The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has expanded Falcon Technic’s authorized maintenance organization (AMO) approval to cover line support for the Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy. On Friday, the Dubai-based group announced the approval as part of a longer-term plan to expand its maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities.

Yesterday, the GCAA further amended Falcon's AMO to include clearance to maintain lead-acid and NiCad batteries and emergency locator transmitters. According to the company, these C5 and C6 component ratings expand its in-house capability and will allow it to deliver faster service to operators and with a higher degree of quality control.

By year-end, Falcon Technic aims to secure authority to perform base maintenance, including 24-month inspections, for the large-cabin Bombardier Challenger 604/605, as well as for the Embraer ERJ-145/Legacy 600/650. It is also seeking approval for base maintenance, including 120-month checks, on Bombardier Global Express twinjets.

The company’s CAR 145 license already covers line maintenance for Global Expresses, Challengers, and Legacys operated in the charter market under its Falcon Luxe brand. It is now seeking line maintenance approval for the Challenger 850 and Gulfstream G550.

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) yesterday unveiled a bill that is designed to address several issues that surfaced in the aftermath of the January 29 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), including a requirement for all aircraft—including military operations—to use ADS-B technology and for newly manufactured aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B Out and In. Sixty-seven people died when a U.S. Army Black Hawk collided with a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 on final approach to KDCA.

Introduced six months after that accident, as well as just ahead of a three-day NTSB hearing on the events surrounding it, the Rotor Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act closes a “loophole” that enabled military operators to turn off ADS-B, permitting only exceptions for “sensitive government missions” and not training flights. Following the accident, investigators found that the military branches routinely turned off ADS-B.

Additionally, the bill calls on the FAA to release rules within two years for new manufactured aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B Out and In, providing another year for compliance. It further requires the FAA to review helicopter routes near airports and directs the Army Office of Inspector General to conduct a safety coordination audit. The Commerce Committee noted that the OIG has “declined to voluntarily review the Army’s aviation safety practices.”

A key area of focus during the first day of the NTSB investigative hearing on the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 with a U.S. Army Black Hawk Sikorsky UH-60L is the helicopter’s air data system and barometric and radar altimeter discrepancies. The accident resulted in the deaths of all onboard the CRJ700 airliner and the three crewmembers on the Black Hawk.

To conclude on Friday, the hearing will not generate any conclusions as to the cause of the accident. During opening remarks this morning, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy explained, “An investigative hearing allows the NTSB to gather sworn testimony from witnesses on issues identified by the investigative team for a specific event or systemic safety issues. Investigative hearings are fact-finding proceedings. The purpose is to receive testimony and evidence, which may be of aid in determining the cause of an accident. This is not an adversarial hearing.

“The Board does not permit cross-examination of witnesses in the legal sense, nor do we permit questions related to fault, outside litigation, or legal liability in general. Such questions are not relevant to the fact-finding purposes of an investigative hearing conducted by the NTSB or our statutory mission. This does not mean difficult questions won’t be asked. They will be, and they should be. This is an investigation. We are here to improve safety.”

Luxaviation has signed a long-term agreement to buy synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) for its private aviation fleet. Under the deal announced yesterday, the Europe-based business aviation group will receive 10,000 tonnes of fuel produced by Icelandic company IdunnH2 over a 15-year period starting in 2029.

This eSAF will be produced at a site near Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport using renewable electricity and recycled carbon dioxide. According to the companies, the eSAF will meet the requirements for the ReFuelEU and EU RED II legislation, as well as the European Union’s Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin requirements.

The fuel will be made available across the Luxaviation group, including for its aircraft management and charter fleet, and at its ExecuJet FBOs. Initially, the primary distribution mode will be through the company's book-and-claim system.

"The potential for direct physical uplift at selected locations is being explored, but is not yet guaranteed," a Luxaviation spokesperson told AIN. "It will depend on the development of an efficient logistical chain in the coming months."

Both companies said they expect to finalize details of the supply agreement in September 2026. According to Luxaviation, the pricing assumptions for the eSAF are within the lower end of current industry benchmarks.

Engineers at RTX, half a world apart, bond in building the backbone of a future plane’s power system.

Aircraft management, charter, and maintenance provider Davinci Jets is now an authorized service center for Tamarack Aerospace’s active winglet systems. The Tamarack autonomous load alleviation system (Atlas) modifies Cessna CitationJets with winglets and Tamarack active camber surfaces, which actuate during flight to reduce the increased load on the wings caused by the winglets. The result is lower fuel burn, improved climb performance, and extended range.

Davinci Jets will offer installations of the Tamarack active winglet systems on the Textron Aviation Cessna Citation CJ/CJ1/CJ1+/M2/M2 Gen2, CJ2/CJ2+, and CJ3/CJ3+/CJ3 Gen2 at its Charlotte, North Carolina MRO facility.

“The addition of these winglets not only enhances the aircraft’s efficiency but also improves its overall performance in a way that our customers will truly appreciate,” said Trey Darr, v-p of Davinci Jets Services. “There are pilots on our team here at Davinci who have operated Citations with the Atlas winglets, and they rave about the performance gain. Additionally, we can integrate the winglet installation with other essential inspection and maintenance services, ensuring that our clients make the most of their aircraft’s downtime.”

Avfuel has added a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) terminal in Denver, marking the first SAF supply point in the central U.S. The fuel is derived from used cooking oil via the HEFA-SPK pathway. The Denver terminal is expected to improve SAF accessibility across the U.S. and support business aviation’s broader goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Avfuel’s first in the region, the Denver terminal is intended to reduce the need to transport SAF from coastal hubs, offering a more efficient and geographically balanced supply chain. It joins the company’s existing SAF points in California, Texas, Florida, and New Jersey, bringing the total to eight.

“We continue to see interest in SAF adoption,” said Avfuel executive v-p C.R. Sincock II. “Avfuel is proud to have established the first SAF supply point in this region, significantly enhancing our national supply infrastructure and leading the way in providing sustainable solutions for aviation operations.”

The Denver expansion is supported by an agreement with Valero Marketing and Supply Company, a subsidiary of Valero Energy. Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture between a Valero affiliate and an affiliate of Darling Ingredients, produces the neat SAF.

Vietnam’s business aviation sector is in its early stages but showing signs of significant potential, according to Quang Le, key account manager at Chapman Freeborn’s Ho Chi Minh City office. With only 10 to 12 private jets based in the country—just three of which are available for charter—the market remains small relative to its economic scale.

“This market, at the moment, lacks a couple of aircraft types, especially in terms of midsize jets,” Le said. “An introduction of midsize jets would significantly reduce the price for short flights that typically last an hour or so.”

He cited strong domestic growth, rising foreign investment, and an emerging luxury tourism sector as key drivers. Vietnam’s 7.52% GDP growth in the first half—the fastest in 15 years—has created demand for more accessible business travel options, Le noted.

Regulatory conditions have improved in recent years, with more business jets now able to register and operate locally. Chapman Freeborn, part of Avia Solutions Group, has established a dedicated local presence to support clients navigating the market. “Like I said in the beginning, it’s uncharted waters, but the companies that manage to successfully navigate today may well be positioned to excel in the market and shape it,” Le said.