West Star Aviation has expanded its aircraft maintenance footprint with the opening of its fifth satellite facility in the U.S.

Located at Addison Airport, a dedicated general aviation gateway in the Dallas Metroplex, the 40,000-sq-ft hangar will enable the Illinois-based company to provide expanded maintenance and repair capabilities for the region, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, AOG support, installations and upgrades, and inspections.

The company views the Addison operation as a key development, which will showcase an advanced avionics upgrade capability supported by its structural and engineering expertise. Current services operate during daytime hours, with plans to extend to seven-day-a-week coverage to meet growing demand.

“This expansion is more than a new location; it is a commitment to our customers,” said satellite location manager Robert Harris. “The Addison hangar footprint, combined with our experienced team and the specialized tools we have invested in, enables us to deliver faster, more comprehensive service, whether it is scheduled maintenance, AOG support, or complex upgrades. It is an exciting milestone for West Star Aviation and the Dallas community.”

The Cessna Citation M2 Gen3 prototype completed its first flight yesterday, advancing Textron Aviation’s next-generation light jet program toward FAA certification and service entry in 2027.

Piloted by Andrew Thorson and Tanner Towns, the initial flight lasted 2.7 hours and focused on evaluating aircraft handling and key systems. The test airplane reached a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet and speed of 263 knots. The aircraft will now enter an expanded phase of flight testing.

“With this prototype now in our flight-test program, we are continuing rigorous evaluation as we move steadily toward certification,” said Chris Hearne, senior v-p of engineering and programs at Textron Aviation.

The M2 Gen3 features Garmin G3000 avionics, autothrottle, and Garmin Emergency Autoland—the same avionics package introduced on the Citation CJ4 Gen3, which is approaching FAA certification this year. With a maximum range of 1,550 nm and a maximum payload of 1,510 pounds, the M2 Gen3 has seating for up to eight occupants and a baggage capacity of up to 725 pounds. Interior updates include premium cabin styling, ambient lighting, wireless charging, USB-A and USB-C ports, and an optional folding side-facing seat that doubles as cargo space.

“This milestone reflects the dedication and expertise of our team and highlights our commitment to designing, certifying, and delivering the best aircraft for our customers,” Hearne said.

ExecuJet MRO Services Australasia is boosting maintenance capability to support the Dassault Falcon 7X at its Sydney facility, the company announced today. It is investing in specialist tools, as well as mechanic training and other technical resources, to service the trijet.

The operation at Sydney Airport (YSSY) is preparing to start conducting C-checks on the 7X starting in October. These are the most extensive scheduled maintenance events for the type and are required every eight years or 4,000 cycles. In addition to new tools, ExecuJet MRO Services is acquiring ground support equipment needed for the heavy maintenance checks on the French-made aircraft. Two of its technicians will undergo training at the FlightSafety International facility at Paris-Le Bourget Airport.

According to ExecuJet MRO Services regional v-p for Australasia Grant Ingall, the company is seeing growing demand to support Falcons. ExecuJet MRO recently completed a C-check on a Falcon 2000 in a project that also included exterior repainting conducted by partner Douglas Aerospace.

In July, the Sydney facility had three Falcons—a 2000EX and a pair of 900EXs—booked in for heavy maintenance checks at the same time. It has just been contracted to complete another Falcon 2000 C-check later this year.

ExecuJet MRO Services is wholly owned by Dassault, but also supports other business aircraft made by Bombardier, Embraer, Gulfstream, and Textron Aviation.

Helicopter MRO provider Heli-One has opened a Sikorsky S-92 customer support center in Cabo Frio, Brazil. The move is part of Heli-One’s strategy to deliver service closer to customer locations by expanding support around the world.

Both Sikorsky and leasing company Milestone are supporting Heli-One’s move to have the first S-92 support center in Brazil. Milestone owns 17 of the approximately 40 S-92s based in South America.

“This investment will significantly improve maintenance turnaround times and parts provisioning for S-92 operators across Brazil and the wider South American region, helping keep critical missions flying with greater reliability and efficiency,” said Heli-One president Kevin Spengler. “Operators will also benefit from the depth of experience within Heli-One’s highly skilled workforce, which has supported Sikorsky products for decades across our operations in Norway, Canada, and Poland. By bringing together that global expertise and applying the lessons learned from our established S-92 capabilities in those markets, we are building the foundation for Cabo Frio to become a leading regional center of excellence for the S-92.”

“The investment our three companies collectively are planning for the center of excellence in Cabo Frio will enable us to stock more helicopter parts in Brazil, train workers…to repair parts locally, and meet our goal to increase flight availability for operators,” said Sikorsky v-p of global commercial and advanced programs Leon Silva.

