide isincluded in the hourly rate. Unlikeother programmes, the hourly rate isnever adjusted from year to year andannual escalation is capped at amaximum of four per cent per year.”

Markhoff says that these, and otheradvantages, mean that private ownersand fleet operators, such as SolidAir,can for the first time use and aspire toa true ‘power by the hour’ supportprogramme replicating the pricing,service and efficiencies enjoyed bylarge airlines and for the first timeavailable to private owners and smallfleet operators. eJet and LufthansaTechnik will soon be expanding theprogramme to include Boeing andAirbus aircraft. “Our programme forconverted CJRs and Challenger 850s will be made available forChallenger 604s and 605s.

“Owners and operators shouldcheck whether standard worldwideshipping and logistics costs areincluded in fixed-cost pricing. Theterms for engines are massivelyimportant. Our programme has termsthat allow no buy-in for engines andfull engine and LLP coverage from dayone.” Owners who delegate tomanagement companies need toknow whether 24/7 technical supportand troubleshooting assistance isincluded and what is charged as extra.

Maintenance planning, optionalheavy check management, recordkeeping, parts management andtracking and engine trend monitoring

are important aspects. “It is critical toascertain what can be transferred tosubsequent owners and operators,”Markhoff points out.

Owners and operators can only buy private aircraft with confidence(EBAN March 2010) if they addressthe aircraft and engine maintenanceissues. Successful operation andmaintenance, in turn, depends ongood timing of the purchase and astrong operational set-up.

Timing issues“We firmly believe that there hasnever been a better time to buy acorporate jet,” says Stefan Ludwig,project manager of Switzerland’sAvima Consult Ltd. “But as recoveringaircraft values encourage owners andoperators to trade up or move intoprivate aircraft ownership, they willfind it crucial to decide the right typeof operation to implement a cost-effective maintenance structure.”

He adds: “There are two basicoptions. The owner can set up aprivate operation or company flightdepartment, possibly with its ownAOC, or select an aircraft managementcompany to take care of everything.”

Ludwig points out that thetechnical operation of aircraft is a key aspect taken care of by an aircraft management company undercontract. If owners choose to delegatesuch operations, Avima’s preferredpartner for aircraft management isInternational Jet Management GmbH(IJM) in Vienna, Austria, whichmanages some 20 aircraft.

IJM, which employs a team ofhighly qualified and experiencedaircraft engineers, says many ownersprefer to delegate the tasks involved intaking care of every technical aspect.

Chief engineer Markus Volk’sadvice is: “Owners need to check that the management company'sengineers offer 24-7 on-site supportand grant or arrange that supportwhenever this seems necessary. It isalso important to check the trainingaspects. IJM’s engineers are on apermanent ongoing programme offurther courses that enable them toemploy the latest maintenance know-how on behalf of clients. The bestcompanies will always be able toguarantee that complex safety

A Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services (LBAS) overhaul in progress.

Stefan Ludwig: timing is key.



undoubtedly shows the commitmentthat Honeywell are prepared to give anoperator, when they were prepared toposition an engine in the UK, in theway that they did. The other benefitsof MSP Gold are similar to those thatapply to FMP.”

Dent says AirMed will continue touse engine manufacturer enginemaintenance programmes in thefuture and believes that otheroperators, particularly in thedemanding air ambulance sector,should also look at the benefits, if theyhave not already done so.

Fractional ownershipSteve Hughes, director of main-tenance and engineering, NetJetsEurope, points out that the companycan bring economies of scale to bearon smoothing the cost of aircraft andengine maintenance.

He says: “A share in a NetJetsaircraft offers companies andindividuals access to an entire fleet fora tiny fraction of what it costs to buyand maintain a single aircraft. As aconsequence of this, all maintenancecosts, scheduled and unscheduled,are distributed evenly and managedand controlled by NetJets Europe: anowner will never be surprised byunscheduled maintenance downtimeas we will manage the logistics of arepair and arrange an alternative jet toget them to their destination. Thanksto our relationships with themanufacturers and the scale of ouroperation, we are also able to sourcevital technical expertise as needed.”

NetJets Europe’s maintenancefleets are organised with a ‘singlepoint of contact’ manager addressingall areas of the aircraft and liaising with the manufacturers, servicecentres, flight crew and pilot fleetmanagement. “The manager isresponsible for everything from thecarpet to the engines, radar to rudder,tyres to lights,” says Hughes.

