Embraer Executive Jets today announced its third aircraft refresh this year alone with the Phenom 300EV, adding Garmin Autoland, autobrake, rudder-by-wire system, and a slew of other improvements to the best-selling light jet. The move builds on the February launch of the Praetor 500E and 600E, both of which are now certified by the FAA, EASA, and Brazil’s ANAC. According to Embraer, the 300EV has completed flight testing and is expected to receive the same trio of approvals by year-end, with first deliveries set for late 2028.

As the largest business jet equipped with Autoland, the Phenom 300EV can execute an automated landing in the unlikely event of pilot incapacitation. Landings and takeoffs are assisted by autobrake, while a new Embraer-developed multipurpose electronic controller (MEC) integrates rudder-by-wire functions.

Additional enhancements as part of the Garmin G3000 Prodigy Touch avionics include runway/taxiway awareness, a synthetic vision guidance system, FANS 1/A+, RNP AR 0.3, and an inertial reference system. Performance updates include 45 nm more range, to 2,055 nm, and a 430-pound payload increase, to 3,066 pounds. The 300EV also adds True Blue Power lithium-ion batteries and LED taxi and landing lights.

Inside, the new Phenom gets a vacuum toilet and a redesigned galley that can accommodate a commercial-off-the-shelf coffee/espresso machine. The Gogo Galileo connectivity system is now a factory-installed option; Starlink connectivity will be available as an aftermarket solution.

Satcom provider Iridium Communications is now making its satellite-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) commercially available, following the announcement of its development nine months ago. The PNT chip is available to developers of navigation products for protection from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) jamming and spoofing, which affects the relatively weak signals from GNSS constellations.

The ASIC “delivers cryptographically secure timing and location data from the Iridium satellite network through one-way signal bursts that are powerful enough to work where traditional GNSS often cannot, including inside structures and in contested environments,” according to Iridium. The chip measures 8 by 8 mm and weighs less than 0.2 grams.

Skyband Systems has signed up for the Iridium chip and will include it in its M100 LRU for business and commercial aviation avionics products. According to Skyband, “The M100 combines Iridium PNT with onboard inertial sensing to alert crews to GNSS jamming and spoofing while providing aircraft location for enhanced situational awareness.”

“Iridium’s secure and powerful global service is the perfect platform for Skyband’s resilient navigation product,” said Skyband co-founder Robert Wiggenhorn. “We are excited to partner with Iridium as they launch the Iridium PNT ASIC and look forward to further strengthening their legacy of aircraft innovation and safety.”

Following its acquisition of the lease of the former infrastructure assets of aircraft operator and defense contractor Metrea at Oklahoma’s Wiley Post Airport (KPWA), AvionAero, an aircraft maintenance provider, has now added an FBO to its operation, making it a full-service shop for aircraft operators and bringing the number of service providers on the field to three.

The company recently held the grand opening of its 17,000-sq-ft terminal and offices, which underwent a half-million-dollar renovation. Open daily from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., the facility includes a 10,000-sq-ft lobby; two conference rooms seating 12 and six, respectively; a canteen; a pilot lounge with snooze room and showers. Three crew cars are also available.

The Phillips 66-branded facility offers 75,000 sq ft of hangars capable of sheltering up to a super-midsize jet, and AvionAero waives ramp fees on quick turns or with a minimum fuel purchase.

“As an independent FBO, we can spoil our customers, and that’s how we compete and win on personal service,” said co-owner Justin Covalt. “We offer a personal touch and are willing to do more.”

On the maintenance side, AvionAero is an FAA Part 145 repair station specializing in aircraft maintenance and support across a broad range of airframes, including Beechcraft, Cessna, Learjet, and Gulfstream models. It can also install performance modifications on Beechcraft King Airs and Cessna Caravans.

Hangar Direct, a web-based platform that started out as a quasi-Airbnb for aircraft owners seeking overnight or short-term shelter for their aircraft, has continued evolving into a software-as-a-service provider. The four-year-old company has now removed all service fees for pilots using its service and hangar operators listing vacancies, and added hangar management services.

“I built Hangar Direct because I got caught in bad weather in my Phenom 300 and spent hours on the phone getting pressured into overpriced options,” said company co-founder, CEO, and pilot Trenton Ray. “Removing fees is about making sure the platform is actually on the pilot’s side and not taking a cut every time someone needs a place to put their airplane.”

The website has listings searchable by airport, state, lease type, and aircraft size. Aircraft operators can also join waitlists for airports in specific areas to be notified when suitable spaces open up.

In partnership with airports, FBOs, and other hangarkeepers, Hangar Direct is now offering hangar management services, with listing management, tenant compliance, lease creation, payment tracking, document storage, e-signatures, and marketplace lead management all in one place.

