The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) aims to strengthen its global presence in 2025 by participating in two major European industry events. The association will attend Corporate Jet Investor (CJI) London from February 3 to 5 and host an exhibit and a press conference at EBACE in Geneva from May 20 to 22. It noted that 73% of IADA dealers conduct business in Europe, alongside significant activity in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

“CJI London in February and EBACE in May present exceptional opportunities for IADA members to showcase their expertise and emphasize the benefits of ethical business aircraft transactions to European and global audiences,” said IADA executive director Lou Seno. “Our members are highly engaged in Europe and around the globe. These events offer outstanding content and unparalleled networking opportunities.”

Several IADA members will contribute to CJI London 2025 through panel discussions and presentations. Notable participants include Lannie O’Bannion, senior v-p of global sales and flight operations at Textron Aviation; Vivek Kaushal, CEO of Global Jet Capital; and Smitha Hariharan, v-p and chief sustainability officer at Gulfstream Aerospace. These representatives will offer insights into key industry topics, including sustainable aviation and the global aircraft finance market.

The association is also organizing a media briefing at EBACE to share the latest developments in the global preowned business aircraft market.

An inquest into the deaths of five people killed when a Leonardo AW169 helicopter crashed at an English soccer stadium on Oct. 27, 2018, opened in Leicester today. In a hearing expected to run through January 31, a senior coroner and a jury will assess the causes of the deaths of Leicester City Football Club chairman Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha; fellow passengers Nusara Suknamai, Kaveporn Punpare, and Izabela Lechowicz; and pilot Eric Swaffer.

The inquest began three days after Khun Vichai’s family filed a lawsuit in England’s High Court against Leonardo, the helicopter's manufacturer, claiming £2.15 billion ($2.6 billion) in damages for his death. In a statement issued on January 10, Leonardo expressed its deepest sympathy for those who lost their lives, saying it will defend the claim and is considering the matter with legal advisers and insurers.

During the inquest, the coroner and jury will hear evidence from the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), emergency services providers, eyewitnesses, and families of those killed in the crash, which occurred as the AW169 departed the King Power stadium after a game. The AAIB report published in September 2018 identified the main cause of the accident as failures in the tail rotor pitch control mechanism. The agency also made eight recommendations to EASA to address what it said were weaknesses in the certification process for large rotorcraft.

As the new U.S. Congress gets underway this month, the Senate Commerce Committee is immediately turning its attention to a nomination hearing for former House of Representatives Republican member Sean Duffy as secretary of transportation. Now chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) as the ranking member, the committee is set to hold its nomination hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

President-elect Trump in November announced Duffy—a former district attorney for Ashland County, Wisconsin, who served in the House from January 2011 until September 2019—as his selection for the role, succeeding Pete Buttigieg. More recently, he has co-hosted the Fox Business show, “The Bottom Line with Dagen and Duffy,” as well as a “From the Kitchen Table” podcast with his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy.

Although his resume suggests little transportation background, NBAA noted his experience in working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and his ability to navigate the complex legislative process. Further, in urging his confirmation, the association said, “While serving in Wisconsin’s largely rural seventh district in the House of Representatives, Duffy gained a firsthand perspective on the essential role of general aviation in areas without airline access.”

Also urging his confirmation was the Regional Airline Association, expressing similar thoughts about his experience understanding the unique transportation challenges of small and rural communities.

EASA has issued a revised conflict zone information bulletin (CZIB), updating its safety guidance around flights in Russian airspace. The update issued on January 9 specifically recommends against operations at all flight levels in Russian Federation airspace west of longitude 60 degrees east.

The European aviation safety agency said the latest CZIB is intended to take account of escalating risks resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and especially those relating to Russian air defense systems and drones. Specifically, the advisory draws attention to the December 25 incident in which an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed after being intercepted by Russian forces during a flight from Baku to Grozny. The flight diverted over the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan.

EASA warned that the deployment of Russian air defense systems in response to Ukrainian missiles and drones could have a direct impact on flight operations. The agency said Russia has “not demonstrated full proficiency” in addressing airspace risks “by implementing an efficient and proactive approach to airspace deconfliction.”

The CZIB also extends the existing warning about dangers related to jamming and spoofing of global navigation satellite systems. It covers the following flight information regions: Moscow, Rostov, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Samura.

Eyeing the ongoing technician shortage, NBAA’s Maintenance Committee has rolled out Campus Connect, a program designed to introduce college students and faculty to the business aviation industry and highlight its benefits. The program is designed to complement NBAA’s “Collegiate Connect” initiatives under which students attend NBAA’s annual convention to explore professional opportunities.

The Maintenance Committee has conducted direct outreach at college campuses with events at Western Michigan University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and other institutions that have served as a pipeline to business aviation. Next up will be Purdue University from January 14 to 16. During these events, the committee meets with students to provide an overview of the industry and offer an opportunity for the attendees to engage with those in the field.

Andrew Kiehl, committee chair and Purdue graduate, said, “We’re not just opening doors; we’re also guiding curriculum, educating the students on the benefits of a career in business aviation, and ensuring our pipeline of talent entering the industry remains healthy.”

“Hundreds of thousands of technicians will be needed across all sectors of the aviation industry in the coming years,” said Stewart D’Leon, NBAA director of environmental and technical operations and committee liaison. “This program enables us to engage directly with students, showcasing the diverse career opportunities in business aviation.”

Jet Aviation has expanded its continual supplies of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Europe to include its Basel, Switzerland facility at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (LFSB). This builds on the General Dynamics subsidiary’s experience as the first to bring SAF to Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2020. Jet Aviation also provided the renewable fuel in Geneva for EBACE since 2022.

The blended SAF—supplied by World Fuel—will be used for all company flights departing the LFSB site, including maintenance and completions redeliveries as well as test flights. “This is a fantastic achievement, and we are incredibly proud to bring SAF to Basel for the first time,” said Jet Aviation president Jeremie Caillet. “As our global headquarters and largest maintenance site, as well as home to our completions business, Basel is central to our network.”

The company has been a pioneer in the distribution of SAF with supplies at its Amsterdam and Rotterdam locations in the Netherlands, as well as in Singapore and in the U.S. in Van Nuys, California; Bozeman, Montana; and Scottsdale, Arizona. Later this month, it will be available at its locations in Dallas; Palm Beach, Florida; Bedford, Massachusetts; and Teterboro, New Jersey.

Nimbl facilitated the first U.S. delivery of a Dassault Falcon 6X to an unnamed Part 91 private aircraft operator in the fourth quarter last year. Under Nimbl’s Ready Flight International program, the aircraft was prepared for immediate operations, with necessary documentation approved by the FAA. "As a result, the customer was able to leave the factory with their new aircraft ready to begin global operations without any delay," according to Nimbl.

The Ready Flight program assists customers with regulatory approvals. Nimbl’s platform offers broad services for operators worldwide, from emergency response planning to flight risk mitigation. The collaboration between Dassault Falcon Jet and Nimbl is aimed at simplifying and streamlining aircraft delivery.

Nimbl, a procedures manuals, safety management systems, and compliance provider, announced its name change from Aviation Manuals in September 2024. In November, the company integrated with Airplane Manager to include business aircraft flight scheduling software.

AIN’s FBO survey is open for year-round feedback, but the deadline to vote in the 2025 survey (to be published in April) is January 17. The survey takes only a minute, and you can do it while waiting for passengers, on the shuttle bus to/from the hotel, or any other time that is convenient for you. Participants will be entered to win a $250 Amazon gift card (winner must reside in the U.S.). Log in to rate your experiences at the FBOs you visit.