COVID-19 AND BUSINESS AVIATION

As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies, you may be thinking about ways to avoid crowded airliners and airports.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, you may be thinking about ways to avoid crowded airliners and airports. If so, now is a good time to get acquainted with flying privately. Here are articles and videos that will get you up to speed in a hurry.

 

Johnson & Johnson Flight Department Talks Best COVID Practices

The key piece of advice from the experts is that with proper risk-mitigation, flying can continue during a pandemic, but planning is essential and even with regular testing, it is still necessary to adopt best practices for mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing, and cleaning.

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Universal Weather and Aviation Rolls Out COVID Test Directory

The company has established a network of testing providers across the top 200 international airports that its customers use.

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Are Your Charter Flights Safe?

If you charter aircraft, you may be wondering about the safety of your flights. The good news is that charter represents one of the safest forms of non-airline flying. That’s because charter operators employ professional and experienced crews, and because the Federal Aviation Administration has always overseen passenger-paying flights more strictly than private operations.

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New COVID Rules Ban Some Travelers

Non-U.S. citizens who have been in the U.K., Ireland, the E.U.’s Schengen Area, Brazil, and South America will be barred from entering the United States.

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FAA Proposes $1M Penalty for Charter Company

Weathervane Aviation Services in Massachusetts allegedly operated 1,400 illegal flights.

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My 2020 Pandemic Playlist

Aircraft broker Jay Mesinger picks songs to help us weather COVID-19.

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A Bizav Tax Break—and a Caveat

During the early months of 2020, private aviation, like the broader economy, virtually ground to a halt because of COVID-19. Operators faced leasing and other ongoing financial obligations without much, if any, income. On lockdown, fractional and jet card users essentially were barred from flying while at the same time many faced ongoing payment obligations under contracts that continued to run toward expiration, leaving accrued flight time unused. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (known as the CARES Act), which was signed into law on March 27, included a provision that offered relief to the private aviation industry. It did so by essentially waiving the 7.5 percent Federal Excise Tax (FET) applicable to air transportation through the end of 2020. The FET holiday provided a strong incentive to undertake new private aviation investments. At the same time, private flyers, concerned that operators under enormous financial stress might not survive, grew wary of paying large sums in advance for jet cards, charters, and the like. What to do?

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What Does Political Confusion in Washington Mean for Private Aviation?

A disrupted transition to a new U.S. administration and pending Senate run-off elections are standing in the way of further relief for the embattled aviation industry. Charles Alcock and Kerry Lynch, senior editors from BJT sister publication Aviation International News, give us the inside track on what it might take to turn the corner on a year blighted by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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What Does a Biden Presidency Mean For Private Aviation?

A new administration in the White House may lead to changes in the bizav industry.

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COVID-19 Hits Home for a BJT Contributor

Here's what happened after he developed shortness of breath and fever.

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Experts Explain COVID-19 Testing

Vaccines are on the way, but in the meantime, those getting tested after a COVID-19 exposure should know that tests are not equally effective in detecting the virus. That’s according to experts, including Mayo Clinic's Dr. Bobbi Pritt, who told BJT that molecular-based tests are the most successful at detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. She explained that detection requires an incubation period of three to four days following exposure. It can take two to 14 days for symptoms to appear, Pritt said, although most people become symptomatic five or six days after exposure.

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How COVID Has Affected Bizav, and What 2021 Might Bring

The business aircraft flight activity data from analyst WingX doesn’t lie. Charles Alcock, senior editor from BJT sister publication Aviation International News, catches up with WingX managing director Richard Koe to make sense of the latest trends. The COVID crisis continues to take a toll, but there are some fascinating variations in different regions of the market and for various aircraft types.

