Civil Aviation News

Dassault Falcon Service Fixed Base Operation Steps into The Future

Dassault Falcon Service Fixed Base Operation Steps into The Future

The Dassault Falcon Service (DFS) fixed base operation (FBO) at Paris-Le Bourget has undergone a major makeover that will substantially improve the comfort and quality of services offered to passengers and crew members travelling through the airport.

The refurbished FBO features a fully redesigned crew lounge with a large, bright open space, a shower room and a private zone where crew members can sneak away for a bit of relaxation or a nap. The zone, dubbed the snooze room, is equipped with an innovative zero gravity position energy pod offering specially composed sleep music with a gentle wake sequence of programmed lights and vibrations. Other features include a fully revamped meeting room, and a new crew work zone equipped with TV screens and high-speed access to the internet.

The facility — voted the number 1 FBO at Le Bourget — is part of the Air Elite network, a chain of FBO’s located around the world all designed to meet an exacting list of airport, facility and service quality standards. The FBO handles some 5,000 aircraft movements a year and serves a wide range of aircraft.

The FBO is located adjacent to DFS’s Le Bourget maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, which supplies a broad range of maintenance, cabin interior upgrade, STC and air charter services for Falcon users in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is the largest maintenance service facility in the world dedicated solely to Falcon business jets.




 

Growing Footprints in China Bell Delivers First Three Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Helicopters

Bell Helicopter delivered the first three Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters destined for the Chinese market during a ceremony held at Bell’s facility in Mirabel, Canada. These are the first three aircraft of 110 ordered in 2017 by Reignwood International Investment Group Company Ltd, launch operator and exclusive authorised reseller in China for the 505. This first delivery follows the recent certification of the Bell 505 by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

“Our team in Mirabel is extremely proud to have built and to deliver the first aircraft to Reignwood,” said President, Bell Canada, Cynthia Garneau.” This is a very important milestone for Bell in Asia-Pacific and we are thrilled to contribute to the development of the commercial rotorcraft industry in China.”

“The arrival of the new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X builds on the success of the renowned Jet Ranger legacy in China,” said managing director, Bell, Jacinto Monge for North Asia. “We are excited that customers will now be able to experience the new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X and we are looking forward to seeing many more taking the skies as we continue to grow our footprint in China.”

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a five-seat, single-engine, turbine helicopter, the customer-driven design of the aircraft places safety, performance and affordability at the forefront. Bell 505 is the first helicopter in its class equipped with the Garmin G1000H Integrated Avionics Suite; it provides pilots critical flight information at a glance to maximise situational awareness. Pilot workload is further reduced by the Safran Helicopter Engines Arrius 2R with dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).

It is designed to meet a wide variety of missions with its flat floor, increased cabin volume and clam shell doors that will provide customers the configuration flexibility needed in today’s market. The Bell 505 cargo hook has been approved by the FAA to carry up to 2,000 lbs., including water for firefighting operations. The first three Bell 505s in China will be used for air tourism, air medical and agriculture missions respectively.

 

Boeing and Air India Engineering Services Limited Kickstarts First Accelerated Apprenticeship Programme

Boeing and Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) on June 15 inaugurated the ‘Air India-Boeing Accelerated Apprenticeship Program.’ The state-of-the-art ‘smart’ class room comes equipped with advanced training aids being used for the first time in India, along with a specially customised curriculum created by Boeing experts, to skill Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) in India. Students will be instructed by highly qualified Air India instructors that have been trained by Boeing in the United States. The AMEs will also get ‘hands-on’ exposure on an actual Boeing aircraft that will help them hone their maintenance skills and also increase their employability, empowering them with the tools necessary for a successful career in India’s rapidly growing aerospace ecosystem.

A lack of practical skills and training have resulted in low employability of AMEs, of which only 2 per cent receive type-rated licenses. To fill this need gap, Boeing and AIESL announced the launch the Accelerated AME Apprenticeship Program in 2017. The programme has so far received a huge response with over 1,300 applications for the entrance examination which was held online across 10 cities in India.

“Boeing is proud to be a partner in this initiative in one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets in the world,” said President, Boeing International, Marc Allen. “We are committed to help catalyse the growth of special skills needed for the Indian aerospace ecosystem and create a capable workforce.”

“Our partnership with Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, brings together a best-in-class curriculum and training aids to create a state-of-the-art smart class setting which will create a stronger pool of skilled AMEs,” said CEO, Air India Engineering Services Limited, H.R. Jagannath. “This collaboration between AIESL and Boeing will create many opportunities for AMEs as they enter the Indian aviation sector.”

Classes for the first batch of the programme will begin in August 2018. The one-year programme provides an accelerated career path for AMEs by improving employability of AME college graduates

 

Bell and Safran Share Vision for On Demand Mobility for Future VTOL System

Bell Helicopter, on June 19, announced at the Future of Transportation World Conference a newly formed collaboration with Safran on the development of innovative hybrid electric power system solutions to support Bell’s vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft concept.

“Bell is at the forefront of on-demand mobility – ushering a new era of flight where the benefits of aviation are accessible to more people in more places,” said director of Innovation, Bell, Scott Drennan while speaking at the Transportation Conference. “This announcement is another proof point of our commitment to providing transportation of people and logistics in new, innovative and more efficient ways; our work with Safran is a historical milestone for future transport solutions.”

For several years, Safran innovation teams have been actively exploring the potential of hybrid solutions for future propulsion systems. Bell and Safran’s shared vision for electric and hybrid electric aircraft is to strive for the successful deployment of Bell Air Taxis and new on demand mobility systems in the future.

“Thanks to the long and sustained technology-development strategy conducted within Safran, we can now offer Bell our hybrid electric power solutions for their next generation products that result in improved performance giving more value to our customers,” said senior executive vice president, R&T and Innovation, Safran, Stéphane Cueille.

In this collaboration, Bell will lead the design, development and production of VTOL systems, and Safran will bring its technical expertise to bear in the development of a disruptive propulsion system.

 

Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX to Jet Airways

Boeing and Jet Airways, on June 20 celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 737 MAX airplane. Jet Airways will be first Indian carrier to fly the new and improved 737 airplane, which delivers a double-digit improvement in fuel efficiency and improved passenger comfort.

“The new 737 MAX is a critical element to our future growth strategy and we are proud to become the first airline in India to introduce this brand-new airplane to our customers,” said chairman, Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal. “The 737 has been the backbone of our dynamic fleet for many years and we are excited to leverage the superior capabilities of the new 737 MAX. The improved economics and efficiency as well as the passenger pleasing features of the MAX will enable us to strengthen our position as India’s premier airline.”

This delivery marks the first of 150 737 MAX airplanes the Mumbai-based airline has on order with Boeing, following two separate orders for 75 jets placed in 2015 and earlier this year.

“This milestone delivery adds yet another chapter in our long and successful relationship with Jet Airways,” said senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Dinesh Keskar. “Jet Airways continues to demonstrate their leadership in a highly competitive market and I am confident that these new 737 MAX airplanes will enable the airline to successfully achieve long-term growth going forward.”

Jet Airways is India’s second-largest airline with a fleet of nearly 120 airplanes serving more than 60 destinations across 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and elsewhere.

The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 4,500 orders from 99 customers worldwide.

The family of airplanes is powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines and includes design updates such as Boeing’s Advanced Technology winglet that will result in less drag and optimise performance, especially on longer-range missions. Together, these improvements reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions by at least 14 per cent compared to today’s Next-Generation 737s – and by 20 per cent more than the single-aisle airplanes they replace.

 

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