Velocity FBO Network has expanded to five locations with the acquisition of BTR Jet Center, one of three service providers at Louisiana’s Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (KBTR).

Located on the field’s east ramp, the facility—which opened in 2021—includes a two-story 6,600-sq-ft terminal and 90,000-sq-ft hangar. It features a passenger lobby, pilot lounge with a trio of snooze rooms, flight-planning area, eight-seat conference room, kitchen with cold storage, and observation deck. The hangar can accommodate ultra-long-range business jets.

Velocity, which began as a brand last year, is backed by private investment firm Tallvine Partners. It operates four other FBOs at Detroit-area Willow Run Airport (KYIP); Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM) in central Florida; St. Simons Island Airport (KSSI) in Georgia; and Lake Havasu City Airport (KHII) in Arizona.

“BTR Jet has established itself as one of the premier aviation service providers in the South, with modern facilities and a strong reputation for hospitality and operational excellence,” said Velocity CEO Chad Farischon. “We are excited to welcome BTR Jet, its employees, and customers into the Velocity family, and bring our broader resources and platform capabilities to support ongoing growth and innovation at Baton Rouge.”

Private flight membership group Hans Jet is touting the fact that its Pilatus PC-12 turboprop singles will avoid the UK’s new higher rates of air passenger duty (APD) that take effect from April 2027. With an mtow of 4.7 tonnes, the aircraft fall beneath the 5.7-tonne (12,570-pound) threshold at which steep increases in tax will begin.

From April this year, the UK government is increasing APD by 50% for aircraft weighing 20 tonnes or higher with fewer than 19 passenger seats. The changes have been opposed by the British Business & General Aviation Association and The Air Charter Association.

Under the increases in April 2026, the top rate of APD per passenger will range from around £142 ($194) for a domestic charter flight in the UK to £1,141 for a long-haul trip greater than 5,500 miles. The key change for next year is to lower the weight threshold to 5.7 tonnes, which would impact some light jet models such as the Embraer Phenom 300, but not the smaller Phenom 100.

Several other European operators offer PC-12s for charter services. In the UK itself, these include Oriens Aviation, SkyCare, and ASG Aviation, with other options being Jetfly (Luxembourg), Fly7 Executive Aviation (Switzerland), and Silver Flight (the Netherlands).

Two new bills on Capitol Hill are aiming to restore tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and boost the aircraft type certification process to help pave the way for new technologies such as advanced air mobility.

Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) with co-sponsors representing both sides of the aisle, the Securing America’s Fuel Act (S.3759) would return the tax credit for SAF production to $1.75 per gallon and extend it through 2033. This is the companion bill to the SAF Act (H.R.6518) introduced last year in the House of Representatives by Reps. Mike Flood (R-Nebraska) and Sharice Davids (D-Kansas).

Congress extended a tax credit for a broader swath of sustainable fuels but reduced the value. The SAF Act is intended to close the gap, explained NBAA, welcoming the introduction of the bill.

NBAA praised the introduction of House and Senate bills to help foster a more transparent and streamlined certification process. Also attracting support from both sides of the aisle, the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act aims to make aircraft certification more predictable by setting timelines, providing clear delegation of routine tasks, streamlining the process, and ensuring adequate government resources to support it. In addition, it seeks to ease paperwork requirements and directs that only novel or complex issues trigger additional review steps.

U.S. defense contractor L3Harris Technologies has received the first two Bombardier Global 6500s, destined for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), to begin special-mission-systems integration work. Building on a $2.26 billion contract signed in October—which saw Korea select the heavily modified platform for its next Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability—L3Harris says the receipt of the aircraft demonstrates “both program momentum and the maturity of its AERIS solution.”

Four aircraft will be converted for the ROKAF, a collaboration between L3Harris, Bombardier, Israel Aerospace Industries’ ELTA Systems, and Korean Air. No date has been given for aircraft completion, although L3Harris has confirmed that a “program is underway” for the timeline of system integration.

L3Harris’ AEW&C offering spans two missionized business jets: the AERIS system, using the now out-of-production Gulfstream G550, and the AERIS-X Bombardier Global 6500 conversion. With its selection of the latter, Korea became the opening customer for L3Harris’ Global 6500 solution.

Speaking at the recent Singapore Airshow, L3Harris principal for international business development Jason Whitford told AIN that the AERIS program’s success in the Korean campaign has prompted “significant interest globally” for the platform. A technology transfer arrangement that will see Korea adopt its own subsequent modification and production capability could also be “a winning model in other places as well,” he explained.

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While flying six passengers from Cabo Frio Airport (SBCB) to the Deep Blue Maritime Unit off the coast of Rio de Janeiro on January 2, the two pilots of an Omni Helicopters International Airbus H160 “suddenly felt high-amplitude vibrations,” according to Brazil’s Cenipa accident investigation and prevention bureau. “The crew made an emergency landing at sea.”

