A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

Sabena technics (Stand 623) announced here at MEBAA it has been selected by Saudi Arabia’s Al Atheer Aviation to refurbish an Airbus A310. The aircraft’s bedroom, bathroom, private office, and lounge will undergo extensive soft furnishing replacement, including seat and divan upholstery, with the contemporary design incorporating Arabian motifs. Additionally, the IFE system will be upgraded with an HD screen. The cabin work will take place at the same time as a heavy maintenance C-check, with the entire project slated for completion in three months.

 


“Thanks to our large range of capabilities, our customer will benefit from a complete turnkey program with a single interface for design, materials, systems, as well as associated EASA STC,” said Pascal Jallier, vice-president of VIP Programs for the Paris-based MRO. “We are confident that our highly skilled and experienced craftsmen will be able to meet this tight schedule and deliver a cabin to the highest business aviation standards.”

 


Captain Daif Alsolamy, CEO of Al Atheer, said, “The reduced downtime of the project is extremely important to meet with our specific operations,” adding, “Sabena technics offers us the right combination of maintenance and VIP cabin refurbishment skills.”

 


Secure Aircraft

 


Sabena technics is also debuting here in Dubai the new version of Vigiplane, the security system Sabena purchased a year ago. Installed on an aircraft’s landing gear when on the ground, Vigiplane monitors and records a 360-degree view around the aircraft. Sabena engineers have made the new version 40 percent smaller, 40 percent lighter, and 50 times as powerful, now incorporating a full color, higher resolution camera, a new 250 GB digital video recorder, and cloud monitoring server. All events recorded by Vigiplane are now easily and quickly transmitted in real time to the operator via smartphone, tablet or laptop, using 4G LTE data technology. More than 70 Vigiplane units have been sold over the past year, according to Sabena.

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

Al Atheer Taps Sabena for A310 Refurb

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

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