While the FAA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., gets most of the spotlight, the agency’s sprawling Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) is the agency’s operations nerve center supporting a wide range of activities involving pilots and air traffic controllers, flight inspectors, aeromedical specialists, and others in the civil aviation system. And it takes on an increasing role with the rise of commercial space, drones, and eVTOLs.

MMAC was founded in 1946 with a few hundred employees, and today it has 6,300 federal employees. It is one of the largest Department of Transportation facilities outside of Washington, D.C., and one of the 10 largest employers in Oklahoma. If a civil aircraft flies in the national airspace, it is registered at MMAC in Oklahoma City in the Aircraft Registration Branch. If a pilot flies, he or she is licensed by the Airmen Certification Branch. If a pilot has a medical certificate from the FAA, it is managed there by the Aerospace Medical Certification Division. If a pilot is receiving educational materials on hypoxia or spatial disorientation from the FAA, it is coming from MMAC. General aviation pilots can even take water survival training here in a specially equipped pool.

The Falcon 8X was not only Dassault’s largest business jet; it also propelled the OEM into the popular ultra-long-range arena, the segment that has experienced the most activity in the past few years. The 8X isn’t just a 7X with fuselage plugs; the newest Falcon stood on its own as the flagship of the French manufacturer’s fleet.

The 8X received EASA and FAA certification in June 2016, and in September of that year the first aircraft was delivered, to Greek operator Amjet. Production was ramping up, and while Dassault doesn’t disclose exact delivery schedule, but sales engineer Frédéric Recher had said: “We will deliver in 12 countries in the next few months."

During a 4C check at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebraska headquarters, the owners of a Dassault Falcon 50 decided to have the airplane painted and the interior and avionics updated. The jet showed corrosion and other age-related issues that needed attention in addition to the “massive” inspection, which included landing gear overhaul, restoration of flight controls, and a detailed inspection of the entire aircraft that required removal of the cabin interior.

It turned out the airplane’s interior was in good shape, so the existing seats and headliner didn’t require a rehab or replacement. The owners did, however, elect to replace carpeting and countertops—and reupholster the lower sidewalls and divan.

European renewable fuel production pioneer Synhelion has inaugurated DAWN, the world’s first industrial solar fuel plant, in Jülich, Germany.

Founded in 2016 as a spinoff from ETH Zurich, the company has expanded its technology from a mini-refinery on the roof of the public research university in 2019. Synhelion has worked since then to apply its sun-to-liquid process on an industrial scale.

There’s plenty of space for you and 17 friends to fly across the globe in the Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty bizliner. But you are going to want to do that in comfort and style, which is why the manufacturer and its interiors partners Comlux like to present all the options clearly to owners so that they can make informed choices and get to travel their way.

Business Jet Traveler took a tour when one of the aircraft was parked in Geneva for EBACE 2024. Come along with us for the ride.

Ferrovial Vertiports is exploring locations in South Florida for eVTOL landing sites through a partnership with charter flight start-up UrbanLink Air Mobility. Miami-based UrbanLink plans to operate the six-passenger Lilium Jet to connect communities such as Miami, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Marco Island, starting in mid-2026.

Under the partnership announced on Monday, Ferrovial will own and operate the new vertiports. UrbanLink said it may also seek to develop, finance, and own vertiports at other locations in the future, but its business model is mainly based on working with established infrastructure providers.

The acquisition of the MRO business of Denver-based Mayo Aviation gives Stevens Aerospace a toehold in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S., allowing further access for operators based in the western half of the country. The expansion won’t end there, according to Stevens president Christian Sasfai, who added that the company will concentrate on extending Mayo’s maintenance business beyond serving its own needs.

“Mayo never put an emphasis on what I'll call retail business,” said Sasfai. “So we see quite a bit of opportunity to grow the retail side.”

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