AAV News in Brief 30 July 2025

Air Charter Association finalises intern intake: The Air Charter Association (ACA) has finalised its 2025 Internship intake and will be hosting its training week at London Biggin Hill Airport in August 2025. The ACA Internship programme, established in 2024, supports the development of the next generation of air charter professionals. It provides an opportunity for young people aged 18-25 to access dedicated aviation training and professional experience with industry leading companies. The internship acts as a valuable springboard to gain the knowledge, skills and contacts needed to navigate a challenging employment landscape. This year’s internship intake of 15 young people – six females and nine males – is a mix of school leavers, university students and graduates. All the selected interns have demonstrated a keen interest in the air charter sector with focus areas including broking, operations management and engineering/maintenance. The training week will provide exposure and introduce interns to the various elements of the air charter industry, building a foundation of aviation knowledge early on in their career. Detailed insights into the evolving aviation sector will be delivered by expert guest speakers from member companies of The ACA. Interns will also have the opportunity to tour a range of facilities, fixed based operators (FBO), and aircraft operators based at London Biggin Hill Airport. Piper Aircraft wins largest domestic training order: Piper Aircraft announced an historic new fleet agreement for up to 188 aircraft valued at approximately $155 million with the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences (UND Aerospace). This contract solidifies a partnership of nearly four decades that will continue to shape the future of pilot training for the next eight-to-ten years, positioning both organisations at the forefront of aviation training and innovation. The contract includes an initial order of 145 aircraft, comprised of both the Archer TX and Seminole, over an eight-year term beginning in 2027, with the potential for up to 188 total aircraft through an optional two-year extension into 2036. This agreement surpasses UND’s 2016 order for 112 aircraft, concluding in 2026. “Piper remains a vital collaborator in the continued success of flight training at UND,” said Robert J. Kraus, PhD, PfMP, Dean of UND John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. “We look forward to strengthening our relationship as we prepare the next generation of pilots for careers in the airlines, business aviation, and the U.S. military. The entire Piper team has been outstanding—responsive to our needs and collaborative in enhancing the components and capabilities of the Archer TX and Seminole.” Trax expands JetBlue relationship: Trax, a leading global provider of paperless aviation maintenance and engineering software products, announced the expansion of its agreement with JetBlue Airways to include an additional eMobility app and Trax’s cloud hosting solution. JetBlue’s adoption of supplementary Trax technologies is part of the company’s modernization vision to completely digitize the processes of its TechOps function. JetBlue presently relies on Trax’s solutions to manage the airworthiness and regulatory compliance activities of its growing fleet of more than 280 aircraft. The addition of Trax solutions to JetBlue’s agreement demonstrates the ease of bundling Trax’s offerings to multiply customer benefit. Specifically, JetBlue’s introduction of Trax’s eMobility Planning Control app will enable JetBlue to streamline maintenance planning and scheduling, increasing technician efficiency and reducing risk of operational disruptions. This implementation also positions JetBlue for its planned future upgrade to further Trax solutions, including eMRO. Trax’s cloud hosting is the company’s fastest-growing digital transformation solution. Hosting JetBlue’s services on Trax’s reliable and scalable infrastructure minimizes operational cost and enables JetBlue to focus on core business activities through effective resource allocation. Trax will provide 24/7 monitoring and support from its Miami and Chennai-based Hosting Operations Centers, utilizing a series of advanced dashboards to provide proactive performance management and real-time support. Yingling Aviation designated as authorised Honeywell dealer: After years of hands-on experience with Honeywell-equipped aircraft, Yingling Aviation announced its new designation as an authorised Honeywell dealer. This milestone marks a key step in Yingling’s continued expansion and reflects the company’s commitment to building strong, strategic partnerships within the aviation industry. Expanded capabilities now include: Sales and renewals of Honeywell MSP contracts; Sales of avionics equipment; Maintenance support for HTF-7000 and TFE-731 engines, GTCP36-150, RE-220 and RE-100 APUs; Additional supported engine models are expected to be announced in the future. As part of its commitment to supporting operators with legacy flight decks, Yingling has made a significant investment in Honeywell DU-1310-2 displays. These units are the modern, direct replacement for the now-obsolete DU-1310-1 displays, which are commonly found in Gulfstream 350, 450, 500, 550, 650, and Falcon aircraft equipped with EASy II systems. Porter Airlines E195-E2 pilots begin training on CAE FFS: Porter and Embraer CAE Training Services (ECTS) announced the expansion of the airline’s pilot training operations with the deployment of a state-of-the-art Embraer E195-E2 full-flight simulator (FFS) at CAE’s Montreal training centre. Training began in May 2025 supported by ECTS, a joint venture between Embraer and CAE. The latest generation 7000XR Series FFS, equipped with the advanced CAE Prodigy visual system, was developed and manufactured by CAE in Montreal. This strategic deployment will enable more Porter pilots to train closer to home, supporting the airline’s rapid growth and contributing to the development of skilled aviation jobs in Canada. Comprehensive initial and recurrent training for E2 pilots will be delivered in Montreal. The simulator will enhance Porter’s E2 pilot training program by increasing capacity to meet the demand for its expanding fleet – 46 aircraft have already been delivered, with up to 100 expected. The new E2 FFS is equipped with the CAE Prodigy Image Generator (IG) which leverages Epic Games’ Unreal Engine for more realistic and effective training. CAE Prodigy elevates sessions in the simulator with advanced technology, providing photorealistic renderings and enhanced moving models that result in a more immersive pilot training environment. APOC leases CFM56-5A engine to Condor: APOC has signed a 12-month green-time lease agreement for a CFM56-5A engine with Hamburg-based global operator, Condor.  Secured as a ‘spare’ engine by Condor’s technical team, it is anticipated that it will be installed immediately on one of the fleet’s A320 aircraft throughout the duration of the lease. Condor has previously leased engines from APOC and this asset will return to the APOC engine portfolio ready for teardown and part-out next year. Bruce Ansell, Technical Manager Engines Division at APOC Aviation says that the CFM56-5A engine type is in short supply. “A significant number of CFM56-5A engines are still in operation, supporting older Airbus A320 family aircraft.  Due to increased demand and limited availability, prices for CFM56 engines and their components have been rising, and we have been building our lease portfolio of these engine variants.” Ansell goes on to say that operators are focusing on reliability and maintenance solutions that minimise downtime thus maximising aircraft utilisation. “Although new engine types are gaining traction, with current availability and reliability issues, we see demand for CFM56 engines continuing through 2030.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]