We strongly recommend viewing BlueSky in your browser. Click on our masthead
Your essential weekly digest of International Business and Private Aviation Industry news
Danbury, Connecticut:
Forecast projects $247bn in total transaction volume over the next 5 years.
Global Jet Capital, a global leader in financial solutions for business aircraft, released its 6th annual Business Jet Market Forecast today.
In the updated report, the company projects continued growth in the business aviation industry for the next five years, supported by increasing order backlogs, resilient economic growth, and continued wealth creation worldwide.
The forecast also contains insights and projections for the business aviation market through 2030, including breakdowns of new deliveries and pre-owned transactions. The high level of detail in the report is based on output generated by Global Jet Capital’s proprietary transaction forecast model.
“The market is seeing increased demand. Increases in business jet flight activity started in Q4 2024 and continued through 2026, rising 3.4 percent year over year in the first half of the year, said Andrew Farrant, Chief Marketing Officer.
more
Ontario, Canada:
Global private jet marketplace, Jettly, has launched Smart Match™, an AI workflow that matches private jet charter clients with a vetted operator and aircraft within 24 hours, replacing the multi-day phone-and-email sourcing cycle that still defines most of the industry.
When a client submits a trip request, Smart Match™ ingests route, aircraft preference, timing, and budget, then canvasses Jettly's global operator marketplace.
AI models rank availability, positioning cost, safety ratings, and price, generate quotes, and return a shortlist of confirmed, priced options, all without the manual sourcing, quote generation, and CRM handoffs that typically stretch a charter booking across three to five days.
Jettly is rolling the workflow out as the default routing engine for every charter request submitted through the platform, in the United States and internationally, effective immediately.
The company says early operator partners on the marketplace are seeing faster lead qualification and higher quote-to-book conversion in the initial rollout.
A competitive field racing to embed AI
more
Washington, DC:
Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act passes out of US House Transportation Committee.
The US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has passed the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act (H.R. 7553).
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) applauds the committee on passage of the bill, which has the potential to support innovation in aviation and the development of new and novel technologies by improving the accountability and transparency of the FAA’s type certification process.
more
Las Vegas:
Thrive Aviation has announced a strategic partnership and minority investment by Arulean Air, a Honda Aircraft Company subsidiary.
This investment in Thrive Aviation establishes the foundation for a new fractional ownership platform designed to scale significantly over the coming decade, expanding private aviation options for passengers.
Thrive Aviation will bring its exceptional operational safety standards, unwavering sophistication and industry-leading, client-focused approach to this new fractional program.
Thrive will operate and manage the program, from client relationship management to flight operations. Arulean Air will acquire aircraft for the fractional program, providing a foundation for the program to scale as the fractional owner base grows.
The program will initially operate two aircraft types: the HondaJet HA-420 in the light jet category and the Bombardier Challenger 3500 in the super-midsize category.
more
By Cat Buchanan, Director of Business Development, STACK.aero
We talk a lot about efficiency in business aviation. Faster quotes. Fewer manual processes. Better data. Less duplication.
All of those are at the core of our philosophy and raison d’être. But ultimately, I think we are trying to achieve something much more fundamental: trust.
Business aviation is built on relationships. A client trusts their broker or operator to understand what they need, remember what matters to them and make things happen, often at very short notice. They expect the person at the other end of the phone or email to know them.
That is something we understood from the beginning at STACK.aero because, for the most part, our team came from the industry. Many of us were charter brokers ourselves.
We remember the spreadsheets, the PDFs, the Post-it notes, the endless emails, the multitude of file folders - often one for every client - sitting on our desks. We remember knowing that somewhere in all that information was the detail we needed… if only we could find it quickly enough!
And we remember how much depended on individual memory.
more
Washington, DC:
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has published the Second Quarter 2026 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report.
The results for the first six months of 2026, when compared to the same period in 2025, show increased overall shipments and an increase in the value of aircraft billings.
Aircraft shipments through the second quarter of 2026, when compared to the same period in 2025, saw piston airplanes decrease by 3.1% with 786 units, turboprops increase 7.8% with 289 units, and business jets increase 8.2% with 383 units.
The billings for airplanes through the second quarter of 2026 was $14.3bn, an increase of 15.5%.
more
Jet Aviation
Jeremie Caillet
Jet Aviation president Jeremie Caillet was honoured with the Lifetime Aviation Industry Leader Award at the fifth biennial European Living Legends of Aviation Awards ceremony held in St. Wolfgang, Austria, on September 5th and presided over by Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman.
