“The 2023 Sustainability Report for Luxaviation Group is not just a reflection of our impact and progress but a roadmap for our future. Our commitment goes beyond regulatory compliance, leading by example and inspiring positive change within and beyond the sector,” said Patrick Hansen, CEO, Luxaviation Group.

The company said that it made significant progress on its commitment to sustainability and innovation in aviation.

“In 2023, we made progressive strides in understanding and thereby reducing our environmental impact. Our expanded use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the electrification of our ground vehicles have set new industry benchmarks for eco-friendly practices. These initiatives are part of our broader goal to transparently lead the industry towards a more responsible future,” said the company in its statement.

In an effort to reduce ground emissions, the FBO operator initiated electrification of its FBO GHE. The move will help minimise environmental impact and enhances operational efficiency. Meanwhile, ExecuJet, part of the Luxaviation Group, has already achieved 57% of its 2030 GHE electrification target.

The company also adopted rigorous waste reduction strategies notably aiming to reduce single-use plastic bottles and cans across all ExecuJet FBOs by 60% by 2025, with complete elimination targeted by 2026.

It also shared plans to reinforce its sustainability strategy through multi-stakeholder engagement programme and collaborations with industry stakeholders, including aircraft manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and environmental organisations. Towards this, Luxaviation has partnered with business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis to improve transparency and drive positive impact across supply chains.

Moreover, Luxaviation has also partnered with sustainability solutions provider Azzera and vertiport developer EVTOL Networks to explore green solutions for aviation. 

Read the full report here.

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The orders rose from 51 in 2021 to 64 last year, despite cancelled orders for Russian aircraft due to the war in Ukraine. The value of the orders also rose during the year, from €1.9bn in 2021 to €2.1bn.

Deliveries were down slightly on guidance from 35 to 32, but up on 2021’s deliveries of 30. The book-to-bill ratio for Falcon aircraft for the year was 2.

Backlog reached the highest ever level for the OEM, rising to 87 Falcon aircraft with a value of €4.7bn from €3.1bn in 2021, and more than doubling from €2.1bn in 2020.

“The market is active, but sales began to slow toward the end of the year,” said the OEM. “Business aviation traffic in the high-end segment was still higher than in 2019 but began to level off at the end of the year.”

Looking at group-wide performance, Dassault Aviation (which includes ExecuJet MRO companies and Dassault Aviation Business Services) recorded revenue of €35bn for the year. It made €6.9bn in net sales in 2022, with a net income of €830m. Borrowings and debt stood at €234m for the year, with the group’s cash in hand increasing from €4.6bn in 2021 to €9.5bn. Dassault Aviation said this increase was due to advances received for export contracts and the resilience of its Falcon aircraft.

Group objectives for 2023 include obtaining certification for the Falcon 6X and entering it into service and continuing the development of the Falcon 10X. This is in line with what the company previously announced in May last year, when it announced that the first Falcon 6X deliveries would move to mid-2023 rather than the end of 2022 due to covid-related delays.

Another objective for this year is improving the firm’s carbon emissions. The accounts said the Falcon 10X will be “natively 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) compatible as soon as it enters service”. Current Falcon aircraft are certified to fly with a SAF blend up to 50%.

The group’s total backlog, including its defense aircraft, reached €35bn, up from €20.7bn in 2021, while total order intake rose from €12bn to €21bn.

Dassault Aviation 2022 results – at a glance

• Group orders up to €21bn, Falcon orders up to €2.1bn (32 Falcon jets)
• Group backlog €35bn, Falcon backlog €4.7bn (87 Falcon jets)
• Falcon 10X undergoing development, due to enter service in 2023
• Dubai maintenance hub due to open in 2023
• Service centres in Florida and Kuala Lumpur due to open in 2024
• 1,500 staff hired, 24% of these were women

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The maintenance company, which already has a facility at the airport, will relocate to the new, larger build in quarter four next year when construction is completed.

The 149,500 sq ft facility will be able to hold up to 15 business jets and will also include corporate offices, customer areas and back shops to expand the firm’s maintenance capabilities.

