Your essential weekly digest of International Business and Private Aviation Industry news
 Los Angeles & Santa Cruz, California:Atoms and Joby form strategic partnership to build America's vertiport networkIndustrial AI and Infrastructure company, Atoms, and Joby Aviation have announced a strategic partnership to acquire and develop vertiport sites in the United States. The companies will initially focus on Florida, New York, and Texas, the markets where Joby is preparing to launch early operations under the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), as well as California. Joby's aircraft is approaching commercial readiness. The company has flown its first FAA-conforming aircraft and entered the final stage of FAA type certification. Piloted flights across the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City have demonstrated its operational capability.
As air taxis move from certification to early operations, the constraint will shift to the ground: aircraft will need places to land, charge, and connect passengers to the rest of their journey. Building that infrastructure rapidly, in the right locations, and at scale is expected to be the critical path to making electric flight part of daily life. "Smart cities require innovative real estate and infrastructure development," said Travis Kalanick, Founder and CEO of Atoms. “As new transport modes and smart city services become available, designing and deploying a new asset class to support them is critical. We’re focused on serving city stakeholders with inspired, efficient buildouts that deliver great experiences for residents and communities alike.”
Montreal:IBAC introduces new IS-BAH self declaration conformance optionThe International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) has announced that its globally recognized International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) is now offering an option to self-declare conformity to its ground handling safety programme. A ground handling service provider (GHSP) may now pursue conformance with the IS-BAH standard either through its recognized independent third-party audit and stage registration path, or through self-declaration. Self-declaration refers to a process where an organization states its conformity with certain standards, in this case the IS-BAH, without the need for an external audit or certification. The intent is to support the industry in efforts to meet their obligations as ground handling regulation is rapidly evolving globally. Terry Yeomans, Director of the IS-BAH programme, commented, “We have introduced this self-declaration option to allow organizations to use the IS-BAH as a tool to help them meet their obligations to safe operations and imminent regulatory oversight of ground handling service providers. "We believe most organizations will continue to seek independent confirmation that their internal processes meet the requirements of the IS-BAH. Third-party verification continues to provide the highest level of credibility." |
Global bizjet activity contracted yet again in Week 31 (27 July-2 August), down 2.4%, which is the first time since Weeks 39 through 41 of 2024 that global bizjets declined three weeks in a row.The year-to-date figure now sits at +3.2% ahead of last year through 2 August, which is now only a slight increase compared to the trend for the same dates in 2025 vs 2024, a large shift from the 1.0 percentage point lead seen in previous weeks. South America and Africa were once again the standout regions last week, accounting for a combined 4% share of global traffic, while South America was 22.7% ahead of Week 31 last year, and Africa 9.5% ahead. In all the regions that saw July YOY declines (Europe, South America, Asia, Middle East), the main driver of the declines was a softness in Part 135 traffic last month. On a combined basis, Part 135 traffic made up 41% of all bizjet flights in Europe, South America, Asia, and the Middle East, while declining 7.9%. Part 91 and 91K traffic were mostly flat in those regions, so there was nothing to offset the weakness in Part 135 activity. By far the largest share of all business jet traffic so far this year is being operated by Part 91 aircraft, where the trend is flat. Aircraft on Part 135 have seen some global increase YTD, with the strongest trend from Part 91K aircraft flying fractional ownership, sectors up 10% compared to 2025.
Wichita, Kansas:Citation CJ3 Gen3 takes major step towards certificationTextron Aviation recently achieved a key milestone as the Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen3 prototype aircraft completed its first flight, advancing the next-generation light jet toward certification.
With this milestone, all three next-generation Citation light jets - the CJ4 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and M2 Gen3 - have entered flight testing, demonstrating continued momentum across the Cessna next-generation light jet portfolio. Taking off from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, pilots Steve Helmer and Dave Wellbrock focused on testing software functionality in the cockpit during the initial nearly two-hour flight. The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet and a maximum speed of 278 knots indicated.
São Paulo, Brazil:Daher delivers first TBM 980 in BrazilThe first TBM 980 for a Brazilian customer has been delivered by Daher Aircraft, marking the introduction of this newest fast and efficient turboprop-powered airplane in a market where the TBM family continues to expand among business aviation operators and entrepreneurs.
This milestone aircraft was received by a Brazilian entrepreneur who upgraded from a TBM 900 version, selecting the TBM 980 for its third-generation Garmin G3000 PRIME avionics and the TBM’s combination of speed, efficiency and operational flexibility. The customer owns multiple cattle ranches and farms throughout Brazil and will use the aircraft to travel between these locations, including operations performed from semi-prepared runways.
Melbourne, Florida:Eve Air Mobility advances eVTOL program toward wing-borne flight with first transition flight milestoneEve Air Mobility's engineering prototype has completed its first partial transition flight, marking an important milestone in the development and testing of the company’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The flight involved the activation of the aircraft's rear pusher propeller and thus signified the start of the transition phase from vertical to wing-borne flight. During the test, the aircraft attained a stabilized speed of 27 knots and a maximum ground speed of 30 knots whilst the pusher was activated up to 1,200 RPM. The flight took 3 minutes and 9 seconds, travelled approximately 0.84 nautical miles and attained a maximum height of 90 feet above ground level.
Savannah, Georgia:G700 reclaims Los Angeles to Farnborough city pair speed recordThe Gulfstream G700 has set a new Los Angeles to Farnborough, England, city pair speed record, completing the 4,740-nautical-mile/8,778-kilometer journey in 8 hours and 27 minutes from takeoff to touchdown.