The Award, which was presented by Gulfstream President Mark Burns, recognizes individuals whose sustained leadership has had a significant or transformative impact on the aviation industry - whether through strategic vision, operational excellence, or long-term influence.
With a career spanning aeronautical engineering, aerospace design, VIP completions, and global business aviation, Jeremie Caillet has consistently focused on inspiring excellence, accountability, and innovation, both in his team and across the industry.
Jeremie was appointed President of Jet Aviation in 2024, although his journey with the company began almost 20 years earlier, when he joined as Engineering Team Leader in 2008. He continued to grow and develop in the completions business, and in 2019 advanced to Vice President Completions.
In 2021, he was appointed Jet Aviation’s Senior Vice President Regional Operations EMEA, where he was responsible for driving operational efficiency and performance across Europe and the Middle East, and just two and a half years later, he was named President.
A native of France, Jeremie earned a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the École Supérieure des Techniques Aéronautiques et de Construction Automobile in 2005, followed by a master’s degree in aircraft design from Linköping University in 2006.
|
WINGX Global Market Tracker:
|
|
 |
Global bizjet activity was flat in Week 37 (7-13 Sept), with the year-to-date figure at +3.4% ahead of last year through 13 September, now 0.2 percentage points below the trend for the same dates in 2025 vs 2024.
While accounting for 70.1% of global bizjet traffic last week, North America declined 1.5%, while South America and Africa both experienced significant double-digit gains, up 14.2% and 20.2% respectively.
North America
The North American market underperformed the global market for a second consecutive week, declining 1.5% last week year-on-year, with the US performed slightly better than this trend at -1.3%. Weekly year-on-year growth on a key state level was a mixed bag, with Florida up 9.5%, Texas up 3.1%, while California was down 8.2%.
Europe
In Week 37, Europe’s business jet traffic expanded 5.1% vs last year, while its YTD trend remains at a sluggish +1.3%, and all top countries, except Germany, saw year-on-year gains last week across Europe. France led growth at 8.5%, followed by Switzerland’s 6.4% gains, with the UK up 4.8%. Italy was relatively flat, up just 0.3%, while Germany
was 1.5% below Week 37 2025 levels.
full report
Farnborough, UK:
Flexjet has officially opened a $34m private terminal at Farnborough Airport, becoming the company’s first dedicated facility of its kind in Europe.
The 2,098m² terminal, located in a new airside building separate from Farnborough’s main terminal, is exclusively for Flexjet aircraft Owners and their guests. It provides private lounges and meeting areas, a dedicated security and immigration facility, and direct access to the ramp.
Among the facility’s features is a full-size recreation of the cabin of a Flexjet Gulfstream G700, including a master bedroom suite, while the Owners Bar & Lounge overlooks the airfield. The building also houses Flexjet’s European headquarters and Tactical Control Centre, together with an expanded training facility for its cabin staff.
more
Montana:
The legendary Cessna Grand Caravan EX single-engine turboprop has been selected by Cape Air for a fleet order of eight aircraft to support the airline's regional passenger operations, further strengthening its ability to connect the communities it serves.
Cape Air plans to introduce the Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprops into its Montana network beginning in 2027, transitioning regional operations to the proven turboprop platform. The airline selected the aircraft for its reliability, performance and increased cargo capacity, helping support the dependable air service communities throughout the region rely on every day.
more
San José, Costa Rica:
Universal Aviation Costa Rica has secured a 10,000-square-foot aircraft hangar at Juan Santamaría International Airport (MROC/SJO), following a competitive process conducted by airport operator AERIS.
The hangar, managed through GAT SJO, is currently the only facility at MROC available for general aviation use. It can accommodate a midsize business aircraft and a smaller aircraft, subject to dimensions and configuration, and includes adjacent office space.
more
Dallas, Texas:
NetJets is planning a more than 100,000-sq-ft private aviation campus at Dallas Love Field as part of a major expansion of its presence at the busy business aviation airport.
The project is expected to cost between $35m and $70m and is scheduled to be completed in May 2028.
As first reported by The Dallas Morning News, The development will be built in three phases. Initially, six existing hangars and a terminal will be demolished. The second phase will deliver a 14,000-sq-ft private passenger terminal, together with improvements to parking, landscaping and utilities.
more
Isle of Wight, UK:
Britten-Norman’s first Islander assembled in the United Kingdom from detail component level completed its first flight from Bembridge Airport, Isle of Wight, at 14:25 on Thursday 3rd September, and has entered its flight test programme.
