The news comes after Clay Lacy became one of the first authorised dealers and installers for the satellite-based internet solution back in May. Starlink enables inflight 4K video calls, streaming, online gaming and virtual private networks. With over 4,700 satellites in orbit, the Starlink constellation covers land, oceans and polar regions providing global coverage.

The first installations have averaged three weeks and were carried out by maintenance technicians at Clay Lacy’s Waterbury-Oxford Airport (KOXC) and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) FAA Part 145 Repair Stations. The installations were completed on three Gulfstream G550s, a G650ER and a Bombardier Global 6000.

 “There has been high demand for this transformative, connectivity technology,” said Edward Diaz, avionics operations and sales manager for Clay Lacy Aviation. “Our team is moving quickly to provide low-downtime, expertly completed installations so that owners and operators can get the most out of their aircraft. Starlink will enhance operations for crew members, as well as provide a better flight experience for travellers.”

Clay Lacy Aviation also performs supplemental type certificate (STC) installs on the Gulfstream G450 and GV and the Bombardier Global 6500/7500, Express and XRS. Additional models are expected throughout the year including the Challenger 300/350, Global 5000, Gulfstream GIV, Embraer Legacy 600/650, Praetor and Phenom 300, among many others.

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“The industry [business aviation] is an incubator of technology, we have always sought to be more efficient and to fly less expensively,” said Kurt Edwards IBAC director general at our sister title Corporate Jet Investor’s London conference last month. “We are the first to introduce new technologies into the broad industry. Those winglets you see on the tips of aircraft wings now; first put on a business jet in 1976. Avionics and glass cockpits which allow aircraft to fly more directly; that was business aviation too.

“There are developments that take place in our industry first, and then spread and improve the total air transport system.”

Using that logic, it could follow that business aviation has a role to play in the scale-up of electric flight, particularly on the operations side. Recent agreements between established business aviation fixed-based operators (FBOs) with leading electric aircraft developers show stakeholders in both industries feel similarly. Clay Lacy has agreements with Joby and Overair. Atlantic has announced deals with BETA, Joby and Archer. BETA also just announced a deal today with Signature Aviation, the world’s largest private aviation terminal operator, to install chargers at several on-airport locations across the US east coast. This follows on from a similar deal announced between BETA and AvFlight back in February.

Not to mention the regulatory framework, which will allow initial operations of eVTOLs and other electric aircraft in the US to be operated as Part 135 flights, which are conducted under the set of Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) guidelines relevant to non-scheduled, commercial aircraft operations, i.e. business aviation.

“You won’t see these aircraft go into Part 121 – they will operate under Part 135, which has been our centerpiece as an industry,” says Chris Rocheleau, chief operating officer, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). “I understand there has been a lot of news coverage about these partnerships with United, Delta, American, etc.,” he adds. “But the short of it is, the regulatory framework that will enable AAM is Part 135, and that is business aviation-oriented. It’s one of three reasons why Clay Lacy Aviation has stepped in to be a leader in this segment.”

On top of that, battery-electric aircraft – with vertical takeoff capability or otherwise – only achieve meaningful distances with today’s technology by carrying a lighter payload and/or fewer passengers than an equivalent, conventional or hybrid-powered aircraft. This means initial electric aircraft are well-suited to the needs of private aviation in terms of payload. Although lacking in range, they have a niche (as well as existing demand), supplementing today’s business aircraft for shorter regional missions.

“Thinking about how these aircraft will operate, it will be short local or regional connectivity, due to the range at present,” Rocheleau notes. “We like to say at NBAA that you have the commercial airlines connecting 500 airports around the country, but in business aviation we provide access to 5,000,” he says.

Putting down roots 

“Business aviation will play a pivotal role in the adoption of AAM,” Scott Cutshall, senior vice president, Strategy & Sustainability at Clay Lacy tells us. “The reason being, I believe AAM will begin at existing airports because the airspace and the infrastructure, for the most part, other than charging, already exists.

“From a community acceptance standpoint, from an airspace standpoint, airports are there to arrive and depart aircraft. So once we have some certified aircraft in the general aviation community, business aviation is where AAM will plant its roots.”

Clay Lacy began operations as an on-demand jet charter operator at Van Nuys Airport in 1968, before launching the first all-jet FBO in 1981. Cutshall believes FBOs are “ideally situated” and will play a significant role in the early adoption of AAM. “The reason is FBOs exist to serve general aviation aircraft at airports. When these aircraft are certified, they will be general aviation aircraft and will have all the same accommodations as any other aircraft – fuelling, ground handling, connections with ground transportation etc.”

