Big Business

The two Phenom 300Es bring the total Embraer business jet fleet in Australia to nine aircraft, comprising three Phenom 100s, four Phenom 300/300Es, one Legacy 500 and one Legacy 600.

The popularity of the Phenom 300/300E was highlighted by figures from the United States-based General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), which showed Embraer delivered 53 of the type in calendar 2018.

Camelier said it was the seventh year in a row the Phenom 300E has been the most delivered aircraft in its segment.

“Australian buyers – they are very wise people and when they see a good opportunity, be it a pre-owned airplane or a new airplane, they will go after it,” Camelier said.

Embraer launched the Phenom 300E (E for enhanced) in 2017 as an upgrade from the Phenom 300.

The changes included a redesigned cabin that adds extra space in the aisle thanks to a new seat, and the movement of some reading lights and ceiling fans. There is also a new inflight entertainment system.

“Phenom 300E brings a lot of benefits that people cannot find on any pre-owned airplane. Even if you buy a pre-owned airplane, and refurbish it in its entirety, it would not be at the same level on what we offer on the 300E,” Camelier said.

‘Australian buyers – they are very wise people…’ CLAUDIO CAMELIER

“That really calls the attention of prospective buyers. ” He said there had been a good response to the launch of its Praetor business jets in October 2018, named after the Roman title given to an army commander or elected magistrate.

The Praetor 500 is in the mid-sized business jet category currently served by the Legacy 450, while the Praetor 600 is a super-mid-size aircraft that is based on the Legacy 500.

The two aircraft are currently in flight test. Certification of the Praetor 600 is slated for the second quarter of calendar 2019, with the Praetor 500 to follow in the third quarter.

Compared with the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500, the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600, respectively, feature more range, new winglets, increased fuel capacity and new Honeywell HTF 7500E turbofan engines.

“The market feedback has been quite positive, not only in the Australian market but in every world region,” Camelier said.

Dassault upbeat about the Falcon 8X

Dassault Falcon Asia Pacific president Jean Michel Jacob said he is upbeat about the prospects for orders from local customers.

In particular, Jacob is targeting a first order from Australia for the company’s flagship Falcon 8X. The 8X is the newest member of the Falcon family of business jets and designed to enable nonstop flights such as Sydney-Mumbai, Hong Kong-London or Beijing-Los Angeles.

The aircraft entered service in 2016 and was on display at the Avalon Airshow in 2017. And while there is yet to be an Australian customer for the flagship business jet, Jacob said he is confident the first sale was not far away.

“We have not yet closed one deal but we are getting very close to finalising a few deals in Australia for the 8X,” Jacob said.

“We have a lot of interest in our Falcon 8X and 7X and we hope to do some deals within the next few weeks and months in this very specific part of the world. ” With a cabin length of 13 metres, the Falcon 8X is capable of flying eight passengers and three crew 6,450nm at a speed of 0. 8 Mach.

Further, the cabin could be configured up to 30 different ways, including with the potential to install a shower in the lavatory.

Dassault lined up the Falcon 8X at the airshow alongside a Falcon 2000LXS.

Meanwhile, Jacob said there had been a strong response in the Asia Pacific to the company’s indevelopment Falcon 6X which was launched in February 2018.

“In South-East Asia, we see people having a strong interest in the cabin.

You can carry people comfortably in a wide, tall and long cabin and you can get to Europe one stop or to many places one stop,” Jacob said.

“The market reacted well. ” The decision to launch the Falcon 6X came shortly after the company cancelled its 5X program in mid- December 2017 due to engine delays.

From Sydney, the 6X’s 5,500nm range opens up a swathe of the eastern Indian subcontinent and central/ northern China. From Perth, it means nonstop flights to the Gulf and a large proportion of eastern Africa, as well as substantial penetration into central Asia.

The cabin, at 1. 98m high and 2. 58m wide, is designed to seat up to 16 passengers in three separate lounge areas.

In October 2018, Dassault said it had completed the preliminary design and entered the detailed design phase for the Falcon 6X, with first flight slated for 2021.

Jacob said the program was progressing on schedule.

Gulfstream homes in on Australia

Gulfstream senior regional vicepresident for sales Roger Sperry says the business jet maker’s soon-to-becertified G600 should find a happy home in Australia.

Sperry said the new technology embedded in the G600’s flightdeck, such as active control sidesticks and fly-by-wire technology, alongside features designed to improve the passenger experience – large windows, quiet cabins and low cabin altitude – would prove popular with potential customers.

“We expect the Gulfstream G600 to do well in Australia and the broader South Pacific region,” Sperry said in an emailed response to written questions.

He said he was thrilled to have the G600 on display during the airshow for its Australian debut, “and we’re looking forward to its entry-intoservice this year. ” The clean-sheet G600 was launched in October 2014 alongside sister-ship the G500.

The aircraft is capable of seating up to 19 people, had a maximum operating speed of Mach 0. 925 and maximum range of 6,500nm, according to figures from the Gulfstream website.

While the G500 entered service in September 2018, the G600 is still awaiting certification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The G600, which made its first flight in December 2016, had previously been expected to be certified in early 2019.

However, the chief executive of Gulfstream parent company General Dynamics, Phebe Novakovic, said recently certification had been pushed back due to the recent United States government shutdown that had impacted the process underway at the FAA.

“We expect the G600 to be certified this year, although the exact timing is hard to predict given the impact of the government shutdown on the FAA. But we fully expect certification of the G600 this half,” Novakovic said at General Dynamics’ calendar 2018 fourth quarter results briefing on January 30.

“The pacing item for deliveries of the G500 and G600 will be our ability to deliver in itself. We have that line in good order. ” The company declined to provide figures on the number of its aircraft based in Australia, noting only there were 335 Gulfstream aircraft in service in the Asia Pacific region.

Sperry said Gulfstream’s product lineup meant it was well-positioned in the region.

“We are very optimistic about the business jet market in Australia,” Sperry said.

“Taking it broader, the Asia Pacific region continues to be our largest international market, with a consistent pipeline of orders and deliveries.

“Around the world, we are seeing steady order activity and a continued interest in our products, especially in North America and Europe. ” Sperry said Gulfstream had delivered 10 G500s since late September 2018.