The organisation is structured sothat each manager has responsibilityfor ensuring that the aircraft requiredare safe, available and efficientlyserviced to meet owner requirements.

As with all other operators, NetJetsEurope’s maintenance operation fallsinto two categories: scheduled andunscheduled. Hughes says:“Scheduled maintenance is deter-mined by our self-styled approvedaircraft inspection programme,developed from the manufacturer’smaintenance manual chapter 4 & 5recommendations and are mandated.These maintenance sessions arearranged after a set amount of flighttime or a predetermined timeinterval, and are managed andprojected over a 12 month period.”

Unscheduled maintenanceobviously takes place when one of anumber of unanticipated problemsarise, which may develop on groundprior to a flight or while en-route.

“The biggest difference from atraditional airline maintenanceservice is that we operate from a fargreater number of different airports,most of which do not have on-siteengineers capable of working on our specific aircraft types,” Hughesadds. “A lot of traditional airlines canget support from other operatorengineers – Boeing and Airbusengineers are well-distributed – and in most cases engineering support issub-contracted. In the event ofunscheduled maintenance, to recoveror investigate a problem, we need tomove our teams to the relevant airport

locations if local engineering supportand parts are not available.”

Both scheduled and unscheduledmaintenance are managed using amaintenance tracking and controldatabase. Hughes points out: “Safetyand resale value are key drivers tomaintaining the aircraft and accuratetechnical records are a vital elementand are managed by NetJets Europe.The ‘repair by replacement’ policy formodification ensures that the value ofthe aircraft is retained, and themanufacturer liaison programme isused to promote product and safetyimprovements and allow traceabilityof parts purchased from the manu-facturer and approved suppliers.”

He says the fractional ownershipbusiness model allows individuals andcompanies to enjoy the convenienceand flexibility of owning a private jetwithout the direct associated

responsibilities of maintenance,hangaring or hiring pilots. “A share in aNetJets aircraft offers companies andindividuals access to an entire fleet fora tiny fraction of what it costs to buyand maintain a single aircraft.”

All maintenance costs, scheduledand unscheduled, he says, aredistributed evenly and managed andcontrolled by NetJets Europe. Hughespledges: “An owner will never be surprised by unscheduledmaintenance downtime as we willmanage the logistics of a repair andarrange an alternative jet to get themto their destination. Thanks to ourrelationships with the manufacturersand the scale of our operation, we arealso able to source vital technicalexpertise as needed.”

Fractional arrangements mayprovide a route to smoothing the costof maintenance as well as ownership

but thousands of owners andoperators in the Middle East andEurope face direct responsibility, atleast in the legal sense, for the safemaintenance of their aircraft. Thearrangements may be delegated to amanagement company but the ownershould at least have a familiarity withwhat will be covered.

Contracts that smooth the cost ofaircraft maintenance are notwarranties that take care of allexpenses provided only that the ownermeets the terms and conditions. Theremay be “extras” or provision forannual inflation. And, when it comesto resale, so-called “savings” onmonthly outgoings can translate to aloss on the selling price. ’Power by thehour’ style programmes have to beseen in the context of preserving theaircraft’s value as well as being price-efficient for what they do.

JSSI's new office at TAG Farnborough reflects European expansion.

1. Is my rate per flight hour guaranteed through the termof the contract or is it subject to annual adjustment inaddition to normal annual escalation?

2. Can the overall cost be adjusted according to changesin the underlying prices of parts and services(typically referred to as annual escalation)? If so isthere a maximum percentage limit?

3. Will the price of logistics, including shipping andpacking, be charged separately and escalate or isstandard shipping to any commercial airportworldwide included at the outset in my hourly rate?If there is a monetary allowance for shipping, will thisbe enough to fully cover me?

4. If expedited advanced exchange of parts AOG isavailable what are the costs if the client has carriedout all reasonable steps to maintain the aircraft?

5. Is there an extra fee rebate where faulty butrepairable parts have to be exchanged for new ornewer parts than the parts sent out for repair?

6. Is there an allowance for ‘no fault found’ removal ofparts? If not, what is the client cost liability forrestocking and re-certification of parts?