As noted earlier, the FBO already has much of the necessary infrastructure to accommodate AAM aircraft. Cutshall says Clay Lacy is approaching AAM in much the same way as any other new fleet addition, the only difference is the fuel type. In January it announced a deal with Joby to install Southern California’s “first electric air taxi charger” at John Wayne Airport, Orange County. Later in the month it also announced a deal with Overair to introduce AAM operations throughout the Southern California region.

“There are a number of AAM companies that have identified the Southern California region as one of their launch markets. We have two wonderful FBOs in the region at Van Nuys, Los Angeles and John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Our purpose currently is to provide that electrical charging infrastructure to enable the start of this industry. 

“These aircraft can’t fly if they can’t fuel. Electricity is the fuel. So Clay Lacy’s goal is to provide that fuel at our facilities.”

So far, Cutshall says Clay Lacy has enough power capacity for two high-capacity simultaneous charging pads. Construction is due to begin in the second quarter 2024 on the infrastructure at John Wayne Airport. This is positive news as power challenges have caused delays to the rollout of chargers as grid capacity catches up, especially in the automotive industry. The one obstacle preventing Clay Lacy from installing electric aircraft charging infrastructure at its Van Nuys Airport FBO is a moratorium implemented by Los Angeles City Council last month restricting development at the entire airport. Cutshall says this is something the airport community is working to resolve with the council, and he is hopeful of a resolution.

Changes to the FBO

Business aviation players getting into the AAM market today is a sign of things to come, according to David Shilliday, vice president and general manager Advanced Air Mobility at Honeywell. As a global Tier One supplier, Honeywell components can be found in almost every aircraft, the same goes for AAM platforms too. Honeywell has announced a number of partnerships with electric aircraft OEMs such as Archer, Lilium and Heart Aerospace.

“I like to think about how FBOs will support operations at EIS and how they will evolve as the operations scale. What does that mix of aircraft look like and what are the missions they are going to serve?” says Shilliday. “I think FBOs are getting ready by leveraging existing infrastructure, I think fleet operators are getting ready and I think the OEMs are trying to work out what the right mix of solutions is they need to have to support all of the customers they have. People are still going to want to fly long distances and these aircraft are not yet equipped for that, so you are going to need a mix of traditional and new.”

Initial customer base 

Business aviation’s customer base also lends itself to initial AAM operations, according to Clay Lacy’s Cutshall. He says there has been a lot of talk about “long-term vision”, but Cutshall likes to think of AAM in terms of “near term, mid-term and long-term vision”.

“As you progress along that timeline in the near term, there will be fewer operations and there will be fewer aircraft. Therefore, the price point will be higher,” he explains. “So the most likely people to fly on electric aircraft, eVTOLs in particular, as the industry begins will be business aviation users. As more aircraft are delivered, and as more charging infrastructure and vertiports get built out and co-location of vertiports with transportation hubs gets built out over the coming decades, that price point will come down making travel by AAM a reality for even more users.

“As the industry scales, I think you will also start to see a slight move away from traditional FBO models for AAM in favour of larger vertiports co-located with other modes of transportation.”

NBAA’s Rocheleau agrees. He highlights a vision of the growth potential for AAM firms like Supernal. “They’re forecasting that they will manufacture a lot of these aircraft, and that is where the price point really begins to become much more normal for regular travellers like me or you. Say for example, I want to go from Virginia to Washington, D.C., in the morning and don’t mind paying $50-$100, because I have an important meeting to get to. 

“You watch – once this segment proves itself to be safe and affordable, I believe it is going to expand nicely across the world.”

Regional opportunities 

Munich-based startup VÆRIDION has singled out business aviation as a key target entry market for its nine-passenger battery-electric aircraft – aka Microliner. Co-founder and CEO Ivor van Dartel says he concluded such an aircraft size would be within the realms of possibility back in his days studying at the Delft University of Technology, and then working for Airbus. There he learned two things: Electric flight is much easier on a smaller scale and new propulsion is better suited to a newly designed aero structure.

“I quit my job and asked my friend and colleague Sebastien to join me. We then collected initial funding from venture capital investors, and basically came up with the size of the plane because of three angles. First, physics. We believe that if you have pure battery-electric aircraft, you can’t go much bigger than what is essentially a general aviation aircraft. So, we think nine seats is feasible. But 19 seats is still a little bit too far away,” van Dartel tells us.

The second point is regulatory. If an aircraft holds nine seats or below, it still qualifies for level three of CS23 – EASA’s regulation for normal, utility, aerobatic and commuter aeroplanes. Anything above that becomes a level four, which is a considerably bigger certification effort, says van Dartel.

