LATEST ISSUE
Summer 2020
I’ve been writing about aviation since 1996. I was working in West London on 11 September 2001 and vividly remember the big jets, turned back from the US, holding for landing slots at Heathrow. I’m certain we were still writing about the repercussions of 9/11 when the 2007/08 global financial crisis presented new challenges that beleaguered the industry, cost jobs and changed lives.
Now the world is beginning to see a way forwards from the coronavirus pandemic, a new crisis that has and will continue to beleaguer the aviation industry, cost jobs and, tragically, take lives. It has affected everything. This edition of EVA, for example, so carefully crafted for May’s cancelled EBACE show, has been rethought and reworked as almost every article fell by the wayside or became irrelevant.
And yet, after proofing the final version, I was left with a sense of hope. It’s true that job losses have already been announced and companies are struggling to survive in every one of our industry’s niches, but the stories of adaptability, resilience and renewal collected in this summer edition neatly summarise the industry’s response to this latest global crisis.
One industry veteran noted in a recent Zoom call: “It’s OK to be in business aviation now. We don’t have to make excuses anymore, because now people can see what we do.” It’s true. Out of this awful crisis, business aviation has the opportunity to show the world exactly that which it does so well – move people efficiently and quickly, at range, safely and discretely, whenever and wherever they need to go.
I could compose more editorial fluff in hopes of spreading my own take on an already well-understood message but, instead, I’ll use the words of another industry stalwart, Dori Henderson, Vice President Business Aviation & Digital Solutions at Collins Aerospace, quoted in this edition: “…this is an exceptional industry and having seen how my team is reacting to the crisis and how they work with customers, I think what we’ve done is no more than our customers would expect. It’s exactly right they should expect this of us, but it’s an approach and relationship I’ve never seen in any other industry.
“Business aviation is a smaller, more agile industry than commercial aviation, able to make decisions far more rapidly. So, it really is uniquely positioned to drive and lead change, post-crisis. It’s an opportunity for business aviation to make a change for the whole world.”
Take A Peek
Featured in this issue
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Extraordinary Business, as Usual
Collins Aerospace has been revising its digital solutions to satisfy the extraordinary requirements of the unexpected. Dori Henderson, Vice President Business Aviation & Digital Solutions, spoke t...
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Pandemic Journey
As the final words for this summer edition of Executive & VIP Aviation International were typed in late May, many business aviation companies were struggling for survival. Others were managing to ...
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Time, to Tow
Combining simplicity and convenience, the AVTRAC is new low-cost, electrically-driven aircraft towing unit from the UK’s JES Machinery. Company owner Jason Gardner explains its potential Very lit...
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Big Plans, New Future
When coronavirus hit, ASL Group quickly turned its talents to moving essential personnel and supplies, and repatriating those stranded abroad. But, as ASL Group Safety Manager and pilot Maxime Wauters...
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Ready for Anything
Euro Jet provides support services throughout Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Busily adapting to and working through the COVID crisis, the company is looking forward to f...
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Challenging Reality
Vertis Aviation offers a personal, bespoke charter experience, but has also proven adept at a variety of challenging COVID-related missions. Chief Operating Officer Catherine Buchanan, locked down in ...
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Shining in the Sun
With its focus on the airports at Cannes and Nice, Clean Jet Azur has boosted its trusted business with a new disinfection product. Commercial and Technical Director Bruno Philippon explains Aircra...
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Safety, Security, Service
Written By Paul Eden
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the French Riviera airports at Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez hard. But Joseph Azzaz, Directeur, Aéroport du Golfe de Saint-Tropez, says new lessons are being learned,...
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Rotary Connection
Basing its VIP EC155 B1 out of London Stansted, Heliconnex is poised to expand its bespoke helicopter charter business, as Director Mark Hourigan and Head of Sales and Marketing Samantha Hazelgrove ex...
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Pets on Jets
The process of flying by private jet is similar from any business and general aviation airport, but what happens when a pet is added into the equation? Kirstie Pickering reports Travelling with a p...
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Big Ambition at Biggin Hill
Written By Paul Eden
Although Brexit was looming, F/LIST opened a new facility at London’s Biggin Hill Airport in August 2019. The site had barely begun work when the coronavirus pandemic hit, but Managing Director Stef...
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Happier, Healthier, Humidified
Written By Paul Eden
CTT has been increasing cabin humidity levels and improving passenger comfort for many years, but Peter Landquist, VP Sales & Marketing, says its Inflight Humidification system can benefit the imm...
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hullo, Business as Usual
Written By Paul Eden
Crewing platform hullo Aircrew was established with homeworking in mind. The dispersed, digitally-savvy team behind the burgeoning system was therefore perfectly placed to continue as normal through t...
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