7. Are all components covered – or are there restrictionson where some can be replaced such as wheels andbrakes?

8. Are there pre-enrollment inspections for aspects suchas the air frame programme and who pays for this?

9. What are the provisions for obsolescence? Can theprovider discontinue support of a part whoseconfiguration has been superseded by a laterconfiguration and is incompatible. If not, what does acustomer do and who pays?

10. What terms cover the removal of parts from theaircraft?

11. Is there a ‘wear and tear’ allowance that sets a limitbeyond which further costs are incurred?

12. Are APU and landing gear fully covered from thecontract date? What, if anything is exempted from thecontract?

13. What are the liabilities where unscheduled repairs areconcerned, ie repairs which might have to be made inadvance of schedule?

14. Are labour costs for engine removal and replacementincluded? Is there guaranteed spare engineavailability? Are there any relevant time limits?

15. Are engine life limited parts (LLPs) fully covered? Orare they covered only on a pro-rata basis? If a part isdeemed beyond economic repair (BER) is there anoption for the client to buy and provide a serviceablereplacement part or is the client forced to buy a new part?

16. What happens if a different type of engine has to beinstalled?

17. What are the entitlements if the client does not haveto use all the services covered, ie if there has beenno engine shop visit during the term of the contract?Are there any rebates?

18. Are there different packages with different entitle-ments and what are the differences, ie are thereoptions for general, customised or heavy main-tenance programmes?

19. What happens if there is a need to add other aircraftto the maintenance programme? Does there have tobe a new contract? Are there any incentives?

20. What happens if the client is not satisfied with theimplementation of the contract? What obligationsdoes the provider have to adhere to?

21. When monthly fees are paid who holds the money? Isthis money ring-fenced if the ownership or structure ofthe company changes?

22. How easy is it to digest the implications of what is inthe small print?

Questions to ask the providersOwners and operators seeking to smooth the cost of aircraft and engine maintenance need to ask searchingquestions of their aircraft management companies, as intermediaries or the providers.

Heli Air expands at SilverstoneHeli Air has been invited to establish abase at Silverstone racing circuit inNorthamptonshire, UK, and to controlthe Heliport. “This is a permanentarrangement involving the creation ofa completely new facility andconsiderable investment by both HeliAir and Silverstone circuits,” thecompany, headquartered at Warwick’sWellesbourne airfield, says.

Lebanon’s Executive Aircraft Services(EAS) has added a new Global XRS toits managed fleet (see front pagephoto). Nael Chehab, operations andsales manager, says: “We plan to addmore aircraft to our managed fleet, beit for private use or for commercialunder our AOC. Beirut is a dynamicplatform for general aviation. It hasseen a perpetual increase in GAmovements throughout the past few years.”

The EAS fleet includes two Hawker800XPs, a Challenger 300, an EmbraerLegacy, a Global XRS and a Hawker700. The Hawker 800XP and 700 areoperated for third party charter.Chehab says: “Hawkers were chosendue to our vast experience with thistype of aircraft and its range andreliability which enables it to flybetween Beirut and London all yearround. It has good passenger capacityand also fits well into ourmaintenance capabilities.”

EAS opened a modest hangar inFebruary 2009 and its engineers are trained at FlightSafety USA andCAE Dubai.

Chehab says: “All our crew arePICs, with many years of experiencein general aviation operation. But werecruit young and dynamic staff whoare ready to work hard all year long.They are trained in the US for fulldispatch capability.”

The Hawker 800XP now flies 80 to90 hours a month commercially.Chehab recalls: “The company wasformed in 1996 but started operatingin 2004 with the charter of a Hawker700. We then started providingground handling in Beirut and movedup to leading position in this sectortoday with up to 50 per cent marketshare. We acquired the Hawker 800XPto keep up with the evolving marketand customer demand in December2008 and then started operating itcommercially. We started managingaircraft in 2005 and today have a fleetof five aircraft that is growing.”

He says EAS has invested in brandnew ground handling equipmentincluding an electrical Jetporter, FMCstairs and TLD belt loader.

EAS addsGlobal XRS to

expandingmanaged fleet

EAS: investing in facilities.

Heli Air’s Wycombe base.

Wyndham London, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XG

Tel : 08701 909 [email protected] • www.greysoflondon.com

Greysof London Ltd

Chauffeur Services



BALTICSREGIONALREVIEW

turnarounds annually. The newhangar and GAT should enable us toaim for 2,000-plus in 2010 and 3,000-plus in 2011.”

