Business Aviation in Latin America
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AIN • SPECIAL REPORT BUSINESS AVIATION D L E I F D A P L L in Latin America A D N A R . R by Charles Alcock and Elizabeth Johnson Brazil’s business aviation association is working to resolve airport access issues,particularly the problem of airport congestion at Latin America’s vast, varied geography Nonetheless, there are plenty of enter- airports such as São Paulo Congonhas. cries out for business aviation, with key prising bizav pioneers throughout Central areas of economic activity separated by and South America, a goodly number jungle, mountains and prairies. But the of them in Brazil, which will this month region’s financial woes have continued host the third annual Latin American Busi- to impede the growth of this most flexi- ness Aviation Conference & Exhibition ble form of air transportation. And, as in (LABACE). In this special report, AIN fo- too many other parts of the world, politi- cuses on the issues confronting the Latin cians could be doing more to nurture American business aviation business aviation, leaving the industry’s community and on some of the people fledgling lobbyists in the region with an who are trying to forge its future. uphill struggle to win access and end The May issue of AIN will feature all discriminatory regulations and taxes. the news from the LABACE show. –C.A. Latin American bizav market continues slow, steady growth Airclaims Database atin America’s business steady growth since 1999. for fleet renewal, the average age Data for this analysis of the Latin American business jet fleet was provided by jet fleet has seen modest The latest figures from Air- of business jets has actually in- Airclaims, a leading international provider of information, consultancy and L growth over the past 12 claims show that Mexico is still creased, rising from 18.78 years claims management services. Further details of the company’s database of months, but it has still not the region’s dominant business at the end of 2003 to 20 years commercial aircraft can be found at www.airclaims.com. achieved any substantial increase aviation nation with 467 of the at the end of last year. over the past decade. As of De- jets–just over half the total. Brazil But some new bizjet blood cember 31 last year there were still holds the number-two spot has been coming into Latin a total of 907 jet-powered busi- with 255 aircraft. Next come America in the last few years. ness aircraft registered in 15 Venezuela with 70 jets and Ar- Bombardier has delivered Learjet Latin American countries moni- gentina with 50. None of the 45XRs to customers in Ar- tored by aviation consulting other countries have more than gentina, Brazil and Mexico. The group Airclaims–up by slightly 20 business jets on their registers. same countries have also re- less than 5 percent from the Latin American market share ceived new Citation Excels, as 2003 total of 868. among business jet manufactur- well as Dassault Falcon 900EXs At the end of 1994 there ers has not changed radically and 2000EXs. The registers of were actually more business jets– over the past 12 months. Cessna Guatemala and Panama now in- 954–registered in these coun- is still the leader, with almost clude Excels, and there is a new tries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, one-third of all registered air- Gulfstream G550 in Mexico. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El craft. Next comes Bombardier, Jets aren’t the whole story of Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, with 25.3 percent of the total. Latin American business avia- Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Raytheon has boosted its pres- tion. Turboprop- and piston- Uruguay and Venezuela. There ence in the region, with a 15.3- powered aircraft are mainstream have not been this many busi- percent share. equipment throughout South ness jets on the registry since; Largely due to a registered and Central America. This is for most of the next 10 years the fleet of 75 out-of-production due partly to cost considerations annual tally was mostly in the Sabreliners in Mexico, Rockwell/ and partly to the large number 800s–a figure dwarfed by the Sabreliner hold a 9-percent share of airfields that are not able to fleets of North America and of the locally registered fleet. accommodate jets. Europe, which account for the Dassault and Gulfstream follow According to UK publication lion’s share of approximately with 65 and 54 jets, respectively. Biz Turboprops, there are approx- 12,500 business jets worldwide. Despite predictions last year imately 1,200 turboprops in civil- • Continues on pages 32, 34, 36, 37 and 38 However, the fleet has shown that Latin America was poised ian use in Latin America. –C.A. www.ainonline.com • March 2005 • Aviation International Newsaa31 SPECIAL REPORT • LATIN AMERICA above the Legacy in the business aircraft Embraer is considering expanding its line of Embraer food chain. In particular, it has not re- business aircraft. sponded to recent speculation that it might The company has not even offer a new very light jet contender. said whether the considers And while Monteiro emphasized the eco- proposed aircraft would be larger or nomic advantages of basing business air- smaller than its developing craft on existing airliners, he said it should super-midsize Legacy, not necessarily be assumed that the com- currently its only pany will base any new model on the business airplane. new aircraft larger Embraer 170s and 190s. However, in late January, Embraer did for bizav launch new advanced range (AR) versions of its 100- and 110-seat 190 and 195 jets through the aircraft’s 22 windows. The by Charles Alcock (see February, page 3). Carrying full pas- shades, which use a combination of com- senger loads, these will offer ranges of posite and lightweight transparencies, can Embraer’s corporate aviation division is 2,300 nm and 2,100 nm, respectively. block out 100 percent of natural light and preparing to present the business case for With smaller payloads, they could offer provide protection from ultraviolet rays. one or more new aircraft programs, with the even greater range. Wireless high-speed data connections hope of getting a development green light Meanwhile, Embraer is continuing to should be available to Legacy operators from the Brazilian group’s top management improve the Legacy itself. A new service by the end of June, with Embraer prepar- before the end of June. “We have analyzed ceiling of 41,000 feet should be certified ing to offer the connection through several different options covering almost all by the end of this month and apply to new- Inmarsat’s Swift64 Mobile Network, segments of the market and now we will try production aircraft soon after. which will provide con- to get approval from our investors,” senior nectivity rates of up to v-p for the corporate aviation market An- Cabin Improvements for the Legacy 432 kbps when the new Legacy Executive tônio Pires Monteiro told AIN. By the end of this year, new and existing I4 satellites are function- Range Circles from For the time being, Embraer’s sole of- Legacy customers will be able to opt for ing by the end of the year. São Paulo fering to business aviation is the super- LED cabin lighting instead of the existing The service, which will by the end of the second quar- midsize Legacy, which is derived from its fluorescent lights. The LED lights can be improve in-flight Internet Mission Details: ter. It has not yet announced ERJ-135/145 series of regional jets. Mon- dimmed more smoothly and allow for inde- connections, e-mail, file 8 pax at Mach 0.74 an installation price for the teiro acknowledged that the company pendent adjustment of the light in separate transfers and video con- Pax at 200 pounds each system, which it will offer would be in a stronger position if it had a sections of the Legacy cabin. The lights, ferences, will be based 85% Boeing annual winds through a Service Bulletin. broader range of products to offer, espe- which weigh less and are more reliable than on Chelton’s HSD 7000 En route at ISA +0 Embraer has also been cially since it currently has no entry-level the current lights, can also offer combina- high-speed data system, Takeoff temp. = ISA +10 working to make the Legacy equipment with which to lure newcomers. tions of white light and other colors. including the HGA-7000 more cost-effective to operate. NBAA IFR Reserves: However, until the board has consid- Cabin lighting conditions can also be high-gain antenna. From the start of this year, ered the various product proposals, Em- improved with new pleated window shades, The airframer hopes 200-nm alternate airport two of the four scheduled braer is declining to comment on whether which allow passengers to regulate the to install the first high- 30 min holding at 5,000 ft maintenance checks are visual any new developments will fall below or amount of natural light entering the cabin speed data connection Continued on page 34 u São Paulo hosts third annual LABACE show LABACE Preliminary Program Schedule The Latin American Busi- ness Aviation Conference & Wednesday, March 30 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.–Press day Exhibition (LABACE) returns The provisional to São Paulo, Brazil, for the exhibitor list for this Thursday, March 31 third annual staging of this year’s event includes 8:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.–Opening groundbreaking event (March some of the exhibitors from last year, such as general session 31 to April 2).