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Transport Canada Certifies Pratt & Whitney PurePower® PW1500G Engine for Bombardier CSeries Aircraft​

Bombardier Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney announced today that Pratt & Whitney has successfully achieved Transport Canada type certification of its first PurePower Geared Turbofan™ engine – the PW1500G engine that will power Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft. Pratt & Whitney has conducted over 4,000 hours of rigorous engine testing since the initial engine began testing in September 2010. The PW1500G engine test program included 340 hours of flight testing on P&W’s experimental 747 Flight Test airplane. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX)...

Beechcraft Emerges from Chapter 11 a Stronger Global Company​

Beechcraft, formerly Hawker Beechcraft, announced today it has formally emerged from the Chapter 11 process as a new company well-positioned to compete vigorously in the worldwide business aviation, special mission, trainer and light attack markets. The company’s Joint Plan of Reorganization (Plan) was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on Feb. 1, 2013, and became effective on Feb. 15, 2013. Beechcraft exits the restructuring process with a dramatically reduced debt load, a stable, restructured balance sheet and the support of a well-capitalized shareholder base...

Consistent Deliveries in 2012 and a Strong Start to 2013​

Cirrus Aircraft's annual performance was highlighted by a steady quarterly rise in airplane deliveries throughout 2012, capped off by strong year-end sales," said Todd Simmons, Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Support. "While we sold essentially the same number of airplanes in 2012 as the previous year, we strengthened the business through efficiency improvements and increased the value per aircraft delivered. We are continuing both these trends in the new year."

Simmons continued, "We opened 2012 with the introduction of 60/40 FlexSeating™, offering true 5-person capacity across the model line...

Embraer Executive Jets Flies Second Legacy 500 Prototype​

In the wake of November’s highly successful maiden flight of the Legacy 500, the first, full fly-by-wire midsize business aircraft in the corporate aircraft industry, Embraer Executive Jets’ second Legacy 500 made its maiden flight today, officially entering the flight test and certification program. “The test program is proceeding as planned and now that Serial Number Two has flown, the test campaign will accelerate for this break-through midsize jet,” said Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets. “The initial flight test feedback has been very favorable...

Hawker Beechcraft Service Centers Awarded FAA’s Prestigious Maintenance Awards​

Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) today announced its seven U.S. factory-owned service centers have received the prestigious Diamond Award from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Maintenance Technician Program. The HBS maintenance centers including Tampa, Fla.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Wilmington, Del.; Wichita, Kan.; Houston, Texas; and two facilities in Atlanta, Ga., met the requirements for the FAA’s highest distinction for excellence in aircraft maintenance training...

Piper Achieves Increased Revenue Concerning Deliveries In 2012​

Piper Aircraft Inc. ended 2012 with increased annual revenue from new aircraft sales of $148,968,967, up more than 13 percent from $131,263,539 in 2011. The revenue increase was a result of a 16 percent rise in new Piper deliveries to 158 aircraft in 2012 from 136 the previous year. “We stabilized the manufacturing and delivery of new aircraft throughout the year as our initiative to level-load factory production continued to meet with success. At the same time, our overall aircraft deliveries rose faster than the rest of the industry,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott...

Gulfstream G280 Certified By European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)​

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s G280 aircraft received type certification today from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The certification recognizes that the super mid-sized aircraft demonstrates compliance with EASA airworthiness and environmental requirements. It is one of the final steps required for the G280 to be registered in a European Union country. “Getting EASA certification is an important milestone for the G280,” said Larry Flynn, president, Gulfstream. “This aircraft is the most fuel-efficient and most comfortable in its class, and it offers unprecedented range for its size...

Bombardier Aerospace Begins Production of the first components in Morocco​

Bombardier Aerospace today announced the start of production at its transitional facility in Morocco. Following a graduation ceremony held on February 1 at the Institut des Métiers de l’Aéronautique (IMA), 18 aircraft assemblers began production of the first Bombardier components to come out of its Moroccan manufacturing facility. “This is a very exciting milestone for us as we start to see our operation in Morocco take form,” said Hugo Brouillard, General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Morocco...

Embraer signs MoU with Indamer for Legacy 500 Maintenance Support ​

Embraer Executive Jets has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indamer Pty Ltd to provide maintenance support for the midsize Legacy 500 aircraft, ahead of the jets’ expected entry into service in 2014. The Legacy 500 is currently in the flight test stage following the successful maiden flight of the first prototype on 27th November, 2012...

Cessna Foresees Rising Caravan and Citation Demand in India​

Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, said today the company foresees rising demand for its Caravan and Citation aircraft in India this year as customers respond to anticipated government reforms. Speaking at the Aero India show in Bangalore, Bill Harris, Cessna vice president, Sales for Asia and Asia Pacific, said: “India is expected to be amongst the world’s fastest growing economies in 2013 and stands to benefit hugely from a national expansion of business aviation, both for domestic and international travel...

