Atlantic Aviation has expanded its network footprint in the Caribbean with the purchase of the ExecuJet FBO at Princess Juliana International Airport (TNCM) on St. Maarten. One of two service providers on the field, ExecuJet had operated there since it acquired an FBO in 2016.

The two FBOs had operated from temporary facilities until recently, when they moved into a permanent general aviation terminal—the refurbished former temporary commercial terminal that was built to handle airline passenger processing while the main terminal was rebuilt following Hurricane Irma in 2017. Each of the service providers occupies approximately 1,200 sq ft within the terminal, with the remaining shared space housing restrooms, border control, customs, and the airport authority security screening area.

The location offers a full suite of ground handling services, including fueling, parking, landing permits, water, lavatory cleaning, and GPUs, as well as concierge, customs and immigration clearance, catering coordination, and ground transport.

As the island enters its peak season, the FBO will continue to operate under the ExecuJet name in the short term, and its existing team will be retained.

“Providing our customers with an expanded international footprint while strengthening our Caribbean network are important goals for us,” said Atlantic CEO Jeff Foland. “Our prestigious new St. Maarten location allows us to accomplish both—providing customers in the region with seamless access to Atlantic’s industry-leading service and hospitality.”

Aviation groups have protested at the UK government’s decision to apply a previously-proposed higher rate of air passenger duty (APD) to aircraft weighing 5.7 tonnes (12,540 pounds) or more from April 2027. The tax ruling announced in an annual budget statement on Wednesday is a change in policy since during a consultion process concluded in January, the government had indicated that the higher rate would apply to aircraft weighing 20 tonnes or higher with fewer than 19 passenger seats.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the Air Charter Association, along with the British Business & General Aviation Association and the Regional & Business Airports Group, said they were disappointed with the widening of the scope for the new tax rate. From April 2027, the highest APD charge per passenger will range from £146.63 ($190) for a domestic charter flights up to £1,178.20 for a trip over over 5,500 miles.

The change will be implemented through the pending Finance Bill 2026. The UK government has said it will hold a further technical consultation to allow stakeholders to comment on how the rules will apply.

According to the industry groups, they have provided evidence that the duties will reduce business investment into the UK and curtail improvements in the sustainability of aviation. They said that the new rates are unlikely to increase overall tax raised from the business aviation sector.

Moody’s has upgraded Bombardier’s credit rating from B1 to Ba3 with a positive outlook, bringing the Montreal-based manufacturer back into the Ba/BB category with both that ratings agency and with S&P for the first time in more than a decade.

The change in rating follows a period when Bombardier’s backlog had grown to $16.6 billion by the end of the third quarter, adjusted net income had jumped 59% year over year to $227 million on revenues of $2.3 billion, and available liquidity had reached $1.6 billion. It also marks the company’s slow climb out of deep debt that forced it to sell off all of its non-business-aviation businesses—including regional jets and turboprops, aerostructures, and rail—and evolution into a pure-play business aviation company in January 2021.  

“This achievement reflects the company’s strong and consistent execution across business segments, solid financial performance, and disciplined deleveraging efforts over recent years,” said Bart Demosky, Bombardier executive v-p and CFO, in a statement yesterday. “With a robust backlog ensuring visibility on future deliveries and the continued expansion of our services and defense businesses, we are building diversified and resilient revenue streams that strengthen our long-term outlook.”

Demosky added that the airframer's strengthened financial footing and diversified revenue streams are reinforcing its ability to grow across its portfolios.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has approved fractional ownership group Flexjet to operate flights in the country. With the certification confirmed on Tuesday, the U.S.-based company has become the second international operator—after its rival VistaJet—allowed to enter the Saudi domestic market since the government introduced new rules on May 1.

The authorization confirms that Flexjet meets the safety, regulatory, and operational requirements under Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Law. During a ceremony in the capital Riyadh, GACA’s executive vice president for economic policies and logistics, Awad bin Attallah Al-Sulami, presented the certificate to Ben Watts, chief operating officer of Flexjet’s EMEA region.

