Growing FBO chain Modern Aviation announced a blockbuster acquisition today with the purchase of American Aero FTW, a highly-rated aircraft service provider at Dallas-area Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (KFTW). For Modern—backed by Apollo Funds and Tiger Infrastructure Investments—this represents its first FBO in Texas and brings its network to 17 locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The transaction is expected to close by the end of June.

The American Aero facility, which opened in 2017, has been a perennial standout in AIN’s annual FBO survey, tallying the world’s second-highest score in this year’s edition. It features an 8,600-sq-ft terminal with a wide array of features aimed at improving the comfort and efficiency of its customers.

Occupying a 31-acre leasehold at KFTW adjacent to the U.S. Customs facility, the FBO also offers nearly 250,000 sq ft of hangar space capable of sheltering the latest ultra-long-range business jets.

“We are excited to have American Aero join the Modern Aviation family and expand our presence to the high-growth Dallas-Fort Worth area,” said Modern CEO Mark Carmen. He added that the facility was the first to earn Stage 3 registration under IBAC’s International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling. “Safety is a critically important part of the Modern Aviation culture.”

According to Carmen, all of the FBO’s staff will be retained.

Satcom Direct has equipped CAT Aviation’s Dassault Falcon 6X with a dual-constellation airborne connectivity system using Viasat’s broadband Jet ConneX, as well as an Iridium satcom system. The installation includes Satcom Direct’s Flight Deck Freedom flight deck datalink communications.

The satcom systems installations were done at Dassault Aircraft Services in Little Rock, Arkansas, during completion of the 6X, with support from Satcom Direct. The satellite system and services provider’s Basel, Switzerland facility is supporting CAT Aviation, which is also based in Switzerland. Dassault delivered the completed 6X to CAT Aviation in February.

“As a Dassault aircraft operator for more than 20 years, we are very proud to be the world’s first Falcon 6X operator,” said Helene Niedhart, founder of CAT Aviation. “In 2008, we were also one of the first Falcon 7X operators. Our fleet has grown steadily, and we have become the largest Dassault Falcon operator in Switzerland. It goes without saying that our loyal and longtime CAMO, crew, and flight operations teams have gained huge experience in operating Dassault Falcon aircraft, and we know that we can rely on Satcom Direct for continuous support wherever we are in the world.”

Developers of a proposed hangar expansion project at Laurence G. Hanscom Field (KBED) in Bedford, Massachusetts, have submitted a draft environmental impact report (EIR) to the state’s office of energy and environmental affairs for public comment. The proposed plan calls for adding 17 hangars and renovating another 18, along with expanding and/or revamping associated ramp and vehicle parking areas.

The new hangars are expected to be occupied by a variety of piston and turbine general aviation aircraft. After the environmental process is completed, the developer will have to go through proceedings for other local, state, and FAA approvals. Comments on the environmental report are due by May 10.

Responding to comments to the previous filing of an environmental notification form and concerns raised separately by the public, the developers have decreased the overall number of new hangars from 26 to 17, “with the goal to reduce land impacts, and incorporated additional sustainable design elements.” The draft EIR also includes additional information regarding projected operations and ferry flights, Hanscom’s role in the regional airport system, and the proposed fuel storage facility.

The Hanscom proposal has been under development since 2021 “and will continue to be modified and refined to reflect public input and prospective tenant interest,” a spokesman for the developer told AIN. “Construction is not anticipated to start until 2025 at the earliest.”

A pair of air taxi operators have agreed to add Electron Aerospace’s planned four-passenger electric aircraft to their fleets. Germany’s Air2E and U.S.-based Hopscotch Air this week signed memoranda of understanding covering an unspecified number of Electron 5s and a payment schedule, taking the Dutch manufacturer’s tally of prospective order backlog to nearly €200 million ($214 million).

Based in the New York City area, Hopscotch Air was founded in 2009 and operates a fleet of light aircraft, including the Cirrus SR20 piston single. It offers on-demand charter flights and a membership program, with some flights provided by partner operators across the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.