For operators evaluating the Islander, the first flight matters because of what it proves about supply. Britten-Norman now builds the complete airframe at Bembridge from detail component level, under its own production control, in place of receiving major sub-assemblies for final assembly.
A second airframe is progressing through the same line, components for the aircraft behind it are on order, and the company is working to a continuous production cadence with a strategic ambition of eight aircraft a year. Britten-Norman is the UK’s only civil A2 approved aircraft manufacturer.
more
Maldives:
Brook Aero has become the first aircraft ground-handling supervision company in the Maldives to achieve certification to three ISO management standards, in what is a significant milestone for the country’s developing business aviation sector.
The Maldivian company has secured certification to ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health & Safety).
The achievement is notable because the three standards address three increasingly important areas of aviation operations: maintaining consistent quality, managing environmental responsibilities and ensuring appropriate occupational health and safety procedures.
more
Kuala Lumpur:
Voluxis adds Citation Mustang to Asian fleet
Charter operator and aircraft management company Voluxis has added a Citation Mustang to its Asian fleet, based at Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur.
The four-seat Mustang has a range of up to three hours, making it perfect for short hops around Southeast Asia, such as to Singapore, Jakarta, Phuket, Penang or Langkawi.
Voluxis CEO Warren Gravell said the aircraft offers an attractive combination of comfort, efficiency and value, making private aviation more accessible for travellers across Southeast Asia.
 view a video walk-through of the aircraft
 |
London:
Bombardier's Global 8000 business jet has received the green light by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to land at London City Airport, one of the world’s most influential financial hubs.
This important designation, effective immediately, ensures that the world’s most impressive ultra-long-range business aircraft can connect nonstop from key destinations such as Singapore, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Buenos Aires to downtown London.
“UK CAA approval to access London City Airport ensures customers can save precious time when accessing one of the world’s most important finance hubs,” said Stephen McCullough, Executive Vice President, Engineering, Product Development and Bombardier Defense.
“London City Airport’s steep approach requirement for noise-abatement laws and its very short runway makes it amongst one of the world’s most challenging airports," said Stephen McCullough, Executive Vice President, Engineering, Product Development and Bombardier Defense.
more
Biggin Hill, UK:
Global trade body The Air Charter Association (The ACA) marked another record-breaking Air Charter Expo (ACE’26) on Tuesday 8th September 2026, in partnership with Business Air News and London Biggin Hill Airport.
Air Charter Expo is the leading one-day show in the air charter industry calendar and once again saw over 2,200 registered attendees, comfortably surpassing last year’s record.
This year’s Expo featured an expanded aircraft static display, with a new pavilion area offering additional networking space, and a reconfigured conference zone. There were more than 20 fixed wing and rotary aircraft on display, including a Dassault Falcon 6X, Gulfstream G700, Embraer 135 and a Saab 2000. As always at ACE, every aircraft is fully accessible, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to go on board.
The ACE conference, hosted by The ACA, was initiated with a special introduction from Glenn Hogben, chief executive, The ACA and Tobias Bretzel, show director, AERO Friedrichshafen, showcasing the new, additional ACE Regional - Europe exhibition, which launches in 2027 from April 14th–16th, as part of AERO Friedrichshafen.
Glenn Hogben, chief executive, The Air Charter Association, says: “Each year Air Charter Expo continues to set new attendance records, which is testament to the value and impact of the show in the air charter industry. London Biggin Hill Airport is a fantastic venue as the established home of ACE and we look forward to another successful expo in September next year.
more
Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
Universal Aviation has officially begun operations at the new General Aviation Terminal (GAT)/FBO and dedicated hangar at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (OEDF).
Universal is the appointed manager and operator of the new GAT/FBO and is providing full-service ground handling through the facility. Developed in close partnership with MATARAT Holding and Dammam Airports Company (DACO), the facility represents the first dedicated General Aviation Terminal/FBO in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - a significant milestone for Dammam and for the continued development of the country’s general aviation infrastructure.
Universal Aviation has also successfully handled its first flight through the new facility, marking the start of live operations at Dammam’s new GAT/FBO.
The opening reflects the broader vision being advanced under the leadership of His Excellency Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), to expand dedicated general aviation infrastructure and elevate Saudi Arabia’s position as a world-class destination for business aviation under Vision 2030.
The launch also marks Universal Aviation’s first operational location in Saudi Arabia and a major milestone in the company’s long-term expansion across the Kingdom and into the Middle East.