He adds: “There is closecooperation with the airportauthorities in making Riga a viableoption, both financially and service-

wise. This will enable us to not onlymake Riga a more cost-effectiveoption than Moscow and St Petersburgfor basing aircraft but also help us fendoff competition from neighbouringairports and countries. We have also formed some very valuablepartnerships with a number ofoperators over the years. As we expandthey are being kept fully informed andoffered preferential deals to moveforward with us.”

Hooper says that FBO Riga isconscious that operators, third partysuppliers and airport authoritiesneed to get value for money on everycent spent.

He says Riga airport continues toexpand its airline network with newroutes opening up all the time. “This isbeneficial to GA operators needing tomove their crews around. All partiesare working closely together topromote the airport.”

Kurzemes Avio, with bases in

After a slow start the prospects look goodMoscow and Latvia, is well-placed toexploit the demand for regionalprivate charter and handling.Established for more than 10 years, thecompany has a Piper Chieftain whichoperates from Latvia’s Liepaja inter-national airport, complemented by aflight operations centre in Moscow.

The company’s Kristine Murniecesays: “One of our big advantages atLiepaja is that our aircraft charteroperations have direct airside access.Our clients like the fact that privacy,discretion and security is assured withsecure aircraft parking directly in frontof our facilities and car parkingavailable within metres of the terminalbuildings, Our facilities have privatecheck in areas ideally suited to alllevels of passenger.”

Kurzemes Avio, she adds, providesservices to both international and

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Operators and service providers in theBaltic states of Latvia, Lithuania andEstonia see good prospects for thedevelopment of private aviation, withRussia a key market.

But there is a concern that red tapein applying European regulations isslowing down progress. Capt BorisMatveyev, director, Baltic JetAircompany, says certain problemscan arise for small business operatorswhen dealing with the local civilaviation authority. “For instance,Baltic Jet applied for an AOC inFebruary 2009 and, as of this moment,has not received it due to theresponsible people from the localagency applying both ICAO and JAAregulations to the certification processwhich is still continuing.”

But Alexander Klimanov, opera-tions manager, says the company haslong-standing relationships with Rigainternational, Latvia’s major airport.“In the near future we plan to get permission to build a hangarequipped for light maintenance anddefect rectification which will providebusiness aircraft owners from EasternEurope with the opportunity to usemore convenient facilities locatedcloser to their base.”

He adds: “Two years back ourcompany had one aircraft in operation but now Baltic Jet operatesfour aircraft.” The Learjet 45XR,Challenger 601, Challenger 604 andLegacy 600 are operated privately.

Klimanov says: “Recently weexpanded our office facilities inorder to accommodate additionalstaff for our operations andaccounting departments.”

Matveyev says the companyprovides a full range of services tobusiness aircraft owners. “We offer initial consultation, research,aircraft budget analysis and otherservices. We provide our clients withflight planning, scheduling, crew staffing, operations and maintenance services, insurance, accounting andadministrative services.”

Rick Hooper, president of FBO RigaLtd which is developing a full servicecentre for executive flights in Riga,says its new 2,500 sq m hangar, withan additional 1,000 sq m workshopand office space, has alreadygenerated a good number of firmenquiries from owners and operatorsinterested in basing aircraft at theinternational airport.

“We are also happy with responsewith regard to maintenanceopportunities,” he adds. FBO Riga, ajoint venture between FCG Ltd (FlightConsulting Group), Baltic BusinessAviation Center Ltd and Triangel Ltd,plans to officially open its new GAT on 1 July.

Hooper says: “The 600 sq m GATfacility will have everything needed ina modern day FBO. It will be the first inthe Baltic states and underlines ourambitions and progress towards beinga major player in the area.”

FCG, which also operates at allother Baltic airports, sees a brightfuture for private aviation. Hoopersays: “We currently handle between750 and 800 business aircraft


Baltic Jet Aircompany is planning to develop facilities for local operators. Pictured areAlexander Klimanov, operations manager; Ludmila Stikute, head accountant; BorisMatveyev, director, and Natalia Klimanova, accountant.

FBO Riga’s ramp manager IgorTimmerman.