Thirdly, the firm sees a unit economic advantage with a nine-seater. Van Dartel thinks its price point should compete in a very non-business aviation-like way with an ATR 42 or similar aircraft. Having a nine-seater aircraft enables VÆRIDION to open up thinner routes where filling up the 40 seats on a regular basis, if at all, is not possible.

VÆRIDION has cooperation agreements with Danish charter operators Copenhagen AirTaxi and Copenhagen Helicopter. The firms plan to test Microliner on the Copenhagen to Læsø route (an island in the north of Denmark).

Van Dartel completed his first study on electric aircraft 17 years ago. “Well, back then, there was the big promise of lithium sulphur that would get us to 500 watt hours per kilogram, and that would come online in 2010,” he says. “Well by now there are lithium sulphur cells that flew on unmanned platforms, but none have made a breakthrough. 

“We have now lithium-ion NMC [nickel, manganese, and cobalt] cells out there in the higher 300 or even 400 range in the lab stage. We also found that if you optimise well enough for aerodynamics and weight, our current generation of battery technology is good enough to have a meaningful range of up to 500km IFR.”

Regulatory, technology and customer-base factors aside, the business aviation community, especially from an association standpoint, is ready and willing to help scale AAM and electric flight in general. Collaboration across many parties has often been key to getting new technologies off the ground. Rocheleau explains: “No matter the concept – whether we’re talking about regional air mobility, or flying from 30th Street Heliport down to JFK – we’re able to help because of the expansiveness of our own operations and advocacy work. I think we are going to see the success of early operations build quickly upon itself. 

“One of the things that we do here at NBAA, and I play a role in specifically, is the whole industry, government-engagement piece, bringing people together, working through some of the challenges and sharing our experiences. Many of us – thinking about the rollout of some of the next generation materials that have made their way into the US National Airspace System – have tackled similar challenges before. So, there is the ability to help educate, shape perceptions and bring people together.”

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The satellite-based internet solution engineered by enables inflight 4K video calls, streaming, online gaming and virtual private networks. Starlink is part of the largest satellite constellation, with over 4,700 satellites in low Earth orbit and counting.

Entering the business aviation market, Starlink is expanding its list of certifications and supported aircraft. Supplemental type certificates (STCs) are currently available with Clay Lacy for the Bombardier Global 6000, Express and XRS and the Gulfstream G650/ER. Additional models are expected this year include the Challenger 300/350, Global 5000/5500/6500/7500, Gulfstream G550/G450/GIV/GV and Embraer Legacy 600/650, Praetor and Phenom 300.

Eddy Diaz, Avionics Manager for Clay Lacy Aviation, said: “We’re proud to be able to add to our list of comprehensive avionics and communications maintenance and installation options. Starlink offers business aviation high-speed, global-coverage solutions that can transform the flight experience for passengers, as well as enhance the operations for crew members. We anticipate many aircraft owners will be eager to add this reliable connectivity technology.”

Clay Lacy Aviation operates FAA Part 145 Repair Stations at its locations in Van Nuys Airport near Los Angeles, and Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Connecticut, serving New York and the northeast US. Its in-house capabilities include airframe and engine maintenance, line maintenance, inspections, avionics and cabin entertainment and interior upgrades and refurbishing.

The anticipated downtime for Starlink installation ranges from 15 to 25 days, depending on the aircraft model. Aircraft owners and operators are encouraged to contact Clay Lacy Aviation to reserve their installation spot as additional STCs are made available.

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The charger’s installation comes as part of Clay Lacy’s planned $100m redevelopment of its FBO terminal at John Wayne, with completion set for mid-2025. It will support Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS) which is already in use at the OEM’s flight test centre in Marina, California and Edwards Air Force Base where Joby recently delivered its first aircraft. The charger will act as a node in Joby’s Southern California air taxi network.

JoeBen Bevirt founder and CEO of Joby said: “The charging technology we have developed is optimized to support our whole industry, from air taxis delivering short range city flights to more conventional electric aircraft flying longer distances. Joby made the specifications for the universal charging interface freely available to the wider industry in November 2023, to help accelerate the transition to clean flight. We’re therefore very pleased to see it being adopted in this key market.”

Clay Lacy’s all-new FBO development at John Wayne Airport is expected to be the first in the world to be Gold-certified by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

Scott Cutshall SVP Strategy and Sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation added: “Since our founding more than 50 years ago, Clay Lacy has been committed to improving lives for our community, employees, and clients; leading the industry on safety and service while taking action to reduce emissions in both our ground and air operations. We’re excited to be working with Joby to install Southern California’s first air taxi charger and we look forward to the greater convenience it will bring to the Orange County community without additional noise or emissions.”

