The TSA is stressing the importance of outreach as the U.S. agency prepares for the anticipated jump in traffic for the FIFA World Cup. Speaking at the NATA Air Charter Forum last week in Washington, D.C., Kathia Pinard, industry engagement manager for general aviation for the TSA, noted that general aviation is anticipated to account for as much as 70% of the bump in traffic surrounding the World Cup.

“I think it’s critical and essential for us to engage and ensure that we come together, because you’re the charters, FBOs out there, and you’re the first front line," Pinard said. “I know that we can expect crowded ramps. We have limited parking, flight schedules, and reservations. Please ensure that with your logistics, everything’s done well in advance.”

Of particular concern is Real ID compliance, Pinard added. “With Real ID compliance in general aviation, we’ve had some challenges.” She cited instances where passengers are not verified through Real ID or authorized alternate documentation. If a passenger doesn’t present proper ID to the charter operator, then the carrier must deny boarding.

“For these big events, it is essential for you guys to really work with your passengers through your FBOs, your operators, your pilots to ensure that you plan logistics ahead of time, ensure that you verify identification of your passengers prior to them arriving at the airport.”

Avflight has inaugurated its new FBO at Detroit’s Coleman A. Young International Airport (KDET) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local officials and dignitaries.

The Avfuel sister company—the lone service provider on the field—has had a presence at KDET since 2011, previously occupying 3,500 sq ft of space in the airport’s 53,000-sq-ft 1950s-era former commercial aviation terminal.

This newly built complex offers a 5,000-sq-ft terminal featuring an open-concept lobby with a fireplace, pilot lounge, two snooze rooms, a six-seat conference room, and private tenant offices. It also includes a new 20,000-sq-ft heated hangar capable of sheltering the latest ultra-long-range business jets—bringing the location up to 44,000 sq ft of aircraft shelter—and an attached 1,400-sq-ft heated indoor vehicle parking garage.

According to Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, the FBO is the first new facility to be built at the airport in the past 60 years. Among the recent improvements on the field were a $3.5 million runway rehabilitation project, LED taxiway lighting upgrades, installation of an engineered materials arresting system, and a new control tower.

“When we broke ground on this project at the end of last June, we saw tremendous potential in Detroit and this airport,” said Joe Meszaros, Avflight’s senior v-p of operations. “This new facility provides the modern services and amenities operators expect while reinforcing our long-term commitment to Detroit’s growth and potential.”

Otto Aerospace has closed the G-1 issue paper for the Phantom 3500 light jet, “establishing the regulatory framework for FAA certification,” according to the company. Plans call for certifying the Phantom 3500 as a Part 23, single-pilot, all-composite design. Otto Aerospace applied for FAA certification in September and expects a first flight in 2027 and service entry in 2030.

Having completed the preliminary design review in February, the Otto team has begun advanced material testing while moving forward with key suppliers that include Williams International for the jet’s FJ44 engines, Garmin for avionics, and landing gear from Mecaer.

The Phantom 3500 will have a flat-floor cabin that is 6.4 feet tall and 7.5 feet wide with a volume of 800 cu ft. To help preserve laminar flow on the airframe, the cabin has no windows; passengers’ outside view is via camera feeds to the large Otto Supernatural Vision displays mounted inside the cabin.

“This is a huge moment for the entire Otto team and a really exciting milestone for the Phantom 3500,” said Otto Aerospace president and CEO Scott Drennan. “Now that the certification basis is in place, the program moves into a higher gear on execution. We have alignment with the FAA on what we need to demonstrate, and that gives us real momentum as we move toward first flight and entry into service.”

NBAA praised a recent FAA policy update designed to encourage pilots and air traffic controllers to seek mental health support early on without fear of putting their certificate in peril.

The update to the agency’s aeromedical policy marks “an important shift in the agency’s approach to mental wellness,” according to NBAA. “Rather than viewing participation in counseling or psychotherapy as a potential red flag, the revised policy explicitly encourages pilots and [controllers] to seek help through counseling, psychotherapy, and peer-support programs when appropriate.”

Additionally, the policy change directs aviation medical examiners (AMEs) to focus on underlying conditions and the severity of those conditions when determining certificate issuance. If concerns are present, the AME can defer to the FAA for the decision.

As part of this shift, the FAA has issued guidance that pilots and controllers should share with their providers, with a suggested format for a summary of diagnosis, severity, resilience, and ability to self-monitor. NBAA recommended that affected controllers and pilots bring this to their AME appointment.

“This is an important step forward in reducing stigma and encouraging early intervention, treatment, and resolution,” said Mark Larsen, NBAA director for safety and flight operations. “Mental health challenges can affect anyone, and pilots and controllers should feel empowered to seek support when they need it.”

