He may be Mr. Las Vegas but that's not where his plane is located. Wayne Newton's private plane has been sitting at an airport in Michigan for the past three years and according to local reports he hasn't been paying his storage bills. The president of Oakland Air in Oakland County, Michigan says that he is owed $61,360 in storage fees. The plane has been for sale for several years. Oakland Air president Joe Borgesen told MLive.com that a potential buyer came to check out the plane a while ago but that found that the unmaintained plane was full of black mold. The Fokker F28-1000 which was built in 1969 was once valued at over $2 million but is now said to be only good for scrap.

UPDATE: TMZ spoke with Wayne Newton's representative who said that that Newton has spent more than $700,000 in repairs to repair the plane and it still doesn't work.

For years North America has dominated the world aviation market but recent figures show that Asia Pacific is now the world's largest passenger market in aviation. New figures from the International Air Transport Association show that while North America flew 638 million passengers in North America, the Asia Pacific market flew 647 million. As you might suspect much of that growth has come from China which is now the region's largest domestic market flying 1,400 aircraft. It is expected that this trend will continue as more people in the region take to the skies.

In a related story, a recent AFP report showed that more and more Chinese people are using online travel services to book holidays. Revenue from online flight, hotel and package tour bookings are up 27 percent from last year and climbing as China's expanding middle class becomes more interested in travel and are becoming more accustomed to online purchases and using credit cards.

You'd think Richard Branson might be busy conquering space but he's got plans to explore the sea as well. His Virgin Limited Edition has unveiled the Necker Nymph, a DeepFlight three-person aero submarine. The craft was built by Graham Hawkes, of Hawkes Ocean Technologies. The open cockpit winged sub is bit like an underwater airplane. Unlike conventional subs which use ballast to sink, the Necker Nymph (named after Branson's Necker Island) uses downward 'lift' perhaps a bit similar to the way an airplane uses its wings to sustain loft. The Nymph is available to those staying on Necker Island or chartering the 105-foot catamaran Necker Belle. Dives can last up to two hours. Guests will be trained/accompanied by a certified Necker Nymph pilot. It was was designed specifically for Necker Belle, but can also be launched from shore. When taking Necker Belle for 7-nights' exclusive hire, the sub is available at a weekly rate of $25,000.

[via Engadget]

If you've got $5 million burning a hole in your pocket you should know Bell Helicopter has just begun delivering the brand new 429 GlobalRanger, billed as the most advanced light twin all weather (IFR) chopper ever. It's also incredibly fast with a cruising speed of 150 knots thanks to Pratt & Whitney PWC207D1 turbine engines, mostly composite construction, an all-graphite tail boom and X-shaped tail rotor. Digital fuel controls ensure the engines perform at maximum fuel efficiency even at the highest altitudes and temperatures. It's also impressively quiet, impeccably appointed and more spacious than any helicopter in its class with seating for up to 7 plus the pilot; the cargo area can accommodate golf bags or skis with ease.

After a year of private jet bad news signs of life are starting to emerge and now Delta Air Lines' private jet subsidiary, Delta AirElite will be massively expanding its fleet of small craft with the acquisition of Segrave Aviation. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Delta's all-cash purchase of Segrave will add 21 aircraft to AirElite's fleet of 24 planes. The expansion will also improve Web-based booking and the travel experience for fleet membership card and charter customers. Delta didn't reveal the exact terms of the deal. Segrave operates a fleet of managed aircraft and specializes in wholesale charter aviation services, private aircraft management, aircraft maintenance and fixed base operations.

Because Delta offers both commercial and private jet service it offers flexibility for travelers. Delta AirElite passengers can also earn SkyMiles (Delta's reward program) and immediate Medallion qualification up to Diamond status. The fleet includes aircraft such as Hawker Beechcraft, Lear 60 and Challenger 604 jets. With recent security concerns, longer lines, more ancillary charges and airport delays, the private jet option is becoming more appealing once again. Last month my colleague Tom Johansmeyer stated that private jet travel is back and gave four solid reasons why.