A new standard for private aviation in the Eastern Province
more
Oranjestad, Aruba:
New framework strengthens cooperation between both civil aviation authorities for San Marino-registered aircraft operating commercially under Aruba-issued AOCs.
The Department of Civil Aviation Aruba (DCAA) and the San Marino Civil Aviation Authority (SMCAA) have formally executed a new regulatory oversight agreement establishing a framework for San Marino-registered aircraft to operate commercially under Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) issued by Aruba.
The agreement represents an important milestone in the cooperation between the two jurisdictions, establishing a clear regulatory framework for the allocation and coordination of safety oversight responsibilities between the respective Civil Aviation Authorities.
The Registry of Aruba and the San Marino Aircraft Registry (SMAR) welcome the execution of the agreement, which further strengthens the longstanding relationship between Aruba and San Marino and provides aircraft owners and operators with greater flexibility while maintaining the highest standards of regulatory oversight and international aviation safety.
more
New Delhi, India:
FLY91 and ATR have announced the purchase of 40 ATR 72-600 aircraft for around $1bn, marking the largest ATR firm order in almost a decade, and the largest ever by a regional airline.
Deliveries are scheduled from 2027 to 2032. The landmark agreement lifts ATR’s 2026 order intake to 54 aircraft, already surpassing the company’s total net orders for the whole of 2025, with more than three months still remaining in the year.
Less than three years after launching operations, pure regional player FLY91 is set to grow its fleet from six aircraft to 60 in the next five years.
The order reflects both the airline’s confidence in the country’s growth potential and ATR’s conviction that regional aviation will play a central role in connecting India’s next generation of travellers.
more
London:
Air Charter Expo Regional-Europe debuts within AERO Friedrichshafen 2027.
Air Charter Expo Regional-Europe was formally announced by Show organisers The Air Charter Association and Business Air News at Air Charter Expo (ACE26) at London Biggin Hill Airport on 8th September.
It was a highlight for the UK show which surpassed a record 2,100 visitors, from 62 nations, bolstered with a fully booked aircraft static.
Heralding the collaboration, Glenn Hogben, Chief Executive of The Air Charter Association commented: “We are delighted to be debuting our first Air Charter Expo Regional-Europe at AERO 2027 in Germany with a dedicated two and a half days of networking and educational workshops for the air charter community.
"This is a great opportunity for our growing, global membership.” Tobias Bretzel, Show Director of AERO at Fairnamic GmbH added: “Bringing together two established and growing event brands during April 14th to 16th, 2027, builds on a terrific first collaboration this Spring at AERO 2026.”
more
NOEMI strengthens position in India with Skyhop agreement for up to 15 aircraft
Bombardier hits back at Trump threat to block US aircraft sales
European Pilots warn against more traffic rights for UAE airlines without fair competition
|
When Kemble wasn't quite Kemble
A short business jet flight in Gloucestershire took an unexpected detour last weekend when a Cessna Citation XLS+ landed at RAF Fairford - a key USAF operating base in the UK - instead of its intended destination, Cotswold Airport at Kemble.
The aircraft, flying from London City Airport, touched down at Fairford on September 12th, only around 11 miles from Kemble. The mistake was quickly recognised, but the aircraft remained on the ground for around three hours while security procedures were completed before continuing to its intended destination.
cotswoldairport.com
It may sound like an unusual navigational error, but there is a good reason why the two Gloucestershire airfields can cause confusion; their runways are similarly aligned and the airports are relatively close together.
Indeed, it is not the first time an aircraft heading for Kemble has ended up at Fairford. In 2016, a Piper Twin Comanche made the same mistake, with the subsequent AAIB investigation identifying confirmation bias as a contributing factor.
So, while the latest incident may have added an unexpected stop to the itinerary, it also provides a useful reminder that even in an age of sophisticated flight-management systems, identifying the airport remains a rather important part of navigation.
Aviation, News, Flight, Aerospace, Private, MRO, Airport, Aircraft, Jet, Fleet, FBO, Fixed Based Operation, Rotor, Helicopter, Jet Centre, Business Aviation, Private Aviation, General Aviation, Bizav, Interiors, OEM, Charter, Operator, Broker, Pilot, Crew, Cabin, Training, Sustainable Aviation, SAF, FAA, EBAA, NBAA, FAA, Hybrid, UAM, Simulator, UAV, eVTOL, Embraer, Gulfstream, Cessna, Dassault, Bombardier, Textron, Pilatus. |
|