Gulfstream MRO services have taken flight at the StandardAero Augusta, GA facility, and CompleteCare® support is available across the U.S. Backed by a $1M investment in Gulfstream training and tooling, and an 80k sq.ft. aircraft and service center expansion, StandardAero Augusta joins StandardAero’s Springfield, IL and Van Nuys, CA service centers in providing MRO services for legacy large cabin Gulfstream aircraft.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) closed its three-day Aviation Climate Week in Montréal on Friday by launching a program to help member states accelerate decarbonization efforts.

Called “Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for the Long-Term Aspirational Goal,” the program aims to help ICAO members achieve a target adopted at their 2022 assembly: net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It will help countries draft and revise climate action plans, gauge their emissions cuts, and secure climate financing.

More than 500 government, industry, and financial-sector representatives attended the gathering. Delegates landed on a shared message: countries may take different routes to decarbonization, but they “must remain harmonized and coordinated under ICAO,” the organization said.

Scaling clean energy remains a central objective. Participants pushed for stronger policy frameworks under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (Corsia), more money for sustainable aviation fuels, and wider use of the ICAO Finvest Hub before Corsia enters its next phase in 2027. That phase will require most member states to offset their emissions for the first time after years of voluntary participation, with exemptions for the least-developed economies and smallest markets.

Climate Week delegates pointed to operational changes as the quickest source of near-term emissions reductions, while acknowledging that emerging technologies “will require the continued development of harmonized international standards,” according to ICAO.

West Star Aviation’s purchase of mobile aircraft repair specialist DC Jet earlier this year is paying dividends as the combined companies saw record AOG volume last month. Through the acquisition, the Illinois-based MRO provider added technicians and expanded tools, which it said have enabled it to respond to customer needs quickly and efficiently as demand increased.

Those additional resources allowed the company to achieve an 84% customer request acceptance rate in May, also setting a record. It operates a dedicated 24/7 AOG call center staffed by 12 people who coordinate rapid response and dispatch technicians when customers require immediate support.

West Star’s AOG vans are equipped with the tools to quickly complete each job, enabling the company to return aircraft to service with minimal downtime. The AOG teams also have access to additional tools and ground support equipment from the company’s nationwide network to ensure they have what they need to address any unique requirements.

“The added resources have strengthened our ability to support customers at a critical time of year,” said West Star v-p of AOG Gary Lee. “As demand rises, we now have more than 250 technicians, essential to meeting our customers’ needs when no one ever plans to be grounded.”

Investment firm Bain Capital Private Equity signed a definitive agreement to take a majority stake in global logistics and parts supplier FDH Aero. Audax Private Equity, FDH’s majority shareholder since 2017, is anticipated to remain a significant investor in the company. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction, pending customary regulatory approvals, is anticipated to close in the latter half of the year.

Under the new structure, FDH CEO Ian Walsh and the current management team will remain in place. However, FDH said the partnership will fuel its next phase of growth with plans for investments in its capabilities, services model, and global reach. This growth is expected to come through strategic acquisitions and organically.

With 1,500 employees, locations in 15 countries, and 650,000 sq ft of inventory space, FDH provides hardware, electrical products, and consumables and expendables to both OEM and aftermarket customers across the aerospace sector. Since the initial Audax investment in 2017, FDH has expanded operations across five continents and completed a dozen acquisitions that expanded its commercial reach and revenue.

“This partnership marks an important and planned milestone in our growth plans and reflects the strength of our people, our business, and the opportunities ahead to create value for our customers and stakeholders,” Walsh said.

TAM Executive Aviation has become the first company in Brazil to install Gogo Business Aviation’s Galileo HDX connectivity system on an Embraer Phenom 300, under a domestically developed and approved certification.

The installation was completed under a Certificado de Tipo Suplementar (CST), Brazil’s equivalent of an FAA supplemental type certificate, issued by the Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC). TAM developed the CST in-house, and other operators seeking the installation on Phenom 300s may now acquire the certification from TAM. The company holds existing certifications for Galileo HDX installations on Cessna Citation Sovereigns and Latitudes.

The Galileo HDX uses an electronically steered antenna connected to the OneWeb low-earth-orbit satellite network, offering speeds of up to 60 Mbps. TAM noted that the system is suitable for light to large-cabin jets.

Wellington Amorim, director of the TAM Executive Aviation service center, said the project demonstrated the integrated capacity of the facility. He added that customers gain access to locally approved technology supported by a team, with installations carried out by teams that have mastered each step of the process. TAM Executive Aviation “brings together engineering, certification, and installation in a single ecosystem,” he said.

TAM Executive Aviation operates service centers in Belo Horizonte, Goiânia, and Jundiaí, the last of which the company describes as the largest executive aviation service center in Latin America.