According to GACA, the gradual lifting of restrictions on international business aviation operators is being conducted in accordance with the country’s Vision 2030 strategy for developing Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector. By that date, the country aspires to be the biggest aviation market in the Middle East.

GACA is implementing a General Aviation Roadmap with a view to ensuring that infrastructure development is aligned with regulations and investment opportunities in what has been a highly restricted market. According to Flexjet, there is rising demand for private aviation services from business travelers and high-net-worth individuals in Saudi Arabia.

In August, GACA approved VistaJet to operate charter flights into and within Saudi Arabia. The company’s Dubai-based operation provides services with its Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft.

Cirrus has deployed a new aircraft trade-in and upgrade program called Cirrus Next to help buyers and owners purchase a new SR series piston single or Vision Jet.

Owners of late-model SR series airplanes and all generations of Vision Jets can trade their airplane in for a new one, and the Cirrus Next program will help eliminate “the complexities of managing two aircraft at once or having a gap in aircraft ownership,” according to the company. The manufacturer-backed trade-in program offers a seamless experience for buyers and owners, Cirrus added, “complementing the authorized preowned network of Cirrus brokers.”

With Cirrus Next, existing Cirrus owners won’t have to experience any downtime; Cirrus will time transactions to ensure the buyer has an airplane to fly continuously. All airplanes in the Cirrus Next program are vetted by the company’s factory evaluation and refurbishment process, and each airplane includes a detailed service and inspection record.

“Cirrus Next eases the new aircraft upgrade process for SR series and Vision Jet owners,” said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. “We are dedicated to simplifying aircraft ownership, and with Cirrus Next, we aim to complement new aircraft sales purchases and our network of brokers by removing barriers, uncertainty, and downtime oftentimes associated with the transition.”

Omni Helicopters International stands out in a business aviation sector that has generally remained quite reserved, and even skeptical, about the viability of urban and advanced air mobility. This year has seen the company doubling down on its efforts to diversify beyond rotorcraft operations into new markets, including eVTOL air taxis and drone services.

The Portugal-based group’s subsidiary in Brazil has begun proof-of-concept flight trials with between three and five helicopters standing in for the eVTOL vehicles it expects to start receiving from Eve Air Mobility in 2027. In June, Omni spinoff Revo signed an agreement with Eve to buy up to 50 examples of the four-passenger aircraft.

Early trial flights using helicopters are connecting points across the sprawling, traffic-infested city of São Paulo, providing connections to Guarulhos International Airport and to several beachside and inland communities where affluent locals have homes.

The flights to and from downtown are anywhere between 43 nm and 65 nm. Most of these will be within the initial range limit of Eve’s eVTOL model, for which the technology demonstrator flight is anticipated by year end.

Omni’s management team is now poised to make its next move by launching trial operations in a second location. Having evaluated options including Rio de Janeiro, Bogota in Colombia, Peru’s capital Lima, and Mexico City, the company has instead resolved to expand to an as-yet-unconfirmed U.S. city.

European charter broker X-1 Jets is offering a selection of prepaid flight packages intended as Christmas holiday gifts. The deals announced by the Estonia-based company last week start at $15,000 for a jet card covering flights within Europe, running up to $1.5 million for a world tour aboard an Airbus Corporate Jet.

One of the options in the X-1 holiday catalogue is the Summit Collection offering for skiing enthusiasts. This provides jet flights to Alpine resorts such as Courchevel and St. Moritz, with helicopter connections, ski passes, and equipment transfers. Glacier landings and guided off-piste tours can also be arranged by the brokers.

The World Tour package involves a family booking to spend 10 days globe-trotting in a chartered ACJ TwoTwenty, with a cabin featuring a master suite, lounge and dining area, and meals prepared by “Michelin-level” caterers.

In June, X-1 Jets launched its own jet card program for U.S. travelers wanting to make trips in Europe, covering blocks of 6.25, 12.5, and 25 flight hours. The packages include concierge service for trip support and limousine transfers on arrival and departure.

The Christmas metal jet cards are provided in a black gift box with a digital key giving access to each client’s private trip portal.