Wheels Up & Jet Linx Aviation plug in
Air taxis may not be flying yet but they are already a lot like buses. You wait ages for one business jet operator to get involved and then two come along at once. This week both Jet Linx Aviation and Wheels Up announced new ventures with electric vertical vehicle companies.
Jet Linx has now announced a partnership with helicopter operator and urban air mobility company Blade Urban Air Mobility. Blade has committed to buy at least five – and possibly up to 20 – Alia eVTOL aircraft from Beta Technologies. It says it will support the purchase of the aircraft by operator partners like Jet Linx.
Town Hall: Aircraft escrow firms refuse more ‘undesirable’ clients
Mike Stones
Business aircraft escrow companies are turning away far more
“undesirable” prospective clients and detecting more attempted fraud, according to Corporate Jet Investor’s recent Town Hall online meeting on closing transactions.
Joan Roberts, Insured Aircraft Title Service vice president, told delegates:
“We have seen a lot more undesirable people trying to set up escrows with us and airplanes that we consider undesirable. We know they will come under investigation somewhere down the road.”
Roberts was unsure what sparked the increase in dubious escrow proposals. Factors accounting for the rise could include what she described as drug cartels having greater access to the US or recent high-profile indictments in the business aviation industry.
Time for the billion-dollar question in China
“With money, you can buy a clock but not time,” according to a Chinese proverb. If that’s true, Fabergé clock sales in the world’s most populous country look set to rocket. The latest Forbes Billionaires list, published this week, includes a record 2,755-dollar billionaires, with China supplying 205 new entrants to this most exclusive of rich lists.
But how likely are the newly ultra-wealthy in China to find themselves buying or flying in private jets? There seem to be mixed signs from this most complicated of countries. David Dixon, president, Jetcraft Asia told Corporate Jet Investor he did not expect to find an extra 205 prospective clients outside his office door on Monday morning waiting to buy an aeroplane.
Mike Stones
1st April 2021, 5:29
Daher has launched its upgraded Kodiak 100 Series III turboprop and delivered the first plane to a customer at its Sandpoint facility in Idaho, US.
The Series III includes larger tyre sizes, measuring 29 inches and a higher landing weight of 7,255lb (3,290kg). The new model also has a lower zero-fuel weight, enabling a larger payload, designed to benefit charter and business flights, special missions and humanitarian operations.
As part of the upgrade, Series III aircraft offer the eight-seat Executive Edition cabin with club-type seating for passengers, air conditioning with controls for both the cockpit and cabin zones, plus an increased oxygen capacity. Another option is enhanced quality exterior paint. All Series III aircraft carry an extended three-year warranty.
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