The FAA will require Part 135 operators to comply with SMS regulations by May 2027. To simplify the process, Nimbl created a clear roadmap with practical monthly action items to help operators stay on track, avoid confusion, and confidently build compliance ahead of the deadline.

As it continues to ramp up production of its Cessna SkyCourier utility turboprop twin and prepares for certification of its Beechcraft Denali turboprop single, Textron Aviation has completed a major expansion of its flight-test facility hangar at its East Wichita campus.

The project added 57,000 sq ft of space, including six new hangar bays on the north side of the facility, significantly increasing capacity for flight-test operations. According to the airframer, the expanded facility allows flight-test teams to move more efficiently between aircraft preparation, data collection, and evaluation.

“With more space and flexibility, our teams can run multiple test profiles in parallel and turn aircraft more efficiently,” said Brad White, Textron Aviation’s senior v-p of manufacturing operations.

The SkyCourier serves a wide range of market segments with multiple configurations, and as its uses expand into defense and special missions applications, recent enhancements such as an optional in‑flight operable door further extend its operational flexibility.

“As demand for the Cessna SkyCourier continues to grow across commercial, cargo, and special missions markets, it’s critical that our facilities and teams are positioned to support that momentum,” said Lannie O’Bannion, the airframer’s senior v-p of sales and marketing. “By investing in additional flight test capacity, we are strengthening our ability to efficiently support development today and as demand continues to expand.”

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) has added 13 more members in a move that it says will further strengthen its global network of business aircraft transaction professionals.

Three newly accepted IADA-accredited dealers include Global Aircraft Corp. and EMCJET, both of which provide brokerage and advisory services to a worldwide client base. Europe-based EAC Aircraft Sales, which IADA says offers “deep regional expertise and global reach,” completes the trio. While the organization defines its dealer members as “the most respected and experienced,” they must still be re-accredited every year.

Meanwhile, 10 new IADA-verified products and services members will help to “bring unique capabilities and a proven track record that enhances the value IADA members deliver to the global marketplace,” explained IADA executive director Lou Seno. These consist of Airshare, Banyan Air Service, Beacon Aircraft Technical Services, Citadel Aviation, Elevate Jet, Jets MRO, Leviate Jet Management, Million Air charter management division MAnext, Northpoint Commercial Finance, and RIM Alliance.

Garmin’s SmartCharts are now available on Garmin Pilot Web, allowing users to plan flights on the web version of the Garmin Pilot app and form a “strategic plan for the upcoming flight,” according to the company.

SmartCharts smoothly adjust and scale to optimize the way information is displayed on the charts, allowing pilots to see the information they need when they need it and minimizing distracting, non-pertinent information. Pilots can select transitions and other details on departure and arrival or terminal procedures, and the chart adjusts to show only pertinent information for that particular routing. Own-ship position is available on all SmartCharts, including on the profile view.

While users can attach an approach procedure to a flight plan in the Garmin Pilot app, this capability isn’t currently available on Pilot Web, although this can be done with arrival/departure procedures.

“SmartCharts have completely changed how pilots plan and brief instrument flights, and this capability now comes to Garmin Pilot Web,” said Carl Wolf, v-p of aviation sales, marketing, programs, and support. “The decluttered terminal procedures allow pilots to focus on the most relevant and key information for their flight, ultimately helping to promote safety and situational awareness well in advance of stepping into the cockpit. Now, no matter how a pilot plans their flights, they can use our revolutionary SmartCharts.”

The case of Flight Options versus the U.S. has finally been resolved, according to a May 27 filing from the United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

Flight Options was a fractional-share flight operation founded by Kenn Ricci and later acquired by Ricci's Directional Aviation Capital. In 2007, Flight Options was subject to a federal excise tax audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which claimed that the excise taxes that apply to commercial (including Part 135) flights—the so-called 7.5% “ticket tax”—should be assessed for other costs such as management fees. The IRS’ move to tax ancillary fees also ensnared NetJets and Bombardier, which then had its own fractional-share operation.

In an amendment to the tax code in 2012, instigated by Congress, fractional-share owners were exempted from such taxes. But the Flight Options litigation continued as it applied to pre-2012 flights, and the government wanted to impose a $39 million judgment on Flight Options ($24 million in uncollected taxes on fixed fees, plus interest and penalties).

The court concluded that “Flight Options’ fixed fees do not constitute payments for ‘transportation by air.’ The monthly and membership fees provide neither a ‘fare’ nor a ‘ticket,’ nor ‘the right to transportation.’ They instead provide the option to purchase flight hours—an option that fractional owners and jet members may exercise only after paying the hourly usage fee.”