Best Bet Early 2007

     Sometimes good things come times three.
     AirCargo in USA late this winter combines some essential action while also serving as a first-class meeting ground venue for USA based Air and Expedited Motor Carriers Association (AEMCA), Airforwarders Association (AFA), and the Express Delivery & Logistics Association (XLA).
     AirCargo 2007 will be held at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 11-13, 2007.
Conference organizers being industry associations (for a change) also means conferees can expect more attention to subjects such as an educational program for attendees, networking opportunities for exhibitors and excellent corporate exposure for sponsors.
     Here together in the resort setting with the golf and sessions and nice surroundings will be the express delivery, freight forwarding and expedited motor carrier industries.
     The conference held in conjunction with the trade show includes informative educational sessions that address such topics as branding, security, business operations, and more.
     Contact: AirCargo, 9532 Liberia Avenue, Suite 705, Manassas, VA 20110. Telephone: 703-361-5208. Fax 703-361-5274. Email: info@aemca.org

   Fraport AG’s Dr. Stefan Schulte, the company’s executive board member for finance (CFO) and construction, takes over the vice chairmanship of the executive board April 1, 2007.
   He will assume this position currently held by Prof. Manfred Schölch, who has decided to leave the company on March 31, 2007.
   In his new task, 46-year-old Schulte will be responsible for Fraport’s airport expansion program, construction activities, flight and terminal operations as well as security.
  Because of these executive board changes the Fraport supervisory board is now searching for a new CFO.
   Schölch, whose current contract runs until June 30, 2007, will be leaving the company at an important stage in Frankfurt Airport’s expansion program – namely, conclusion of the zoning procedure from Fraport’s side with the final submission of all documentation including additional appendices.
   In the future, Prof. Schölch will be devoted to his presidency of ACI (Airports Council International) Europe and to consulting for Fraport.

Finally some good news about the A380. Remember the concern that the big bird would cause huge wake turbulence by displacing so much air? Following three years of exhaustive studies, the Airbus A380 Wake Vortex Steering Group has rendered its conclusion. The verdict is “no problem”. Maybe that breeze is the boys in Toulouse exhaling all at once while roiling the air all around. Turns out A380 wake turbulence is very similar to the Boeing 747. In cruise and when flying in a "holding pattern", the A380 is considered to be identical to any other aircraft, both for vertical and horizontal spacing between it and any following aircraft.

ATR sold four new ATR 72-500s to NAYSA, a regional operator based in the Canary Islands. Total value of the contract is about $ 71 million. Commenting on the sale, Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO said: “We are really pleased to add a new customer to our other operators around the world.The ATR 72-500 has been very successful for many years in the Canary Islands and will be used for inter-island shuttle operations. With this sale, ATR has logged 56 sales since the beginning of the year." 2006 is confirming the strong market for turboprop aircraft.

Talk about neat pinstriping … NetJets Europe delivered an order to Dassault Aviation for 24 Falcon 7X jets valued at US $1.1 billion, the largest business jet order in European history. The deal no slouch for Dassault either, ranks number two in company history and to a French plane maker that dates back to WWI, it’s largest ever private jet sale.
The 24 aircraft will be delivered over 6 years, starting in Q1 2008 through 2014.