The H160’s float system was successfully deployed, and the passengers and crew climbed into life rafts and were soon rescued by navy personnel, with no injuries reported.

According to the Cenipa preliminary report, the H160 had been flying at 4,500 feet and 130 kias when “a rupture occurred at the upper rod end of the white blade’s pitch change rod. [The five rotor blades are color-coded for maintenance purposes.] From that moment on, the aircraft exhibited high-amplitude vibrations, along with variations in attitude and speed.” The H160 touched down on the water 90 seconds later. After the incident, the H160 was carefully towed over a span of nine hours to the port of Pavuna, where it was lifted by a crane and then moved into a hangar.

During the assessment of damage to the helicopter, Cenipa found that the white blade’s pitch change rod upper and lower rod end bearings were both broken, and the CVDR data and tail boom camera showed that the rupture occurred during flight.

AirX Charter has received approval from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), enabling the private jet charter operator to expand operations within the country.

Although AirX is already actively serving the Saudi market through international charter activity, the provider hopes its Part 129 GACA permissions will “enhance its private jet charter operations and aircraft presence” domestically there. These include AirX’s fleet of 21 aircraft, which it hopes will help “meet increasing demand for long-range corporate, governmental, and high-end private travel to and from Saudi Arabia.”

Believing that Saudi Arabia “represents one of the most strategic and dynamic aviation markets globally,” AirX group CEO Houssam Hazzoury views the GACA approval as a “clear opportunity to support the kingdom’s private aviation sector” in alignment with its Vision 2030 plans.

This international expansion follows a €115 million (about $136 million) bond raised by AirX in September, which will be used to add around 20 to 50 aircraft to its fleet. At the time, AirX stated that these would focus on heavy jets and VIP-configured airliners.

APP Jet Center has completed a six-month-long renovation of its FBO at Treasure Coast International Airport (KFPR) in Fort Pierce, Florida. According to a company spokesperson, the 6,200-sq-ft terminal was gutted down to the studs and rebuilt.

The lobby reception area and Airport Tiki restaurant were opened up and brightened to allow customers a view of the ramp and runway. (The restaurant kitchen can also provide catering upon request.) As well, the pilot lounge and flight-planning areas were updated while maintaining the laid-back atmosphere for which the facility is known.

A new line service office was added, giving the crew a better view of the ramp, along with a state-of-the-art aircraft tracking system, as APP strives to deliver “an elevated experience rooted in safety, efficiency, and personalized service.”

In addition to KFPR, APP has FBOs at Witham Field Airport (KSUA) in Stuart, Florida; San Francisco-area Hayward Executive Airport (KHWD); and Manassas Regional Airport (KHEF) in Northern Virginia. The investment from the company—which was recently sold—comes as business aviation activity continues to grow, particularly in the busy South Florida market.

“Treasure Coast International Airport is uniquely positioned as both a gateway to this community and a strategic alternative to congested South Florida airports,” said outgoing APP CEO Dan Harrow. “We’ve long been recognized as one of the most efficient and welcoming ports of entry to travelers arriving from the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean.”

The second wave of a new mandatory European aviation regulatory framework for information security management systems (ISMS) comes into effect on Sunday. An extension of existing safety regulations, EASA Part-IS (information security) will establish additional requirements for managing information security risks, focusing on safeguarding operations and strengthening resilience in civil aviation.

Although similar to existing protocols, Part-IS requirements also include a risk-based approach to protect digital assets and operations that—if compromised—could negatively impact aviation safety.

Recognizing that increased reliance on data requires heightened cybersecurity safeguarding, EASA is implementing Part-IS in two phases. The first compliance deadline of Oct. 16, 2025, applied to EASA-approved organizations such as airlines, airport operators, air navigation service providers, maintenance organizations, and other industry stakeholders.

The February 22 deadline will also see other bodies such as aviation authorities required to take extra steps toward safeguarding and monitoring data. In practical terms, this will include conducting risk analysis of potential cyber attacks, creating a security plan, training to identify potential problems, and a robust incident response procedure.

According to EASA, an organization may use an existing cybersecurity competency framework to develop its necessary Part-IS competencies. Although no specific risk-assessment framework is mandated, the regulator recommends a combination of methodologies, including assessing potential threats to assets alongside analysis of safety consequences.

With sustainability increasingly becoming a focus for the business aviation industry to reduce carbon footprints and use less energy, AIN is asking for your input to recognize leaders in this space. Last year, we launched the Sustainability Award for aviation service providers and announced the winner at the AIN FBO Awards Gala held at the end of the NBAA S&D Conference. This year, we are asking you—our readers—to evaluate the next set of award nominees and cast your vote for the company making the largest effort to institute environmentally friendly practices. The second-annual FBO Awards Gala will take place March 26, so don’t delay! Vote now.