FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford weighed in on the push to close Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL), telling a local television news station that the agency is against closing airports around the country. “We need to talk about how do we open new facilities—not how do we close existing, valuable real estate?” he told the ABC affiliate while on a tour of the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center in Oberlin, Ohio, on Friday.

The administrator’s response came as Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has called for the airport’s closure, outlining a vision of turning the land into a lakefront recreational area, as well as repurposing it for economic development. The mayor’s office has cited three possibilities for closing it: waiting it out until 2039, when the city is free of grant obligations; having the U.S. Congress step in; or going through the FAA for approval.

Bedford’s remarks signal that the FAA is against such an effort. As for Congress, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) stressed that lawmakers do not intend to step in either. “It would be patently absurd for a politician to override the experts at the FAA to say we know better than you do,” he told the affiliate station.

NBAA praised the remarks, saying they validate comments that Burke is not a liability to be closed but rather a facility that should be strengthened.

Business aircraft captains who rack up three counted deviations from air traffic control instructions at Tokyo International Airport (RJTT, also known as Haneda Airport) will be grounded from serving as pilot-in-command there, under an enforcement program the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) is preparing for international business and general aviation traffic.

Reported by Universal Weather and Aviation, the restriction attaches to the individual pilot rather than the aircraft or the operator, so an operator can still use Haneda if a different, unrestricted captain takes the PIC seat. The three-strikes framing gives an unusually plain-spoken shape to the accountability measure.

The measures take effect once JCAB revises the Haneda Airport Use Plan format to capture PIC information, according to Universal Aviation. Once that revised form is in use, JCAB will track deviations on a “Watchlist of Captains Requiring Special Attention,” which is maintained jointly by the Civil Aviation Bureau headquarters and the Tokyo Airport Office. A pilot who reaches three counted deviations becomes what the agency terms a “restricted captain” and loses the ability to serve as PIC on flights into or out of Haneda.

Counting won’t be automatic. JCAB reviews each deviation, including the ATC communication record, before adding it to a pilot’s tally, and a captain’s count drops by one after a full year passes with no further deviation.

Private flight group Flexjet is relocating the base for its European helicopter operations to Blackbushe Airport (EGLK) in the UK. The site will be used to support shuttle flight services for customers arriving and departing on airplanes at nearby Farnborough Airport and other London-area airports such as Biggin Hill, Luton, and Stansted.

Flexjet’s fleet of Sikorsky S-76 and Leonardo AW139 helicopters are now operating from a hangar at Blackbushe, which is in the process of implementing a $20 million upgrade to attract business aviation traffic. The operator is considering plans to move other managed helicopters to the site.

“We’re excited to be establishing Blackbushe as the new home of our UK helicopter operation,” said Flexjet Vertical Lift president Eli Flint. “The location works extremely well alongside our expanding presence at nearby Farnborough Airport and keeps us ideally positioned within our UK rotary service area. We’re making good progress with the new facility and are excited about what it will enable us to offer our customers and crews as we approach the official launch later this year.”

According to sources close to the development speaking with AIN on condition of anonymity, Flexjet came close to relocating the rotorcraft operation to Fairoaks Airport (EGTF) before opting for Blackbushe. Fairoaks is slightly closer to London but farther from Farnborough.

The FAA continues to move briskly forward in its effort to overhaul the air traffic control system, most recently with the addition of Surface Movement Radars (SMRs) at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR). Installations mark continued improvements at two key airports, with KDCA coming under scrutiny in the aftermath of the midair collision on Jan. 29, 2025, and Newark being plagued with communications issues in the months following.

KDCA received the Surface Movement Radar Model 4 (SMR-4), following the installation at KEWR by just a few days. The technology will enable controllers to better track aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways in all weather and visibility conditions, according to the FAA.

Also part of its overarching effort, the FAA submitted a notice last week that it was awarding an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to AT&T for the FAA Enterprise Network Services (FENS), encompassing a range of communications and information management systems. The initial award includes $74.3 million for early start-up planning and development activities.

The agency said it anticipates the IDIQ contract will ultimately carry a “multibillion-dollar” value over 15 years. FENS will be a key communications program for the agency, supporting telecommunications functions in addition to administrative functions such as email, payroll, and online training.

AEG Connect continues to grow its global network with 57 trusted FBO partners and counting. By connecting operators with premier service providers, the network helps FBOs increase visibility, build lasting customer relationships, and unlock new business opportunities while delivering a seamless experience for operators worldwide.

One of the oldest names in general aviation service, Lane Aviation, is now the newest member of the Avfuel-branded dealer network. Based at John Glenn Columbus International Airport (KCMH), Lane Aviation—in its third generation of family ownership—has served the central Ohio region since 1935.

