SINGAPORE AIR SHOW COVERAGE
The Singapore Air Show opened Wednesday on a 30-hectare site next to Singapore’s Changi Airport housing a 40,000-sqaure-meter exhibition hall, stuffed to the brim with exhibitors. AVweb correspondent Liz Moscrop reports there’s plenty of heavy iron out on the static and the major manufacturers are out in force in the chalet lines. The media room is buzzing and there are announcements throughout the day, with press officers literally coming in and shouting for journalists to join their conferences. (Click through for highlights from Day One.) More...

SINGAPORE FRACTIONAL ORDERS 40 CITATIONS, HAWKERS
The order books for Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft fattened considerably on the first day of the Singapore Air Show with what is being described as the largest business jet order ever placed in Asia. Singapore-based Bjets, a start-up fractional, ordered 20 Citation CJ2 aircraft from Cessna worth about $150 million as well as nine Hawker 850XPs and 11 Hawker 900XPs worth a total of $450 million. The company also has options on another 10 Hawker aircraft. More...

ASIA TO LEAD AVIATION GROWTH: EMBRAER
Embraer released its annual crystal-ball summary of the commercial aviation business in advance of the Singapore Air Show and it supports what the Brazilian company and virtually all its competitors have been saying all year. Asia is the next big thing for big iron sales. “Embraer’s current forecast indicates that the aircraft demand in the region will be 25 percent higher than the previous estimates. The Asia Pacific region and China will represent 17 percent of worldwide aircraft deliveries over the next 20 years,” the report says. China, in particular, will see growth rates much higher than the rest of the world. But Embraer says there’s a serious imbalance, equipment-wise, in the emerging market because most airlines have purchased big, high-capacity airliners while the regional market is under-served. More...

ADAM AIRCRAFT DECLARES BANKRUPTCY
To no one’s surprise, Adam Aircraft quietly filed for Chapter 7 (liquidation) bankruptcy last Friday and the next question is who will be in the running for the assets. In news releases prior to the suspension of operations last week, Adam claimed to have orders for its A700 very light jet and A500 piston twin in the order of $1 billion, although it’s questionable how firm many of those orders were. But the company was approaching certification of the A700 (it completed environmental tests in December) and the A500 was in limited production. No details have been released on the timing of the bankruptcy auction or who might be involved. Regardless of who might try to pick up the assets, the plundering of the company’s skilled labor began shortly after the company suspended operations. More...

AIR TANKER BASED ON BOMBARDIER Q400
A Canadian company has developed an air tanker conversion for the popular Bombardier Q400 turboprop airliner. Cascade Aerospace, of Abbotsford, B.C., says the aircraft combines speed, payload and “loads of power” to make it a modern replacement for aging tankers. The aircraft will drop up to 2,600 gallons of retardant on a fire with a computer-controlled system that ensures an even drop pattern. Up front, the crew flies in air-conditioned comfort in front of a glass panel with all the modern bells and whistles. More...

JETCOMBO'S TAKE ON TRAVEL
Two entrepreneurs have developed JetCombo.com to take their stab at the airline hub-and-spoke system by offering a new online point-to-point trip planner designed to tap into "the other 5,400 public airports" in the U.S. JetCombo mines a database of aircraft and operators ranging from jets to small propeller aircraft through an online interface that allows users to select their departure and destination while JetCombo returns its most efficient route. AVweb tried a search using JetCombo.com to schedule a flight for two people flying economy class, for a Friday to Monday trip booked two weeks in advance. Our query seeking flights from San Diego-area Carlsbad Palomar Airport (KCRQ) to Georgetown (Texas) Municipal Airport (KGTU) yielded options ranging in cost from roughly $300 per person (with one stop) flying Continental Airlines to just shy of $5400 including two guests who would fly "free" non-stop in a Piper Malibu, to more than $20,000 (seven "free" guests) on a Falcon 2000. More...

XO JET'S NICK SOLINGER DISCUSSES BUSINESS IN THE ERA OF PRIVATE JET TRANSPORT
With the frustration of delays and flight cancellations in the airline industry hitting new heights, the various styles of private aircraft service providers are enjoying record business. One of the fastest growing is XO Jet, and the company's chief strategy officer Nick Solinger says it's all part of a natural market evolution. He explained his company's success to AVwebBiz editor Russ Niles. More...

KYLE VARLEY NEW V.P. AT ASPEN
Kyle Varley has joined Aspen Avionics as vice president of manufacturing. He came from S-Tec, where he was vice president of manufacturing operations.

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT'S NEW MIDDLE EAST SALES TEAM
Hawker Beechcraft has beefed up its sales team in the Middle East and Asia. Dan Keady will head up the division. Jason Liao has been appointed as regional vice president for China and S.E. Asia, while Jeff Anastas, Allan Stanton and Brett Carlson are regional sales directors for India, Africa, Middle East and Australia, respectively.

PETER RING COMES TO AVIDYNE

Peter Ring

Peter Ring has been appointed by Avidyne as an inside sales representative, looking after the company's client base in the Northeast and Southeast. His sales background is in the automotive field but he’s a pilot with a tailwheel endorsement.

TOM TOTH OPS MANAGER AT EXECUTIVE BEECHCRAFT

Tom Toth

Tom Toth has been named operations manager for Executive Beechcraft's three Kansas City locations. He was promoted from customer relations manager and is also and A and P.

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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AMAZING FEATS OF AVIATION — DHL BAGHDAD
Recounting one of the most impressive feats in recent aviation history, AVweb video editor Glenn Pew recalls the circumstances of the DHL A300 shot by a surface-to-air missile over Baghdad. The crew successfully landed the aircraft without the ability to manipulate any control surfaces. (Note: The aircraft shown in simulation is a Boeing 777, not an Airbus A300.) (Click through to watch.) More...

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MEET THE AVWEBBIZ TEAM

AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

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Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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