Bombardier today received FAA certification of the Global 8000, the company’s flagship ultra-long-range aircraft and the fastest business jet in production with an Mmo of Mach 0.95. The Global 8000 received Transport Canada approval on November 5.

Meanwhile, the Global 8000’s GE Passport 20 engine just obtained its nod from EASA, and European certification of the twinjet is expected imminently. Delivering 19,000 pounds of thrust, the Passport 20 was first certified in 2018, but was modified to enable the Global 8000’s enhanced performance and 8,000-nm range.

The first Global 8000 delivery took place on December 8 to Patrick Dovigi, who replaced his Global 7500 with the newer model. The jet’s 2,691-foot cabin altitude at FL410 is the lowest of any business jet in production and “minimizes the physiological stress typically associated with high-altitude travel, helping passengers arrive feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to perform,” according to Bombardier

“This accomplishment is a direct result of the commitment to excellence and dedicated work of our highly skilled employees, suppliers, Transport Canada, and the FAA for a collaborative, effective process,” said Stephen McCullough, Bombardier senior v-p of engineering and product development. “Attaining the Global 8000 certification from the FAA sets new performance standards in the industry and marks one of the final chapters in our very successful development program for this groundbreaking business jet.”

The last two weeks of the year offer a rare kind of quiet in our industry. Flight schedules tend to ease, meetings are less frequent, and inboxes slow. For those of us in the office, this lull often creates the space to look back on the past 11 months—not only at the obvious milestones but at the meaningful moments that can slip by during the busiest seasons.

Reflection is an important year-end discipline that I value deeply and, as a leader, I invite my team to join me in using this time to take stock. This practice sharpens our self-awareness and clarifies what worked, where we grew, and what we want to strengthen next year. It also grounds our planning in real data and lived experience rather than aspiration alone.

If we don’t take time to pause now, the demands of January will crowd out the experiences that shaped the past year. And when that happens, we lose the perspective that informs better decisions and stronger leadership.

Documenting your wins also matters because details fade quickly. Capturing achievements now allows you to update résumés, LinkedIn profiles, performance review reports, and succession documents with accuracy and confidence. It also supports meaningful performance discussions and long-term career planning.

A possible investigative focus in the Citation II that crashed yesterday morning in North Carolina—killing seven, including former Nascar driver Greg Biffle, members of his family, and three others—could be whether a required rated second in command (SIC) was on board. According to FAA airman records, pilot Dennis Dutton held a CE-500 type rating covering the Citation II, but it carried a limitation requiring a rated second in command (SIC).

Current FAA airman records do not show anyone else on board holding such an SIC rating, including three other pilot-rated passengers: Dutton’s son, Jack; Biffle; and Craig Wadsworth. However, a Part 91 SIC rating requires only ground school, three takeoffs and landings in type, and a signed logbook entry.

All seven on board were killed when their Cessna 550 Citation II crashed while landing yesterday morning at Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH) in North Carolina, according to updated information from the FAA and the NTSB. An FAA preliminary report said the aircraft, registered N257BW and operated under Part 91, crashed “under unknown circumstances and post-crash fire” during the landing. The NTSB said the Citation crashed on return to land following departure from KSVH.

Among the 16 people in the NTSB’s on-site investigation team are those with expertise in aircraft systems, recorders, powerplants, drones, and family assistance. 

The 2026 European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) will be staged later than usual, with organizers announcing June 2 to 4 dates yesterday. Industry group EBAA said it has pushed back the event from the last week of May after “a detailed review of the broader events calendar” and is also promising more competitive pricing for exhibiting companies.

Moving the dates from the earlier May 27 to 29 schedule means Europe’s largest business aviation show will resume its traditional pattern of running from Tuesday through Thursday. There will be a media preview day on June 1 at the Palexpo site next to Geneva International Airport, including press conferences and product unveilings.

General exhibitor bookings will open next month, with indoor space being allocated on the basis of loyalty to the event and stand size. Some premium locations will be offered through a randomized selection process to be confirmed on January 8.

