Public charter operator JSX today announced its intention to acquire more than 300 hybrid-electric aircraft from three different manufacturers as part of its efforts to decarbonize its U.S. regional air services. The fleet expansion plans cover up to 332 aircraft, including a letter of intent with Electra for 82 of its nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft (32 firm, 50 options), up to 150 of Aura Aero’s 19-seat Era regional airplanes (50 firm, 100 options), and up to 100 of Heart Aerospace’s 30-seat ES-30 regional airplanes (50 firm, 50 options).

According to JSX, it aims to start operating the first of these aircraft in 2028, without saying which of the three types will be delivered first. The Texas-based company’s fleet includes 48 Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets configured with 30 passenger seats, providing up to 120 public charter flights daily under DOT Part 380 and FAR Part 135 rules to 24 U.S. destinations.

In October, JSX pushed back against a notice from the FAA that it intends to rethink what services it will permit under Part 380 charter rules after sustained protests from Part 121 scheduled airlines. In today’s announcement, the operator pointed to last week’s call by the Biden Administration for the air transport industry to cut carbon emissions and create more jobs as evidence of political support for investments in electric aviation technology.

GE Aerospace noted that, since 2016, it has tested 10 different engines produced by it and its joint ventures on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The most recent test came last month when one of the four Engine Alliance GP7200 powerplants on an Emirates A380 ran on pure SAF during a demonstration flight from Dubai, while the other three engines burned jet-A. Last year, the engine manufacturer validated the use of 100 percent SAF on its Passport engine, which powers Bombardier’s flagship Global 7500.

Other platforms tested by the company include the GE90 in the first commercial airliner flight—using unblended SAF in both engines in 2018—and one of the LEAP-1B engines on a United Airlines Boeing 737-8 in 2021 as the first passenger experimental flight. Further, it has run the F414, GE9X, LEAP-1A, GEnx, GE Honda HF120, and CFM56. The tests evaluated a wide variety of factors, such as engine performance and the impact of 100 percent SAF on contrails and emissions.

"These tests demonstrate that we are leading and prepared to support our customers to operate on sustainable aviation fuel,” said Mohamed Ali, v-p of engineering for GE Aerospace. “We're proud of doing the hard work to better understand the impact of different emissions on the environment and using science to guide the technology we are developing to invent the future of flight."

Aircraft cabin crew instruction provider DaVinci Inflight Training Institute has partnered with Aviation Secure to expand its security training portfolio. Aviation Secure—an NBAA PDP-approved training provider—specializes in giving aviation professionals the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate and mitigate security risks to passengers and crew.

DaVinci has long offered a curriculum of training for flight attendants and cockpit crew in the areas of cabin safety and passenger service. This new agreement will enhance its courses with a comprehensive, up-to-date security training suite, as well as provide the ability to create custom training modules.

Among the additonal offerings will be initial and recurrent emergency training taught by experienced instructors and based on real-world experience. The partnership will allow the companies a global reach with aviation personnel having worldwide access to the courses.

“Safety and security are paramount in the aviation industry, and this collaboration strengthens our commitment to providing the best training solutions for aviation professionals,” said DaVinci COO John Detloff. “Together, we will ensure that individuals in the industry are prepared to handle any security-related challenges that may arise.”

After a nearly 35-year run, the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements is permanently retiring at the end of the year. NTSB created the regularly updated list in 1990 to place a spotlight on what the agency considered to be the most pressing safety issues. But the Safety Board said moving away from the list will bring “additional flexibility” to its safety advocacy.

“The Most Wanted List has served the NTSB well as an advocacy tool, especially in the days before social media, but our advocacy efforts must advance,’’ said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “Freed from the structure of a formal list, the NTSB can more nimbly advocate for our recommendations and emerging safety issues.”

NTSB’s list has hit on numerous areas of aviation safety, from fatigue to distractions in the flight deck to loss-of-control incidents in general aviation and Part 135 safety.

The most recent list includes safety management systems in commercial operations, crash-resistant recorders, and flight data monitoring programs.

Trevor Jacob, the pilot who intentionally crashed his airplane to make money on YouTube, has been sentenced to jail for six months. The sentence was handed down by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on December 4 and, in addition to incarceration, calls for two years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

On Nov. 20, 2021, Jacob took off from California’s Lompoc Airport in his 1940 Taylorcraft BL-65 piston single. While over the Los Padres National Forest, he filmed himself exiting and then parachuting from the airplane after a supposed engine failure.

The video shows the propeller stopped. Then, Jacob exits the airplane while carrying a camera that he uses to film himself parachuting to the ground. Another camera is mounted to the wing strut facing the left door through which he exits the Taylorcraft.

According to the FAA’s emergency order of revocation, “Prior to this flight, you attached multiple cameras to the outside of N29508, including a camera pointed in the direction of the propeller, in order to record video footage of the outside and inside of the plane during flight. Prior to this flight you put on a sport parachute backpack container.” The order further notes that Jacob made no attempt to contact ATC, restart the engine, or look for a suitable emergency landing location.

NBAA is praising the move by EASA’s management board to advance Florian Guillermet as the aviation safety agency’s future executive director. Guillermet, who has more than two decades of aviation industry experience, will next be presented to the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism on January 22, with a formal appointment to the role expected on February 15, according to NBAA.

He currently serves as the director at French air navigation services provider DSNA, where he has a “track record as a leader that values stakeholder collaboration, including his role as the executive director at SESAR joint undertaking from 2014 to 2021,” NBAA said.

“We congratulate Florian Guillermet on this well-deserved appointment and look forward to witnessing the positive impact of his leadership on the future of European aviation,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “His selection reflects the board’s confidence in his ability to guide EASA through challenges and contribute to the safe growth of the European aviation community.”

NBAA also noted the interim leadership of Luc Tytgat, who assumed the role of acting executive director earlier this year, and commended him for “providing a steady hand and important contributions to EASA during the transition period between permanent directors.” Tytgat has emphasized safety and the continuation of research and innovation initiatives while leading the agency, NBAA added.