Modern Aviation To Expand Denver FBO

Modern Aviation will expand its footprint at Denver’s Centennial Airport (KAPA) with the announcement that it will purchase an existing hangar and office complex.

The 6.5-acre property—located directly across the street from Modern’s main KAPA FBO—includes 53,270 sq ft of hangar space capable of accommodating ultra-long-range business jets, 52,400 sq ft of office space, and a 7,320-sq-ft garage. While the two hangars are fully occupied, 15,000 sq ft of Class A office space is available.

“We are very excited about acquiring these properties and expanding our footprint at [KAPA], which is a top-seven general aviation airport that is expected to grow well into the future,” said Modern CEO Mark Carmen. “We’ve been seeking opportunities to grow our operation at [KAPA] since our original FBO acquisition there in November 2018.”

Last year, the company completed an expansion project at Centennial that added 52,000 sq ft of hangar space, 4,000 sq ft of office space, a new 7,000-sq-ft terminal, and three acres of ramp. This latest acquisition brings the facility to a total of 179,000 sq ft of aircraft shelter along with 129,000 sq ft of office space.

The Modern chain—founded in 2018 and backed by Apollo Funds and Tiger Infrastructure Partners—numbers 17 FBOs in the U.S. and Caribbean.

Boeing and Airbus Eye Spirit AeroSystems Deals

Efforts to address supply chain instability and quality assurance have seen Boeing and Airbus each sign deals to potentially acquire their respective interests in Spirit AeroSystems, the companies said on Monday. The moves come amid calls by lawmakers and regulators for Boeing to better manage its safety systems following the in-flight blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in March. The definitive agreement between Boeing and Spirit would involve an all-stock transaction valued at $4.7 billion. The total value would reach $8.3 billion based on Spirit’s last reported net debt.

Spirit manufactures fuselage sections for four Bombardier business jets—the Challenger 650 and 3500, and Global 5500 and 6500. It also supplies engine nacelles for the Challenger 650 and Global 5500 and 6500, as well as the composite horizontal stabilizers for the Global 7500. Spirit’s Casablanca, Morocco site assembles emergency doors for the Challenger 3500 and the floors for the Global 5500 and 6500.

Meanwhile, Airbus contracts with Spirit for the production of A350 fuselage sections in Kinston, North Carolina, and Saint-Nazaire, France; the A220’s wings and mid-fuselage in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Casablanca; and the A220 pylons in Wichita. The potential deal would see Spirit compensated $559 million for control over those activities.

Universal Hydrogen Runs Out of Cash and Closes Business

Universal Hydrogen has abandoned its efforts to convert regional airliners to run on liquid hydrogen, with the U.S. start-up acknowledging over the weekend that it is closing the business. News of the company’s closure first broke in the Seattle Times on Saturday and then on Sunday its chairman and CEO, Mark Cousin, issued a public statement confirming the report.

“We confirm the unfortunate news that Universal Hydrogen Co. has made the difficult decision to wind up the company,” Cousin said. “While we have been pursuing new capital for some time, and evaluating various strategic options, we have been unsuccessful in closing any new investment and therefore our board has made this decision.”

According to the Seattle Times, Cousin wrote to shareholders on June 27 to explain the situation. The paper reported that it had seen documents relating to efforts to secure a $20 million investment from Saudi Arabian investors and another possible deal to merge with Florida-based Silver Airways.

Universal Hydrogen was working to secure supplemental type certificates to convert the 70-seat Dash 8 and ATR 72 turboprop twins to be able to operate sectors of 500 nm with reserves for flight diversions. Its goal was to bring the first aircraft into commercial service in 2026.

Lawmakers Look To Boost FAA Funding

The FAA is staged to receive a $1.576 billion boost under a Fiscal Year 2025 funding bill approved by the House transportation, housing, and urban development (THUD) subcommittee last week. Approved by voice vote, with some on the Democrat side stating opposition to lack of Amtrak funding and other non-FAA-related items, the bill would provide $21.657 billion for FY2025, which starts October 1.

Of that, House appropriators would provide $13.588 billion for the FAA’s operations, including funding for the hiring of 2,000 air traffic controllers. The bill includes language that would direct the FAA to create a hiring and staffing plan surrounding its certification workforce, similar to the one for controllers. It also would preserve the contract tower program with $256 million, maintain the weight limitations at Teterboro Airport, and continue programs to shield the privacy of business aircraft movements.

