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April 03, 2004

We Thought So, Too: HAI '04 Rocked!

HELI-EXPO 2004 Surpassed Expectations

It was pretty obvious, to those of us at ANN, by the afternoon of the first day of Heli-Expo 2004, that something very good was happening, where the civil helicopter industry gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 15 through 17. By the second day, we suspected record attendnace and activity. Now we find that our suspicions have been confirmed. The 2004 HELI-EXPO convention and exposition was a success, surpassing expectations. The exhibit hall was filled with attendees exploring the vast array of helicopters, avionics, engines, aviation products, and services.

Signature Flight Support officially broke ground on its new Toulon, France, facility during a March 25 on site ceremony. The Orlando, Florida-based company took over flight support operations at the Toulon-Hyeres Airport (TLN/LFTH) in January and is currently operating from space in the main terminal with exclusive use of the airport's VIP lounge. Construction on the new purpose-built 2,410-square-foot facility is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2004.

At a March 31st meeting with over 250 stakeholders, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlined the terms of the settlements with the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) and detailed the agency's plan for implementing Spill Protection, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rules by the August 17, 2004 compliance date. API and PMAA had sued the EPA to block implementation of new SPCC regulations.