NationAir Aviation Insurance has added in-house IS-BAO audits to its services. The company’s claims advisor, Tom Surgalski, is now an accredited IS-BAO auditor and will provide its new offerings, which include Stage I, II and III IS-BAO audits, gap audits and general consulting on IS-BAO standards and safety management systems. Surgalski will be available to discuss IS-BAO issues at NationAir’s booth at the NBAA Convention next week.
Financing, Insurance and Taxes
Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.
October 22, 2012 - 12:00pm
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Bank (SMBC) beat more than 30 other bidders to complete the acquisition of RBS Aviation Capital on October 15, demonstrating the growing importance of leasing in new-airliner acquisitions. The bank’s new SMBC Aviation division intends to merge two other leasing companies owned by its shareholders to challenge for the number-three position in the leasing sector, controlling some 331 aircraft.
October 16, 2012 - 3:28pm
Aviation insurer Chartis has added crisis response coverage to aviation policies for corporate customers, including airports and charter management companies. The new product provides customers access to immediate funds for crisis management costs resulting from a catastrophic event. With the coverage, policyholders can receive up to $250,000 of additional policy limits for costs associated with hiring a crisis management firm to help manage reputation risk, as well as for other crisis-related expenses, such as temporary living, travel, counseling, medical and funeral costs.
October 8, 2012 - 10:50am
Ireland-based aircraft lessor Avolon is speaking out against what it characterizes as irresponsible speculation that the economic life of modern airliners has been significantly reduced by the dismantling (for parts) of a number of relatively young aircraft, such as the Airbus A318. In an October 2 webcast, Avolon CEO Domhnal Slattery and head of strategy Dick Forsberg presented the results of a study drawing on raw fleet data provided by consultancy Ascend, combined with its own 10-year projections.
July 19, 2012 - 3:50pm
Jetex Flight Support has introduced a new program that allows qualifying aircraft operators to buy fuel more easily without paying value added tax (VAT). The service is provided through the flight planning and support group’s new subsidiary, Jetex Fueling Services. Initially the program will be available in Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Switzerland. Jetex intends to extend it to other countries in the future, according to program manager Ahmed Ghazal.
July 10, 2012 - 3:35pm
Engine Lease Finance (ELFC) has become the first CFM International (CFMI) spare-engine lessor to use the manufacturer’s portable maintenance for lessors (PML) program under a memorandum of understanding that could be formally ratified by year’s end.
June 26, 2012 - 2:45pm
Brazilian tax, police and aviation authorities joined forces to seize nine business jets last week, and they have targeted 13 more aircraft. According to officials, Brazilians allegedly own and use the jets but registered them overseas to avoid Brazilian state and federal import taxes of nearly 35 percent. Foreign-registered airplanes can remain in Brazil for up to 60 days without paying import duties.
June 26, 2012 - 2:35pm
Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) sent a letter early last week to Dave Camp, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, asking for clarification of Congress’s intent on applying the Federal Excise Tax (FET) to managed aircraft.
June 2, 2012 - 2:40am
A legal case that could hold serious ramifications for the aircraft financing and leasing industry met its end with a blow against the lenders when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.