New ASC for GreeceICSS SA has been appointed anauthorised service centre (ASC) inGreece for the A109 series, AW109Power and Grand light twins. Basedat Megara airport, the ASC willprovide maintenance and repairservices as well as maintaining aspare parts inventory. Pictured are(left to right) Luca Tonini,AgustaWestland commercialbusiness unit sales manager forGreece; Anastasios Economou,ICSS md; and Michele Sorice,AgustaWestland customer.

EBAA calls for awardnominationsThe EBAA is calling fornominations for its 2010 EuropeanBusiness Aviation Award, whichhonours individuals or companieswhich have made a significantcontribution to the advancementof business aviation in Europe.Nominations must include a letterintroducing the nominee andexplaining why he or she isproposed for the award, thenominee’s professional biographyand any relevant supportingdocuments, including newspaperclippings, publications and articles.

Second Gulfstream G650 fliesThe second Gulfstream G650 hasflown for the first time, joining thetest programme which should leadto certification in 2011. “Theconditions were very gusty andblustery, yet T2, like T1, handledgreat,” said test pilot Gary Freeman.“To control the aircraft preciselyrequires small, light control inputfrom the pilot. It’s an easy jet to fly.”

Lydd to have longer runwayProposals to develop Lydd Airporthave been approved allowing theconstruction of a 294m runwayextension plus a 150m starterapron and new terminal capable ofhandling up to 500,000 passengersa year.

ESFB Stockholm airport is closedThe regional general aviationairport at Barkarby is now closed.The airport has been in operationsince 1913 and was the oldestairport operating in Sweden.

Visitors to the Stockholm areacan use Västerås, Eskilstuna orNyköping when Bromma airport isclosed, evenings and weekends.

Enhanced Beechjet 400 fliesThe first 400NEXT enhanced Beech400 has made its first flight, withFJ44 replacement engines and ProLine 21 avionics.

Avinode and CharterX join forcesAvinode AB and CharterX Corphave signed a definitive agreementto merge their operations. With this acquisition, CharterX becomesa wholly-owned subsidiary ofAvinode.

Work on merging the twoplatforms will start immediately toensure a smooth transition andincreased value for members andpartners. The companies’ offeringswill continue to be marketed underthe brands Avinode and CharterX.Wyvern will continue as anindependent operation.

FAA approves CJ4Cessna’s CJ4 aircraft has gainedFAA certification with deliveries setto begin later this year. The finalresults of flight testing havevalidated performanceenhancements including a takeoffdistance of 3,130 feet at MTOW,direct climb to 45,000 feet in 28minutes, a maximum speed of 453 knots, a range of 2,002 nautical miles with two crew andfive passengers, and a landingdistance of 2,700 feet at maximumlanding weight.

Cessna calls for industryunity at BBGARobert Stangarone, vp corporatecommunications Cessna AircraftCompany, was at the BritishBusiness and General AviationAssociation (BBGA) AnnualConference to urge the industry tokeep communicating the value andbenefits of business aviation.

Stangarone said: “Everyone inour industry should considerthemselves ambassadors. Businessaircraft are used in so manyvaluable ways and have trulybecome essential to the globaltransportation system. We need totake every opportunity to spreadthat message to the world.”

“Together, we need to make surethe facts are heard. Businessaviation supports 1.2 million jobsacross the US. Equally, thousandsof European jobs depend on ourindustry. And companies that usebusiness aviation are moreproductive than their competitors.”

RUAG approved as Do 228NG manufacturerRUAG Aerospace Services GmbH inOberpfaffenhofen has EASAapproval as productionorganisation of the Do 228 NG andexpects to deliver the first customeraircraft this year. The new Do 228NG differs from its predecessor inparticular by an up-to-date glasscockpit and a quieter and moreefficient five-blade propeller.

I N D U S T R Y N E W S . . .


domestic aircraft operators. “Thecompany offers general aircraftground handling services for generalaviation, from corporate up to jumbojets,” Murniece says.

There is not a large amount ofscope for helicopter operations inLatvia but GM Helicopters, launchedsix years ago, has developed a niche.Its fleet of three Mi8s are in demandfor United Nations humanitarianwork. “They have carried out workhelping in disaster relief efforts in Asiaand Africa,” says technical directorIlmars Lausais. “From time to time weare called on to do aerial works.”

Aurela Airlines, which introducedits private charter services toLithuania more than 15 years ago, has kept up-to-date with changingdemand and European certificationrequirements.