“I was introduced to aviation at a young age, flying alongside my grandfather,” said executive v-p Stastia Spence, whose grandparents, Foster and Ruth Lane, founded the business. “Avfuel felt like a natural fit for Lane Aviation. We’re both family-owned, Midwest-rooted companies that place a strong emphasis on integrity, relationships, and family values.”

Located between the control tower and passenger terminal at KCMH, the full-service FBO operates 24/7 and provides aircraft fueling, ground handling, customs support, aircraft management, charter coordination, deicing services, and maintenance. The FBO offers a pilot lounge with two snooze rooms and showers, four conference rooms (the largest of which seats up to 60), flight planning area, canteen, crew car, and onsite car rental.

Lane’s complex at KCMH includes 140,000 sq ft of heated hangar space capable of accommodating aircraft up to a Boeing BBJ, along with more than 11 acres of ramp space. 

As part of the Avfuel network, the FBO now offers Avfuel Contract Fuel and the Avtrip loyalty rewards program.

Direct-to-customer insurance underwriter 5X5 Aviation Insurance is offering discounts under its Safety Rewards program for pilots who use PlaneWX’s preflight decision-support system. The discount is a 5% risk-based premium credit at quote and bind, available to PlaneWX Pro Plus members.

Launched in 2025, 5X5 Aviation Insurance uses flight data and recognition of regular training, membership in an owners and pilots association, frequent flying, hangaring, and maintenance to provide coverage for owner-pilots of high-performance light jets and turboprops and in-production piston singles and twins from Cirrus, Diamond, and Cessna.

TBM owner Mark Wolfgang founded PlaneWX last year to help pilots gather information ahead of a planned flight to inform its pilot decision support system. Capable of giving pilots a picture of upcoming conditions up to 14 days before a flight, PlaneWX provides a WX Score based on weather information, the pilot’s aircraft, and personal minimums. According to PlaneWX, this is fed into an integrated flight risk assessment tool built on the FAA’s PAVE framework and also gives the pilot access to a peer mentor network for help in making a go-/no-go decision.

“PlaneWX doesn’t tell you not to fly. It gives you the information to make that decision yourself, days earlier, when you still have options,” said Wolfgang. “5X5 is the first insurer I’ve seen that treats that kind of preparation as something worth underwriting.”

Cirrus Aircraft completed a multimillion-dollar expansion of its Grand Forks, North Dakota manufacturing facility last week. According to the company, this move “addresses the growing need for additional manufacturing space as Cirrus aircraft demand continues to increase.”

The expanded facility, which is designed to sustain current and forecasted production rates, will enable a streamlined flow of composite parts. It will support the airframer’s product portfolio, including the SR-series high-performance pistons and SF50 Vision Jet.

Cirrus employs approximately 500 Grand Forks employees, approximately 80% of whom are dedicated to direct manufacturing operations. The OEM noted the facility’s expansion also provides greater production flexibility to better support the innovation process.

“This expansion reflects our continued investment in our people, our products, and the Grand Forks community,” said company CEO Zean Nielsen. “By adding more than 30,000 square feet, creating new jobs, and enhancing our workplace for our team members, we're positioning Cirrus for continued growth.”

In addition to Cirrus’ investment, contributions from local partners signify a shared commitment to economic growth and advanced manufacturing in the region.

Aside from Grand Forks, Cirrus has six other locations in the U.S., including Duluth, Minnesota; Dallas; Phoenix; Orlando, Florida; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Resurgent Aviation Solutions (RAS) launched an auction on Friday to liquidate all of its remaining inventory of parts and components for Eclipse 500/550 very light jets. RAS has specialized in manufacturing products under FAA parts manufacturer approval regulations and developing supplemental type certificates (STCs) for upgrades to Eclipse jets.

While Eclipse Aerospace, the current holder of the 500/550 type certificate, maintains its own inventory and says it has plenty of parts in stock, RAS claims that some airplanes will be grounded due to a lack of parts that it manufactured. RAS had planned the auction earlier this year but held off due to negotiations with a group of owners for a possible sale of the company, which have ended.

RAS is selling its inventory and also the STCs that it has developed. One of the hard-to-find parts is autopilot servos. “There are only enough shipsets to cover a very small percentage of the fleet,” according to RAS.

The current auction ends on August 19 at 6 p.m. CDT, and RAS will then make another tranche of parts available for auction until they are gone. On August 31, RAS will end the auction process and close.

All sales are final, with no refunds or returns, and “all items are sold as-is with no warranty,” according to RAS.

Our lunch on Wednesday, October 21 will explore one of the most important questions facing business aviation today: do we really understand what principals expect from in-flight connectivity? Drawing on one of business aviation's most comprehensive connectivity surveys, and one of the first to compare perspectives from both industry professionals and aircraft principals, this session reveals where assumptions and reality diverge, and what that means for the future of connectivity in the air. Co-hosted by Honeywell Aerospace and Viasat.