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Hope floats with Samaritan Seaplanes

In one of the world's impoverished regions, a small but dedicated group of seaplane pilots, nurses, and mechanics are making life-saving differences. Papua New Guinea (PNG) faces severe challenges, with rampant diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, cholera, and malaria. The healthcare system is critically under-resourced, and most of the population lives in remote areas, making access to advanced medical care extremely difficult.

Founded in 2010 by Californian Mark Palm, this organization provides essential medical services to the remote river basin communities of PNG. Palm, a pastor and seaplane pilot, saw the dire need for aerial medical transport during a mission trip and returned with a vision to make a difference.

Starting with a single disassembled Cessna 206, Samaritan Aviation has grown to operate four aircraft, conducting over 2,800 accident-free medical missions. These missions have delivered more than 230,000 pounds of medical supplies and saved countless lives.

Samaritan Aviation runs on a modest annual budget of $2.68 million, primarily funded by donations and government grants. The organization prides itself on its efficiency, with administrative costs under 5 percent and fundraising costs at a mere 1.6 percent. Volunteers, including pilots, work without pay, driven by a commitment to serve.

Comprehensive Care: The support provided by Samaritan Aviation goes beyond air transport. They ensure patients reach the hospital, offer follow-up care, and supply necessities during recovery. This holistic approach addresses the profound needs of PNG’s vulnerable populations.

Despite challenges, including finding suitable aircraft and managing operational risks, Samaritan Aviation continues to grow. Their dedication and innovative solutions are creating lasting change in PNG.

The work of Samaritan Aviation is a ray of hope, demonstrating the profound impact of compassion and dedication. As Mark Palm says, “These people deserve a chance,” and Samaritan Aviation is committed to giving it to them.

Strong business jet market ahead in Africa

The perception of business aviation is gradually but steadily changing throughout Africa. Business aviation has evolved from being shown as a luxury mode of transportation for the ultra-rich to being shown as an economic driver that helps nations attract foreign direct investment and promote economic growth.

Industry professionals mention that without business aviation, investment in many parts of Africa would have been challenging, particularly taking into account the lack of the best road and rail transportation throughout the enormous continent. Through ferrying valuable minerals like gold and diamonds, business aviation is building economic expansion across the continent rich in minerals. Business jets are crucial to the oil and gas sector in West and Central Africa since they are used for staff transportation as well as operating emergency and medevac flights. Business aircraft fly visitors to beaches, national parks, and safaris in East Africa, contributing to the region's booming tourism industry.

Another major function of business jets is medevac. Private aviation helps to fill the shortage of highly qualified medical professionals and well-equipped hospitals across the continent by providing medevac flights to nations with more advanced healthcare systems.

Privately-owned Virginia Airport is expanding

Hampton Roads Executive Airport (KPVG) has been privately held for the entirety of its more than eight-decade history and has twice declared bankruptcy. When the founding members of Virginia Aviation Associates bought 230 acres in 2000 and 400 more the following year, they reversed that trend and made room for growth.

Now owned by a family, the company has started a development program. Phase 1 included numerous airport upgrades, such as building a new runway that is 5,350 feet long and 100 feet wide and can accommodate aircraft up to Boeing Business Jets. It was built in parallel to the original main runway, which was 75 feet wide and 4,000 feet long. Both were updated with new lighting and extended and repaved at the same time to become a full-length taxiway. A dozen hangars and a new terminal were built, and the airport's public sewer system was connected. It was a $55 million project altogether.

Five 12,000-square-foot hangars comprise Phase 2 of the development, the last of which is scheduled to be occupied this month. These enable the facility to house ultra-long-range business jets, providing more than 500,000 square feet of aircraft shelter. There are twenty-three turbine-powered aircraft based there, ranging in model from the Cessna Citation Sovereign to the Pilatus PC-12.

Delta Air lines resuming flights to Tel Aviv, Israel

Despite the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, US airline Delta Air Lines is proceeding with its previously announced plans to restore service to Tel Aviv from New York on June 7. About 2,000 seats per week will be offered by Delta from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv using an Airbus A330-900neo. After Hamas attacked Israel on October 5, 2023, the route was suspended. Delta announced in March that it planned to revive the route for summer travel in the Northern Hemisphere.

”The decision to resume the route… follows an extensive security risk assessment by the airline, Delta continues to closely monitor the situation in Israel in conjunction with government and private sector partners,” says the Atlanta-headquartered carrier. El Al Israel Airlines, which flies from Tel Aviv to US cities like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale, and Delta have recently formed a codeshare agreement. The US State Department issues a "do not travel" warning to Gaza due to "terrorism and armed conflict," but it also asks citizens of the US to think twice before traveling to Israel and the West Bank due to "terrorism and civil unrest."

Korean Air mulls another Boeing or Airbus order?

According to a Bloomberg story, Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) is considering ordering 30 aircraft at the Farnborough Air Show next month. The flag airline is analyzing the Airbus A350 and the Boeing B787. Cho Won-Tae, the chairman and CEO of Korean Air, said that the B787 will probably be chosen because, despite the difficulties facing the US manufacturer right now, "I believe in Boeing's management." They'll survive. It could require some time. The airline was purportedly in talks to purchase at least ten B777X widebodies earlier this year. Six A350-900s and twenty-seven A350-1000s were also ordered by the company in April.

Korean Air presently has 113 aircraft on order, including thirty-nine A321-200Ns, one A321-200NX, six A350-900s, twenty-seven A350-1000s, twenty-three B737-8s, seven B787-9s, and ten B787-10s, according different sources. The fleet of the company consists of 161 aircraft. Separately, Cho Won-tae stated that Korean Air expects to get complete US government approval by the end of October to proceed with its merger with Asiana Airlines (OZ, Seoul Incheon). Following the announcement of the Korean Air merger plan in 2021, the US antitrust authority is the last of 14 jurisdictions to respond.