AIR TAXI LAUNCH
UK air taxi start-up FlairJet is planning to launch services in May 2009 operating two Embraer Phenom 100 very light jets. The company will be based at Oxford Airport in southern England and will focus on customers in the legal and financial markets, FlairJet will lease the aircraft from an undisclosed Embraer customer in Europe that has 10 Phenom 100s on order. FlairJet has placed an order and an option for two Phenom 100s and is planning to take delivery of the aircraft in 2012.
GARMIN RETROFIT
South Africa's National Airways Corporation is planning to offer the Garmin G-1000 retrofit for the Beechcraft King Air 200 from December this year and predicts strong demand for the upgrade. "To date, the only glass panel solution for King Air 200s has been the Alliant flightdeck, of which NAC has completed two installations. The G-1000 offers more to our customers as it is a genuinely integrated system which includes RVSM and synthetic vision," says NAC.
GAMA ACQUISITION
Farnborough UK-based Gama Holdings has completed its acquisition of UK avionics company Lees Avionics, paving the way for GAMA to design, install and manufacture avionics for all types of business and general aviation aircraft.
PILOT SERVICE
Bristol Aviation Group has launched a service designed to supply flightcrew to commercial operators, offering services including the training and provision of newly qualified crew, providing experienced flightcrew, including examiners and trainers, captains and first officers and other key post holders. The Bristol, UK-based company will also provide aircraft flight test and ferrying and Joint Aviation Authority flight training courses.
SHUTTLE DISCOUNT
Delta Air Lines has begun offering discounted helicopter shuttle service to New York City heliports in Manhattan to passengers travelling economy on domestic flights to or from its hub at New York Kennedy airport. Flights operate 27 times daily. The scheduled helicopter service was launched five years ago using eight-seat Sikorsky S-76s. It is targeted at time-sensitive travellers looking for reliable, fast and affordable helicopter transportation, says the company.
SIKORSKY CONTRACT
Sikorsky Aerospace Services - Sikorsky's dedicated after market division - has clinched a five-year contract to provide the Saudi Arabian government with an operations and maintenance support programme for S-92, S-76, and S-434 helicopters purchased by the country last year.
Source: Flight International
