Swiss startup Sirius Aviation has revealed more details about its planned pair of hydrogen-electric business aircraft. At the Move Expo in London late last week, the company made a joint presentation with BMW Group Designworks, with which it is partnered in developing two variants of the design that it aims to bring to market in 2028.

Building on plans first announced in January, Sirius Aviation has now rebranded the aircraft as the CEO Jet and the Adventure Jet. It appears to be targeting corporate customers with the former model, and the leisure/charter market with the latter.

Sirius now says that both aircraft will have a range of 1,000 nm and will operate at speeds of 323 knots. In January, it said that what it then referred to as the three-passenger Sirius Business Jet would be able to fly that far, but that the larger Sirius Millenium Jet would seat up to five passengers with a range of just 565 nm.

Both versions are expected to be able to fly at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet. According to Sirius, refueling the aircraft with gaseous hydrogen for its fuel cells will cost around $500, based on its assessment of market prices in 2028.

According to Sirius and BMW, the cabin of the CEO Jet will feature “bespoke bathrooms,” champagne fridges, and pet accommodation for “discerning travelers.”

EASA test pilots have started certification flights with the AW09 helicopter being developed by Leonardo’s Swiss subsidiary Kopter. The company is aiming to complete type certification under CS-27 rules in 2025.

Kopter is using a pair of preproduction models, PS4 and PS5, for flight testing and expects to start flying the first production version, PS6, at the end of this year. In September 2022, it retired the earlier PS3 prototype after logging 387 flights on that version of the single-engine helicopter, which is powered by Safran’s 1,000-shp Arriel 2K turboshaft.

In late May, Kopter’s chief test pilot, Richard Grant, reported that the two test aircraft had already logged around 130 flights, exploring a limited altitude envelope up to around 16,000 feet. He said the team was preparing to go higher and test performance such as maximum speed in dive.

“We look forward to this close collaboration with EASA for the future flight assessments, which will take place at key points throughout the program to validate our testing results and ensure that the AW09 meets all necessary certification requirements,” said Leonardo today in a social media post.

Kopter now holds more than 100 orders for the AW109 after announcing a new distributorship agreement with India’s Universal Vulkaan Aviation in May. It has also established sales partnerships with Léman Aviation and Sloane.

Universal Avionics and Textron Aviation have signed a contract for the avionics manufacturer to supply 25-hour cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) for the Cessna Citation Longitude, Latitude, Ascend, and CJ4 Gen 2. The FAA has proposed rulemaking to increase the CVR recording time from the existing two hours to 25 hours, which the NTSB has long recommended.

The contract calls for Universal Avionics to supply its Kapture cockpit voice recorder/flight data recorder (CVR/FDR), which in addition to recording flight crew communications for 25 hours can also capture more than 100 hours of flight data. The data is available for later analysis as part of flight data monitoring programs.

Kapture CVR/FDRs are fitted with 90-day underwater locator beacons with non-lithium batteries. They can record more than 25 hours of non-audio content such as rotor speed and datalink messages, as well as 90 hours of Arinc 717 data and at least 25 hours of Arinc 429 data.

“This contract showcases the trust aircraft owners and manufacturers place in Kapture to meet evolving regulatory requirements and enhance data collection,” said Universal Avionics CEO Dror Yahav. “The Kapture system's compliance with the latest mandates combined with its robust features and data analysis capabilities make it a compelling choice for discerning operators.”

Leonardo has confirmed plans to add a second final assembly line for the AW609 tiltotor at its Grottaglie production facility in the province of Taranto in southern Italy. This would be in addition to the primary AW609 assembly line in Philadelphia.

Announced yesterday, the decision marks a strategic shift for the aerospace and defense group, which said it is diversifying the use of the Grottaglie site that had been mainly intended to build aerostructures for Boeing 787s. In a related development, Leonardo is also pausing 787 composite center fuselage barrel production to match reduced manufacturing and delivery rates at Boeing.

The decision to switch the use of the Taranto site to AW609 manufacturing follows consultation with trade unions. The company has been diversifying activities there for some time, using the plant for work such as production of the wing for the Eurodrone, fuselages for Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL, and Leonardo’s remotely-piloted Proteus helicopters. These programs are occupying around 100 workers.

Meanwhile, Leonardo is also establishing its new Materials Technology Research and Innovation Laboratory in Grottaglie. This is a joint operation with Solvay to develop new composite materials and manufacturing processes.

