After its rise from the bottom of the business jet manufacturer ratings to the top spot last year in AIN’s annual Product Support Survey, Bombardier retained that position for a second year in a row, despite changes to the survey methodology that weighted more toward independent reviews. The Canadian OEM scored the highest in three of the 10 survey categories—cost-per-hour programs, parts availability, and AOG response—to receive an overall average score of 8.14 from respondents.

That narrowly edged out Gulfstream, which led in factory-owned service centers and technical representatives, and Embraer, which was tops in cost of parts, technical manuals, warranty fulfillment, and overall aircraft reliability. In the business jet ratings, they were followed by Dassault and Textron Aviation; the latter earned the top score in the authorized service center category.

On the turboprop side, Daher—a newcomer to the AIN Product Support Survey’s reported ratings—took over the top spot this year, not just for turboprops, but for all OEMs, with an overall average score of 8.78.

In the rotorcraft segment, only Leonardo tallied enough responses to have its scores validated in this year’s survey. It achieved an overall score of 7.71, led by the quality of its technical representatives, which received a 9.29 score.

It’s no longer fresh news that the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed on July 4, but it is important to take a look at how the market has reacted to it several weeks later. The first half of this year was pretty so-so as far as interest in preowned business aircraft purchases. A lot of uncertainty about tariffs and the seesaw of the stock market seemed to dominate people’s thinking. After July 4, we have seen things flip like a switch.

The second half of this year seems to hold a lot more promise than the first half. We have made a fair number of deals in the last three weeks that will yield a fruitful autumn.

What to do? Act soon if you are looking to purchase. No, this is not a high-pressure sales pitch—do yourself a favor if you’re looking to take advantage of the tax benefits if you qualify.

Waiting until October or November will place the potential 2025 tax benefit a buyer may be after into jeopardy. The argument can be made that waiting until near year-end and using an aircraft for only business use a few times before year-end is more convenient. However, for the few short months that this applies, it will cost buyers in ways they likely did not anticipate.

NTSB investigators asked Army officials detailed questions about ADS-B Out usage by FAA air traffic controllers and the Army helicopters this week during the Board’s fact-finding hearing into the Jan. 29, 2025 midair collision of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA Airlines CRJ700. The helicopter flight, designated PAT 25 and operated by the Army’s 12th Battalion, was an annual evaluation for the pilot with the use of night-vision goggles.

NTSB investigator Van McKenny asked Andy Deforest, U.S. Army commander of the Army Aviation Brigade, about the 12th Battalion’s policy for use of ADS-B Out at the time of the accident.

“Applying risk-management procedures at the time of the accident,” Deforest said, “we perceived the risk of security as paramount, knowing ADS-B Out and what signals it sends out. We assess that it was a risk that could be mitigated. So the policy the day of the accident was to have ADS-B Out off anytime you are conducting anything related to the mission, i.e., flying near a mission route or location.”

Asked what guidance led to this policy, Deforest said, “It was Army policy, which we were in compliance with, in addition to the MOU between the [Department of Defense] and the FAA.”

Semi-autonomous software systems can help with manual tasks and cognitive calculations, freeing pilots to focus on critical thinking and decision-making. Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, has been developing and testing those systems.

Jet Aviation has acquired the AstonSky FBO at Paris Le Bourget Airport (LFPB). The Switzerland-based business aviation services group announced the transaction today, adding the French facility to its network of 11 FBOs in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region and 30 bases worldwide.

AstonSky was opened at Le Bourget in October 2019 by France’s Clair Group, which also includes charter operator AstonJet and a private terminal at Toussus le Noble Airport (LFPN) on the southwest side of Paris. General Dynamics subsidiary Jet Aviation did not disclose how much it paid for the business.

The Le Bourget FBO provides aircraft handling services, fueling, hangarage, car parking, and support for passengers and crew. Three hangars with a total area of almost 37,700 sq ft are included at the site, as well as a terminal building with multiple lounges, crew rest areas, and offices.

“AstonSky have built a fantastic reputation for the highest standards of safety, service, and attention to detail,” said Joao Martins, Jet Aviation’s v-p for FBO operations in Europe and general manager of its Zurich facility. “Their commitment to a seamless customer experience is a fantastic complement to the promise we make across our network, and we’ll look forward to welcoming them into the Jet Aviation family and working together to build on this, and to welcome customers as their partner of choice in Paris.”

The independently owned Million Air-branded FBO at Hollywood Burbank Airport (KBUR) rebranded as Hollywood Burbank Jet Center effective yesterday, ending a licensing arrangement that had been ongoing for 22 years.

“The Lee family has been an important and cherished part of the Million Air story,” said Million Air chief brand officer Allison Woolsey. “While transitions like these are never easy, we understand and respect their desire to step into a new chapter that honors their family’s legacy.”

While under a new name, the leadership team—including owner Harold Lee, general manager Priscilla Howden, and operations manager Ron Reynolds—will continue to steer the FBO, the company said.

Howden, Lee’s daughter, explained to AIN that the FBO’s licensing agreement with Million Air Interlink expired at the end of 2024, but the facility continued on a month-to-month basis while it reviewed options. A new licensing agreement accompanied some increased fees, and management decided that it would instead invest in FBO improvements. “The Million Air brand is a great brand, and there is value in it. We just needed to make a business decision,” she said, adding that the team is working to get the FBO ready for the additional traffic of upcoming big events in the region.

"We are incredibly grateful to the Million Air team for decades of partnership, collaboration, and, most importantly, camaraderie," Howden said.

The Readers’ Choice Survey from AIN sister publication Business Jet Traveler closes August 3 and we’d love to hear about your experiences flying privately. Your participation helps shape industry insights while supporting a great cause. For each completed survey, BJT will donate to Corporate Angel Network, which provides free flights to cancer treatment for patients and their families.

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