by Joy Finnegan | Dec 30, 2019 | Innovation
A group of aviation stakeholders welcomed congressional legislation including provisions aimed squarely at promoting the development and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
The House and Senate
approved the legislation last week, as part of a fiscal year 2020
appropriations package. The language contains a renewal-and-extension of the
biodiesel tax incentive, for which certain fuels are eligible.
The funding measure
restores the expired Section 40A biodiesel credit through 2022. Under that
provision, a tax credit is available to qualified producers, or
blenders of sustainable fuels derived from biomass, one of several SAF
pathways, that meet applicable ASTM specifications.
The biodiesel tax
incentive remains critical to the industry’s efforts
to research, produce, and scale SAF use. Ten years ago, the business aviation
community made a commitment to sustainability and carbon neutral growth.
Utilization of SAF by business aviation operators is an important part of this
commitment, along with rapid and continuing advancements in fuel efficiency,
advanced aerodynamics and noise reduction.
The Sustainable
Aviation Fuels Coalition – which includes the European Business Aviation
Association (EBAA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA),
International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), National Air Transportation
Association (NATA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) – has
demonstrated the safe, real-world use of SAF and business aviation’s commitment to sustainability.
The stakeholders
group is part of a growing coalition advocating for a broader and long-term SAF
tax credit applying to all pathways, and promoting an investment in production
capacity.
“We are glad that
Congress took action to extend the biodiesel tax credit, which benefits certain
sustainable aviation fuels,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA president and CEO. “The
general aviation industry is aggressively promoting the use of sustainable
fuel, and we will continue to work with policymakers and other stakeholders to
support its use. It is our commitment that 2020 will build upon the momentum of
this past year through a March SAF summit in Washington and other events and
initiatives.”
“Congressional
action this week to renew and extend the biodiesel tax incentive demonstrates
continued U.S. leadership among its international peers to encourage the
production and use of SAF, a critical technology to reducing aviation’s
greenhouse-gas emissions,” said Kurt Edwards, Director General of IBAC. “At the
International Civil Aviation Organization, IBAC, on behalf of the global
business aviation sector, has called on all governments to put in place such
policies, which will enable the industry to grow sustainably while bringing
economic activity and connectivity to all corners of the world.”
“This
is a great example of the aviation industry working together and pushing for an
incentive from Congress for companies to invest in the production of sustainable
aviation fuels,” said Timothy Obitts, chief operating officer of the NATA. “These tax incentives, coupled with state
initiatives like California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, will help create the supply of SAF
that the business aviation industry is demanding. SAF are one of the critical
pieces that will help the industry achieve cleaner skies for future
generations.”
“NBAA’s 11,000 member companies are committed to increasing
the utilization of SAF in our daily operations,” said NBAA President & CEO
Ed Bolen. “These innovative fuels can reduce C02 emissions by up to 80%, and
they are a critical part of business aviation’s
commitment to sustainability.”
by Joy Finnegan | Dec 30, 2019 | Avionics
The FAA’s January 1, 2020, deadline for upgrading their aircraft to Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is this week. Duncan Aviation Satellite Avionics shops say they have been asked a number of questions in the last couple of weeks.
One question comes from owner/operators whose aircraft are not ADS-B-compliant. They are wondering if they’re going to be able to fly once the mandate goes into effect next week. Mike Mertens, manager of Regulation Compliance says the FAA released a policy statement in April of this year clarifying how Air Traffic Control (ATC) will handle non-compliant aircraft. He says the agency made clear that it will not issue in-flight authorizations to non-compliant aircraft. Permission must be requested and obtained before takeoff. “At least 60 minutes before a flight, preferably considerably earlier, pilots flying aircraft that are not equipped with ADS-B Out must file their flight plan with the FAA and wait for permission from ATC in the airspace through which they intend to fly,” says Mertens. “If ATC is busy, airspace is congested or there’s inclement weather, permission to fly may be denied.” Mertens stressed that these exceptions will not be granted more than one or two times. Aircraft that are not compliant with the FAA’s ADS-B-Out mandate will likely face inconvenient restrictions and downtime in the coming weeks.
After the first of the New Year, some of the Duncan Aviation Satellite Avionics Shops have space available for upgrading aircraft to ADS-B Out. Duncan Aviation holds or has access to Supplemental Type Certificates for dozens of aircraft, and the techs have a great deal of experience with all makes and models. Throughout 2019, Duncan Aviation techs at Satellite Avionics Shops have upgraded more than 400 aircraft for ADS-B, and the three main facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska, Battle Creek, Michigan, and Provo, Utah, have upgraded an additional 125 aircraft.
“We’ve also received questions about how soon we can update aircraft from owner/operators who had intended to sell their aircraft rather than upgrade, but they’ve found there’s no market for aircraft that are not ADS-B-compliant,” says manager of Satellite Operations Matt Nelson. “We’re encouraging owner/operators in this position to call the Duncan Aviation Satellite Avionics Shop nearest them to schedule time in January for the upgrade.” Nelson says the flight restrictions on non-compliant aircraft may pose some problems, but the FAA will likely grant permission for aircraft to fly to Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) centers like Duncan Aviation in order to obtain the upgrade to ADS-B.
