EASA has published a regulatory framework for innovative air mobility covering uncrewed vehicles and what the European aviation safety regulator defines as piloted vertical takeoff and landing-capable aircraft (VCA). The agency issued documents covering acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance materials that it said cover everything VCA manufacturers, operators, and regulators need to bring the aircraft, including eVTOL air taxis, into service.

The initiative covers amendments to the EU’s core aviation Regulation No. 965/2012, as well as to Annex II (Part-ARO), Annex III (Part ORO), and Annex V (Part SPA)—respectively covering requirements for national aviation authorities, organizations, and operations requiring special approval. EASA has also introduced Annex IX (Part IAM) that specifically covers VCA operations. It said the guidance includes preflight preparation, fuel/energy management, and the availability of landing sites, including vertiports.

EASA’s new documentation also encompasses flight crew licensing with new AMC terms covered by Article 4f of EU Regulation No. 1178/2011. This includes guidance for the type ratings required for VCA pilots, including what the agency described as “adaptations for innovative aircraft designs and a broader approach to theoretical knowledge by referring to various aircraft categories.”

The regulator also amended the Standardised European Rules of the Air document to include the term fuel/energy.

The crew of a Dassault Falcon 10 failed to properly configure the twinjet’s thrust reversers for landing, at least in part due to an inappropriate checklist, resulting in a June 6, 2023, runway excursion at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (KECP) in Panama City, according to a newly released NTSB final report. None of the five occupants were injured, but the aircraft was substantially damaged when it overran the runway, struck light poles, and collapsed its landing gear in sand.

“The airplane checklist found in the cockpit was marked ‘For Training Purposes Only’ and for an airplane that was not equipped with thrust reversers,” the report notes.

According to the report, the jet touched down approximately 2,500 feet from the threshold of the 10,000-foot runway. After deploying the airbrakes, the pilot flying put engines into reverse idle and attempted to engage the thrust reversers, but they did not deploy. A warning horn sounded, and the captain called out “no brakes” after he applied normal brakes, and the aircraft still failed to slow. The copilot attempted braking as well, with no effect. 

Because the thrust reverser levers were still in the deployed position, the crew could not shut down the engines via the throttles. After it overran the runway, the aircraft struck multiple approach light stanchions, and the landing gear collapsed.

Bombardier has continued to make strides on its environmental, social, and governance goals, meeting or exceeding targets ahead of schedule, the company shared in its recently released 2024 Sustainability Report. In the report, Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel called 2024 “a year marked by steady progress and significant achievements in our pursuit of sustainability excellence.”

Among the goals obtained was the publishing of environmental product declarations (EPDs) for all of its in-production aircraft, becoming the first business jet airframer to do so. Bombardier began this target in 2020, publishing its first EPD on the Global 7500, marking a first for business jets. The company had set a 2025 goal of releasing them for all of its in-production models and reached that target in March last year.

The Canadian manufacturer also made progress on research of sustainable technologies, such as its blended-wing project, and increasing its use of book-and-claim and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This also included flight-testing a Global 6500 with 100% SAF.

Its greenhouse gas emissions, as measured in thousands of tonnes of CO2, lowered to 78.7 in 2024, compared with 102.5 in its 2019 baseline year. Its employee sustainability engagement score also strengthened to 80%, up from 73% in 2022 and exceeding the 75% target. These improvements came as Bombardier increased its revenues from $6.1 billion in 2021 to $8.7 billion last year.

NBAA has rolled out the dates of its 2026 regional forums, with one-day events planned in both South Florida on February 25 and the New York City area on June 3.

The Southeast Regional Forum will return to Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (KOPF), where NBAA last held it in 2024. That event attracted more than 3,700 attendees from 24 countries and 44 U.S. states, alongside 193 exhibitors and 25 aircraft on display. 

NBAA hosted its Southeast forum this year in Orlando, Florida, drawing thousands of attendees—including 400 students—and business aircraft from Bombardier, Cirrus Aircraft, Dassault Aviation, Daher Aircraft, Gulfstream Aerospace, Honda Aircraft, Leonardo Helicopters, and Textron Aviation, among others.

Meanwhile, the second such event in 2026, the Northeast Regional Forum, remains in White Plains, New York, at Westchester County Airport (KHPN), where it is held annually. This year’s White Plains event drew record attendance, a sold-out exhibit floor, and 20 aircraft on display. It also featured a flying advanced air mobility aircraft for the first time.

For the 2026 Miami forum, NBAA plans to release exhibitor information this October and open badge registration in November. Exhibitor information for the White Plains event also will be released in October, with badge registration available by April.

Business jet developer Otto Aviation has selected Mecaer Aviation Group to develop and supply the landing gear system and primary flight control actuation system for the Phantom 3500. The all-composite Phantom 3500 features a windowless cabin and is expected to enter service in 2030, with flight testing planned to begin in 2027.

To meet the goals of providing midsize-jet performance in a light jet platform, the Mecaer landing gear will feature “complex retraction and articulation kinematics to fit within the aircraft’s tight contours while maintaining structural and operational integrity,” according to Otto Aviation. The landing gear bays are compact and aerodynamically optimized, and the gear’s design will use “advanced multi-link geometries and space-efficient shock absorption systems to preserve the aircraft’s smooth external surface and low-drag profile.”

According to CEO Paul Touw, the jet’s mechanical flight controls will be easier to certify and fly-by-wire controls are too heavy for the 19,000-pound-mtow Phantom 3500. “When you go to fly-by-wire,” he said, “you’ve got to put augmented electronics and actuators all over the place, and that adds weight. So you really don’t save on a fly-by-wire system until you probably cross the 25,000-pound Rubicon, at least for the technology that exists today.”

Insect contamination on aircraft surfaces during peak bug activity seasons can significantly degrade aerodynamic efficiency and increase fuel consumption, according to recent research. A surprisingly low number of insect impacts on natural laminar flow (NLF) areas—such as wing leading edges and nose surfaces—can raise fuel burn by 1.1% to 4.4%, depending on flight length.

During warm months in many regions and throughout monsoon periods in parts of Asia, aircraft accumulate bug residue, primarily during ground roll, initial climb, approach, and landing. Estimates suggest that 50% to 60% of the contamination occurs during the takeoff ground run, with the remainder during low-altitude phases of flight.

The findings, based on research conducted by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), highlight this often-overlooked contributor to drag. Fuel accounts for 25 to 30% of an aircraft’s operating costs. A 1% to 4% increase in burn rate due to drag penalties across a large fleet can result in a substantial financial impact, noted aircraft cleaning systems manufacturer Nordic Dino.

It also found that airflow alone had a negligible effect on residue removal after coagulation, challenging assumptions that high-speed flight could help self-clean affected surfaces. While superhydrophobic coatings reduced the size of the affected area, they did not eliminate contamination entirely. These findings underscore the operational challenge insect impacts pose for aircraft, especially for designs relying on NLF for efficiency.