Gulfstream Aerospace notched two key milestones for its ultra-long-range G700: the 100th customer delivery and 100th city-pair speed record.

The delivery, to an unnamed customer, comes a little more than two years after the 7,750-nm business jet first entered service. Receiving FAA certification on March 29, 2024, the aircraft has since received approvals in more than 20 countries. More than 700 pilots have been type-rated on the model.

As for the speed record, the 100th was logged on a trip from Savannah, Georgia, to San Jose, California. That journey was completed in 4 hours 36 minutes with an average cruise speed of Mach 0.91. Subsequently, the aircraft, which has an Mmo of Mach 0.935, set yet another record between San Jose and Teterboro, New Jersey, in 4 hours 14 minutes, also at Mach 0.91.

“The G700 has once again set a new benchmark, firmly establishing itself as the business aviation industry flagship,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “As deliveries have increased, so has customer demand. Thanks to the investments Gulfstream and our parent company, General Dynamics, have made in next‑generation manufacturing technology and facilities, the G700 quality and maturity are second to none.”

Butler National subsidiary Avcon Industries is offering two special-mission modifications for Bombardier Challenger 604, 605, and 650 twinjets under new supplemental type certificates (STCs) issued by the FAA. The modifications are for fuselage underside rail mounting provisions for sensors and mission equipment and a fuselage underside-mounted radome.

The Challenger rail system STC is similar to a previously approved Avcon STC for Beechcraft King Airs and Cessna Caravans. The rails can accommodate mission sensors such as large radar systems and electro-optical/infrared equipment.

To make the special-mission radome compatible with synthetic aperture radar systems and other sensors, Avcon engineers designed the radome with advanced materials that provide a range of transmissivity characteristics.

“The Challenger platform is widely used worldwide for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, maritime patrol, and other special-mission applications due to its combination of range, cabin volume, and operational flexibility,” said Avcon Industries president Marcus Abendroth. “The Avcon team worked diligently to secure these certifications, and we appreciate their commitment, expertise, and technical achievement throughout the program.

“These certifications significantly expand the Avcon special mission platform portfolio and position the Challenger 604/605/650 as an attractive option for customers requiring greater range, endurance, payload capacity, and mission flexibility. The Challenger STCs represent another step in the Avcon strategy to expand its portfolio of special-mission aircraft modification solutions across multiple aircraft platforms.”

Canada’s London International Airport (CYXU) in Ontario has received a new service provider with the opening of FlyXcite FBO. Under construction for nearly two years, the $15 million CDN ($11 million) facility includes a two-story, glass-sheathed 12,000-sq-ft terminal with a double-height, naturally lit lobby offering panoramic runway views, refreshment bar, pilot lounge with snooze rooms and flight-planning area, showers, concierge, conference room, and catering coordination. On the second floor are offices for guest use—either long-term or daily—and a 1,200-sq-ft outdoor viewing deck with an adjoining interior kitchen.

The complex also includes a 35,000-sq-ft heated hangar that can accommodate aircraft up to the size of Bombardier Globals. Customs clearance is available on the ramp, along with full ground-handling services.

As an unbranded FBO, the location is using the European model for fuel purchasing, giving operators their choice of fuel providers, rather than being limited to a single supplier.

“FlyXcite FBO was built to challenge convention,” explained company CEO Nick Erb. “We’re delivering a facility that not only meets the highest standards of comfort and service, but also gives operators more choice and control, something that the North American market has been missing.”

Bombardier announced a major expansion of its Singapore service center at Seletar Aerospace Park (WSSL) with the planned addition of a 250,000-sq-ft (23,000-sq-m) Bombardier-operated facility. Complementing the airframer’s existing service center, the new facility represents a total planned investment of approximately $78 million by a local developer. Construction will begin later this year, with completion anticipated in the second half of 2028.

The added facility is expected to offer a broad range of services, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, modifications, avionics installations, and 24/7 AOG support. It is also intended to support aircraft completion activities, including paint and interior finishing. Further, the location will feature a component repair and overhaul workshop. Amenities will include a customer lounge and a dedicated crew rest area.

“Our Singapore Service Centre has long been a cornerstone of service and support excellence in Asia-Pacific, supporting approximately 2,000 aircraft annually as regional demand continues to grow,” said Paul Sislian, executive v-p of Bombardier aircraft sales and aftermarket services. He added that this expansion reaffirms the company’s commitment to supporting customers close to where they operate, while delivering a service experience defined by care, convenience, and responsiveness.