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The exemption applies to senior executives who are determined to be “bringing significant economic benefit” to the UK through work that “has a greater than 50 percent chance” of creating or preserving at least 50 UK-based jobs to an existing UK business with at least 50 employees or to a new UK business within one year of their arrival. Alternatively, they should be traveling to purchase goods and services from a UK-based business with at least 50 employees, either through a contract worth at least £100 million ($130 million) or one that would create or preserve 50 or more jobs.

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2021 Paris Air Show Canceled Due To COVID Concerns

Quelle horreur! Organizers of the Paris Air Show have announced that the 2021 edition, slated for June 21 to 27, has been canceled “in light of the uncertainty linked to the current COVID-19 health crisis.” The next Paris Air Show will be held in June 2023, with specific dates to soon be released.

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How the Pandemic Is Changing the Charter Customer Experience

The companies we spoke with include Clay Lacy Aviation, Executive Jet Management, Jet Aviation, Jet Linx, Magellan Jets, Paramount Business Jets, Priester Aviation, Solairus Aviation, and XO. This list includes three of the top five, and half of the dozen largest charter operators as well as seasoned brokerages that utilize a network of vetted operators. So their responses reflect what any customer of a quality charter provider will likely experience now and for the foreseeable future. 

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Charter Company Sees Bookings Rise from Women's Soccer

The growing popularity of and additional investment in the sport, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, are driving the increases, Air Charter Service says.

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Survey Finds Many Furloughed Bizav Workers Recalled

A National Business Aviation Association survey has revealed that more companies used furloughs rather than layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic and that many of those affected have returned to work. The survey, conducted as part of the NBAA’s larger annual Compensation Survey, drew the participation of 175 companies, the majority of which have 20 or fewer employees.

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Market Uncertainty—But Also Cause for Optimism

The pandemic has affected every aspect of business jet sales, but signs point to a strong post-COVID recovery.

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VistaJet Unveils the ‘Private World’

According to VistaJet, in this era of COVID restrictions, 79 percent of ultra-high-net-worth individuals are more inclined to book travel by private jet and consider it a safer and more reliable flight solution. This program offers experiences either for business or pleasure, such as VistaJet-to-Suite, offering premier accommodations such as the Peninsula Hotels in the world’s leading business hubs; VistaJet-to-Yacht, providing leasing for some of the most exclusive vessels afloat; VistaJet-to-Slopes, making connections to renowned ski resorts; VistaJet-to-Estate, with worldwide luxury property rentals; and VistaJet-to-Island, for the ultimate in private getaways.

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Which Business Jet Is Right for You?

There’s no confusion over the comfort and convenience that private aviation travel delivers, but selecting the right aircraft to own or charter does require some thought if you are going to get the right fit for your needs, and your pocketbook too. The good news is that there is a wide array of new and previously owned models and they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles, and with different levels of performance. 

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XO Aims To Give Chefs, Artists, and Musicians a Boost

On-demand charter provider XO has launched a program to expose chefs, musicians, and authors to its membership base as a means “to build their reputations and prepare for a post-pandemic future.” Called "Heights of Talent," the program begins with a call for submissions from chefs of their recipes and entrees that XO’s hospitality experts will judge.

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The Whole Truth About Two Parts

The difference between Part 91 and Part 135

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NASCAR Driver's Charter Biz Used For Lifesaving Organ Transport

The timing might not have been perfect, but for racecar driver and 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Martin Truex Jr., owning and operating a charter company made more sense than being a charter passenger to travel to races. In addition to the NASCAR business, MTJ Aviation also sought corporate and leisure travel clients. However, that business all but dried up when the COVID-19 pandemic hit earlier this year, prompting the company to pivot to a new line of work: flying human organs and the surgical teams that retrieve them.

 

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Bizav Community Digs Deep in COVID Humanitarian Response

In the maelstrom of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the business aviation sector, it has been hard to find space to reflect the personal toll it has taken on those working in the industry, but also their extraordinary response to this unprecedented public health and humanitarian crisis. What’s clear is that across the industry, companies and individuals have tapped two important reserves that have sustained them in previous times of hardship: self-belief and a desire to demonstrate aviation’s special ability to support those in dire need even when, or perhaps especially when, times are exceptionally tough.