Duncan says upgrading to ADS-B requires about 10 days to two weeks if downtime. For more details on the ADS-B mandate, check out our feature story in Aerospace Tech Review here.
by Charlotte Daniels | Dec 30, 2019 | Connectivity, MRO IT
China Southern has signed a long-term component support contract for the for its fleet of newly acquired A350s. The aircraft has just made its debut within the fleet, therefore the airline has opted for a pooling solution as part of its operational strategy.
As part of the agreement for component support, the Chinese carrier will have access to a dedicated inventory as well as AFI KLM E&M’s regional China A350 pool.
The announced maintenance program includes maintenance, repair and logistic services. In addition to AFI KLM E&M’s global pool located at Paris, Singapore and Detroit, China Southern Airlines will gain access to the central China pool of Shanghai as well as dedicated Main Base Kits (MBK) in Guangzhou and Beijing.
Due to the presence of this regional pool, AFI KLM E&M has announced it can immediately accommodate China Southern Airlines’ A350 fleet for stopovers in China, thereby eliminating the risk of operational delays caused by long customs processes or transport timeframes. This new contract firmly bolsters AFI KLM E&M’s position regarding A350 component pooling in China, Asia and the global market.
by Charlotte Daniels | Dec 30, 2019 | Flight Ops IT, Innovation
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a proposal that would aim to allow secure integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, into American airspace. The proposal requires these to be identifiable remotely.
“Remote ID technologies will enhance safety and security by allowing the FAA, law enforcement, and Federal security agencies to identify drones flying in their jurisdiction,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The FAA will seek input on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Remote Identification (Remote ID) of UAS. In the coming days, it will be accompanied by a 60-day comment period to receive public feedback and help the FAA develop a final rule to enhance safety in the skies over the U.S.
“As a pilot, my eye is always on safety first,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Safety is a joint responsibility between government, pilots, the drone community, the general public and many others who make our nation so creative and innovative.”
According to the FAA, drones are a fast-growing segment of the entire transportation sector – nearly 1.5 million drones and 160,000 remote pilots are registered with the US regulator. Equipping drones with remote identification technologies would build on previous steps taken by the FAA and the UAS industry to safely integrate operations, including the small UAS rule, which covers drones weighing less than 55 pounds, and the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), which automates the application and approval process for most UAS operators to obtain airspace authorizations.
These efforts lay the foundation for more complex operations, such as those beyond visual line of sight at low altitudes, as the FAA and the drone industry move toward a traffic management ecosystem for UAS flights separate from, but complementary to, the air traffic management system.
The proposed Remote ID rule would apply to all drones that are required to register with the FAA (recreational drones weighing under 0.55 pounds are not required to register), as well as to persons operating foreign civil UAS in the U.S.
by Joy Finnegan | Dec 23, 2019 | MRO IT
HAECO Group announced it will continue to work with Ramco Systems to bring their software solutions to four more business units in Hong Kong, Xiamen and Jinjiang.
HAECO’s partnership with Ramco began last year when HAECO ITM, a HAECO Group company which provides Inventory Technical Management solutions, adopted Ramco’s Aviation Suite. The proprietary platform is equipped with advanced supply chain planning and optimization, covering Customer Contract Management, Supply Chain Management, Inventory Management, Financial Management, and Component Engineering including Reliability Management.
Following the successful collaboration, the group will now implement Ramco Aviation Suite, integrated with a new HR and Finance solution, at its Component, Repair and Overhaul (CRO) services facilities in Hong Kong and Xiamen; Landing Gear Services facility in Xiamen; and Composite Services facility in Jinjiang.
Implementation of the Ramco Aviation Suite will serve to integrate and streamline HAECO’s various departments and units into a unified whole to maximise operational efficiencies. The integrated system will also give HAECO complete visibility of resources, materials and financials across units to enable faster decision-making based on real-time analytics. Ramco will further support the larger ecosystem through a collaboration with third party software providers in Customs, Freight Forwarding and SPEC 2000 EDI.
Ramco says their software solutions will help HAECO leverage the power of automation through its innovative Bot platform, Ramco CHIA, available in both English and Mandarin. The company says the platform is designed to simplify leave management, expense claims, on-boarding processes and more for both employees and HR staff. In addition, Digital Task Card, a platform designed to manage PDF job cards, will help mechanics and engineers deal with non-routine work by automating manual repetitive tasks.
“We are delighted by this partnership with HAECO,” says Virender Aggarwal, CEO, Ramco Systems. “As well as expanding our MRO footprint in Greater China, this partnership symbolizes the trust that our clients place in us to support their current as well as future business needs. Ramco’s user-friendly, intelligent and bot-ready solutions will allow partners such as HAECO to accelerate their entire digitisation process.”
Christopher Gibbs, group director Components & Engine Services at HAECO, adds: “We are glad to have chosen Ramco’s solutions to help bring our digital enterprise vision to life right across our components businesses. Ramco’s software solution will help us seamlessly integrate within our group companies, will improve overall process efficiency, and will lead to increased asset and inventory utilization. We look forward to optimizing our workforce utility and boosting productivity and efficiency, thanks to this digital program.”
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