It currently operates two Hawker850/900XPs to meet the demand for up to nine passengers fromgovernment organisations, corp-orations and vips. “In 2009 Aurelabecame the first airline in Lithuania to acquire the airworthiness manage-ment organisation approvalcertificate,” says md ValdasBarakauskas. “We were also the firstprivate capital flight company inLithuania in 1995 and continue tooffer safe, economically attractive andreliable charter flight services.”

The airline offers scheduled as wellas private charter and tourism servicesto destinations including Europe,Dominican Republic, Cuba, Tunisia,Egypt, Turkey, Spain and Morocco.

Barakauskas says: “The Hawkeraircraft are very popular. We operatedour first HS 125-700 in 2001 havingestablished our vip charter operationswith the Tu-134A in 1996. But therewas also a need in the marketplace foreconomies of scale so we brought a120-seat Yak-42D into service. Thenumber of charter flights increasedand we added another.”

He adds: “One Yak-42D wasreplaced by the more advancedBoeing 737-300. The first flights of this aircraft coincided with Lithuania’s membership of the EU andAurela was honoured by anopportunity to fly HE Valdas Adamkus,president of Lithuania, on business.”

In 2004-2005 the president wastaken to Kiev during the Ukrainian“Orange Revolution” and also whenhe paid his respects at the funeral ofPope John Paul II.

Tightening of EU aircraftregulations meant the remaining Yak-42D was returned to the lessorand a second Boeing 737-300 wasbrought into service. Aurela Airlinesnow also operates two Boeing 757-200s and is also an ACMI provider.

“The company employs professionalsin many different areas of operation,”Barakauskas says. “All technicians,engineers and pilots have veryextensive experience and are properlylicensed. Pilots and flight attendantsundergo training on a regular basis.”

Despite the recession privatecharter operators are finding room togrow in Estonia. The reason is clear,according to Ken Koort, the presidentof Panaviatic which is on course tocelebrate its first anniversary ofoperation with fleet expansion fromfour to six aircraft.

“The global recession has notconstrained private charter operationsin Estonia in the same way that it hasaffected the big mature economies ofcountries such as France, Germanyand Switzerland,” Koort says. “Estoniais still building a modern industrialbase and developing commercewhereas larger European countries are suffering a slowing of demand fortheir established infrastructure.Charter operators in western Europemight be experiencing a fall indemand but executives in Estonia arebuilding business in the east and inthe west and using private jets tofurther that work.”

Panaviatic operates a Learjet 55and three Learjet 60s and is in theprocess of adding two more aircraft. Itcurrently focuses strongly on thelonger haul sector. “We have flownover 1,000 hours in our first year ofoperation,” Koort says. “We arecurrently comfortably averaging about50 hours per month per aircraft andthat is very much in line with ourbusiness targets. Both aircraft will befor charter with one of them managedon behalf of a client.”

The charter demand comes fromRussia with Moscow an importantbusiness centre as well as east andcentral Europe with charter brokersplaying a key role for return journeysfrom western Europe.

Koort points out that the additionof two aircraft to the private chartersector in Estonia is big news inpercentage terms. “It obviously addsgreatly to the sector's capability herewhereas in larger countries thedifference two aircraft would make tothe overall charter availability mightbe comparatively negligible.”

Panaviatic, he says, focuses onpersonal service and making aircraftready at very short notice. “We aremeeting a preference in Estonia forquick availability of larger and morecomfortable aircraft but that doesn’tmean to say we would exclude othersectors such as the smaller jets if ademand manifests itself. Estonia is avery individual market, different tonearby countries including Latvia andLithuania, and we understand therequirements and are well placed togrow as a charter operator as theeconomy progresses.”

Koort says that there is a misguidedperception in western Europe that theBaltic states are one coherent market.“Each country is very different,” hepoints out.

The development of privateaviation in Latvia, Lithuania andEstonia will depend on the expansionof services, not only of FBOs but ofmaintenance centres too.

Peeter Pajula, accountable and

quality manager with Nordic AircraftService based in Tallinn, Estonia,points out that the comparativelysmall size of the national marketmeans that companies need todevelop international business and build capacity for a diverse rangeof services.

“Our company, which maintainsaircraft of up to 5,700 kg, is planningto build a hangar this year at Tallinnairport. There is little competitioncurrently, because the local market isso small. But we are planning to lookinto other markets, when the newfacility is ready.” The company’smaintenance division holds a Boeing737 and 737 NG licence.