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Bizav Association Plans First Post-COVID In-Person Forum

Amid organizations continuing to move their events online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Business Aviation Association recently announced that it will resume its on-location regional forums next year, starting in the Northeast U.S. That forum, slated for June 9, will take place once again at the Million Air FBO at New York City–area business aviation hub Westchester County Airport (HPN).

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Medaire Offers Covid-19 Testing and Tracking

The medical services provider is also offering equipment and training for the screening of passengers and crews.

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How To Quit The Airlines And Fly On A Private Jet

It may be easier than you think, though you’ll need to do a little homework to figure out which of the many flying modes and providers would be best for you. If you’re new to private aviation, you might want to opt for ad hoc charter before trying a membership club or jet card. Later, you might consider fractional or full aircraft ownership. It all depends on your budget and your needs. In this video, we offer guidance from several experts.

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Gulfstream Steps Up Clean Cabin Efforts

It emits positive and negative oxygen ions that Gulfstream said inactivate harmful molecules on surfaces and in the air. Further, it neutralizes particulate matter—not only bacteria and viruses but also unpleasant odors from organic material such as cigarette smoke.

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Bombardier Donates 2,800 Face Shields

The Canadian manufacturer recently donated 2,800 of the shields to HCA Healthcare East Florida Division for distribution throughout the medical care provider’s 15 affiliates across East Florida.

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Phoenix FBO Contracts for On-site COVID Testing

Phoenix-based Swift Aviation has taken the step to provide free, on-site COVID testing to its employees. It has partnered with COVID Testing to You to offer rapid response viral and antibody tests to quickly identify positive cases, even those who are asymptomatic, so they may self-quarantine and reduce the spread of the disease, protecting their co-workers and customers.

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NetJets Reinstates Europe Fleet, Plots Path for Growth

With a steady increase in flight activity and a promising outlook for growth in the post-COVID-19 era, NetJets is reinstating most of its fleet in Europe that was previously planned for disposal, as well as all NetJets Europe pilots and cabin crew who were furloughed in April. Further, NetJets plans to add more than 60 additional aircraft across the fleet worldwide between now and the end of next year, the company recently announced.

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Directional Aviation Launches Premium Air Charter Provider

The new on-demand service was originally scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter, but with more people considering private jet travel to minimize their risk of exposure to the coronavirus, Directional decided to accelerate FXAir’s introduction. According to Slow, FXAir has been quietly marketed to customers for the past month and has already began flight operations.

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Coronavirus Brings Cabin Humidity Levels into Question

Low relative humidity in aircraft cabins—as low as 5 percent at altitude—is not healthy for humans. It creates a host of problems, including drying out sinuses and diminishing the ability to smell and taste. But those inconveniences pale in comparison to how it increases vulnerability to disease. It is especially problematic on long intercontinental flights with fewer people on board because the breath of passengers supplies much of the humidity that does exist in aircraft cabins. A person exhales about 3.5 ounces of water per hour.

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New Bizav Group To Share Best COVID-19 Practices

The recently launched CleanFlying Coalition is a nonprofit group of private aviation companies committed to promoting and implementing best health practices in the COVID-19 era. Industry data provider FlightAware organized the coalition, whose founding members include Atlantic Aviation, FlightSafety International, ForeFlight, Global Appearance Partners, Go Rentals, Keystone Aviation, Simcom, and Tac Air.

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VistaJet Equips Fleet With Telemedicine Devices

The provider has is now carrying health monitors aboard its entire private jet fleet. The devices allow flight crew to measure and transmit vital clinical data and images, along with real-time voice and video, to medical assessment provider MedAire’s 24/7 ground center.