Beechcraft King Air Series Continues to Lead Turboprop Market in India​

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) today announced it will display the flagship of its best-selling business aircraft family – the Beechcraft King Air 350i – at the Aero India biennial aerospace event from Feb. 6-10 at Yelahanka Air Force Station (VOYK) in Bengaluru, India. The Beechcraft King Air series has long led the turboprop market segment in India. According to JETNET industry data, 82 percent of the new turboprop business aircraft delivered into India from 2002-2011, were King Air products, while 83 percent of the total fleet of registered business turboprops registered in the country are King Air aircraft...

Embraer Executive Jets Provides Customer Support during Super Bowl XLVII​

In preparation for Super Bowl XLVII, Embraer Executive Jets has deployed one of several North American Mobile Response Units to the New Orleans Lakefront Airport to ensure customers will be fully supported in any AOG situation over Super Bowl weekend, February 1st through February 4.

“This is another example of how Embraer Executive Jets is committed to ensuring the customer’s peace of mind during major international events,” said Jacques Blondeau, Vice President Maintenance Services Worldwide, Embraer Executive Jets...

Court Approves Hawker Beechcraft’s Plan of Reorganization​

Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. (Hawker Beechcraft) today announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has approved its Joint Plan of Reorganization (Plan), paving the way for the company to emerge from Chapter 11 in the second half of February. In confirming the Plan, Judge Stuart M. Bernstein found that it satisfied all of the requirements of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Robert S. (“Steve”) Miller, CEO of Hawker Beechcraft, Inc., said, “Today’s ruling marks the final significant step in the restructuring process...

Gulfstream G280 Sets 15 New City-Pair Speed Records ​

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s new best-in-class G280 aircraft recently set 15 new city-pair speed records as part of the company’s reliability demonstration program. The 250-hour internal testing program, among the most extensive voluntary reliability programs ever implemented by Gulfstream, served to enhance fleet reliability, enrich pilot training and improve customer readiness...

Embraer delivers first three A-29 Super Tucanos to Angola​

Brazilian airframer Embraer has successfully delivered the first three A-29 Super Tucanos to the African nation of Angola. Embraer shipped the first half of the total order with Angola purchasing six overall. Angola now becomes the third African nation to possess Embraers' A-29 Super Tucanos, the others being Mauritania and Burkina Faso.

Angola already operates five EMB-312 Tucanos, an unarmed trainer developed by Embraer in the 1980s. The Super Tucanos are the newer generation and will go alongside a fleet of ground-attack aircraft in Angola inclusive of Sukhoi Su-22s and Su-25s...

Hawker Beechcraft Moves Closer to Chapter 11 Emergence​

Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. (Hawker Beechcraft) today announced the key creditors voting in the company’s solicitation process have overwhelmingly approved its proposed Joint Plan of Reorganization (Plan). The company also announced that J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC have agreed to act as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners to structure, arrange and syndicate $600 million in exit financing, consisting of a term loan and a revolving line of credit. The affiliated banks of the joint lead arrangers, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Credit Suisse AG, have committed to underwrite the financing...

Bombardier to showcase two class-leading jets at Aero India​

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it will showcase two of its class-defining jets at this year’s Aero India airshow in Bangalore, India from February 6 to February 11, 2013. On display will be the Challenger 605 and Global 6000 business jets. “India represents huge potential for business aviation,” said Nilesh Pattanayak, Regional Vice President, Sales, Asia-Pacific. “As the economy grows and the need for global and regional corporate travel increases in the region, the value of a business jet is now well established...

Dassault Falcon to Provide On-Site Support at Global Events in 2013 ​

Dassault Falcon will once again support operators attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland with a dedicated technical team positioned at nearby Zurich Airport. The forum, which takes place January 23-27, brings together intellectuals, business leaders and heads of state from around the world resulting in an unusually large influx of business aircraft. To ensure the highest level of customer service for operators attending the event, the Falcon team dispatched on-site will be backed up by the three Swiss-based Falcon Authorized Service Centers, which are certified to perform maintenance on all Falcon models...

Bombardier Global 6000 business-jet gets Brazilian certification​

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it has received full certification for its Global 6000 jet from the Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil in Brazil. “This is an important milestone in our Global 6000 jet’s history of leadership in Brazil, and we expect it to help generate even more interest in the world’s leading long-range, large cabin business jet,” said Fabio Rebello, Regional Vice President, Sales, Latin America, Bombardier Business Aircraft...

Embraer delivers 99 business jets in 2012​

Brazilian business-jet airframer Embraer finished the year on a high as they posted better results than expected. Embraer matched the previous year's performance which looked unlikely initially but thanks to a rush of deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2012, numbers quickly soared.

Embraer finished 2012 with 99 business-jet deliveries and a whopping 53 of those deliveries occured in the fourth quarter alone. The light jet category remains robust - in context - for Embraer and it showed with 77 of those deliveries being Phenom 100s and 300s...