After a year of construction, Signature Aviation has opened its new FBO terminal at Florida's Key West International Airport (KEYW), where it is the lone aviation service provider serving the southernmost city in the contiguous U.S.

At 4,500 sq ft, the facility more than doubles the size of the previous one leveled to make room for the new construction. It has an elevated main level with covered vehicle parking underneath and features a café, two private passenger lounges, pilot lounge, conference room, business center, crew cars, kitchen, and onsite car rental. A second-story patio adjacent to the terminal provides guests with a scenic view, and the complex also includes 23,500 sq ft of hangar space that can accommodate up to super-midsize business jets.

“We are delighted to see our vision for the new Signature Key West come to life in a way that pays tribute to such a vibrant community,” said company CEO Tony Lefebvre. “The design, amenities, and expanded space will create the perfect environment for our team members to deliver a warm and inviting experience for every guest.”

ForeFlight has released the Voyager app for Apple’s newly released Vision Pro virtual reality headset. The free app puts the user into a “3D airport exploration experience,” with a depiction of the airport using satellite imagery, high-resolution terrain, and live traffic data “to bring each airport to life in 3D on top of a floating disk that users can view from any angle,” according to ForeFlight.

Traffic in Voyager is shown at to-scale altitudes with realistic pitch and bank, and it includes all aircraft types such as airliners, business jets, turboprops, light airplanes, and helicopters. Selecting an aircraft pops up flight plan and aircraft type information and live speed, altitude, and heading. Airports available in Voyager include ForeFlight’s curated list of featured airports plus worldwide airports or nearby airports sorted by proximity.

“ForeFlight is excited to deliver this unique 3D airport exploration experience to aviation enthusiasts with Apple Vision Pro," said company CEO Tim Schuetze. “This exciting new spatial computing platform enables us to deliver all-new experiences that were never before possible, and the new Voyager app is a great example of our continued innovation.”

Vision Pro users and ForeFlight subscribers can also use the Vision Pro headset to plan flights in the ForeFlight app. Using finger and hand gestures, the user can interact with the app and move around in the maps tab.

Air Elite, the World Fuel Services-sponsored network of upscale aviation service providers, has added two new locations to its international roster. They include Jet Prime, the lone FBO at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (FIMP) in Mauritius, and Skypark FBO Malaysia at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (WMSA), near the country’s capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Jet Prime provides a secure and tranquil private facility away from the busy main terminal, with onsite border control, immigration, health, and customs screening. The facility offers hospitality services to both private and commercial airline customers, with a dedicated aircraft parking slot and a 21,000-sq-ft hangar.

Located 30 minutes from the Kuala Lumpur city center, SkyPark FBO—which is open 24/7—provides in-house customs, immigration, and quarantine service, a café, passenger and pilot lounges, shower facilities, and fuel service. It can also accommodate visiting aircraft in its 28,675-sq-foot hangar.

Both additions to the network passed a review of their facilities, service, and qualifications by the Air Elite Board before being invited to join.

“We welcome Jet Prime and SkyPark FBO Malaysia as an extension of the network in Africa and Asia,” said Malcolm Hawkins, World Fuel Services’ senior v-p for global business aviation. “Our commitment to delivering outstanding service standards and premium facilities is reinforced by the addition of these two locations.”

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) are advocating for an increased tempo in the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel in European business aviation as the sector faces continuing scrutiny. In a new report, the organizations are recommending a continual increase in the sector’s usage of SAF, but one that is at an aggressive pace, higher even than what is mandated by recently adopted regulations.

The plan starts with a goal of 5 percent business aviation SAF usage by 2025 and ramps up to 20 percent by 2030, 60 percent by 2040, and culminates in 100 percent adoption by 2050.

Given the current difficulties faced in sourcing actual SAF at most locations, the two alphabet groups are campaigning for the implementation of a robust book-and-claim system, which would allow aircraft operators to purchase SAF globally and receive the environmental credits even when the physical fuel is dispensed at another location into an entirely different aircraft.

“With SAF playing a key role in decarbonizing business aviation, it is vital that we work with authorities and legislators to incentivize and strengthen efforts to develop, deploy, and increase overall usage of SAF,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “This initiative further demonstrates the industry’s commitment to achieving our sustainability goals.”

Honeywell Aerospace is investing $84 million to expand its avionics manufacturing facility in Olathe, Kansas. According to the company, the expansion is expected to generate $47 million in total gross domestic product and contribute $18.3 million to state and local taxes in the first six years. It expects the expansion to employ an additional 153 employees at the site and create more than 200 other supported jobs across Kansas.

“Expanding this facility will enable the development of a strong and resilient domestic supply chain for next-generation avionics and printed circuit board assemblies that our commercial and military customers can rely on,” said Honeywell Aerospace Technologies president and CEO Jim Currier. He noted that the expansion was part of a larger push on the company’s behalf to bring more investment and employ more skilled labor in the U.S. workforce.

The current 560,000-sq-ft facility is used for manufacturing components for Honeywell’s avionics, safety and flight control systems, and radio frequency systems for traffic collision avoidance, radar altimeters, and weather radar.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she hoped Honeywell’s growth would allow for more high-tech jobs to come in the state. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) added, “Honeywell’s decision to expand its operations in Kansas will help bolster the U.S. domestic industrial base in the aviation sector.”

NBAA praised the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) decision to provide a blanket waiver that will enable Part 135 air taxi operators to provide lift for presidential election campaigns. The waiver removes restrictions that essentially limit air taxis to selling charters to single entities rather than on a per-seat basis.

Otherwise, air taxis would have to conduct such flights as public charters under DOT Part 380, which accompanies financial arrangement, disclosure, and advance notice requirements. Further, the FAA is looking at definitions of Part 135 that may ultimately preclude those operators from flying under Part 380.

In the case of presidential election seasons, pools of journalists will fly along but are required to reimburse the campaigns for their travel expenses. By waiving the restriction on per-seat costs, DOT eases the path for campaigns to charter flights, NBAA explained.

“The presidential campaign charter service is specialized and tailored to the specific needs of the candidates,” the DOT noted. “The security protection furnished by the Secret Service is provided by law, and the news coverage provided by the news media representatives accompanying the candidates provides a valuable service to the public.”

The waiver remains in place until November 12 and also extends to Republican and Democratic convention delegates, state, and national party committee members.

Safran and its partner Turbotech have reported progress in their efforts to develop hydrogen-powered turboprop engines for the general aviation market. Last month, the French companies ground-tested a hydrogen-fueled gas turbine as part of the BeautHyFuel project to produce a hydrogen powertrain for a light aircraft.

French aircraft engines and systems manufacturer Safran reported the tests were successfully conducted at the Vernon facility of space group Ariane, which has used hydrogen propulsion for rockets. The work, which has received French government financial backing, also included Elixir Aircraft, Air Liquide, and Daher.

According to Turbotech CEO Damien Fauvet, the first test used one of the company’s TP-R90 regenerative turboprop engines. “As we move to liquid hydrogen fuel, the aim is to offer a high energy-density propulsion system with real commercial applications,” he said. “Our solution will be readily retrofittable on light airplanes and could have potential in other market segments.”

Safran’s involvement in the BeautHyFuel project is part of its wider work with CFM International—its engines joint venture with GE Aviation—to support Airbus’ ZeroE project to produce a hydrogen-powered airliner by 2035.