The HondaJet formerly owned by Michael Avenatti, who was convicted of defrauding ex-client Stormy Daniels, will be returning to the market, five years after federal agents seized it.

Registered as N227WP, the light jet was auctioned off by the government late last year and purchased by a partnership that intended to share it for its own use. According to San Francisco-based aircraft brokerage Global Elite Aviation—which specializes in HondaJets and is handling the sale of this particular airplane—it was decided to put the twinjet on the market after one of the partners bowed out and the remaining owners couldn’t justify full ownership with their low annual usage.

Notably, N227WP has less than 400 total time and has not flown since 2019. However, Threshold Aviation, the FBO at California’s Chino Airport (KCNO) where it was stored, ran its engines every month.

Global Elite founder and president Michelle Hoover told AIN the twinjet is being prepared for a cross-country ferry flight next week to the Honda Aircraft plant at Piedmont Triad International Airport (KGSP) in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it will undergo any maintenance needed to render it airworthy again. After a half-decade of inactivity, Hoover noted that it required three new tires before its return to flight.

N227WP is expected to be available for purchase by mid-May.

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) has formed a partnership with business aviation service quoting platform MRO Insider that will enhance the data available through its member dealer/broker portal. Under the partnership, MRO Insider will integrate an interface through the IADA portal that provides members the ability to seamlessly navigate pre-purchase inspections (PPI), elicit bids, and verify service readiness.

In addition, IADA-affiliated service providers will be given precedence in search outcomes. Also, through the partnership, the MRO Insider platform will distinguish IADA members with an emblem.

“Through enhanced connectivity with IADA, MRO Insider is adding value for the operators and flight departments who work with our dealers and MROs,” said IADA executive director Wayne Starling. “The collaboration between IADA members and MRO Insider will reduce the time spent sourcing PPI slots while the service providers gain business volume for inspections.”

MRO Insider president Andy Nixon added: “This partnership puts us in a unique position to demonstrate and prove our value proposition to new aircraft purchasers while giving the IADA dealer/broker network peace of mind their new customers are being taken care of after the aircraft delivery.”

Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) president and CEO Eric Fanning appealed to Senate leaders to act on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (H.R.7024), which would restore full research and development (R&D) expensing, as well as 100 percent bonus depreciation for business assets such as aircraft.

A compromise agreement between Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Missouri), the bill passed the House in late January but has since stalled in the Senate. Wyden said during a hearing on Tuesday that he and Smith are “gonna pull out all the stops” to push forward on the bill.

Meanwhile, Fanning stressed in a statement this week: “It’s time for the Senate to vote on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act to put American innovation back in first place.”

Of particular concern to AIA is the provision surrounding R&D expensing. AIA has urged Congress to reverse the policy change that went into effect in 2022 that requires companies to amortize the cost of many R&D expenses over five years for domestic activities and 15 years for foreign activities rather than deducting those expenses in the year they occurred.

The policy change, Fanning said, “is holding us back; we’re now one of only two countries not allowing full deductions for R&D expenses. This hampers our economy and global competitiveness.”

Honeywell today unveiled a cloud-based platform through its Forge technology that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help manufacturers and MROs modernize production and lower operational costs. Honeywell Performance+ for Aerospace is part of an overarching effort by the aerospace manufacturer to support the advance of automation, the company said.

“During a time of increasing workplace complexity and operating costs, operators need to be able to leverage data to inform critical decision-making and embrace automation,” said Karen Miller, general manager of Honeywell Connected Aerospace. “As the aviation industry grapples with issues such as aging fleets, higher maintenance costs, and ongoing supply chain challenges, Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace can help organizations achieve key outcomes such as quicker turnarounds, increased asset utilization, and decreased maintenance times.”

The platform is designed to increase operational awareness and improve asset management, such as quickly locating assets. In addition, it is designed to help better manage data that may be siloed, combining predictive maintenance, site optimization, and workforce intelligence into a single site.

Gogo Business Aviation is making significant progress with two key initiatives set to hit the market in 2024: Gogo Galileo and Gogo 5G. Testing is underway for both systems. Gogo Galileo, the company’s new global broadband service, reached a major milestone in late March completing an end-to-end connection using its small HDX antenna. Gogo also announced in March that it had initiated testing of its 5G software using a virtual flight simulator that it created.

NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) union members late last week voted to ratify a tentative agreement reached earlier this year with fractional-share aircraft operator NetJets. The vote ratifies amendments to the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between NetJets and the pilot union that represents the company's roughly 3,100 pilots.

According to a joint statement, “This ratification concludes a year of voluntary negotiations, highlighted by a shared commitment to reach a successful outcome. We are grateful for this joint undertaking and look forward to focusing on the exceptional travel experiences our owners expect and deserve.”

The vote came after a contentious series of back-and-forth disputes and legal challenges between NJASAP and NetJets, including accusations of a union slowdown and the union’s denial of such actions.

NetJets and NJASAP declined to provide further details of the recent agreement. They did announce the tentative agreement in February, and the vote ratified that agreement. 

AIN has obtained a copy of the term sheet for the tentative agreement, which shows that base wage increases 23 percent on May 1; 6 percent on May 1, 2025; and 4 percent each subsequent year through 2029. The resulting wage increases “equate to more than 51 percent over the life of the agreement,” according to the term sheet.

Safran Helicopter Engines will continue to support its Arriel engines powering U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) MH-65 helicopters, following the renewal of its support-by-the-hour (SBH) contract. More than 240 Arriel engines are covered under the five-year renewal period.

Engine support will be provided by Safran Helicopter Engines USA in Grand Prairie, Texas. The USCG MH-65s are each equipped with two Arriel 2C2-CG engines, and the Coast Guard fleet has logged more than 1.7 million flight hours since 2003. The Grand Prairie facility supports more than 400 customers operating 3,200 engines. Fifty percent of Safran Helicopter Engines’ flight hours are covered by its SBH service, the company said.

"Our Safran teams are very proud that the U.S. Coast Guard continues to place its trust in our SBH service offering,” said Safran Helicopter Engines CEO Cédric Goubet. “MH-65 helicopters are used daily for protection and rescue at sea, and it is essential that we can guarantee the best service rate for their Arriel engines.”

The SBH program is integrated with Safran Helicopter Engines’ digital services, which include health monitoring, Expert Link visual remote assistance services, and online SBH.

Previously available to aircraft owners and operators in the Americas, the Garmin Navigation Database has now been made available in Europe as well, offering customers a more cost-effective way to update aviation navigation information. New options include single updates, annual bundle options, and OnePak subscriptions for compatible Garmin avionics, including integrated flight decks, navigators, flight displays, and portable units.

“The expansion of the Garmin Navigation Database to include European data has been a multi-year goal of ours, and we are thrilled to now offer European customers an all-Garmin database solution for their Garmin avionics systems,” said Garmin v-p of aviation sales Carl Wolf. “Our experienced global team is dedicated to providing aviators with the highest quality data, so our customers can fly with robust, yet cost-effective database solutions.”

According to Garmin, the expanded navigation database product provides foundational information needed for precise GPS navigation throughout the departure, en route, arrival, and approach segments in Europe. Coverage is available in more than 35 countries and more than 3,400 airports, including en route and airspace data, instrument procedures, frequencies, and airport information.

Single device bundles and OnePak annual subscriptions offer a simple, cost-effective option to update navigation data and other databases such as terrain, obstacles, airport directory, SafeTaxi, and FliteCharts.

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) has broadened its worldwide footprint with the addition of a new international aircraft dealer, two products and services members, and a reciprocal relationship with a regional business aviation group.

UK-based Oriens Aviation—with its headquarters at London Biggin Hill Airport—is the authorized distributor for Pilatus Aircraft and Tecnam Aircraft in the British Isles, as well as a Cirrus Aircraft partner offering factory-authorized maintenance work on the manufacturer’s SR series. The company also provides pilot training, aircraft charter, management, and aircraft ownership support.

In the products and services category, Jetequity—with offices in New York and Dubai—is a group of companies that provide aircraft investment services and financing. It offers a residual value guarantee for new and used aircraft, designed to protect the buyer’s capital and mitigate depreciation loss. Further, Martyn Fiddler Aviation (based on the Isle of Man) specializes in European business aviation taxes, with more than four decades of experience in providing advice on aircraft ownership, importation, and export.

Lastly, IADA has formed an alliance with the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA). One-third of IADA’s dealers do business in the African continent, and its goals dovetail with AfBAA’s mission to promote the understanding and benefits that business aviation provides for Africa’s economic development and prosperity.