Business aircraft charter flights from French airports will be subject to a steep increase in passenger taxes from March 1 in a move the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has warned could threaten operators based in France. Under a budget pushed through last week by new French Prime Minister François Bayrou, charter operators may be obliged to collect taxes ranging from €210 to €2,100 ($2,200) per passenger.

The new "taxe sur les billets d’avions" levy on all commercial flights was first proposed in October 2024. Initially, according to EBAA France’s chairman, Charles Aguettant, it was not clear that there would be a special higher-rate category for business aircraft. To the group’s dismay, the tax rates now about to be imposed represent an increase of up to 300% on earlier rates.

Over several weeks, the group lobbied over proposals made by the government of former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, which would have imposed taxes of between €300 and €3,000 per passenger. This resulted in the rates being reduced to between €120 and €1,200, but then Barnier was forced out of office after losing a parliamentary vote of confidence.

What’s more, EBAA France has warned its members that enforcement of the new tax is expected to be quite severe. According to the group, operators who don’t collect the correct amount of tax from passengers could now face fines. 

At least one person was killed and three injured when a Learjet 35A believed to be owned by rock musician Vince Neil suffered a landing gear collapse on Monday afternoon after touching down at Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) in Arizona and careening into a parked Gulfstream G200.

The accident occurred around 2:45 p.m. local time as the Learjet registered as N81VN was arriving from Austin, Texas, with four people aboard. It lost control midfield and departed the runway. On the ramp near the Southwest Jet Center private hangar complex, it impacted the Gulfstream, which was managed by charter operator Jet Pros.

A statement from the City of Scottsdale said that the Learjet’s left main landing gear collapsed, causing the runway excursion. Surveillance video captured the moment of collision as the light twinjet skidded off the runway at a high rate of speed and struck the stationary G200 on the right side behind the wing, moving it forward.

According to the city, one person was pronounced dead at the scene and three were transported to a local hospital. A fifth person declined medical attention.

Jet Pros reported no injuries on board the Gulfstream, but external damage was sustained to the aircraft. The Scottsdale-based company expressed condolences to the family members of those affected by the accident and thanked airport personnel for their swift response.

President Trump has issued an executive order that imposes a 25% tariff on importing steel and aluminum products into the U.S., aiming to bolster domestic steel production and ensure “national security.” There are no exceptions or exemptions stated in the order.

The administration has argued that these changes will protect American jobs, reduce reliance on foreign steel, and strengthen the country’s industrial base.

The Trump Administration’s push and pull with tariffs has prompted caution among voices in the aviation industry, with many industry players taking a “wait and see” approach to what’s ahead.

When tariffs were initially proposed for Canadian and Mexican imports, Bombardier said it was surveying possible outcomes. “We have worked on multiple scenarios that will help us face this situation, and we will take the coming days to complete our analysis,” the company said in a statement.

The three countries eventually agreed to hold off on moving forward on imposing tariffs on each other while discussions continued on border security and trade.

“We welcome the administration’s decision to pause the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, so that their implications can be fully understood,” NBAA said at the time.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association cautioned that tariffs could disrupt the industry’s economic ecosystem.  

The FAA issued a notice on February 10 reversing Notam terminology from the December 2021 “Notice to Air Missions” to the previous “Notice to Airmen.” In 2021, the term was changed to be gender-neutral and to account for the growing number of unmanned drone operations. 

The agency message simply states: “Effective immediately, the term Notice to Air Missions (Notam) is being changed to Notice to Airmen (Notam), and the title of FAA Order 7930.2 is being changed to ‘Notice to Airmen (Notam).’” It also orders that all directives and publications be updated “as soon as practicable.”

In 2021, Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), criticized the previous terminology change, calling it virtue signaling by the FAA “instead of focusing on safety.” It is unclear what virtue or safety issue the February 10 FAA order addresses, and the agency did not provide an explanation for the reversal.

The International Civil Aviation Organization definition of Notam (Notice to Airmen) never changed after the 2021 FAA change.

SkyAlyne, in partnership with subcontractors KF Aerospace and CAE, announced purchase agreements with Textron Aviation for seven Beechcraft King Air 260s and complementary components for flight simulators. These aircraft and simulators, the latter to be manufactured by CAE, will support the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program.

Deliveries of the King Air 260s are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2028, with multi-engine pilot training to take place at Southport, Manitoba. They will replace King Air 90Bs that have been in use since 2005 as the primary multi-engine trainers for the RCAF.

“These twin-engine turboprop aircraft deliver versatility, high performance, efficiency, and advanced avionics—all essential ingredients for effective pilot and aircrew training,” said SkyAlyne general manager Kevin Lemke.

Awarded to SkyAlyne in the spring of 2024, the FAcT program is designed to consolidate three separate RCAF training programs into one streamlined operation. As part of the program, SkyAlyne will oversee training at three operational bases: Southport and Winnipeg, both in Manitoba, and Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. The program will employ a range of simulators, virtual reality devices, and cockpit trainers.

The inaugural Business Aviation Asia Forum and Expo (BAAFEx), set for March 4 to 6 at Singapore's Changi Exhibition Centre, has already attracted a respectable lineup of exhibitors, including major industry players, including Boeing Business Jets, Lufthansa Technik, and VistaJet. The show, announced in October, is being organized by Experia Events.

With more than 1,200 business jets as of 2023, the Asia-Pacific market is the world’s third-largest, behind North America and Europe. Vista, a prominent global business aviation group based in Dubai, saw its flight numbers increase by 20% year-over-year in 2024, with Southeast Asia being a key growth area, according to Experia.

“The response from the major aircraft manufacturers, aircraft management, and aircraft operators to BAAFEx 2025 has been very positive,” said Experia managing director Leck Chet Lam. “The consensus is that Asia-Pacific…warrants having its own show dedicated to business aviation.”

Among the participants in BAAFEx 2025 are aircraft management firm Gama Aviation and connector and cable manufacturer Glenair. Boeing Business Jets will display aircraft at the event, and VistaJet will showcase its flagship Bombardier Global 7500. Amber Aviation will bring a Gulfstream G450.

In addition to static aircraft displays, BAAFEx will include expert panels, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities, serving as a platform for industry stakeholders to explore new regional and global opportunities in the business aviation sector. BAAFEx will alternate with the biennial Singapore Airshow.

Twenty years ago, engineer Richard Morris and his wife Sally launched Innovative Advantage to develop the first audio/video distribution system (AVDS) for business aircraft. Even before massive amounts of streaming video data came onto the scene, Morris saw a need for a fiber-optic backbone that supports AVDS nodes with configurable slots for in-flight entertainment (IFE) and cabin management system (CMS) components and that can handle almost unlimited growth. The past two decades have borne out Morris’ convictions.

“Innovative Advantage has a history of technology innovations,” said Greg Cornell, the Kirkland, Washington company’s president. “[It] hit at a perfect time where fiber-optic distribution was at an inflection point where it could be used as a backbone.” Since its founding in 2005, Innovative Advantage has delivered more than 10,000 AVDS nodes, and the first one is still working and remains upgradeable.

The advantage of the AVDS is not only the upgradeability of the nodes but also the ability of the fiber-optic backbone to host as many nodes as an aircraft needs. Smaller aircraft would require just a few. Another advantage is that the fiber-optic backbone is compatible with components from other IFE and CMS manufacturers, so a customer can enjoy the benefits of a Collins Venue or Honeywell Ovation system while also retaining the Innovative Advantage backbone and upgradeability.