Organizers of the 2026 MEBAA business aviation show, which will be held December 8 to 10 in Dubai, said that more than 100 exhibiting companies have confirmed their participation. As of yesterday, the list of aircraft manufacturers committed to exhibiting at the Dubai Airshow site at Al Maktoum International Airport includes Gulfstream Aerospace, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, and Junkers.

Show organizer Informa Markets said the 11th staging of the biennial show will feature companies and attendees from more than 100 countries. Despite security concerns over the continuing military conflict with Iran, the company—which organizes the show in partnership with the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association—said that Dubai “remains the ideal and strategic location for the event.”

Among the service companies booked to exhibit at MEBAA 2026 are UAS International Trip Support, Gogo Business Aviation, and FBO group PrivatPort. Gogo senior v-p of sales Dave Falberg said the Middle East is a key growth market for the company’s connectivity products and services.

There are now more than 1,000 aircraft registered in the UAE, according to the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority. MEBAA organizers said that a 30% uptick in company registrations with the Dubai International Financial Centre is further evidence of international investment and business confidence.

Charter broker LunaJets recorded its strongest month on record, with revenue in July up nearly 15% year over year, the Geneva-based company said. It attributed last month’s peak performance to improved coordination across its office network, a redesigned booking website, and added support to help clients manage the effects of airport disruptions.

Every LunaJets office posted strong results last month, including its Dubai team, despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East and elevated fuel surcharges, the company noted.

New customers rose 25% in July, reported Eriks Ziverts, LunaJets’ global head of sales. “Our streamlined platform and responsive teams keep setting us apart across every region we operate in,” he said.

The July results follow a first quarter in which LunaJets reported revenue of $48 million, a 28% year-over-year increase. That growth built on a record 2025, when LunaJets closed the year with $200 million in revenue, up 20% from 2024.

Separately, LunaJets plans to open an office in Casablanca, Morocco, next month, extending the company’s presence in North Africa. Christelle Candia will lead the new location. “Morocco has become a strategic market for private aviation, with strong demand from both corporate and leisure clients,” Candia said, adding that the office will bring “the same level of local expertise and responsiveness that has driven our growth.”

A coalition of more than 50 Cleveland-area business, education, and civic leaders is urging the Cleveland City Council to keep Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL) open. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has proposed closing the airport and redeveloping the area as parkland and for commercial use.

“While we understand the desire to explore lakefront development, KBKL is not ‘underutilized land’—it is a high-functioning transportation hub and an economic engine,” the leaders wrote in a letter. “Closing this airport would not only disrupt regional commerce but would create a permanent void in Cleveland’s infrastructure that can never be replaced.”

The airport supports $195 million in annual direct economic activity and 664 jobs, they maintained. In addition, they pointed to the annual Cleveland National Air Show, calling it a community landmark for more than 60 years that attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year.

NBAA and NATA both lauded the letter on the issue, which has gained national attention. NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen called Burke Lakefront “an indispensable economic engine…Equally important, the airport is a critical incubator for workforce growth in America’s aerospace industry, a key connectivity link for area businesses to cities across and beyond the U.S., a reliever airfield for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and a lifeline for the region’s advanced healthcare operations, including lifesaving medical flights.”

Lithium-ion battery thermal runaway incidents on passenger flights rose 15% from 2024 to 2025, according to the UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) “Lithium-ion Battery Incidents in Aviation: 2025 Data Review.” Portable charger incidents rose 42%, making them the leading culprit ahead of e-cigarettes and then cellphones.

ULSE gathers information via its voluntary Thermal Runaway Incident Program database. According to ULSE, the weekly incident rates have reached 2.36, up from 2.05 in 2024. The cost to the industry now averages $1.8 million a year, or $96,000 per incident, “in damage, disruption, and associated losses.”

Passengers are still packing lithium-ion battery chargers in the worst possible place: in bags stored in the baggage space, which cannot be accessed in flight on airliners but can be in some business jets. “There are limited options to fight fires in the cargo hold: typically only through means such as halon extinguishers and oxygen-depriving systems,” ULSE explained. “However, these methods are not effective on lithium-ion battery fires, which are more difficult to extinguish and more likely to reignite compared to other materials.”

To mitigate the risk of thermal runaway incidents, ULSE recommends cabin crew training, standards for onboard safety equipment to help manage thermal runaways, and more passenger education. ULSE has developed the UL 5800 safety standard for fire-containment bags or boxes.

New Jersey’s Monmouth Executive Airport (KBLM) will be closed to fixed-wing aircraft traffic for more than a month due to a runway repair project. Commencing on September 14 and lasting through October 15 (schedule subject to weather), the work will mill and replace the center 40 feet of the entire 7,345-foot length of primary Runway 14/32, as well as resurface the remainder. The $2.7 million project—the majority of which will be covered by state Department of Transportation grants—will also require re-marking the entire runway.