A team of consultants, who have previously worked on MRO facilities, have been appointed by ExecuJet to design the Malaysian base.

“You need to have a team with experience and knowledge of aircraft MRO hangar operations so they can advise on how the facility’s design can complement the needs of your MRO operation with the aim to maximise operational efficiency,” said Ivan Lim, regional vice president Asia, ExecuJet MRO Services. “This is why it’s so important to have a project team who is familiar with the work processes and needs of our industry.”

The MRO facility will be partly powered by an 85kW rooftop solar panel system and will have water tanks to harvest rainwater.

In September, the company added new capabilities to its existing Malaysia base including zinc-nickel and cadmium electroplating technology.

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The facility, which will begin construction within the next six weeks, will have its own dedicated apron (ramp) and a floor area of about 149,500 sq ft. The hangar will be able to accommodate the largest business jets in development, including the Dassault Falcon 6X and Falcon 10X.

ExecuJet said the bigger facility will be able to better meet the increasing demand in the region for its services.

Ivan Lim, regional vice president Asia, ExecuJet MRO Services said: “The number of business jets in Asia, especially Southeast Asia, has continued to grow despite the pandemic. Business people have been turning to business aviation to meet their flying needs because it is time-efficient with far fewer touch points compared to commercial aviation.”

The company is already Malaysia’s largest business aviation MRO and serves Dassault, Bombardier and Gulfstream operators from across the Asia region. It is certified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Malaysia, US FAA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and other international authorities.

Last month, ExecuJet MRO Services Australia announced it is expanding its MRO capability for Dassault Aviation by investing in further training and equipment on its aircraft, aiming to become a “centre of excellence” for Dassault.

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The new addition to the Luxaviation Group subsidiary firm can carry up to 13 passengers and offers a range of 4,800 nautical miles. ExecuJet said fleet expansion will be a key area of focus alongside safety.

The South African division of the company also announced that it has received an upgraded safety award from aviation safety specialists South Africa’s Litson and Associates (L&A). ExecuJet South Africa was awarded the Gold level safety recognition, an upgrade from the Silver award it received in 2021.

Gavin Kiggen, vice president, Africa, Luxaviation said the new aircraft and safety recognition will be “highly attractive” to charter customers across Africa. “This new Gold award recognises our high aviation safety standards over a number of years and reflects the results of L&A reviews,” he said. “From flight and ground operations to maintenance and training, safety is now, and will always be, our top priority.”

Last week, ExecuJet’s Flight Services reopened the FBO at St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands under new management, following years of closures due to hurricanes and Covid-19.

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The FBO had been damaged by hurricanes in 2017, leading Execujet to move into a temporary facility. Now, the company has signed a 20-year contract at Cyril E. King Airport and will work from a hangar for the next year and a half while it completes work at the new permanent facility.

Roy Romney has been appointed as the new operations manager for the FBO, while Cromwell Freeman will act as the new operations supervisor. Romney has lived on St. Thomas for 40 years and brings more than 30 years of aviation experience to Execujet, while Freeman brings a further decade of experience.

Romney said he will take a “safety first” approach to managing the FBO, followed by meeting customer needs and listening to client feedback.

Britt Harrington, president, Execujet said: “Execujet Flight Services has a 20-year history of aviation excellence on St. Thomas and has been my baby since 2009. Between the hurricanes of 2017 and Covid, the past few years have had their hurdles and I’m thrilled to have this new team in place.”

The current Execujet facility includes a shared ramp for parking with 24-hour police surveillance, VIP and cargo holding, lavatory services, ground power unit, on-call maintenance and concierge services and air and yacht charter connections. The Avfuel-branded FBO also has a pilot lounge, two sleeping rooms, and a lounge for guests.

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By sending maintenance technicians and engineers from Australia to Dassault Aviation in France and the US for advanced technical training, the MRO is now able to offer a wider range of inspections on the Falcon 900, Falcon 2000, Falcon 7X/8X and all models of the Falcon 50.

The company has also invested in new tooling to allow for higher precision when carrying out tests.

