Bombardier’s Global 8000 took a step toward market entry with recent approvals from the FAA and Transport Canada for its GE Aerospace Passport 20 turbofans. Set to succeed the Global 7500 as Bombardier’s new flagship, the Global 8000 will offer speeds of up to Mach 0.94 and a range of up to 8,000 nm.

The 19,000-lb-thrust Passport 20 powers both variants, but was modified to enable the enhanced performance over the Global 7500’s 7,700-nm range and Mach 0.925 top speed. GE executives have described the updates primarily as software alterations rather than “turbo-machinery” changes, unlocking potential already built into the engine. This includes improving specific fuel consumption to enable the Global 8000’s longer range.

Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel told analysts late last month that the company remains on track for delivery of the Global 8000 by year-end, and the first model slated for the market is “assembling extremely well….We’re starting to put the interior in.”

He also noted that the company had “finished flying the [flight-test] airplane. It’s more of an all-paperwork exercise that we need to consolidate and go to the authorities.”

Bombardier is offering a service bulletin to Global 7500 customers so they may upgrade to the enhanced performance in the future, and Martel noted that interest in that option has been strong.

Ahead of the annual Citation Jet Pilots Association Conference next week in San Antonio, Texas, MRO provider Elliott Aviation has launched a three-tiered avionics upgrade program for Cessna Citation CJ1s and CJ2s. Intended to address avionics obsolescence, enhance safety, and improve aircraft value, the program offers package options that provide CJ1/CJ2 operators with a solution to modernize their cockpits.

The base Silver package includes the 10.6-inch Garmin G600 TXi displays and GFC 600 autopilot, which replaces the legacy equipment with a glass cockpit. Meanwhile, the Gold package features 12.1-inch TXi displays, GDR 66 VHF datalink transceiver with DataComm and push-to-load functionality, GDL 60 PlaneSync wireless connectivity, and Send Airtext Classic for texting capability.

For the highest package level, Platinum adds Garmin’s most advanced equipment on top of the Gold package, including dual GI 275 standby flight instruments, GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar, GTS 825 traffic, and Airtext+ with a bulkhead moving map display.

According to the company, installations can be completed in fewer than 25 working days. “Our goal with the CJ Flight Deck Evolution Program is to give Citation operators a straightforward upgrade path that matches their needs,” said Bill Forbes, Elliott’s senior v-p of avionics and business development.

A Bombardier Global 6500 that has been impounded at the UK’s Farnborough Airport since 2022 is likely to remain grounded following an unsuccessful appeal by its Russian owner to overturn existing government sanctions levied against him. Currently parked up at the south side of the airport, signs of weathering around the windows and engine nacelles indicate the jet has not moved in some time. It is unclear what, if any, maintenance has been performed during its impoundment to date.

The Global 6500, registered as LX-FLY with private air charter company Global Jet Luxembourg, was used by Russian billionaire Eugene Shvidler since its delivery in November 2020. However, a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, then-UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed the aircraft had been “indefinitely detained” as part of 2022 legislation that “bans Russian aircraft from overflying or landing in the UK, and allows the government to detain aircraft, including those owned by oligarchs.”

Shvidler himself, who currently lives in the U.S., was originally sanctioned in March 2022. The initial ruling referenced his “extensive and highly lucrative business connections with major Russian entities, partly as a result of his connections with [Russian oligarch] Roman Abramovich.” His previous position as a former longstanding director of multinational mining and steel manufacturing company Evraz was also cited, with the UK designating the company “of strategic importance to Russia.”

Universal Aviation’s FBO at London Stansted Airport is the latest to achieve Stage 3 registration under IBAC’s International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), the voluntary safety management system-backed set of industry best practices. The FBO earned its Stage 1 registration eight years ago and followed that up with Stage 2 accreditation in 2021.

“Since we began our IS-BAH journey in 2017, our focus has always been in building a culture of continuous improvement,” explained Sean Raftery, managing director of Universal Aviation UK and Ireland. “Earning Stage 3 accreditation is a reflection of the high standards our team holds itself to every day. That dedication is continually reflected in our Stansted location consistently being ranked among the top FBOs in the world year after year.”

IS-BAH was launched in 2014, and Universal Stansted is the 44th location to achieve Stage 3—the highest level in the program—since the first Stage 3 handler was announced in 2018. Fewer than 10% of all handlers enrolled in the program have reached that status.

Engineers at RTX, half a world apart, bond in building the backbone of a future plane’s power system.