“We’re resurfacing the runway to provide a smoother and more enjoyable arrival and departure experience for everyone flying into and out of Monmouth Executive Airport,” said airport v-p Joe Wall.

While the runway is still classified as “good” by the FAA, he said years of accumulated runway repairs have caused a bumpy ride for aircraft operators. The new 40-foot swath at the runway’s centerline should cover the landing gear width of any aircraft using KBLM, Wall told AIN.

During the project, the privately owned airport’s secondary Runway 3/21 will also be closed, with the gateway allowing only helicopter traffic. The airport’s operators acknowledge the inconvenience of the construction but note that based aircraft owners and operators will still have 24/7 access to their hangars for the duration.

Flight departments now have direct access to create and distribute full-time and contract crew requests through CrewBlast OS. The aviation staffing technology provider is offering an alternative to long waits for staffing firms to source and screen candidates.

The platform allows dispatchers, chief pilots, directors of aviation, and other authorized personnel to log in from the web or CrewBlast’s mobile app. There, they may issue a crew request that is pushed directly to matching pilots and flight attendants in the network, who can then respond with their availability in real time.

CrewBlast OS incorporates CertiFly, a credential-screening tool the company introduced in July. The AI-driven tool checks candidates’ training documentation against the ratings and qualifications they claim to hold, flagging discrepancies such as lapsed certificates or missing records.

No long-term contract is required to access CrewBlast OS. “We don’t believe operators should need a long-term agreement to keep using CrewBlast OS,” said founder and CEO Timothy Griffin. “We believe the technology will prove its value every time a flight department needs crew.”

The same system can be used for a single last-minute contract trip or a full-time hiring search, according to the company.

Wheels Up Experience has partnered with brokerage firm Fraser Yachts to offer private jet-to-yacht travel packages for their respective clients. The partnership underscores a growing demand for integrated travel experiences with personalized service and full global coordination, according to Wheels Up.

Travel will be designed as a cohesive package end-to-end, including possible pairing of commercial travel through Delta One with a private Wheels Up flight and helicopter transfers. Wheels Up is also bringing in seaplane options through Tropic Ocean Airways.

Under the partnership, Wheels Up members will receive preferred yacht charter rates with the support of Fraser’s global team and access to more than 2,300 vessels. In turn, Fraser clients will receive exclusive benefits across Wheels Up’s private aviation offerings.

“At Wheels Up, we believe premium travel should be defined by ease, flexibility, and personalization. As our members increasingly look for connected travel solutions that take them farther and unlock the world’s most exceptional experiences, our partnership with Fraser Yachts is a natural extension of that vision,” said Wheels Up CEO George Mattson.

Wheels Up added that the partnership also strengthens its focus on a higher-end lifestyle platform. The collective brands will provide experiences at events such as the Monaco Yacht Show, Palm Beach International Boat Show, and Wheels Down Clubhouse in Augusta, among others.

The Transportation Security Administration has sworn in David Cummins as the eighth administrator of an agency stood up in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He was confirmed to the role by the full U.S. Senate late last week as part of a package of 74 nominations, also including Thomas Chapman for another term at the NTSB. Approval was largely along party lines in a 51-47 vote.

Cummins steps into a role that had been filled on an acting basis since January 2025, when the previous administrator, David Pekoske, departed the agency. He brings more than two decades of government contracting experience to his new role. Most recently, Cummins was senior v-p of Serco’s Citizen Services group, where he managed the company’s work with federal, state, and local governments in the U.S. and Canada. He has also served as senior v-p for Conduent.

“Administrator Cummins brings valuable private-sector transportation experience and a practical understanding of how technology, policy, and operational realities must work together,” said NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna.

Chapman, meanwhile, was confirmed to continue as an NTSB member through the end of 2028. A former minority counsel for the U.S. Senate aviation subcommittee who also held senior roles with US Airways, Southwest Airlines, and AOPA, Chapman was initially sworn in as an NTSB member on Jan. 6, 2020.

AIN’s 2027 FBO survey is open! The deadline to vote in the 2027 survey (results to be announced at our 3rd annual FBO Awards Dinner & Gala and published in March) is December 6. It's earlier this year than usual. The survey takes only a minute, and you can do it while waiting for passengers, on the shuttle bus to/from the hotel, or at any other time that is convenient for you. Participants will be entered to win a $250 Amazon gift card (winner must reside in the U.S.).  Log in to rate your experiences at the FBOs you visit.