“We have EASA Part 145 approvalfor welding and can issue an EASA

Form 1 release certificate,” he says.Edwin Brenninkmeyer of the

light jet aviation consultancy OriensAdvisors says private aviation businessdevelopment in the Baltics has beenheld back because of the absence ofcustomer awareness in the region andthe lack of capacity at airports that arestill under state ownership and havenot yet embraced the potentialmarket. He adds: “We have seen thatoperators are finding it difficult toacquire customers in this region.Operators we are close to havetypically thought that this would be agrowth area but in practice this has notbeen the case.

“Oriens believes the slow uptake islack of awareness and education as tobenefits but typically operators do nothave the spare capacity to educatethis market. They tend instead tofocus on the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of thesavvy private aviation consumer inwestern Europe who typically isdowngrading to aircraft such as theMustang and Phenom.”

Private aviation in the Baltics,however, should benefit if furtherdevelopment of facilities continue to

BALTICSREGIONALREVIEW

FBO Riga is upgrading services and facilities.

The 2010/11 EBAN Handbook ofBusiness Aviation in Europe will beavailable soon, and gives details ofmany more Baltic charteroperators. It also lists businessaviation facilities and servicesincluding airports, FBOs andmaintenance centres. The detailscan be accessed online through asearch of aircraft operated or theairport bases. For more informationplease visit www.handbook.aero

ComprehensiveBaltics data online

free-of-charge


FBO Riga’s office manager Irina Kirilova.

Ken Koort: Panaviatic is celebrating itsfirst anniversary with fleet expansion.

APU on MSP and airframe on Proparts. Tel +1919 941 8400 Jetcraft Trading LLC. Web:www.jetcraft.com. Email: [email protected]

DASSAULT

Falcon 20001999, S/N 094: 2620 TTAF, Engines enrolledon CSP Gold, APU enrolled on MSP,SATCOM, Dual FMS/GPS/IRS, FDR, CVR, Cc/w 12/05, 3A/3A+ c/w 09/09, EU OPS/EASAapproved. Ten pax configuration, New PaintNov/2009. Tel +1 713 681 0075 or +1 201 4455660 Par Avion Ltd. . Web:www.paravionltd.com. Email:[email protected]

Falcon 900EX2001, S/N 092: 3240 TTAF, Engines & APUenrolled on MSP HUD, SATCOM, SATAFIS,Triple IRS, Dual FMS, FDR, C c/w 02/08 by JetAviation-Basel, EU OPS/EASA Approved.Fourteen passenger configuration, newpaint/interior Feb/2008. Tel +1 713 681 0075or +1 201 445 5660 Par Avion Ltd.. Web:www.paravionltd.com. Email:[email protected]

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT

800B1993, G-WYNE, 1993 S/N 258240, TT 5,758hours, EU-OPS compliant, MSP Gold,Hawker 1000 flight deck, TCAS II, Dual FMS,EGPWS, New paint / interior refurb 2006.

Available for immediate sale, $2.95m, offersinvited. Contact: Ben Dean Tel +44 208 5643701 Airclaims Ltd. Web:www.airclaims.com. Email:[email protected]

800B1989, G-GRGA, S/N: 8130. TTAF 6,230 hours.MSP Gold. Zero time since inspections plusnew leading edge and ailerons. New Price$2.595m. Contact: Roger Stainton, JetFlightLtd, Tel: +44 1353 661636 JetFlight Ltd. Email:[email protected]

PIAGGIO

Avanti2004, Only 1000 hrs. Corporate 2 Interior inlight beige, Collins EFIS, TCAS, TAWS, HF, JAR& FAA readyTel: +49 6332 97200 WinairGermany. Web: www.winair.eu . Email:[email protected]

PIPER

Seneca III1989, Swiss Registered TT 2300hrs, TBO LHENG 1600hrs+ RH ENG 1800 hrs. 6 seats withIntercom & Oxy, GNS430 for stand-aloneGPS, 2 TXPNDR incl Mode S, ELT 406MHz,Radar-Alt, WX-Radar, Stormscope, A/P&APA,ACFT always hangared. $ 230`000 or bestoffer. Tel: +41 79 356 3174 Email:[email protected]