“The compliance module is the most significant new capability in the platform,” said Ray. “It was built specifically for the documentation burden that airport operators and FBO managers deal with constantly.”

DAS Aviation has expanded its heat exchanger inspection, repair, and overhaul service to help Cessna business jet operators reduce downtime and avoid costly replacements. The program delivers an average two-week turnaround while restoring every unit to original manufacturer specifications, giving operators a fast, dependable path back to service.

Jeppesen ForeFlight is venturing further into the hardware side of aviation with the Sentry SkyPlay, an instrument that mounts in an aircraft’s panel and replicates the ForeFlight Mobile electronic flight bag environment. SkyPlay is manufactured by uAvionix, which also makes the Sentry series of ADS-B receivers for Jeppesen ForeFlight. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

SkyPlay isn’t just the one instrument that visitors to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh next week can see at the Jeppesen ForeFlight exhibit, but part of what the company said is “a connected avionics and mobile device ecosystem that brings the familiar ForeFlight experience to the panel while preserving the flexibility pilots value on their iPad.”

The launch product is the Sentry SkyPlay Mini, a three-inch display that fits in standard instrument panel holes and that has dedicated physical controls, including a rotary knob. This gives pilots the option to use the physical controls instead of the touchscreen on an iPad, and to view ForeFlight on a panel instrument as well.

Jeppesen ForeFlight and uAvionix plan to expand SkyPlay into a family of larger form-factor displays with additional functionality. “The long-term vision shared by uAvionix and Jeppesen ForeFlight is a suite of aviation applications running on certified panel displays, anchored in the ForeFlight user experience, with certified flight functions protected at all times,” according to Jeppesen ForeFlight.

Avtopia has officially launched its online aviation community, “to bring aviation together in one trusted space.” Founded by business aviation veterans Doug and Caterina Taylor, the first service for the new “professional aviation community platform” is Avtopia AOG, and Part 91 and 135 operators of more than 125 aircraft have already signed up. The Avtopia app is available for iOS and Android devices.

There is no charge for Avtopia users—both operators and service providers. Revenues will be generated by advertising, according to Caterina Taylor. “It’s been a long time coming,” she told AIN, with the team going through many iterations before settling on the current platform.

Initially, the plan was to provide a similar service to Angie’s List for business aviation because finding services online often didn’t work, Taylor explained. “It’s so fragmented, and we’re all in our own little silos. We don’t accomplish as much as we could if we were all together.” Conferences and conventions are useful, she added, “but nobody knows what the other is doing, and we’re not using our collective voice.”

“Avtopia was built on a simple belief: aviation is stronger together,” said CEO Doug Taylor. “The future of this community will be shaped by the people who participate in it. Every connection, every conversation, every review, and every success story contribute to a stronger aviation ecosystem.”

Three of Universal Aviation’s FBOs in Italy have achieved Stage II registration under IBAC’s International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). They include three of the country’s most important business aviation gateways: Rome Ciampino Airport (LIRA), Milan Linate Airport (LIML), and Milan Malpensa Airport (LIMC).

Launched in 2014, IS-BAH is a voluntary, three-tiered, audit-based program built on the adoption of safety management systems and industry best practices. The first locations were accepted into Stage I a year later. IS-BAH Stage II validates that a location’s safety management system has matured beyond initial implementation and is being applied consistently in daily operations.

The timing of Universal Italy’s achievement comes as the country and the broader Mediterranean region are in the middle of the busy summer peak season, when aircraft parking, airport coordination, slots, ground transportation, catering, and last-minute schedule changes can provide added pressure on operators, crews, and handlers.

“Achieving IS-BAH Stage II at Rome and both Milan locations is a proud moment for our entire Italy team, especially as we are right in the heart of one of our busiest operating periods,” said Lorena Carraro, managing director, Universal Aviation Italy. “This accreditation reflects the discipline, preparation, and teamwork our people bring to the ramp every day.”

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has reiterated its belief that member states need to “maintain a globally harmonized approach” to strengthen the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Notably, as member states “move from planning to implementing concrete action” to reduce international aviation emissions, ICAO believes it is “critical that these efforts remain aligned within [its] global framework.”

CORSIA is currently the only approved global system under which carbon credits—which can also help facilitate the adoption of SAF at scale—can be applied to emissions from international flights. The scheme is in its first phase, running from 2024 to 2026, during which participation is voluntary. Currently, 126 ICAO member states are participating. A mandatory second phase, set to run from 2027 to 2035, will apply to almost all international flights among ICAO’s member states.

At the 42nd ICAO Assembly, held in late 2025, the organization said CORSIA has been “supported unanimously,” ensuring that airlines around the world operate “under the same fair and consistent rules.” ICAO believes that cooperation between member states will “maintain a level playing field for all, ensure transparency, and strengthen trust among all [participating] countries.”