It was the event that turned Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger into a national hero and now the plane involved in the Miracle on the Hudson crash will be up for sale. The plane, which faced certain doom when birds flew into the engines on January 15, 2009 is up for auction. US Airways Flight 1549 ended in the Hudson River and the Airbus A320-214 was later lifted from the water. It ended up in a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey. Chartis Insurance, a division of AIG, is managing the auction which is open to the public and scheduled to end on March 27. The plane is not exactly flight ready, the wings are separate from the fuselage and the plane has severe water damage and still bears the impact of the crash. It has been treated with a corrosion inhibitor but has been otherwise untouched for months. The engines aren't part of the deal. The plane is being auctioned as salvage but might also attract trophy seekers interested in buying the plane and then parceling off segments to collectors. One potential problem to discourage that is that the buyer must move the plane by April 10 or take over the storage bills. The auction listing complete with pictures is here.

[via AV Web]

MySky Aircraft, Inc., developer of the MS-1 second-generation light sport aircraft, has announced that orders are now being accepted for the new airplane. The first deliveries of production models are expected in November, 2010. The all-composite plane has a fighter-style bubble canopy and a side stick control. It has a cruise speed of 120 knots with a range of 636 nautical miles.

The MS-1 Mentor model comes equipped with front panel flight and engine instruments, ELT, nav lights and wing tip strobes, and has a base price of $124,500. The MS-1 Elite is equipped with the MySky Flight Information Center in both front and back panel, back up analog airspeed and altimeter indicators, magnetic compass, Garmin VHF com with intercom, and GTX-327 encoding transponder. The base price of the MS-1 Elite is $132,500. Upgrade options are available, including Porsche-style leather-and-rosewood interior, AmSafe seat belts with airbags, night flight package, and flight automation options. MS-1 customers may secure their positions on a first come, first served basis with a refundable deposit of $3000.

It's been a tough year for small private plane companies with layoffs and plant closures but not everyone is floundering. Piaggio Aero, makers of the P. 180 Avanti II have announced the addition of three new service centers in Ft. Lauderdale, Toronto and Montreal. The announcement came one month after Piaggio's expansion with West Star Aviation at its East Alton, Ill. facility. Since 2008, the Piaggio Aero brand has doubled its North American service network. The success of the P. 180 Avanti II is a combination of its sleek Italian styling (Piaggio Aero Industries' Chairman, Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo Ferrari, is also vice Chairman of Ferrari S.p.A.) and its fuel efficiency. The plane is the fastest turboprop aircraft combine the speed of a light cabin jet with the cabin of a mid-size craft that can hold nine people. It can hit cruising speeds of more than 402 ktas. but requires a third less fuel than most business jets. The new service centers are now open with more planned for 2010.

One of our favorite celebrity pilots actor Morgan Freeman has a new toy for the holidays, a fancy new private jet. Gulf News reports that Freeman bought the SJ30 plane which was produced by Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of United Arab Emirates-based Emivest. Earlier this year as my colleague Jared Paul Stern reported, the SJ30 set a world speed record from London to Dubai in just 7hr 7 min including a fuel stop in Istanbul. The six-seater can retain sea level cabin pressure at 41,000 ft., reducing jet lag, and can fly more than 2,800 miles nonstop at speeds of up to 630 mph. It sells for approximately $8 million.

Freeman flew the plane from Los Angeles to Dubai to attend a a press conference at the Executive Flight Center at the Dubai Airport Free Zone to announce the sale of the new SJ30 from Emivest to Freeman. The Gulf News article says that Freeman is expected to stay in the UAE until December 27.

President Obama's first vacation in Hawaii as President may be good news for Hawaii's struggling tourism industry but according to Aero-News Network it's a big headache for those operating small planes in the area. A Presidential Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place for most of Oahu will restrict most of the general aviation in the area during the Christmas holidays. The TFR does not affect regularly scheduled commercial passenger and all-cargo carriers operating under TSA-approved standard security programs and procedures. Flights that can't take place include training flights, practice instrument approaches, aerobatic flight, glider operations, parachute operations, ultralight, hang gliding, balloon operations, agriculture/crop dusting, animal population control flight operations, banner towing operations, sightseeing operations, model aircraft operations, model rocketry, and unmanned aircraft systems.