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New England Patriots’ Jet Delivers Masks

To help fight coronavirus, Universal Weather and Aviation assisted in the shipment of masks from China using the NFL team’s Boeing 767.

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How To Evaluate COVID-19 Cabin-Cleaning Choices

Aircraft operators are being presented with myriad ways to protect their crews and passengers from COVID-19. As more becomes known about the virus, some solutions are emerging as more suitable than others. Aircraft owners should demand to see peer-reviewed data for disinfection products and systems to ensure that they do what their manufacturers claim they can do. Some products are not regulated by the EPA, and so their makers generate their own data.

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Signature Rolls Out COVID-19 Standards

Signature Flight Support has launched SignatureAssure, its COVID-19 response program. The program encompasses all recommended practices, including social distancing with signage and floor markings, a mandatory employee training plan, and use of personal protection equipment. Health screenings are administered at the start of every worker shift using pulse oximeters and touchless thermometers. In its more than 200 facilities worldwide, a 50-point facility cleanliness checklist has been adopted and is implemented several times a day. It incorporates technologies such as electrostatic sprayers that allow large areas of the terminals to be quickly sanitized. In lounge areas, furniture has been reconfigured to meet current social distancing guidelines and all non-essential common use items have been removed.

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5 Tips Every Charter Customer Should Read

Last June, a charter brokerage called JetSmarter dropped membership requirements and stopped providing free seats on its scheduled shuttle flights, its signature benefit, leading to a spate of lawsuits from members accusing the company of fraud. Then a video of a disturbed and threatening passenger onboard a JetSmarter shuttle flight surfaced in the fall, followed in January by a scathing CNBC broadcast that reported the charter brokerage was losing millions of dollars monthly. JetSmarter was then acquired by Vista Global and folded into a larger platform called XO, but important lessons remain. Here are several takeaways that are worth pondering no matter what lift provider you employ.

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Tri-state Area Imposes COVID Travel Regulations

The quarantine, which began at midnight on June 24, applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average. All three states will also ask hotels to communicate the 14-day quarantine to guests who have traveled from one of the impacted states, which currently includes Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North and South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.

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Charter Providers Roll Out Safety Measures

With the COVID-19 crisis severely curtailing commercial aviation traffic, private aircraft charter providers are eager to assure the traveling public that they are employing the latest in disinfection and sanitization measures.

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How Much Does It Cost to Fly Privately?

You might be surprised how much your money will buy. In some cases, prices can actually be on par with what you’d pay for a first-class airline seat. For $25,000 to $75,000, you can opt for a membership club or a low-cost jet card that buys you multiple private flights. Another option in some areas is so-called private airlines, which offer scheduled service on established routes, but with less hassle than airlines and much lower costs than traditional charter.
 

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Company Cautions on Aircraft Disinfectants

As a growing number of organizations turn their attention to disinfection to guard against COVID-19, aviation disinfection and protection specialist David Allen Certified advises ensuring the use of the right products and making sure any such protection not only eliminates existing pathogens but protects against future ones.

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Six Questions Every Charter Customer Should Ask

Never sign up with a flight provider until you thoroughly understand what it can do for you—and where it might fall short. Does the operator make you feel safe? Do the ground arrangements work? Is the cabin in excellent shape? Does the operator communicate with you? Answers to these and other queries can help you to quickly size up a company.

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Thanks To New Regulations, You Can Breathe Easier

Charter brokers have been unregulated since the industry’s dawn, yet many in the field have long called for oversight. Rules implemented last year by the U.S. Department of Transportation represent a big step in that direction by requiring lift providers to offer more disclosures and guarantees of transparency. For example, brokers must now make clear that they are only arranging the flight and have no operational control. And all flight providers must now give you the real price of the trip, including all known charges.

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What To Do If You Become Ill While Traveling

In a medical emergency, you’ll want to be able to get to your home hospital or other first-rate treatment facility once you’re stable enough to be moved. The bad news is that an air ambulance flight can cost $200,000 or more. The good news is that medevac insurance companies and membership programs can cover the cost and handle the arrangements. Here’s more on what they can do for you, along with expert advice on how to get care in a foreign country.

