Buisness aviation news
Part 135 and 91K flights out of Texas and Florida were up more than 10% in the latest week and are trending up 5% in August, contrast the 1% decline in bizjet activity in the US, 8 months into 2024. The late summer surge in the US compares to a post-Olympics slowdown in Europe, although Nice is still seeing strong growth, and there are record breaking levels of flight activity at Tivat in Montenegro.
The Swiss manufacturer of the popular PC-12 single-engine turboprop and PC-24 Super Versatile Jet inks deal to develop a factory-owned flagship sales, design, and service center in Bradenton, Florida.
Textron announced that the Cessna SkyCourier twin utility turboprop has been awarded type certification by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), expanding the aircraft’s ability to support operational activities in remote areas of southeast Asia. The first SkyCourier in the region – A 19-seat passenger variant – is planned to be delivered in the second half of 2025 to Leading Edge Air Services Corporation (LEASCOR), a wholly owned subsidiary of ACDI Multipurpose Cooperative in the Philippines.
Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM), a leading electric aircraft manufacturer and pioneer in Regional Air Mobility (RAM), has successfully completed the first phase of integration testing of the Lilium Jet’s electrical power system at the company’s purpose-built laboratory. The test completion represents a key milestone on the path to flight conditions approval and type-certification of the revolutionary Lilium Jet. It means that, while the first two Lilium Jets take shape on the production line, engineers are already verifying the design of the aircraft’s core powertrain functionalities that will support certification according to EASA’s SC-VTOL rules.
The US market is trending just a fraction below last year, with weakness in corporate flight departments, whilst fractional operations continue to hit peaks. The popularity of fractional programs is particularly evident in transatlantic visits to Europe this summer, catalysed by the Olympics. Within Europe, US visitors have driven spikes in activity since the start of the Olympics, demand starting to taper off in France this week but still very strong in the UK.
Privileged dogs flying with Luxaviation UK are set for a welcome upgrade, as – large or small – all will now be allowed to join their owners in the cabin throughout a flight.
Bombardier announced that its Global 7500 business jet continues to pile up speed records, adding to its record-setting performances by reaching more than 50 records in less than 50 weeks.
Leading aircraft charter specialist, Air Charter Service, has said that the company’s Indian offices have had an exceptional first half of the year, with strong growth across all divisions.
Rotor Technologies, Inc., announces two new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the 2025 model year: Airtruck, a utility UAV with 1,000+ lbs of payload and Sprayhawk, an agricultural UAV with 110-gallon capacity. Introductory pricing for both aircraft is less than $1,000,000.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced the all-new Gulfstream G400 successfully completed its first flight, officially launching the flight test program and further expanding Gulfstream’s ultramodern, high-technology family of next-generation aircraft. The G400 defines a new standard with the highest performance and greatest comfort ever experienced in this segment.
The importance of the leisure market in Europe is conspicuous this month as the Olympics sees a surge in high-end European tourists. The US market has had a weak start in August, also true of the main business jet destinations in Asia and Africa.
Textron Aviation announced that it has delivered the 400th Cessna Citation Latitude business jet to longtime Citation customer Simmons Foods, a family-owned and operated company since 1949, of Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Simmons Foods will utilize the new aircraft to enhance the efficiency of its company’s business travel, complementing its existing fleet of three Citation jets that are integral to managing operations across multiple locations.
Piper Aircraft, Inc. announced that its flagship, the new M700 FURY, has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for unpaved field operations. This significant milestone broadens the aircraft’s overall operational capabilities.
The bizjet market´s bright spot this summer is Europe, with the Olympics drawing record numbers of private jet movements to France, the UK also enjoying the influx of sports fans into the region. Bizjet demand in the US seems to have hit the brakes in the last couple of weeks, having had a relatively strong July.
Over six in ten (61%) civil aviation cyber decision makers have admitted to being on the receiving end of a ransomware attack in the past 12 months. This is according to the latest research by Bridewell, which has surveyed 521 staff responsible for cyber security at UK critical national infrastructure (CNI) organisations, encompassing civil aviation, energy, transport, finance and central government.