Gulfstream Aerospace's G800 test aircraft dedicated to cabin interior testing successfully completed its first flight on November 27, the company said today. The aircraft took off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV) in Georgia on a 1 hour 41 minute flight, during which it reached an altitude of 46,000 feet and a top speed of Mach 0.91. This marks a milestone in the G800 testing focused on cabin performance and overall passenger experience.

The G800 will undergo a series of tests, including evaluations of its systems operations during multiple flight phases, including hot and cold weather conditions, turbulence, and overnight missions. This inaugural flight is part of the broader certification program for the G800, which Gulfstream heralds as providing exceptional comfort for passengers on long-haul flights.

As the longest-range Gulfstream, the G800 can fly up to 8,000 nm at Mach 0.85 or 7,000 nm at Mach 0.90.

“The G800 flight test program is making great progress, reaffirming our confidence in the flexibility, durability, and reliability this aircraft will provide,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “With its vast range of innovative customization options, the ultra-long-range G800 is a true testament to our industry-leading completions and interior and industrial design teams and their commitment to bespoke artistry.”

A fixture at Seattle King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KBFI) for nearly a century, Galvin Flying quietly and suddenly closed its doors for the last time late last week. Having sold its FBO in 2014 to then Landmark Aviation (which was itself acquired soon after by Signature Aviation), the company continued to concentrate on providing flight training, aircraft charter, and Part 145 maintenance. The 94-year-old company announced the cessation of business in a note on its website without citing a specific reason.

“Throughout nearly a century of operations, it has been our greatest honor to contribute to this remarkable community, leaving our mark on aviation history," the note states. "We have been privileged to be part of so many lives and careers—training outstanding pilots, maintaining exceptional aircraft, and sharing our passion for flying. These experiences have not only shaped those we’ve served, but have also left an indelible imprint on our hearts and souls.”

The move came as a surprise to the King County-owned and operated airport. “The Puget Sound region has a long and storied history in the aviation business, and Galvin has been part of that story for more than 90 years,” the county government said. “However, it seems that chapter is now ending. Our thoughts are with the employees of Galvin Flying who will soon be out of a job, and with those students whose flight training will be disrupted.”

Leviate Jet Management has added six HondaJets to its charter-management fleet, which includes Cessna Citation Xs, XLSs, a CJ3+, and an M2 Gen2; Bombardier Challenger 300s; and a Pilatus PC-24. The U.S. company, a division of Leviate Air Group, plans to add more of the Honda light jets next year along with other airplane types.

The HondaJets are located at Leviate's bases in Texas and Florida and “will operate on a high-utilization charter basis,” according to the company. A “specialized sales team” focuses on charter revenue optimization and utilization of the Leviate fleet while “a dedicated maintenance manager oversees the fleet’s operational efficiency, minimizing downtime and ensuring consistent performance.” Each fleet has a lead captain and check airman to manage pilot training and uphold safety and operational standards.

“The HondaJet is one of the most advanced light jets available, combining exceptional efficiency with operational versatility,” said Leviate Air Group CEO Luis Barros. “The addition of these aircraft positions Leviate to better serve the growing demand for high-utilization light jet charter operations while offering aircraft owners an optimized program to maximize revenue and operational use.”

Dublin, Ireland-based MRO provider Alliance Aerospace—a division of Alliance Aviation Group—has received EASA Part 145 approval from the Irish Aviation Authority. The accreditation bolsters capabilities at its 32,300-sq-ft (3,000-sq-m) FBO hangar facility at Dublin Airport (EIDW).

This announcement caps a six-month process and will allow the company to provide MRO and AOG support services from its Dublin base to general aviation customers, with an initial focus on Gulfstreams. The facility holds line maintenance approval for the G650 but plans to add ratings for the remainder of the Gulfstream fleet and business aircraft types from Bombardier and Dassault.

The Part 145 approval augments Alliance Aviation Group's portfolio of services, including CAMO support, aircraft management, aircraft charter, hangarage, ground handling, trip support services, and technical assistance.

“This approval is another milestone achievement for our ever-expanding facility in Dublin,” said Liam Murphy, Alliance Aviation Group’s FBO regional manager. “Having developed our FBO and ground handling capabilities over the last 18 months, achieving this Part 145 status permits us to expand further and position ourselves to deliver a full-service FBO package to existing and potential new clients.”

With a new administration arriving in Washington, D.C., in January, some industry leaders are raising hopes of a return to full bonus depreciation on aircraft sales. Congress renewed 100% depreciation as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, but that has been slowly phasing out since. Aircraft entering service this year are eligible for 60% accelerated depreciation.

Lawmakers last year had considered renewing the 100% bonus depreciation as part of a limited tax incentives bill that also would have renewed full research and experimental expensing. But unable to reach an agreement on some of the bill’s other measures, Congress pushed action on it into 2025, when many of the tax cuts established in the 2017 bill are set to expire.

Congress is anticipated to quickly turn its attention to a tax bill once it reconvenes in January, raising optimism that the bonus depreciation measure would receive support on Capitol Hill, as well as the White House.

“Phasing out the bonus depreciation initiative hurt the private aviation business in this country,” said Ben Shirazi, president of aircraft dealer-broker SmartJets and president of VIP Completions. “It is my hope, and it seems to be an industry-wide expectation, that the incoming Trump administration will reverse the phaseout, reset bonus depreciation to 100% for 2025, and—possibly—offer retroactive refunds.”

MySky has introduced a new version of its aircraft scheduling software specifically developed for Part 91 business aircraft operators. The spend management specialist already offers the platform for Part 135 commercial operators and has now adapted it for those operating flights for purely private and corporate purposes.

"Scheduler" was originally developed by Satcom Direct (SD), which has had a strategic partnership with MySky. With Gogo set to acquire SD, MySky has acquired its scheduling platform.

According to MySky, it will now integrate the Scheduler software with multiple avionics suites to gather post-flight data from flight management systems. It said this improves operational efficiency and avoids inaccurate information being used due to errors with manual data entry.

Scheduler is intended to be used in tandem with MySky’s financial services software, including Spend, Quote, Budget, Tax, and Procure. These are collectively intended to help operators have far more effective control of expenditure, with greater visibility of costs and how these play into revenue opportunities. For instance, the company said that its Quote system can forecast the exact operating costs for a requested flight with an accuracy of 95%.

Conditions in the U.S. suggest that we have a so-called Goldilocks economy. All major indicators are just right—not too strong and not too weak—and you could say the same about the business aviation field.

Of course, things could change on a dime, especially given the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. While the impact of the new administration in Washington needs to play out, Trump's long association with business aviation is a given and likely bodes well for our industry.

The business aviation market settled down this year, following unsustainable increases during and right after the pandemic. The boost in activity, particularly among first-time charter users, was unsustainable. Still, the net effect was positive in that the pandemic brought people into our industry who had not previously used business aviation.

A lingering negative of this surge is that entrepreneurs entered business aviation thinking they were smarter than those running the companies already entrenched. The newcomers learned quickly—the hard way—that this is a tough field in which to make money. The adage is true: a good way to wind up with a million dollars is to invest $10 million in business aviation.

As AIN develops content for our FBO Awards Dinner & Gala, we are requesting photos and videos from FBOs showing their history—past buildings, layouts, staff, etc. The photos and videos (B-roll) will be combined into a collage to be shown at the event's start. Click here to learn more.