Of the operations budget, $11.771 billion would come from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, paid through the aviation excise taxes, while the remainder would come from the general federal budget.

Meanwhile, in line with the recently passed FAA reauthorization bill, the Airport Improvement Program would see a bump to $4 billion, while facilities and equipment funding was set at $3.55 billion and research, engineering, and development at $260 million.

The bill heads next for House Appropriations Committee approval before going to a vote in the full House.

First Situational Awareness Systems Delivered in U.S.

Operational use of uAvionix’s situational awareness system began yesterday at Indianapolis (KIND) and Texas' Austin-Bergstrom (KAUS) airports. The system recently completed a service acceptance test in partnership with Capital Sciences.

The uAvionix FlightLine ADS-B service enables the situational awareness system to show air traffic controllers “real-time, precise depictions of aircraft and vehicles on the airport surface, thereby improving situational awareness and reducing the risk of runway incursions,” according to uAvionix. To ensure ground vehicles are visible, the airports installed FAA-approved uAvionix ADS-B VTU-20 Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters on the airport vehicles.

FlightLine captures ADS-B signals from aircraft and ground vehicles on both the 978- and 1090- MHz ADS-B bands. Traffic is displayed on an airport surface map that depicts runways, taxiways, hold ramps, and other movement areas.

Additional situational awareness system installations are planned at other U.S. airports. “This significant milestone marks the first approvals under the FAA’s Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI), part of a broader effort to enhance runway safety across the nation,” said uAvionix chief commercial officer Christian Ramsey.

ACI Jet Details Plans for Faster MRO Quotes

ACI Jet has made advances in its quoting process as part of a plan to deliver faster and more accurate aircraft maintenance quotes for customers, the San Luis Obispo, California-based Bombardier authorized service facility said. Responding to customer feedback, ACI Jet has invested in additional human resources and technology to ensure timely and accurate service quotes.

The move aims to not only ensure a better product for existing customers, but to re-engage customers who previously faced delays in obtaining service estimates.

“We’ve listened, and we’re responding,” said ACI Jet v-p of aircraft maintenance Dave Jensen. “Our growing customer base comes to ACI Jet with the expectation of top-tier, right-the-first-time service. However, we acknowledge that we haven’t always been as swift in delivering estimates as we would like. After closely examining areas for improvement, we decided on a two-pronged approach—adding highly qualified resources coupled with new technology providing enhanced automation.”

The enhancements ensure timely reviews of customer requests for quotes—in some cases delivered the same day. It also redesigned its proposal template to improve high-level project details and disseminate specific task requirements for planners in a “streamlined, easy-to-read format.”

Additionally, ACI Jet hired 15-year industry veteran Sebastien Joncas as a dedicated project estimator and Michael Morin as a project manager.

Ferretti Yacht Clients Get Access to Flexjet Fleet

Yachting group Ferretti Group has reached an agreement for its customers to have access to aircraft and helicopters operated by private flight provider Flexjet. The recently announced deal spells out when Ferretti's clients would be able to fly and also gives them access to Flexjet’s private terminals at airports such as Teterboro; Naples, Florida; and Van Nuys, California.

“People who love cruising on Ferretti Group yachts expect standards of absolute excellence when they fly, too, which is why I’m so pleased to associate our name with Flexjet, a partner that shares our same passion and desire to offer customers an increasingly rewarding experience," said Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi.

The collaboration will also involve a shared presence at international boat shows and other high-profile events.

“This exciting partnership takes the decades-long expertise and luxury brand power from leaders in two complementary sectors, and combines them to present today’s UHNWI audience with a set of exclusive and unique advantages,” added Flexjet chairman Kenn Ricci. “I have been a huge admirer of Ferretti Group’s philosophy for many years, and we share a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver a truly exceptional luxury experience. I’m excited to see how this significant strategic alliance can lift our offerings to even greater heights of excellence.”

AVIATION SAFETY QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Referring to an aircraft flight control system, what is a balance tab?

A. A tab mounted on a flight control surface that moves in the same direction as the surface.
B. A tab mounted on a flight control surface that moves in the opposite direction of the surface.
C. A tab mounted on a fixed stabilizer that moves with changes in the airflow.
D. A weight used in the tail of biplanes to aid in balancing the loads around the center of gravity.

Take The Quiz

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