Aviation International News reports that on Tuesday, public charter operator JSX “announced its intention to acquire more than 300 hybrid-electric aircraft from three different manufacturers as part of its efforts to decarbonize its US regional air services.” The fleet expansion plans “cover up to 332 aircraft, including a letter of intent with Electra for 82 of its nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft (32 firm orders and 50 options), up to 150 of Aura Aero’s 19-seat Era model (50 firm plus 100 options), and up to 100 of Heart Aerospace’s 30-seat ES-30 (50 firm and 50 options).” According to JSX, it “aims to start operating the first of the new aircraft in 2028, without saying which of the three new types will be delivered first.” The Texas-based company’s fleet currently “includes 48 of Embraer’s 30-seat ERJ145 aircraft, providing up to 120 public charter flights daily under DOT Part 380 and FAR Part 135 rules to 24 US destinations.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
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N3 to Add MRO Capacity in Expansion at Arnstadt Site
Aviation Week reports that Rolls-Royce engine maintenance specialist N3 Engine Overhaul Services “is targeting the overhaul of nearly 200 engines next year and plans to expand capacity at its facility in Germany over the next two years to facilitate future ramp-ups.” The Lufthansa Technik and Rolls-Royce joint venture “plans to invest €150 million ($167.3 million) at the Arnstadt site, located in the Thuringia region in central Germany.” N3 says the project “aims to further establish it as an important European location in the global maintenance network for Rolls-Royce aircraft engines while creating hundreds of new jobs.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
FAA Will Add Powered-Lift Aircraft to Air Carrier Category
BBC News reports that the FAA said on Monday that “it was proposing to expand its definition of the machines it considered air carriers from airplanes and helicopters, adding ‘powered lift’ to the list.” This is a big step forward in the regulation clearance for commercial air taxis, but the rules “now face a period of public comment before they can go into effect.” The agency also “said it expected to publish proposed rules for operating such aircraft in summer 2023. Those rules will outline in more detail the criteria that firms will need to meet to license pilots and launch their operations.”
BBC News (BBC News)
U.S. Air Force to Order More Autonomous Fighter Prototypes
Aviation Week reports, “The U.S. Air Force plans to add more orders for the first batch of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes to equip a newly established experimental operations unit, acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said on Nov. 13. The additional orders come after the Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) for CCA Increment 1 prototypes in April.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)