Dassault Aviation has pushed service entry of its flagship Falcon 10X to 2029, two years later than the target cited when the aircraft achieved first flight last month. Speaking yesterday during the company's half-year financial results press conference, chairman and CEO Éric Trappier attributed the extended timeline to a more stringent regulatory environment that took effect in 2023 in the wake of the Boeing 737 Max debacle.

“Ever since the Boeing accidents, certification has become a more complicated matter,” Trappier said. “Here we have a completely new aircraft. There are new rules, new certification rules that did not apply on the 6X, for instance, and so we expect the process to take longer. We remain cautious, and we say—we’re after the first flight—say, 2029. You have to allow two and a half years, maybe, for certification.”

The 10X completed its first flight June 19 at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (LFBD). At the time, Dassault apparently was still hoping for type certification in 2027. Trappier’s latest comments indicate the certification campaign will now extend at least until late 2028 or early 2029. A second flight-test 10X is expected to soon join the program.

Trappier also offered no firm commitment that the 2029 certification timeline would hold: “We’ll get back to you when we have more developments.”

The FAA plans to begin releasing its new Mobile Clearance tool for general and business aviation pilots next month following operational evaluations in Houston in May, the agency said today. Mobile Clearance allows pilots to request and receive IFR departure clearances using the ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot electronic flight bag apps.

First deployments will be at the evaluation sites, which include Appleton International Airport (KATW) in Wisconsin and New Century AirCenter (KIXD) in Olathe, Kansas. The FAA plans to add Kansas City, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; and Austin, Texas, in the fourth quarter, followed by nationwide deployment next year.

Pilots will also be able to cancel IFR flight plans using ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot, “helping them transition to [VFR] while allowing controllers to focus on aircraft separation,” according to the FAA. “This new tool is part of the FAA’s effort to modernize communications between pilots and air traffic controllers to improve safety and efficiency.”

“Mobile Clearance is a smart, simple improvement that builds on technology pilots already use every day,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “By moving routine clearances to a digital format, we can improve communication accuracy for pilots, reduce misunderstandings, and help controllers stay focused on aircraft movement and runway safety.”

Fuel exhaustion led to a left engine flameout on June 16, 2025, when the crew of a Beechcraft King Air E90 initiated a go-around at New Century AirCenter Airport (KIXD) in Gardner, Kansas. The flight instructor had not performed adequate fuel planning, according to the NTSB final report. It further noted that the instructor had not adequately monitored the pilot receiving instruction, which led to inadequate airspeed in the pattern and the need for the go-around. Both pilots sustained minor injuries after the turboprop twin crashed into hangars.

During the turn from base to final, the instructor said his attention was diverted to a cellphone to review the airport diagram and taxi route to the maintenance facility. When the instructor looked up, the airplane was in what he described as a “steep dive” at approximately 85 knots, below the 110-knot target for that phase of flight. The instructor directed the pilot receiving instruction to increase engine power; after the throttles were advanced, the airplane yawed left. The instructor “suspected that the left engine flamed out due to fuel starvation” and took control of the aircraft.

The airplane hit a hangar and came to rest on the roof. Based on the 33 ounces of fuel recovered post-accident, there was insufficient fuel remaining to complete a go-around and reenter the traffic pattern with one engine operating.

Duncan Aviation has completed its most intricate aircraft paint scheme to date, transforming a Citation CJ3+ into a 46-color flying work of art. The project also marks the first aircraft finished in the company's new Lincoln, Nebraska, paint hangar, showcasing the team's design creativity, craftsmanship, and technical expertise.

Greek charter flight provider Hoper is adding a pair of leased Airbus helicopters—a five-seat AS355 Ecureuil 2 and six-seat H135—to its fleet to meet high demand in the summer vacation season. According to the Athens-based company, the twin-engine rotorcraft will be operated by companies within its network of operators. Hoper is a charter marketplace that arranges flights in Greece, with a particular focus on services connecting Athens to coastal or island destinations such as Mykonos, Amanzoe, and Santorini.

“Our luxury hospitality partners Scott Dunn, Aman, Mandarin Oriental, and Original Senses share one thing: their clients fly in twin-engine only,” said Hoper chief commercial officer Dimitris Kossyfas. “We were already meeting that demand through third-party operators, so bringing our own twin-engine aircraft into the Hoper fleet was the natural next step.”

Powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce engines, the AS355 Twin Squirrel has a range of 380 nm, with its large windows offering good views for tourists of the Aegean Sea. The H135 has a club-configured cabin and a range of 304 nm. They join a Hoper network that already uses a collection of Robinson, Bell, Airbus, and Leonardo helicopters.

Hoper also offers flights in France, Italy, and Switzerland, and already serves 15 destinations and more than 50 routes in Greece. In September, it plans to launch commercial operations in the U.S.

NBAA applauded the passage of three measures by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee that will “enhance innovation, improve medication transparency for pilots and air traffic controllers, and accelerate the safe deployment of advanced air mobility aircraft in the National Airspace System.” The bills will now move to the Senate floor for evaluation by the entire chamber.

The first of the bipartisan bills, the Aviation Medication Transparency Act, calls on the FAA to publish and maintain a list of medications that pilots and air traffic controllers can safely take while maintaining their medical certification, removing the guesswork about prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Looking to streamline the FAA’s type certification process for advanced air mobility vehicles, the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act aims to improve transparency, predictability, and accountability in certifying emerging aviation technologies.

Lastly, the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act instructs the agency to lift the ban on civil supersonic flight over U.S. territory, permitting speeds of more than Mach 1 if no sonic boom reaches the ground.

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen noted that his organization strongly supports all three measures. “We appreciate the committee’s bipartisan leadership in advancing these bills and look forward to working with Congress to move them to the Senate floor and ultimately to the president’s desk,” he said.

JetNet launched JIQ this week to serve as a unified market intelligence platform for business aviation. According to JetNet, the new service pulls from the company’s wealth of industry data, including aircraft, ownership, transactions, inventory, and delivery information. Additionally, JIQ catalogues data from WingX and real-time ADS-B signals.

The company claims no other dataset or competitor offers the same combined view of market and aircraft activity, presenting JIQ as the “most complete picture of business aviation available anywhere.”

“JIQ gives us the chance to synthesize intelligence from across the industry’s leading data foundation,” said JIQ managing director Richard Koe. “We’re looking forward to introducing new insights by integrating more data and through innovative formats—showing that JetNet Group’s combined knowledge amounts to far more than the sum of its parts.”

Koe was selected by JetNet to lead the platform, guiding its team of analysts specializing in aircraft valuation, transaction markets, regional dynamics, and other aspects of industry demand.

JetNet is offering free access to JIQ throughout 2026, including a monthly trailing-12-month market barometer, webinars, presentations, and proprietary insight reports. Surveys, forecasts, and meetups will soon follow, according to the company.

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New York’s Sullivan County has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for an FBO provider at Sullivan County International Airport (KMSV). Located in the state’s Catskill region, near the New York/Pennsylvania border, the airport offers a 6,300-foot runway with a full-length parallel taxiway and is staffed from 7 am until 7 pm on weekdays.

Built at a cost of $24 million, the airport’s 15,000-sq-ft, two-story terminal opened in October and features a pilot lounge and 30-seat meeting room. A full-service restaurant with panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains will open later this year.

The Titan Aviation Fuels-supplied fuel farm includes 12,000-gallon jet-A and avgas tanks. It is served by a 5,000-gallon jet fuel truck and a 3,000-gallon avgas tanker.

“The airport is close to New York City, equipped to handle sizable corporate and cargo jets, and has nearly 600 acres available for development, all at a cost significantly lower than similar airports in the New York metro region, since it’s municipally owned,” Joe Perrello, Sullivan County legislator and chair of the legislature’s public works committee, told AIN. “With a brand-new terminal built sustainably of wood and heated/cooled geothermally, the airport is primed and ready for business.”

County officials will welcome interested operators to a site visit open house on July 29. The due date for RFP responses is August 21.

AIN Media Group's AircraftPost is a subscription-based platform that empowers the business aviation industry, supporting OEMs, brokers, owners, operators, appraisers, and finance companies. With access to real-time data, clients can make strategic decisions and receive insight into aircraft values. If you would like to schedule a demo, please contact Jo-Anne Arruda today.