Skyryse has finalized the design of the cockpit of its Skyryse One helicopter, which is a conversion of the turbine-powered Robinson R66 to fly-by-wire flight controls managed by a single control stick and touchscreen displays. The flight control system is Skyryse’s own design and uses its SkyOS “universal operating system for flight.”

According to Skyryse, two designers with experience in automotive interior design brought the production cockpit design to life: George Evans, lead human factors engineer, and Pete Blades, v-p of design. Blades worked for Tesla for 10 years, designing interiors for the Model 3, Model Y, Semi concept, and Roadster. Before that, he worked on human-machine and user interface design for Nissan’s Infiniti brand after designing Crew Dragon interior concepts for SpaceX.

“Starting our scalable interior design journey with Skyryse One was critical to our mission,” said Blades. “This new, updated, and upgraded pilot-centric design is flexible enough to give us the ability to implement SkyOS in any aircraft no matter the size, form factor, or use case.”

In the Skyryse-modified R66, a single flight control is positioned between the two front seats, and pilots can fly from either seat. There are no conventional helicopter controls; these are all removed as part of the conversion. Two main touchscreen displays are the entire avionics interface.

With early bookings for the 2025 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition set to close on January 17, show organizer EBAA is preparing to confirm the core exhibitor list later this month. The organization—which is now in sole charge of the annual trade show—will also announce the conference agenda, including new topics each day of the May 20 to 22 event, early next month when it opens the visitor registration process.

EBAA COO Robert Baltus told AIN that many of the usual companies are expected to return for this year’s EBACE, which will feature both indoor exhibits and the static display at Geneva International Airport and the adjacent Palexpo facility. Among the themes to be covered in daily programs are sustainability, innovation, and business aviation operations, with EBAA having decided to merge its popular Air Ops event with EBACE.

According to Baltus, EBAA has two core objectives for the 2025 event, which he said has reached a transitional phase as the industry group seizes the opportunity to reinvent the show. The association wants to respond constructively to industry requests for an improved value proposition around EBACE and also give it a more distinct European look and feel after years when U.S.-based NBAA was the primary organizer.

“The show will look different from when visitors come through the entrance and in many other ways,” Baltus said.

Éric Trappier today began his new role as CEO of French industrial group Dassault, which includes Falcon and Mirage manufacturer Dassault Aviation, as well as IT specialist Dassault Systèmes and real estate division Immobilière Dassault. In a move announced in February 2024, Trappier is replacing Charles Edelstenne, who has led Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault since 2018, while retaining his existing position as CEO of Dassault Aviation.

Trappier has spent his entire career with Dassault, having joined the company soon after graduating with an engineering degree from France’s Telecom SudParis university in 1983. He became the head of Dassault Aviation in 2013, taking over from Edelstenne, as well as holding the position of chairman of the company’s U.S. subsidiary, Dassault Falcon Jet.

Groupe Dassault, founded in 1929 by aviation pioneer Marcel Dassault, remains a family-owned venture, with four family members on its board. The group’s business interests also include French newspaper Le Figaro, auction house Artcurial, and a wine estate in the Bordeaux region.

Trappier also serves as president of French aerospace industry group GIFAS and defense group CIDEF. He will now oversee the strategic direction of the Dassault group, as well as leading its business and military aviation division.

The UK began a new phase in its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system yesterday to include travelers from the U.S. and most of the globe. All aircraft operators are affected by the change.

Under the new regulations, carriers must verify passengers’ travel authorizations before departure. Flight crew arriving on noncommercial flights will also need an ETA, a digital record linked to a traveler’s passport, unless they meet specific exemptions. Operators that fail to check, or that carry passengers without a valid ETA, risk fines of up to £50,000 (about $61,000).

The UK began implementing the ETA program in November 2023 for travelers from Qatar, with further updates for citizens of other Gulf states in 2024. As of yesterday, ETA is also required for passengers from the U.S., Canada, and other non-visa countries outside of Europe. Final expansion to European nationals is planned for April.

For operators, implementing ETA will require updates to the General Aviation Report and Advanced Passenger Information submission processes. Carriers must confirm passengers’ ETA status before boarding. If a passenger has not obtained an ETA or has been denied, they must not be allowed to board.

ETA will be valid for two years, allowing multiple visits, but travelers must apply again if they renew their passports in that timeframe.

Atlas Air Service has become the first European maintenance organization to obtain a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the installation of the Gogo Galileo HDX satcom system on a business aircraft. In collaboration with Gogo Business Aviation, FTI Engineering Network, and Aviation Services Reinhard, Atlas completed the installation of the low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite terminal on an Embraer Phenom 300.

The system provides high-speed airborne connectivity, delivering speeds of 45 to 60 Mbps via the Eutelsat OneWeb LEO satellite network. The antenna and system installation was carried out at the Atlas Air Service center in Bremen, Germany, with the STC finalized by EASA earlier this month.

Radu Grigore, maintenance commercial director at Atlas, tested the system in the Phenom and confirmed its performance, noting that the Galileo satcom supports multiple 4K video streams simultaneously. “The system offers exactly what was expected: high speed and low latency,” he said.

Atlas is also developing STCs for the Cessna Citation CJ series, with the first installation planned this month. From the second quarter, Atlas will be the first service center in Europe to offer installation of Gogo Galileo hardware for both the Citation CJs and Phenom 300s. The system can be installed at Atlas Air Service locations in Bremen and Augsburg, as well as in Altenrhein, Switzerland.