Pilots and aircraft operators in the area are said to be outraged by the restrictions. The restrictions are based on the ones used to protect President Bush while at his Crawford, Texas ranch but the area being covered is much different. Many pilots feel that their having their wings clipped because of a Presidential vacation is unfair. In the article a seaplane tour operator said that he was forced to but his business on hold for two weeks because of the TFR. For small businesses taking off these two busy weeks surrounding Christmas can be devastating.

Flying seems to be getting less and less luxurious but one new private jet charter service, Safari Air, seeks to change all that. The service, which is based out of Orange County, California's John Wayne Airport flies Gulfstream jets around the world. But the service has several key features that make it unique. The first is the inflight service which includes the use of a Macbook laptop and Bose headset during flight as well as afternoon high tea, an amenity kit, fine wines and the service of an inflight concierge. The airline also buys carbon offsets for every single passenger mile sold.

Flights from John Wayne Airport to New York cost $5,950 and the charter airline is planning to add a variety of resort destinations. The most luxurious experience is Safari Air's Around the World package. The 21-day adventure on a Gulfstream IV includes stops in Quebec, Edinburgh and Cairo before an African safari through Kenya and Tanzania followed by visits to India, Hong Kong, Guam and finally Hawaii. The trip costs $144,500 per person.

[via Geek With Laptop]

Gregor Tarjan, designer of the Aeroyacht 110, a superfast 110-ft. catamaran equipped with an Icon A5 exploration airplane, has commissioned Monegasque yachtbuilder Wally to construct the avant-garde craft. Representing the first model of a sleek, new range "embodying the ultimate high-performance, supremely styled world yacht," the Aeroyacht 110 will be one of the largest composite multihulls in the world. As standard equipment the craft will come fitted with a two seat Icon A5 amphibious, retractable and fold-able sports plane, launched and retrieved from a specially designed pod. The yacht, which is expected to do 35 knots at full speed, will be ready for delivery in 2011.

Embattled Italian airline Alitalia has sold off some of the art that once hung inside its first class cabins and lounges. The Italian national airline filed for bankruptcy last year and this sale was part of the breakup of the assets. A group of Italian investors have continued on with the brand, relaunching it with a new terminal in Rome.

The auction included paintings by Futurist artists like Giacomo Balla and Enrico Prampolini and works by Italian artists. One piece that didn't sell was a Gino Severini piece "Zeus Gave Birth to the Sun" said to be valued at 500,000 euros. That piece may be sold privately. Overall the auction brought in 1.2 million euros.

Private jet travel is back! When we were in the depths of the financial crisis, the best way to fly was a sure way to attract criticism, especially when the Detroit auto executives showed up before Congress a year ago and had to explain why ailing companies were forced to shell out for the perk. Well, the private jets are coming back into style, but it's more for pleasure than business.

Business jet manufacturers delivered only 615 in the first three quarters of 2009, a steep decline of 37.8 percent year-over-year, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. According to Jack Petlon, CEO of Cessna, though, there are signs of life. "With the financial collapse that occurred there was a lot of anger, a lot of hurt, a lot of people reaching out and striking at what became an image and the image was a corporate business jet," he told Forbes. He continued, "We as an industry are now spending our time righting that wrong perception."

Here are four facts you may not have know about business (and private) aviation:

Last month we reported that the glossy chronicle of the filthy rich Robb Report is offering the world's most expensive Christmas gift this year - a matching custom private jet and megayacht set costing $500 million. The profligate publication has a few more eye-popping offerings as part of its Ultimate Gift Guide, a seasonal smorgasbord of over-the-top exclusives. Among the most enticing is a $1.5 million Monaco Grand Prix gift package, consisting of the following: a VIP experience at the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix F1 races in May; round-trip private jet travel from North America to Nice, France, and helicopter transfer from Nice to Monte Carlo for a party of four; five nights' accommodation in the top-floor suite at the luxe Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort; privileges aboard a private 170-ft. yacht that will provide a prime vantage of, and tender service to, four days of racing and activities; and last but not least a custom Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder (above) "as a keepsake".