According to EBAA, pricing for aircraft on display will be around one-fifth of rates charged at previous shows and will be closer to those for regional industry events than major international events. Indoor exhibit pricing has been frozen at 2024 rates to provide what the group called “long-term stability” for exhibitors. In November, EBAA unveiled plans for a new layout and location for the EBACE static display. 

Owners and operators of classic HondaJets and those upgraded to the Advanced Performance Modification Group (APMG) configuration can now add further enhancements with Honda Aircraft’s new APMG S package. The latest upgrades modify the older HondaJets to features offered on the current HondaJet Elite S model.

Already certified by the FAA, the APMG S upgrade adds software and hardware improvements to the HondaJet’s Garmin G3000 avionics; graphical weight and balance; the Advanced Steering Augmentation System (ASAS) nosewheel steering improvement; and a 300-pound mtow increase. ASAS improves handling precision and expands crosswind capabilities.

Honda Aircraft’s 21 authorized service centers and its headquarters service center in Greensboro, North Carolina, are offering the APMG S upgrade, which can also include interior refurbishment. Certification of APMG S in other countries is expected shortly. HondaJet simulators have been upgraded to reflect these changes.

“Honda Aircraft has challenged itself to provide our customers with top-level performance from the time the very first HondaJet rolled off the production line,” said Amod Kelkar, the company’s senior v-p, chief commercial officer, and large project leader for the HondaJet Echelon. “As we approach the tenth anniversary of our first HondaJet delivery, we are excited to provide our customers the opportunity to upgrade their aircraft with the advanced technology and performance of more recent iterations of the award-winning HondaJet.”

Aviation insurer USAIG has added Performance Vector benefits for users of AlarisPro’s Fleet Management software for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operators. The benefits enable AlarisPro UAS customers to use complimentary SafetyPoints, which provide discounts for services from participating providers such as AlarisPro.

The AlarisPro platform helps UAS operators manage flight, maintenance, safety, and component-level data in a single, secure solution. Modules include life cycle tracking, pilot and crew management, maintenance planning and documentation, an integrated safety management system, and flight risk management tools.

“As the unmanned aviation industry advances, operating fleets are getting larger, more diverse, and more distributed, rivaling and often exceeding the enterprise management needs of manned aircraft operations,” said Andrew Spiegel, USAIG senior v-p and head of unmanned aircraft underwriting. “it’s common for the number of aircraft and remote pilots in an unmanned operation to be considerably higher than a typical manned aircraft outfit, magnifying the challenges of sustaining operational oversight, safety management, and tracking of maintenance status and operator currency.”

USAIG UAS policyholders can apply their annual Performance Vector Unmanned benefit towards AlarisPro by registering their SafetyPoints with AlarisPro, then undergoing a consultation on the scope and cost of services needed, depending on the fleet composition and operational needs, according to USAIG. The SafetyPoints then “function like a gift card to subsidize a portion of the operator’s annual platform cost.”

Eve Air Mobility has flown a full-scale engineering prototype of its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. The uncrewed hover flight happened this morning at the Brazilian company’s test facility at Gavião Peixoto in São Paulo state.

Tests flights will continue throughout 2026, with Eve gradually expanding the flight envelope to full wingborne operations. By the end of next year, the company expects to build six fully conforming prototypes as it works towards type certification of the Eve-100 model with Brazil’s ANAC agency in 2027.

The initial engineering prototype does not feature design changes to the wing and propellers that were announced in June at the Paris Air Show. In early December, the Embraer-owned company confirmed the selection of an electric propulsion system developed by U.S. eVTOL aircraft developer Beta Technologies. It had been evaluating the pusher motors since the summer.

Other key suppliers for the Eve-100 include battery supplier BAE Systems, Aciturri (wings), Liebherr (actuators, Intergalactic (thermal management), Garmin (avionics), and Thales and Honeywell (sensors). Diehl Aviation and Recaro have developed the cabin interior.

On December 9, Eve completed a share flotation on the Brazilian stock exchange and secured $40 million in funding from the country’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development. The company completed a $377 million initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2022.

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