Bombardier received a $400 million order from the Canadian government for six Global 6500s on Friday to support the Royal Canadian Air Force in a range of missions throughout the world. Bombardier and government leaders celebrated the agreement at the manufacturer’s Global Aircraft Assembly Centre in Toronto, where the Global 6500 is assembled.

The order builds on a long-time relationship with the Royal Canadian Air Force, which has operated Bombardier Challengers since 1983. Plans call for delivery of the Globals to begin by mid-2027 for use in missions including aeromedical, disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and national security.

“The award of this contract to purchase the Global 6500 under the Defence Investment Agency is a turning point in how Canada equips its military,” said Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state for defense procurement. “By streamlining processes and cutting red tape, the Defence Investment Agency is accelerating the delivery of the versatile capabilities the Royal Canadian Air Force needs.”

Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel added: “The Global 6500 aircraft is a world-class, made-in-Canada product with the versatility to perform multiple missions, making it the go-to solution for governments around the world. Today, the more than 12,000 Canadians who work at Bombardier can take great pride in knowing that this aircraft will now serve their country.”

Dubai-based global FBO chain Jetex has become the latest strategic investor in digital carbon-management platform Azzera. The partnership also allows Jetex to source sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by digitally tracking consignments to clients for the first time. Azzera said Jetex’s investment enabled it to conclude an $800,000 capital raise.

According to Jetex, the first SAF uplift under the deal was completed last month at the Dubai Airshow, enabling it to issue a verified SAF retirement certificate through the SAF pod on the Celeste platform, Azzera’s proprietary SAF application. Jetex was the show’s exclusive SAF provider.

Jetex has been supplying SAF to private aviation customers in Dubai since 2023 via an agreement with Shell Aviation at its Dubai World Central (OMDW) terminal—the first time SAF was offered to private aviation customers in the UAE.

The new collaboration is focused on integrating Azzera’s digital SAF and carbon management solutions into Jetex’s operations. Jetex will use Azzera’s technology to digitally track, verify, and certify SAF use and emissions reductions.

“We take our responsibility to support the industry’s ambitious climate reduction goals seriously,” said Jetex founder and CEO Adel Mardini. “This is why we have chosen to partner with Azzera in advancing responsible aviation practices.”

Improper installation of a right main landing gear trunnion pin caused a Cessna Citation CJ4’s landing gear to collapse during rollout in September, the NTSB said in its final report. Neither pilot was injured in the accident, but the collapse punctured the right wing and caused substantial structural damage.

Investigators determined that the aft main landing gear trunnion pin for the right landing gear “was not installed far enough [forward] to allow the retaining roll pin to engage and retain the trunnion pin.” Maintenance at a manufacturer’s service center, including removal and reinstallation of the trunnion pin, had been completed only 2.9 flight hours before the accident.

During the repositioning flight, the flight crew felt “a bump/thud in the back of the airplane” at about 10,000 feet msl, which they initially assumed was “something falling into the aisle from the lavatory.” Immediately afterward, the landing gear’s unsafe light illuminated. The crew performed emergency and abnormal procedures, including resetting the landing gear circuit breaker. When the gear did not retract, they extended the landing gear and received three green indications.

They continued to Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (KBTR) with the gear down and landed the airplane. During the landing rollout, after applying moderate braking, the crew “felt the right main landing gear collapse.”

Air Elite, the World Fuel Services-sponsored global network of upscale independent FBOs, has welcomed two new members on two continents. They bring the Air Elite network to 85 member locations worldwide, each of which has been audited to meet specific quality standards.

At the UK’s Newcastle International Airport (EGNT), Samson Executive Jet Centre offers a facility with amenities including a lounge area, conference room, pilot lounge, and in-house security screening. Located 15 minutes from Newcastle’s city center, the facility provides direct vehicle ramp access, onsite UK Border Force and customs with pre-clearance available, quick turns, and a newly-refurbished executive lounge. The FBO holds Stage 2 IS-BAH accreditation, reflecting its dedication to safety and operational excellence.

In Bogotá, Colombia, Aerosupport FBO at El Dorado International Airport (SKBO) features two VIP lounges, a pair of conference rooms, pilot lounge, showers, and flight-planning area. The location provides 24-hour armed security, video surveillance, a private ramp, direct ramp access for private cars, and dedicated hangar space. Additional services include concierge, onsite customs, fueling, and overflight permit assistance for Colombia, Panama, Cenamer, and Cuba.

Both FBOs offer premium amenities, operational excellence, and safety certifications, while providing World Fuel products and services such as contract fuel, Avcard, trip support, and World Fuel Rewards.