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NetJets Expands Employee Coronavirus Testing

NetJets has partnered with North Carolina-headquartered Cellex to make antibody testing available to its employees in the coming weeks. The program augments the fractional ownership provider’s joint initiative with its pilots’ union, NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, to offer Covid-19 testing for free to its employees through Quest Diagnostics. The moves come as NetJets prepares for economies to begin reopening.

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Air BP Offers Support During COVID-19 Crisis

The global fuel provider recently donated three million gallons of jet-A to assist in the delivery of medical supplies and essential goods to at-risk areas.

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Avoiding Security Risks When Flying Privately

In a world where security threats seem to be around every corner, flying privately can help to keep you safe. But even business jet travelers face risks. The good news is that you can reduce them. In this must-see video, John Cauthen, security director of a company called MedAire, identifies the main risks that private travelers face and the geographical areas that are most dangerous. He talks about problems that could occur preflight, en route, and at your destination. He also details what flight crews can do to avoid those problems and what passengers can do to further reduce risk.

 

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The Future Of Air Charter

A handful of large companies are in the forefront when it comes to finding innovative ways for travelers to access business aviation. Here’s a look at the latest offerings of four of those companies: Directional Aviation Capital, whose subsidiaries include Flexjet and Sentient Jet; Wheels Up, which recently merged with Delta Private Jets; Vista Global Holdings, whose XO operation combines the former XOJet and JetSmarter; and fractional-share pioneer NetJets.

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XOJet Implements Virus Countermeasures

Flight provider XOJet has implemented a comprehensive approach to ensure the health and safety of its passengers and crew.  Among the measures XOJet has taken is the application of ClearCabin 90-day disinfectant and antimicrobial barrier. The treatment forms an “invisible bio-barrier coating” to protect against bacteria, mold, and fungi. The treatment lasts nearly three months, but the operator is reapplying it every 45 days to ensure maximum protection.

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NetJets Makes Delivery Run for Hospitals

Business aviation companies are providing much-needed help in the COVID-19 crisis. One example: fractional-jet-share provider NetJets sent a pair of its Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nanjing, China, last week to pick up five and a half tons of much-needed medical equipment, including N95 masks. The jets then flew to New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport, where the equipment was unloaded and sent on to New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System.

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Embraer to Make Ventilator Parts to Combat Covid-19

Brazilian business aircraft manufacturer Embraer has announced that it will manufacture ventilator and respirator parts to help combat the COVID-19 crisis. It will also help to develop filtration systems that could turn regular hospital beds into ones suitable for patients in intensive care. In addition, it is providing technical support for development of biological air-filtration systems for hospital beds.

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COVID-19 strikes the business jet market

Buy, sell, or hold? We’re talking about a private jet, not your investment portfolio, as the preowned market deals with the symptoms of COVID-19, which render aircraft values largely unknowable and paralyze the mechanics of transactions. Indeed, you can do little to exercise your options responsibly until the world returns to some level of stability, but here are key considerations to keep in mind while you’re waiting.

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Flight Providers Offer Discounts to Customers Affected by JetSuite’s Bankruptcy Filing

Private jet operators—including Wheels Up, FlyExclusive, and Alliance Aviation— are touting deals designed to attract the failed company's customers.

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Clay Lacy Adds Disinfection Services

The ionization process used by the aviation services company, which takes an hour, releases millions of charged ion particles that kill airborne and surface pathogens such as COVID-19, influenza viruses, staph, other dangerous bacteria, and mold. Once that is completed, technicians spray the cabin with disinfectant, wipe it down, and dry it. Leather surfaces and upholstery receive specific attention. Upon exiting the aircraft, technicians thoroughly clean the entryway.

