TAX EXEMPTION
New York’s state senate passed legislation last month to provide a sales and use tax exemption on general aviation aircraft to be operated under FAR Part 91 and purchased in the state. The exemption is designed to make New York competitive with other states (including nearby Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Hampshire) that already exempt sales taxes related to aviation activities and, if approved, will take effect on 1 December.
GULF CONTRACTS
PHI has received a five-year extension of its contract to provide offshore support services to Shell Exploration & Production in the Gulf of Mexico, with seven new Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopters and two new Eurocopter EC135s. Bristow Group’s Mexico joint venture Heliservicio Campeche has a two-year contract from oil company Petroleos Mexicanos to support its offshore activities within the Gulf of Mexico. Heliservicio Campeche will operate three Bell 412EPs.
AUDITOR ACQUIRED
Online charter information exchange CharterX has acquired safety auditing firm Wyvern Consulting, with the intent of providing safety analyses to charter buyers. Wyvern will continue to operate as a separate, impartial safety evaluation entity, says CharterX.
HANDLING GROWTH
London City Airport Jet Centre has opened a new business aircraft handling facility at RAF Northolt in west London following “phenomenal growth” in business aviation movements at the airfield. “This is largely a result of the introduction of fractional ownership [in Europe], which has opened up the industry,” says the company.
HISPANO MOU
Hispano-Suiza has signed a memorandum of understanding to supply two accessory gearboxes for the 6-7t-class EC175 being developed by Eurocopter and China’s AVIC II.
Source: Flight International
