Bombardier’s Global 7500 has been rapidly racking up speed records, topping 50 of them in less than 50 weeks. The ultra-long-range aircraft has established records from Miami to São Paulo, Tokyo to Los Angeles, Jeddah to London, and London to Bahrain, among others.

The 10 fastest new records averaged a speed of more than 1,000 km/h, Bombardier reported. Top speed of the Global 7500 is Mach 0.925, and the aircraft has a baseline range of 7,700 nm. As these speed records have accrued, the in-service fleet continues to expand with now close to 200 delivered. Collectively, the fleet has logged more than 180,000 flying hours.

Meanwhile, Bombardier continues to progress on its even speedier Global 8000 successor that can fly at Mach 0.94. Announced in 2022, the Global 8000 will have an 8,000-nm range and cabin altitude of less than 2,900 feet while flying at FL410. The Montreal-based airframer is planning service entry in 2025.

Duncan Aviation has earned Tier 2 Green Aviation Business status under NATA’s sustainability standard. In 2022, the company achieved Tier 1, which included measuring its carbon footprint, increasing the use of environmentally friendly energy sources, and reducing waste business-wide.

Tier 2 builds on that, adding the adoption of recycling programs, implementation of a sustainable sourcing/procurement policy, adoption of electric vehicles in its business operations, and promoting environmentally friendly means of employee transportation when possible.

To meet these aspirations, Duncan has designated environmental supervisors at each of its three full-service locations—in Provo, Utah; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Battle Creek, Michigan—who establish annual sustainability goals. These involve the selection of environmentally conscious products, encouraging recycling, and supporting vendors that share those efforts.

The company also installed technology in its facilities to remove airborne contaminants from aircraft painting, treat wastewater, and responsibly dispose of hazardous materials, as well as using energy-efficient LED lighting and radiant floor heating.

“Sustainability is much more than a current business buzzword,” said Duncan president Jeff Lake, adding that it is a core value that company employees identified years ago as an area it needed to focus on and improve. “We are committed as a business and as individuals to leave less of a footprint on the earth, making a positive impact on the environment we will leave to our children, grandchildren, and future generations.”

Business jet movements at the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) at Dubai South reached almost 8,500 in the first half of the year, marking growth of 7% from a year ago. This figure reflects the growing maturity of business aviation services and reinforces the status of Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW) as the leading airport for international business aviation movements in the Middle East, the government of Dubai said.

“The growth in private jet movements this year follows a record of 16,657 movements in 2023, with a forecast for these movements to reach 18,000 by the end of 2024,” it said, implying an expected growth rate of 8% for the full year. The main FBOs operating at Dubai South are run by Jetex, Jet Aviation, Falcon Aviation, and DC Aviation Al Futtaim. Jetex claims it handles more than 70% of business jet movements at OMDW.

MBRAH, the location for the upcoming Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) Show in December, has also benefitted from the addition of new MRO facilities, including that of ExecuJet MRO Services, a Dassault Aviation company, that opened last year. Comlux also expects to soon open an MRO facility at Dubai South.

Based on aircraft testing and time studies, Honda Aircraft has revised the HA-420 HondaJet’s maintenance program. The new Revision J of the Airworthiness Limitation and Inspection Manual (ALIM) lowers the man-hours required for conducting the 600-hour maintenance interval.

Implemented on July 31, Revision J optimizes the task list during the 600-hour inspection, which should provide for an increase in aircraft availability for the more than 250 HondaJets that have been delivered thus far. The increased uptime will benefit HondaJet fleet operators by increasing fleet flexibility, according to the aircraft manufacturer.

Honda Aircraft’s engineering team updated the ALIM after three years of testing. The company is coordinating with HondaJet service centers to implement Revision J.

“The release of Revision J of the Airworthiness Limitation and Inspection Manual reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing the customer experience for HondaJet owners and operators,” said Honda Aircraft customer service division director Luis Jimenez. “Our dedicated team continues to develop improvements that enhance the maintainability, reliability, and capabilities of the HondaJet.”

European aircraft operator DC Aviation has signed an agreement with global fuel provider AEG Fuels to replace a portion of its fleet emissions via a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) book-and-claim agreement. The transaction will allow DC to offset its emissions from fuel consumption at Malta International Airport, giving its customers another sustainability option beyond the purchase of carbon offset credits.

“We are proud to be leading by example and be a pioneer in bringing SAF to the Maltese Islands,” explained DC managing director Stanley Bugeja. “Since 2021, DC Aviation Malta has been supporting business aviation’s efforts to become more sustainable by voluntarily offsetting all of our FBO customer’s fuel uplifts purchased through our FBO.”

Since SAF is unavailable in Malta, the agreement will allow DC to purchase the environmental attributes of SAF distributed in locations where the fuel is supplied.

“We’re very excited to support DC Aviation’s efforts to push our industry forward and be willing to participate in a SAF registry transaction,” said Noel Siggery, AEG’s senior director of sales and supply for Europe. “Their focus on investments in the environmental benefits and emission reduction attributes of SAF, as opposed to the more costly, physical segregation of the product, demonstrates the group’s commitment to innovative and thoughtful market-based sustainability solutions.”

He added these agreements allow the company to provide customers with sustainability solutions in any region.

NTSB investigators arrived today in Odessa, Texas, where a Cessna Citation II crashed and burned yesterday morning moments after departing from Runway 16 at Odessa-Schlemeyer Field. The pilot and a passenger were killed, and one person was injured and rescued from a burning home.

Unofficial preliminary information indicates that moments after lift-off, the twinjet clipped a power line some 1,000 feet beyond the end of Runway 16 before crashing in an alley adjacent to a mobile home park at about 7 a.m. local time. Witnesses told local media that the aircraft appeared to be struggling to gain altitude. In addition to mobile homes, the crash also damaged or destroyed several other structures and vehicles and started a brush fire that was soon contained.

The 1991 Citation, registered since June 2022 to N689VP LLC of Pasadena, Texas, was on a planned Part 91 flight from Odessa to Houston-Ellington Field. Metar weather readings at the approximate time of the accident were clear; visibility 10 sm; temperature 81 degrees F; and wind 190 degrees at seven knots.

Including this accident, the basic Citation II has been involved in 13 accidents and 51 fatalities since 1989, according to Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network.

Wheels Up Experience chief financial officer Todd Smith is leaving the company for a new role and chief legal officer Laura Heltebran is departing to “pursue other opportunities,” the company announced today. Starting September 9, Matthew Knopf will join Wheels Up as chief legal officer and secretary, with Eric Cabezas acting as interim CFO while a search is conducted for Smith's replacement.

"Over the last nine years, Matthew has played a pivotal leadership role in the completion of Delta's many significant transactions and key joint venture restructurings, while serving as deputy general counsel," said Wheels Up CEO George Mattson. "His impressive breadth of experience built during his over 35-year legal career, along with his deep knowledge of the industry and our company, will undoubtedly ensure a seamless transition as Matthew assumes his new role."

The moves continue a string of changes of the leadership and come amidst financial woes for Wheels Up. Revenues in the second quarter fell to $196.3 million, down 41% from the same period in 2023.

"We would like to thank Eric for stepping into the role of interim CFO for the second time in his tenure at Wheels Up," said Mattson. "I have worked extensively with Eric and have every confidence in his ability to lead our finance team as we continue down the path to becoming a profitable and resilient business."