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The firm, which helps companies offset their carbon emissions and use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), has now built a  client base within business and commercial aviation with companies aiming to reduce their carbon footprints. But Kennedy Ricci, president, 4AIR said there is still “more to be done.”

4AIR’s clients include FBOs like Clay Lacy Aviation and Fontainebleau Aviation, business jet operators such as Verijet and Tradewind Aviation and corporate flight departments, airports and partnerships within aviation insurance. It also works with manufacturers such as Embraer and GE Honda Aero Engines.

Ricci said that he has seen a growth in demand for the firm’s services in just two years, with many of the company’s early clients increasing their offset commitments and graduating to higher ratings of programmes.

“4AIR pushes the envelope around our idea of a sustainability programme. Our programme begins where most others end and lays out a path for a longer-term approach to sustainability,” said Ricci.

“Aviation has the opportunity to be carbon-neutral today, and our programme answers the question of how to start while enabling improved and more comprehensive solutions over time.”

Ricci added that as SAF is a drop-in solution that can be used in ordinary aircraft, it is the biggest opportunity for decarbonisation due to the reduction in carbon emissions and its increasing availability.

Nancy Bsales, chief operating officer, 4AIR, agreed. “The aircraft we have today will still be flying in 2050, so solutions like SAF that enable existing aircraft to decarbonise will be critical,” she said.

While the price for SAF remains at a premium, Bsales added that new state and federal incentive programmes, like the blender tax credits for SAF included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, are helping incentivise increased SAF adoption.

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Four of the awards were given to university students to help pay for their studies, while the other six were awarded to young people already employed in the sector by IADA members for education, learning and leadership opportunities.

Atlanta-based brokerage Ogarajets had two young professionals receive scholarships. The other professional recipients work for Guardian Jet, Clay Lacy Aviation, brokerage Soljets and Eagle Creek Aviation Services.

“These great young professionals and students who are building their business aviation careers will be the industry’s leaders in the future, and the IADA team is so very fortunate to be a part of their stories,” said Wayne Starling, executive director, IADA. “We wish them well as their careers takeoff and they become the business aviation leaders of tomorrow.”

Those awarded the scholarships include:

• Andrew Dondelinger, Soljets
• Ashley Graves, Eagle Creek Aviation Services
• Sam Campos, Ogarajets
• Kyle Canna, Guardian Jet
• Myrthe Simons, Clay Lacy Aviation
• Luke Leonard, Ogarajets
• Tyler Kleinsasser, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
• Julia Alise Hummel, Auburn University
• Marcus Frank Gross III, University of Nebraska Omaha
• Paul Wynns, University of California San Diego

IADA established its Business Aviation Scholarship for university students seeking a career in the industry, specifically in aircraft sales, marketing, finance, legal and insurance. The association offers scholarship awards between $1,000 to $5,000.

One of the recipients, Luke Leonard, marketing manager, Ogarajets spoke about his scholarship at CJI London, which you can watch here.

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The AFAC approval allows Clay Lacy to provide full maintenance services on business jets at its Van Nuys Airport and McClellan-Palomar Airport, San Diego locations.

Henry Hage, director, Aircraft Maintenance Operations, Clay Lacy said: “This authorisation allows even more business aircraft operators to take advantage of Clay Lacy’s outstanding MRO services and facilities. We look forward to the opportunity to serve Mexican-registered aircraft owners at a convenient location and allow them to enjoy the benefits of factory-trained experts and more than 50 years of experience of maintaining every make and model of business jet.”

AFAC’s authorisation adds a large number of Mexican-registered aircraft as potential Clay Lacy customers to its list of international authorisations. Clay Lacy provides MRO services for European-based and Canadian-registered business jets, as well as US-based aircraft. The firm has full MRO facilities in California and Connecticut.

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The firm has also launched an annual scholarship and internship programme with aircraft mechanics school, CT Aerotech in the local area. It will operate a two-year Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology programme in Hartford, Connecticut — about 40 miles from KOXC. It is the sixth year of operational service for Clay Lacy in the northeast US.

Brian Kirkdoffer, president and CEO, Clay Lacy said: “As our East Coast headquarters, it will expand and enhance all of the services that we provide. Oxford will be an incredible economic and employment engine, attracting and supporting the finest aircraft and flight operations in the world.”

The first 11-acre phase will feature a passenger terminal, offices and a 40,000sqft hangar.The facilities will create 200 new “high-paying” jobs with an annual payroll in excess of $32m and 420 indirect jobs during the construction process, said Clay Lacy. The FBO and maintenance facility is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024.