The record-setting flight departed Los Angeles International Airport and landed at Farnborough Airport, shattering the most recent record by 19 minutes, 3.6% faster than the most recent record. The accomplishment adds to the growing list of city pair records established by Gulfstream’s next-generation fleet and further demonstrates the aircraft’s ability to deliver unmatched speed, range and operational flexibility for customers around the world.
Miami, Florida:Jet Aviation adds major new FBO facility at Miami-Opa LockaJet Aviation has opened its new FBO at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, strengthening its presence in one of the US’s most important business aviation markets. The new 27-acre facility expands Jet Aviation’s South Florida offering with a purpose-built FBO terminal, additional hangar capacity and a large aircraft parking apron designed to accommodate a wide range of business jets, including larger-cabin aircraft.
The 8,500 sq ft terminal is LEED-certified and forms the centrepiece of the development, which also includes 40,000 sq ft of new hangar space. The hangars feature 30-foot doors, while the 540,000 sq ft ramp provides substantial capacity for transient and based aircraft.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin:Denali entry into service expected in 2027 as flight tests continueTextron Aviation has announced that the clean-sheet single-engine Beechcraft Denali turboprop is progressing through the final phases of flight testing. The Denali program remains on schedule to complete all flight test activities in October 2026. Upon completion, Textron will submit final flight test documentation to the FAA for certification. The aircraft is expected to enter into service in 2027.
With more than 4,100 flight hours across 1,650 flights, the Denali flight test program’s three test articles are supporting ongoing validation of aircraft performance, systems and operational capabilities.
Montreal:Ferrari boss Piero Ferrari takes delivery of 200th Challenger 3500Bombardier has delivered its 200th Challenger 3500 business jet to Piero Ferrari, Vice Chairman of Ferrari, marking a major milestone for the super-midsize aircraft less than four years after entering service.
The aircraft will support Ferrari’s travel to Formula One races and other business engagements, combining the performance, efficiency and cabin comfort required for extensive international travel.
The recent discussion regarding fuel pricing in private aviation illustrates perhaps the most critical element in our industry - trust. While the rise in fuel prices in the early months of the year forced numerous charter operators across the globe to adapt by quoting their clients appropriately, most clients understood these changes. Fuel price increases, restricted airspace, rerouting, and extended quotes were widely discussed in news headlines, helping clients understand the need for higher prices. Today, with stabilizing fuel costs, many within our industry ask a similar question - how quickly will quotes revert to pre-fuel-cost-rising levels? Unfortunately, the issue is significantly more complex than this discussion allows us. While fuel prices play a vital role in determining the total cost of charter flights, numerous operational factors still influence the final price. Aircraft positioning, airport landing fees, crew availability and limitations, overnight stops, maintenance needs, permit issuance, seasonal fluctuations, aircraft availability, and other factors continue to uniquely affect the cost of individual missions.
Women in Aviation International sets sights on further European expansion
Ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow, Lynda Coffman, President of Women in Aviation International, spoke to Liz Moscrop about the organisation’s plans for further expansion across Europe, as well as upcoming events on the WAI calendar. |
 Luxembourg:Luxaviation ONE expands global team and prepares for Asia-Pacific entryRevenue projected to increase by 150% and flights by 80% in 2026.Luxaviation ONE, the dedicated charter brokerage division of Luxaviation Group, has announced that its team has grown to 15 specialists across Europe and the United States, less than one year after its launch in October 2025. Since its launch, Luxaviation ONE has strengthened its US operations, established a dedicated Cargo Charter Department and initiated preparations to expand into Asia-Pacific, initially focusing on the Sydney and Melbourne areas. In 2026, Luxaviation ONE expects revenue to increase by 150% and the number of flights by 80% compared with 2025. The company plans to grow its workforce to 30 by the end of 2027. Private jet charter remains at the centre of the business. Of Luxaviation ONE’s 15 specialists, three are dedicated to cargo charter in Europe, while the remaining 12 cover private jet and group passenger charter, with a strong focus on private aviation. This enables Luxaviation ONE to manage a broader range of charter requirements across markets and mission profiles. |
Coulson C-130H becomes first large airtanker contracted by US Wildland Fire ServiceCoulson Aviation's Tanker 138, a Lockheed C-130H registered as N382CG, began a 60-day Exclusive Use contract last week with the US Wildland Fire Service. The contract makes Tanker 138 the first Large Airtanker placed under contract by the newly established federal service. At 4,000 US gallons, Tanker 138 carries the largest retardant load available in the Large Airtanker class. The C-130H combines that capacity with four-engine turboprop performance, low-speed handling and strong climb capability, giving flight crews the flexibility to operate effectively in demanding terrain and changing wildfire conditions.
The aircraft is equipped with Coulson’s proprietary RADS-XXL retardant delivery system. RADS-XXL provides flight crews with cockpit control of flow rate and coverage level, allowing the aircraft to deliver a consistent retardant line across different terrain, airspeeds and drop profiles. The system’s high-flow capability is particularly important during initial attack, when the objective is to place an effective retardant line quickly and contain an emerging fire before it has an opportunity to grow. Combined with the C-130’s tactical operating profile, RADS-XXL allows Coulson crews to make concentrated drops at the head of a fire, when operational conditions permit, and provide the heavier coverage levels needed to improve retardant penetration through thick canopy and dense forest fuels.
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