MarketplaceAircraft for sale

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Challenger 6042005, 2005, S/N 5623. TT 1,360 hours. EU-OPS compliant. Collins Pro-line 4 Avionics.Honeywell Mark V EGPWS. Exterior paint2006 silver/black. 6 Club in medium brownleather + 3 seat divan in black cloth. Airshow410. Contact: Ben Dean Tel +44 208 564 3701Airclaims Limited. Web: www.airclaims.com .Email: [email protected]

Challenger 6052010, S/N 5710. 1,380 hours since new.Immediately available, 11 passengerconfigured JAR-OPS1 compliant. Tel +1 919941 8400 Jetcraft Trading LLC . Web:www.jetcraft.com . Email: [email protected]

Challenger 6054Q2010. S/N 5795 Midcoast Aviationcompleted delivery. Well equipped, Floorplan2 twelve passenger interior with four placeberthable divan, JAR-OPS1 compliant.Exterior to be specified, full warranties andprogram coverage available. Tel +1 919 9418400 Jetcraft Trading LLC. Web:www.jetcraft.com. Email: [email protected]

CRJ-2002003, S/N 7730. New 15 passenger VIPinterior and custom corporate exterior paint,auxiliary fuel system provides up to 2,775NMrange, Fresh C-Check inspection, availableimmediately. Tel +1 919 941 8400 JetcraftTrading LLC. Web: www.jetcraft.com. Email:[email protected]

Global 50002005, S/N 9170. June 2006 entry-into-service. 1,050 hours TT. Triple FMS, Heads-up display, 3rd VHF Comm, immaculate 13passenger interior w/four place conferencegrouping mid cabin and 16G Divan aft. Tel:+1 919 941 8400 Jetcraft Trading LLC . Web:www.jetcraft.com . Email:[email protected]

Global Express XRSS/N 9319. May 2010 Midcoast AviationCompleted delivery. $3M USD of options,the most distinctive of the fleet w/thehighest level of detail and mostsophisticated sound proofing system-Thequietest Global XRS in the world! Limitededition “LE” Package, JAR-OPS1Compliant.Tel +1 919 941 8400 Jetcraft

Trading LLC. Web: www.jetcraft.com .Email: [email protected]

BRITTEN NORMAN

BN2T Executive Islander2004, TT 430 hours. As new, up to datemaintenance, RR250-B17C engines, BendixKing, Century 2000, club seating (creamleather), CD player, refrigerator, airconditioning and immaculate white paint.Tel: +44 20 3371 4000 Britten Norman.Email: [email protected]

CESSNA

Citation CJ2+2007, S/N 525A-0375, TSN 815, CSN 595,EASA, JAR OPS 1, CJ2+ Value Package 4E,TAP ELITE Progr., Cescom/CAMP, 6-7 pax,Bravo/Encore style entry steps, steepapproach cert., engs. Williams RR FJ44-3A24on PBH prog, Collins Pro Line 21. JörnDeistler Tel: +49 4881-936693 GermaniaExecutive. Web: www.germania-executive.com. Email: [email protected]

Citation I/SP1978, I-FRAI, USD 600,000 s/n 501-0077,TTSN 7976 hrs, TSO 710/1902, Garmin GNS530+430, Transponders GTX-330D,stormscope, thrust reversers, RVSMcompliant, 6 pax interior. Contact exclusiveHBC dealer: Alexandre Le Tourneur Tel: +3902 2901 7291 Corporate Aircraft. Email:[email protected]

Citation Sovereign2008, S/N 0204. Only 296 hours TT, JAR-OPS1Compliant, Power Advantage+ on engines,

OUR NEXT ISSUE: MAY 2010

FINAL BOOKING DATE: APRIL 19th

Global Business Jet Yearbook

Handbook of BusinessAviation in Europe

Handbook of BusinessAviation in Asia Pacific

The reference book for long range business jetowners and operators worldwide.

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The reference book for fixed wing and rotary businessaircraft owners and operators in the Asia Pacific region.

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The reference book for fixed wing and rotary business aircraftowners and operators in Europe and the Middle East.

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Essential reading wherever you are

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1. PER EUROCONTROL STATISTICS AND FORECAST SERVICES (STAR FOUR) AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS FOR THE PAST THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. ©2010 HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION. HAWKER AND BEECHCRAFT ARE TRADEMARKS OF HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION.

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european business air news - april 2010

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