“Asia-Pacific remains an important hub for Bombardier, and this investment is expected to further strengthen our footprint and ability to serve customers across the region,” Sislian noted.

If your operation treats flying to Mexico and nearby islands like a longer U.S. leg, you’re not alone. That assumption often leads to fines, ramp inspection delays, documentation issues, and schedule disruptions. Nimbl created a checklist to simplify what Mexican authorities expect, so you can fly stress-free.

The FAA’s campaign to lure gamers into the field of air traffic control was so successful that agency officials worried briefly that the overwhelming number of immediate applications would shut the portal down, FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau told attendees last week at the NATA Air Charter Forum. As part of its drive to recruit new controllers, the FAA opened an application window for less than a day in late April after marketing to the gaming community.

“Within 24 hours, we had 11,000 people apply to be air traffic controllers,” Rocheleau said. “There was a moment where we were wondering, is the system going to keep up to manage this? Is it going to crash? That outreach turned out to be so positive, and we have more than 8,000 people who have already qualified and are going through that process—a process that last year we truncated by just over five months.”

He reiterated that the FAA is putting controllers through the vetting and training process as quickly as possible and making sure, as seats open up, that there is a pipeline in the wings to fill those seats. However, Rocheleau, who provided Air Charter Forum attendees with an overview of a range of agency activities, stressed that the FAA is looking more broadly at hiring.

“We haven’t stopped hiring aerospace engineers, flight standards inspectors, airport safety experts,” he said. “Those are the people we will continue to look for to bolster our safety approach when we think about the agency and the industry and where it’s going.”

Jet Linx stood down operations yesterday, as it has one day every year for the past 10 years, for its 10th annual safety summit. The company’s 500 employees participated in the summit, according to Jet Linx, “Not because they had to, but because they chose to in an effort to proactively surface any areas where they could improve.”

Keynote speaker Barry Ellis, president of Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter, shared lessons learned from the company’s February 2024 Bombardier Challenger 604 dual-engine failure accident. The NTSB cited undetected engine corrosion as the cause, even though regular maintenance was accomplished. A maintenance event performed 25 days before the accident found the engines to be airworthy, and 33 successful flights were conducted in the interim period.

“The most dangerous assumptions are often the ones we don’t realize we’re making,” Ellis said. “When assumptions go unchallenged, they become invisible, and invisible risk is the most dangerous risk of all.

“Anyone can say safety comes first when the decision is easy. The real test comes when safety becomes expensive…when safety creates disruption, and when safety conflicts with convenience. Strong systems require strong questioning…require humility… [and] require people willing to challenge assumptions before assumptions become vulnerabilities.”

The summit included a roundtable discussion with Wyvern CEO Sonnie Bates, Jet Linx operational leaders, and Argus International v-p of business aviation audit programs Patrick Chiles.

Business aviation document management specialist Web Manuals has introduced software to help users work with data and records in XML format. The XML Editor feature of its platform allows aviation companies to import and manage native XML documents so that they can review, distribute, and control OEM manuals alongside existing web documents and PDF files.

Multiple aircraft manufacturers provide operators with maintenance and technical manuals in XML format, a structured data language that follows strict schemas and manufacturer-specific standards. Now that these can be managed in the Web Manuals platform, aircraft operators and support companies will no longer have to maintain separate systems for some manuals, or manually convert content into editable formats before uploading.

“Our new XML function will eliminate the need for multiple documentation tools and fragmented workflows,” explained Web Manuals chief product officer Richard Sandström. “We are helping operators improve efficiency, maintain consistency, and simplify compliance management.”

The Swedish company now supports more than 190 aircraft operators worldwide and has been active in the business aviation sector for six years. In May 2025, it introduced its Amelia Co-Author editing tool using artificial intelligence.

The head of air charter operator Grande Aviation has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and tax fraud in a case that stemmed from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Payroll Support Program (PSP) implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (DOT OIG). Michael Grande, who was president of the Knoxville, Tennessee operator, pleaded guilty on May 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Citing court records, the DOT OIG said Grande had defrauded the PSP, which was intended to provide assistance to air carriers during the pandemic. “He stole more than $400,000 intended for employee salaries and benefits,” the watchdog agency reported. “During the same period, Grande failed to pay $127,184 in trust fund taxes and other reemployment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.”

Grande Aviation, which has ceased operations, appeared to operate a fleet of four Bombardier business jets: three Learjet 45XRs and a Challenger 300.

The DOT OIG said it conducted the investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation unit.