“We have further consolidated our position as a factory-owned Dassault Aviation MRO organization by investing in more tooling and training,” said Grant Ingall, vice president, ExecuJet MRO Servies Australia. “We have also upgraded our non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities so we can perform the ultrasonic inspection of the horizontal stabilizer, a task we previously had to bring in specialists from Dassault to perform. Investing in the specific tooling and training to perform these complex tasks in-country positions ExecuJet and Australia as a ‘centre of excellence’ for maintenance of Dassault aircraft.”

Ingall said the company has also been busy performing aircraft inspections for buyers of pre-owned business jets. “The business jet market in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere is experiencing very strong demand for new and pre-owned aircraft,” he said. “Pre-owned aircraft are being snapped up quickly, with many new buyers entering to the market, drawn by the convenience and flexibility that business aviation provides.”

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Patrick Hansen, CEO of Luxaviation Group, parent of ExecuJet, said: “The Asia Pacific Region is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Air Center One has been for a long time our preferred handling agent in Auckland, which is a major destination for New Zealand and complements our partnership at the Wellington FBO.”

With this latest acquisition, Luxaviation Group now covers a network of 128 FBOs – of which 24 are directly operated by ExecuJet. The group’s presence in the Asia Pacific region includes offices and FBOs in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

Robin Leach, CEO, Air Center One, who established it as the first FBO and corporate jet operator in NZ back in 1964, said: “As our customers benefit from our experience and critical operational information, we achieved an enviable reputation for our ability to provide additional services of value to the corporate jet operator and passengers. It was important for us to provide the same.”

Darren McGoldrick, vice president, Asia Pacific, ExecuJet, said: “We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to ExecuJet and continuing the world-class FBO amenity service to all existing and new clients. The founder of Air Center One, Robin Leach, will remain with the team to insure the best possible transition.”

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The Global 6000, which joined the fleet in February 2021 for a Turkish client, is based at Istanbul’s Atta Turk International Airport. The Global 7500, added in December last year to become the first 7500 in the Middle East and the third of its kind in the Luxaviation Group, is based under private operations at Al Maktoum International Airport (Dubai World Central).

Mike Berry, ExecuJet’s vice president, Middle East, said: “The Global 6000 is an outstanding aircraft for work or relaxation and the Global 7500 is simply one of the world’s leading large, long-range business jets.”

Berry also said movements are rising at ExecuJet’s FBOs at Dubai’s airports, a trend that began in late 2020. Most of that travel is international with a number of flights from Russia, UK and across Europe.

“We’re naturally adhering to strict guidelines in the fight against Covid-19 and operating stringent health and safety measures across Luxaviation Group, but our Middle East FBO activity proves growth is possible, even now. We’re seeing signs of real market recovery.”

Berry added: “Many people who could always have afforded to fly privately, but chose not to or only did so occasionally, are now fully embracing the experience to stay safe during the pandemic. We’re receiving many enquiries from potential new owners.”

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Officially relaunched in January this year, Gavin Kiggen, vice president Africa at ExecuJet, told Corporate Jet Investor (CJI) he was delighted with the positive feedback. “Since the announcement, we’ve signed a handful of new customer agreements, with a further seven already in the pipeline. We believe we will deliver at least two aircraft within the first quarter of the year.”

ExecuJet’s sales team in the region has more than 50 years ’combined experience and, using Luxaviation Group’s global footprint, clients have access to aircraft that have not yet reached the market.

The firm believes Africa is a place of opportunity for business aviation and maintenance. Kiggen told CJI: “Medium to l ong range business jets remain the tool of choice [in Africa], because of the distances that need to be covered between the various countries. Closer to home, and particularly in South Africa, the turboprop and light jet market is popular, mostly for its versatility and lower operating cost.”

Kiggen said clients are looking to either upgrade or find a newer type. “We are dealing with a broad range of aircraft, from turboprops through to long-haul aircraft such as Bombardier Global 6000. Some clients need to travel at short notice within their own region, while others are looking for aircraft which will safely take them further afield with their family bubble. We look forward to helping new customers in 2021 with their aircraft.”

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