The FAA Safety Team has issued a notice to help prevent midair collisions near Charleston International Airport (KCHS) in South Carolina, as well as surrounding general aviation facilities such as Berkeley County Airport (KMKS), Mount Pleasant Regional Airport (KLRO), and Summerville Airport (KDYB). An FAA spokesperson told AIN that the notice should not have referred to actual midair collisions but to “several near-midair collisions” that have taken place in the area.

Caution is especially required for VFR pilots arriving and departing these airports and for aircraft, “especially turbine aircraft,” picking up IFR clearances when airborne. A Class C clearance is required if above 1,200 feet in the outer ring. However, the notice advises that, even if clear of the Class C airspace, pilots should contact Tracon to advise intentions. Critical frequencies include 121.7 when on the east side of the area and 120.7 on the west side.

An accompanying chart from the AOPA Air Safety Institute depicts the area around KCHS that contains the departure and arrival corridors for large private and commercial jet traffic. The chart advises pilots to treat this airspace as a terminal radar service area, stay below 2,000 feet until in contact with KCHS Tracon, and, if ATC doesn’t respond, “avoid the corridors until well clear.”

Aerox Aerospace Group has acquired N23D Services, which manufactures FAA-PMA steel and composite gas cylinders for aerospace oxygen and compressed gas systems. The N23D cylinders equip airline, business, and military aircraft.

Earlier this year, Aerox purchased Omnigas Systems, which provides hydrostatic testing and MRO services for oxygen system components and fire-suppression systems. Aerox Aerospace includes Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems, Omnigas Systems, and Aerox Fluid Power. N23D’s Paul Mira is now N23D quality manager, and the company is operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems.

According to Aerox, which designs and manufactures oxygen systems for airframers, aeromedical interiors manufacturers, and other oxygen systems integrators, adding “N23D Services further enhances Aerox‘s capabilities to support a broader in-service fleet and a wider range of oxygen system manufacturers.”

“We are confident that our acquisition of N23D Services will enhance our ability to serve the needs of our common customer base,” said Scott Ashton, president and CEO of Aerox. “N23D Services brings a broad portfolio of FAA-PMA compressed gas cylinders for aviation oxygen and pneumatic systems and evacuation slides. Combined with the overhaul and repair capabilities in both oxygen components and fire-suppression systems at Omnigas Systems, we are confident that the integration of N23D Services will deliver further exceptional value to our combined global customer partners.”

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) has expanded its roster of verified products and services members with the addition of three companies—Jetrep, First American Equipment Finance, and High Flying Hangars—offering respective expertise in aviation law, finance, and infrastructure.

IADA chair Phil Winters, who is also v-p of aircraft sales and charter management for Greenwich AeroGroup and Western Aircraft, welcomed the companies as new members. “Each brings distinct expertise that enriches our community. Their alignment with IADA’s values of integrity, professionalism, and transaction excellence reinforces the collective value of our organization.”

Jetrep, based in Redmond, Washington, is a boutique aviation law firm that advises on aircraft acquisition, leasing, financing, tax structuring, and regulatory matters. The practice specializes in guiding clients through complex transactions.

Notably, High Flying Hangars of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the first commercial aviation real estate firm to gain IADA membership. The company develops airport hangars, with confirmed projects in Maryland, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

Founded in 2020, HFH is working to meet what it describes as a nationwide shortage of high-quality hangar space. “Having a hangar is just as important as securing your financing, insurance, and maintenance program in an aircraft transaction,” noted IADA executive director Lou Seno.

The International Business Aviation Council’s IS-BAH program has been recognized in ICAO’s 2026-2028 Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP). Approved last month, the plan marks the first time IS-BAH has been recognized in an ICAO industry evaluation program and the only ground-handling safety standard identified for business aviation.

IS-BAH now joins IBAC’s International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) in earning this global distinction. Founded in 2014, IS-BAH is a voluntary program for FBOs and ground-handling organizations, modeled on the structure of IS-BAO, that incorporates industry best practices with a progressive safety management system.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the ICAO Council in the new GASP,” said IS-BAH program director Terry Yeomans. “This recognition embodies the mission we set out with when we launched IS-BAH in 2014. We continue to advocate for continuous improvement within this ground-handling safety standard, regardless of the size or scope of the organization, anywhere in the world.”

IBAC director general Kurt Edwards added, “We are proud to announce that both IS-BAO and now IS-BAH safety standards have gained distinct recognition from the ICAO Council in the new GASP. This achievement is a result of the hard work of Terry Yeomans and the entire IBAC staff, along with our dedicated IS-BAH auditors and support affiliates.”