Air2E started providing charter services in 2017, operating aircraft such as the Diamond DA42 and Pilatus PC-12. The Berlin-based operator currently offers flights between European cities with routes of up to 1,000 kilometers.

Air2E CEO Norbert Werle said the company's choice of an all-electric aircraft was largely based on the anticipated environmental benefits, allowing it to deliver “zero direct carbon dioxide emissions in line with our dedication to fully sustainable business travel.”

Rotterdam-based Electron Aerospace unveiled a new design for its aircraft last month. It is aiming to complete EASA type certification in time to begin deliveries in 2028.

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Davinci Jets Services has installed a SmartSky air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity system in a Cessna Citation CJ4 and expects FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval to be granted during the second quarter. This is the first-article installation of the smaller SmartSky Lite system in the CJ4 and the fourth first-of-type SmartSky upgrade completed by Davinci Jets.

The MRO provider and charter operator announced last October that it planned to fit its entire managed fleet with SmartSky systems.

“Pilots, owners, and passengers are constantly telling us they are astounded by the inflight performance of SmartSky, including connecting as many devices as they want without worrying about diminished performance,” said Davinci Jets CEO Eric Legvold. “After so many years of hearing customer complaints about their inflight connectivity, it’s gratifying to be able to provide a proven solution and hear this kind of feedback. More customers are moving through Davinci’s pipeline, including both managed and external clients. We have the capacity to increase our pace in order to provide all sizes of business aircraft with the best ATG system upgrade on the market.”

STCs are now available for more than 6,000 aircraft and in development for another 10,000 tails, according to SmartSky.

According to an analysis of U.S. programs by Private Jet Card Comparisons, jet card hourly rates, callouts, and peak days remained relatively unchanged quarter-over-quarter.

“After falling for most of 2023, published jet card rates were flat in the first quarter of 2024,” said Doug Gollan, president and editor-in-chief of Private Jet Card Comparisons. “While demand is down, costs are up, so flight providers are trying to hold the line."

Overall, the average hourly rate for jet cards as of late March was $10,862. That compares to $10,754 per hour at the end of 2023. Average rates for light jet and midsize jet cards remained constant at $7,918 and $9,169 per hour, respectively. Average super-midsize jet card hourly rates increased modestly during the quarter from $11,793 to $11,878.

Peak days continue to hold steady at an average of 47.5 days per year, in line with the fourth quarter, but double their level in 2020. The average callout time for jet card-based flights was 69.2 hours.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Gogo Business Aviation’s earth station in motion (ESIM) regulatory license for its Galileo HDX and FDX satcom antenna terminals, which will operate on the Eutelsat OneWeb low-earth-orbit satellite network. The approval allows Gogo to commercialize and operate the terminals “on U.S.-registered aircraft, and those registered in other countries within U.S. territory, including territorial waters.”

Designed for turboprops and light jets, the smaller HDX antenna weighs 21.6 pounds and measures 24 by 11.8 by 2 inches. The larger FDX measures 24 by 24 by 2 inches and weighs 40 to 45 pounds. Both electronically steered antennas were developed by Gogo and Hughes Network Systems.

Gogo expects Galileo global satcom service to launch later this year, first with the HDX antenna. Testing is expected to start in the second or third quarter, following installation of the HDX on Gogo’s Bombardier Challenger 300 testbed.

“Receiving the ESIM license for the HDX and FDX terminals represents an important milestone in bringing the Gogo Galileo service to market by year-end,” said Crystal Gordon, executive v-p, general counsel, and corporate secretary for Gogo. “This regulatory milestone also paves the way for additional regulatory authorizations in other countries.”

AIN’s senior-level Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit (CALS) East, set for July 15 to 17 in Jersey City, New Jersey, will address the latest hot topics, strategies, and solutions in business aviation. The summit is attendee-centric and serves as an educational and professional networking platform, connecting corporate aviation leaders with peers, industry experts, and solution providers in a relaxed, informal environment. We invite U.S.-based flight department leaders to apply to attend this all-expenses-paid event as our guests. Seats are limited, so don’t wait toapply.