Duncan Aviation Sees Surge in ADS-B Upgrade Bookings

As a result of recent warnings from FAA acting Deputy Administrator Victoria Wassmer that “the ADS-B equipage deadline is not changing,” Duncan Aviation has seen an uptick in the number of ADS-B upgrades scheduled for the upcoming third and fourth quarters. In the first quarter, the company completed 47 ADS-B installations, with an additional 51 scheduled for the second quarter.

According to Duncan’s latest estimate, 6,000 business aircraft in the U.S. still need to be equipped with ADS-B _^OUT before the FAA’s Dec. 31, 2019 deadline. “Based on current installation rates, more than 2,000 aircraft will be grounded after this date” due to noncompliance, it noted.

With 27 avionics satellite shops and workaway stations located at airports throughout the U.S., Duncan Aviation said it has both the capacity and labor resources to help operators meet the FAA deadline. It has thus developed a slot program for customers who might not be ready to upgrade now but want guaranteed hangar space and labor resources at a later date.

Under this program, Duncan is allocating two spots per satellite shop per month for ADS-B upgrades, and is currently booking spots for 2018 and 2019, as well as the rest of this year on a space-available basis.