AeroMechanical Services’ AFIRS to Take Flight with NetJets Europe
Europe’s largest business jet operator to install AFIRS with full services on 30 aircraft .
Calgary, Alberta, and Lisbon, Portugal - March 2012 - AeroMechanical Services Ltd. operating under the FLYHTTM brand name, has signed a contract with the largest business jet operator in Europe, NetJets Europe. FLYHT will provide the Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRSTM) and services for 30 Hawker Beechcraft 750/800XP aircraft.
The company and NetJets Europe have engaged in a collaborative in-service evaluation of the AFIRS 220, its Fuel Initiative Reporting System Tracker (FIRSTTM), and FLYHTStreamTM programs over the past two-and–a-half-years. During that time, a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) was obtained from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the AFIRS 220, applicable to the Hawker 750, 800XP and 900XP series of business jets. The initial installations will consist of the Company’s next generation AFIRS 228B, which will be updated to the AFIRS 228U to provide compliance with Europe’s new air traffic control regulations (Link 2000+) for Protected Mode Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (PM CPDLC). The AFIRS 228U upgrade will be implemented when certification activities are completed, well before the February 2015 compliance deadline.
“NetJets Europe is the European leader in business aviation and we are proud to have met their standards and expectations through our collaborative in-service evaluation,” said Bill Tempany, president and CEO of AeroMechanical Services. “FLYHT recognizes NetJets’ commitment to safety, quality, and customer service. We look forward to serving NetJets Europe and its customers, enabling greater fleet productivity and safety.”
NetJets Europe, financially backed by Berkshire Hathaway, operates 150 aircraft. It has selected the entire suite of AFIRS services to provide real-time data from its Hawker Beechcraft 750/800XP aircraft fleet as well as enhanced flight data monitoring (FDM), fuel management, and Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) connectivity. FLYHT’s FIRST program will quantify and monitor operating procedures to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, aiding NetJets Europe’s Climate Initiative, which aims to reduce NetJets Europe’s environmental impact. NetJets Europe and FLYHT will also work together to adapt AFIRS’ unique FLYHTStream position and data streaming capability to serve the operator’s need for enhanced troubleshooting and emergency management.
FLYHT will provide equipment and services to NetJets Europe over a five-year contract. Gross revenue to FLYHT could total in excess of $6.0M USD, excluding optional upgrades and services.
The company has previously received a provisions-only STC for AFIRS 228 on the Hawker Beechcraft 750/800XP from EASA and a flight test was successfully conducted on January 26, 2012, in order to obtain the full activation STC. It is anticipated the Company will receive the activation approval and STC from EASA within eight weeks of the flight test.
FLYHT first announced an AFIRS 220 installation on a NetJets Europe’s aircraft on September 9, 2009. It was the Company’s first business jet installation.
About AeroMechanical Services
AeroMechanical Services Ltd., under the brand name FLYHTTM, provides proprietary technological products and services designed to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in the airline industry. The company has patented and commercialized three products and associated services currently marketed to airlines, manufacturers and maintenance organizations around the world. Its premier technology, AFIRS™ UpTime™, allows airlines to monitor and manage aircraft operations anywhere, anytime, in real time. If an aircraft encounters an emergency, FLYHT’s triggered data streaming mode, FLYHTStream™, automatically streams vital data, normally secured in the black box, to designated sites on the ground in real time. The company has been publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange since 2003 under the trading symbol AMA.
The AFIRS 228U is a safety services version of the AFIRS 228S that includes a second hardware module that provides Protected Mode-Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication (PM-CPDLC) required under Europe’s Link 2000+ regulation.
AFIRS, UpTime, FLYHT, FLYHTStream, FIRST, and aeroQ are trademarks of AeroMechanical Services Ltd.
About NetJets Europe
NetJets Europe was founded in 1996 and today is the largest business jet company in Europe. As the only pan-European operator with its own fleet, NetJets Europe through NetJets Transportes Aéreos (NTA) is uniquely capable of delivering a consistent, world-class service with an unparalleled commitment to safety and security. NTA was the first business jet operator to be awarded the IOSA certificate, the highest safety accreditation in the world. NetJets Europe employs a total workforce of more than 1,500 and has over 150 aircraft. NetJets Europe is the marketing agent of NetJets Transportes Aéreos S.A., an EU air carrier. www.netjetseurope.com