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Q&A: Getting Started with Bizav

Thinking about trying business aviation because of the pandemic? Here's what you need to know first, including what you should expect to pay.

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FBO Chain Donates And Delivers Masks To Hospital

Million Air has given back by donating 8,000 surgical respiratory face masks and 1,100 N95 protective face masks to nearby White Plains Hospital. It coordinated with the Westchester Business Council and dispatched a Houston-based Cessna Citation S/II from its charter fleet.

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Boeing Joins Coronavirus Relief Effort

The manufacturer used its own BBJ to deliver more than half a million masks from China to New Hampshire.

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Will Government Help Business Aviation Survive COVID-19?

The private aviation industry is an important part of the U.S. economy. How will the crisis affect it?

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Volunteers Step Up For Cancer Patients Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Critical flights continue for the Corporate Angel Network (CAN), the charitable organization that arranges free travel on what would otherwise be empty seats on business jets for patients traveling to or from cancer treatment. CAN is closely coordinating with hospitals and other cancer organizations, to ensure that they know its efforts are continuing. As for participating operators, CAN notes that these missions can serve as an opportunity for pilots to maintain hours and for those repositioning aircraft for maintenance or other purposes.

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Duncan Expands Disinfectant Service To Satellite Shops

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its related concerns, Duncan Aviation has expanded disinfectant services to five of its satellite avionics shops, with plans to add more locations soon. The company’s satellite locations now offering the service are in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Houston; Seattle; Teterboro, New Jersey; and Van Nuys, California.

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Textron Aviation Begins Mask, Face Shield Production

The airframer is collaborating with Wichita State University to manufacture protective gear for healthcare workers and its own employees.

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Avfuel Begins Production Of Personal Protective Equipment for Hospitals

Workers who manufacture and maintain refueler trucks in Avfuel's Avtank division have begun using 3D printers to create face mask ear hooks and face shield headbands to help protect front-line health workers. As of last week, the Ann Arbor company produced 200 ear hooks, which were sent to a company for sterilization and packaging, for donation to the University of Michigan Hospital. Facing a limit on printing capacity, the team will add higher-capacity devices with a goal of producing more than 100 items per day.

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Coronavirus Spurs Catering Concerns

 The Food and Drug Administration and local authorities regulate in-flight caterers, which already follow stringent guidelines to assure food safety. Enhanced protocols implemented since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic include even more frequent sanitization of kitchens and refrigerated delivery vehicles with hospital-grade products; regularly scheduled alarms reminding workers to wash their hands and/or change their gloves; wiping down incoming and outgoing packaging with food-grade wipes; and limiting the number of workers in the kitchen at a time.

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Deliveries Support Social Distancing

Last April, Wing became the first drone delivery service in the U.S. to be certified as an air carrier by the Federal Aviation Administration. Since then, its 10-pound aircraft has made more than 100,000 flights, delivering packages weighing up to three pounds on round trips of up to 12 miles at speeds of up to 70 mph. The company has developed its own unmanned traffic management system based on mapping software.

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Pandemic and Hurricanes Not a Good Mix

Meteorological predictions are calling for more active hurricanes this year, and two have already made landfall before the traditional start of the Caribbean/Atlantic storm season on June 1. While preparations in vulnerable areas are in motion, this year brings the added complication of having to deal with the COVID-19 threat as well.

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Wheels Up Launches Initiative To Provide 10 Million Meals

 The private aviation operator will partner with Feeding America to help those facing hunger during the COVID-19 crisis.

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Puppies on the Plane!

When online canine marketplace PuppySpot found itself impacted by the COVID-19 airline slowdown, it turned to private aviation to deliver pets to their new homes.  PuppySpot, which works closely with veterinarians, scientific advisers, and animal trainers and chaperones, prides itself on humane and careful treatment of the animals. It began to research alternatives and ultimately decided to enlist MNX Global Logistics to organize private cargo lift for the puppies. 

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