New systems help pilots, simplify flight – and keep humans at the helm

The general and business aviation community can expect insurance rates to begin nosing up as early as the first quarter, given the pressure on the reinsurance market following a “large loss year,” warned Jon Howard, the CEO of Mach 2 Underwriters. “2025 will be the worst loss year for the airline industry in the last decade,” he noted. “The 2026 general aviation insurance market will be defined by regulatory developments, financial pressures, and potential capacity constraints.”

He warned that escalating insurance expenses from supply-chain disruptions and mechanic shortages are exacerbating the large-loss year. As a result, Howard added, “There will be increased pressure on the reinsurance market and large general aviation insurers to cease rate decreases or begin to raise rates. We expect rate increases to begin as early as Q1 2026, though minimal at first.”

On the positive side, Howard sees the market expanding thanks to recent changes such as the newly implemented FAA Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification rules that add to the types of aircraft falling under the light-sport aircraft classification. This, in turn, increases opportunities for pilots. “The liberalization of these rules should expand the pilot population, increase demand for certain aircraft types, and ultimately increase the overall size of the general aviation market,” he concluded.

The UK-based Elevate(her) Aviation group has taken its mission to boost the proportion of women in the industry workforce on the road in recent months. After exhibiting at the Dubai Airshow in mid-November, the organization headed further east to appear at the Aero Asia show in Zhuhai, China.

Founded in 2023 by Katherine Moloney, Elevate(her) has grown from a local initiative into a global network with thousands of members across 64 countries. Its work covering roles from engineering and air traffic control to fixed-wing and rotorcraft pilots is supported by a team of 25 women.

“Aero Asia was an amazing first experience for us in the Asia-Pacific region,” Kate Lenny, a core team member of Elevate(her), told AIN.

In Zhuhai, research coordinator Eloise Shuckburgh presented the group’s data-driven approach to industry inclusion. Guided by women’s experiences, Elevate(her)’s surveys have already exposed challenges including ill-fitting personal protective equipment, limited sanitary facilities, and the absence of female-specific uniforms at 38% of UK aircraft operators.

Efforts focus on closing knowledge gaps and collaborating with authorities and stakeholders, including a scholarship launched with British Airways that has supported five women and girls and will expand in 2026. Upcoming research will examine the impact of maternity leave on career retention.

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) jointly filed an amendment to strike Section 373 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ahead of full Senate consideration this week, saying the measure would roll back safety measures surrounding military aircraft flights. In addition, the lawmakers filed an amendment to swap the controversial measure with the ROTOR Act that would strengthen requirements surrounding ADS-B use for military and civilian aircraft.

Already passing in the House and set to come up for a cloture vote in the Senate this afternoon, the $900 billion fiscal NDAA has drawn fire for Section 373, which NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy warned would allow the military to bypass safety protocols put in place after the January 29 midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk and a PSA Airlines CRJ700 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA).

Section 373 would prohibit military helicopter training missions in “covered airspace” unless they are actively warning nearby commercial aircraft in a manner compatible with a traffic alert and collision avoidance system—essentially the requirement in place before January 29.

“Our colleagues on the Armed Services Committees are just plain wrong that their last-minute language will make things safer. It does the exact opposite, as the NTSB made clear yesterday,” the senators said after the bill language was released last week.

EASA has launched its first regulatory proposal on artificial intelligence (AI) for aviation, with the public consultation now open for three months. Notice of Proposed Amendment 2025-07 aims to “help prepare for the future requirements for AI-based assistance and AI-human teaming.” This, EASA continued, is intended to help establish a “comprehensive AI-trustworthiness regulatory framework” that will allow for the safe and innovative integration of the technology into the aviation sector.

Areas of focus include providing guidance on AI assurance, human factors, and ethics, alongside encompassing data-driven AI-based systems. EASA adds that this foundation “should significantly reduce the operational safety risks associated with the deployment of high-risk AI applications.”

With artificial intelligence a rapidly expanding area, the proposal is therefore intended to “[lay] a flexible and solid foundation for future adaptation as technology evolves.” It includes scope to encourage what EASA terms “controlled experimentation with AI in lower-risk areas” while supporting “the development of AI systems that are both technically reliable and operationally understandable.”

A second notice of proposed amendment will be issued in 2026 to deploy EASA’s “generic [AI] framework” to the “regulations of the relevant aviation domains.”

AIN’s FBO survey is open for year-round feedback, but the deadline to vote in the 2026 survey (to be announced at our 2nd annual FBO Awards Dinner & Gala and published in April) is January 11. The survey takes only a minute, and you can do it while waiting for passengers, on the shuttle bus to/from the hotel, or at any other time that is convenient for you. Participants will be entered to win a $250 Amazon gift card (winner must reside in the U.S.).Log in to rate your experiences at the FBOs you visit.