The facility will be certified carbon neutral and built according to Clay Lacy’s sustainability strategy. Features include solar panel provisions, electric vehicle and aircraft charging and Sustainable Aviation Fuel. 

The 16-acre site is able to accommodate additional phases, and an additional investment of $20m, that would add another 80,000sqft of hangar and office space.

Kevin Dillon A.A.E., executive director, Connecticut Airport Authority said the partnership with Clay Lacy will have region-wide benefits. “Investments like this serve a very significant role in the overall economic development mission of the authority. It elevates the stature and status of the airport and allows us to attract activity all over.”

The new scholarships and programme for airframe and powerplant technician FAA certifications with CT Aerotech will provide $16,000 in annual scholarships and $10,500 in on-the-job internships.

John Ryan, CT Aerotech, principal of the partnership and internships, said: “We’ve established a great pipeline to support Connecticut and its economy. This scholarship programme just further strengthens that resolve to put people here in Connecticut to work and get these jobs.”

The $20m, 11-acre development at Waterbury-Oxford Airport. (credit: Clay Lacy Aviation)

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• Clay Lacy Aviation has completed its 10th installation of the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite at the firm’s FAA Part 145 repair station at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY)
• Clay Lacy is an authorised Garmin dealer and has operated an Embraer Authorised Service Center at KVNY since 2009.
• “This milestone demonstrates the range of our continuously expanding capabilities in supporting Embraer owners and operators,” said Eddy Diaz, Avionics Manager at Clay Lacy.
• The 10th installation took place on an Embraer Phenom 100
• Dan Lind, senior director aviation sales and marketing, Garmin said: “From enhanced guidance in visual flight conditions to SurfaceWatch runway monitoring technology, the G1000 NXi is a comprehensive upgrade for any operator.”
• Garmin recently delivered its 25,000th integrated flight deck since launching the G1000 avionics suite in 2003.

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*Clay Lacy has made the fleet additions to bolster its service capability in the New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles areas

*The aircraft are a Bombardier Global 5000, two Embraer Legacy 600s, a Falcon 900EX EASy, a Gulfstream G550 and Gulfstream G650ER

*The Global 5000 and Falcon 900EX are located on the US east coast

* The Gulfstream G650ER operates in Silicon Valley from San Jose International Airport (KSJC)

*The two Embraer Legacy 600s and Gulfstream G550 are located in the Los Angeles region to service southern California.

Clay Lacy Aviation continues to expand its private jet charter fleet in three key markets to meet an unprecedented demand for private aviation services. Already possessing one of the country’s most exclusive and diverse charter fleets of large and ultra-long range business jets, the company has received certification for six additional Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft to enter service, bolstering capabilities in the New York, San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles markets.

The aircraft, which entered service in the first two quarters of 2022, serve a variety of missions and private travel needs. They include a Bombardier Global 5000, two Embraer Legacy 600s, a Falcon 900EX EASy, a Gulfstream G550 and Gulfstream G650ER.

“With additional aircraft to choose from, Clay Lacy is supplying greater charter availability to meet the private travel needs of its customers,” said Elizabeth Nagy, VP Owner and Charter Services. “Whether people need to travel across the country or overseas, they will have more options to experience Clay Lacy’s legendary charter jet service, with the personal touches and professionalism for which our flight teams are renowned.”

East Coast aircraft and capabilities 

Located in the Northeastern U.S., the Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy seats 14 passengers, with beds for four, to provide customers with premium inflight experience in an ultra-quiet environment with a thermal-acoustic insulation system. The Bombardier Global 5000 is an ultra-long range jet, which also seats 13 and sleeps six. It has a three-zone cabin perfect for business or leisure trips, with a forward double-club for meetings, a centre cabin zone with a four-seat dining table, and an aft-cabin with divan and club.

Northern and southern California aircraft

The Gulfstream G650ER operates in Silicon Valley at San Jose International Airport (KSJC) for domestic and international charter destinations. The most spacious cabin in its class, the G650ER seats 16 passengers and flies up to 7,500 nm at close to the speed of sound. A sophisticated interior and a wide range of electronic entertainment and communication options serve the charter customers.

Three aircraft enter service for the Southern California market. Two Embraer Legacy 600s, each seating up to 13 people and sleeping six. They have a range of 3,090 nm and come equipped with a full-sized galley. The Gulfstream G550 provides ultra-long range capabilities, seating for up to 16 passengers, who are connected to homes and offices with high-speed Wi-Fi communications.

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