The site, which has seen €300 million ($321 million) invested between 2019 and 2023, is also home to the new Aerotech Campus, which is due to admit its first cohort of engineering graduates for the 2024/25 academic year.

Highly automated flight guidance systems improve safety and reduce workload; however, they require a high level of understanding and different pilot competencies. When the automation becomes unable to safely operate in a complex environment or simply disconnects, pilots must rely on foundational stick-and-rudder skills that must be sustained. FlightSafety’s instruction emphasizes both technology and fundamental flight skill training.

A study commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets found that 79% of polled U.S. senior business executives from companies that lease or own private jets said sustainability and the use of sustainable fuels was one of their top three reasons for considering upgrading their fleets within the next five years.

The second biggest factor driving potential upgrades is an increased emphasis on operating costs. Respondents also cited that newer, better models have recently been launched. Notably, only 14% cited more range as a reason to upgrade, implying that OEMs with aircraft that can fly 7,500 to 8,000 nm at subsonic speeds have reached the endurance limits of passengers.

Among senior U.S. business executives surveyed whose companies do not currently own or lease business jets but may consider doing so within the next five years, the primary reason cited is their organization's increasing reliance on business aviation. The introduction of innovative business jet models and their enhanced appeal comes in second.

“The business aviation sector has experienced significant innovation with the launch of more efficient and technologically advanced aircraft, aligning with employers' heightened focus on employee well-being,” said Sean McGeough, Airbus Corporate Jets v-p of commercial for North America.

Greek charter operator Hoper has launched scheduled helicopter services from Athens to the Aegean Islands using Robinson R44 and R66 helicopters. One-way or round-trip flights are available for summer travel to Athens, Antiparos, Folegandros, Ios, Kea (Tzea), Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, Sifnos, Spetses, and Tinos. The company upgraded existing helipads at these destinations.

One-way prices start at €160 to €350 ($171 to $375), depending on the destination, and the longest flight is 45 minutes. Hoper also offers custom charter flights in its five Robinson helicopters from its base at Koropi in Athens and plans to add other mainland destinations later this year.

“We focus on affordability and making helicopter travel more accessible to a wider range of passengers,” said chief commercial officer Dimitris Kossyfas. “Hoper allows passengers to book flights and individual seats without having to charter an entire helicopter.”

“Our vision is to make vertical mobility solutions a habit for people who value their time,” said CEO Demitris Memos. “With Hoper, we turn hours into minutes, and travelers earn up to a full day of vacation.”

Canada’s Chartright Air Group has taken delivery of the first Airbus Helicopters ACH160 delivered in North America. The H160 received Transport Canada certification in December; the ACH160 is the corporate version of the medium-twin helicopter.

With FBOs throughout Canada and a large fleet of charter jets, Chartright now has two helicopters, including the ACH160 and a Leonardo A109SP. Both are based at the company’s Toronto facility. The ACH160 will begin flying charter trips in the third quarter.

“We are excited to be the first private aviation company in Canada to operate the ACH160 for our owner and charter clients,” said Chartright sales director Graham Nierop. “With its advanced technology, performance, and high passenger capacity, the ACH160 is set to redefine helicopter charters in the [greater Toronto area] and across Canada.”

The ACH160 features the Airbus Helicopters Helionix avionics suite with a full-time automatic flight control system, Blue Edge rotor blades that deliver quieter operation, and Safran Arrano engines.

Business aviation veteran James “Jamie” T. Wilson passed away suddenly on June 8 at age 50. Wilson's extensive career spanned more than 25 years; he most recently was a senior associate of logistics, FBO management, mentoring, and coaching at FBO Partners.

Wilson's journey in aviation began at Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD) with Piedmont-Hawthorne Aviation, which later became Landmark Aviation. His roles as customer service manager and assistant general manager showcased his leadership skills and dedication. During his tenure, Wilson was instrumental in coordinating complex events, including two presidential inaugurations, where his FBO handled more than 300 aircraft.

His career further advanced as he joined Landmark Aviation’s charter and aircraft management division as regional sales manager. He was later promoted to general manager at Landmark Aviation KIAD.

Transitioning from Landmark Aviation, Wilson brought his extensive experience to Concept Solutions and later Parrillo Associates, where he served as program manager on two critical FAA programs supporting NextGen initiatives. Additionally, he was an active volunteer with the Greater Washington Business Aviation Association (GWBAA), where he served in various capacities, including as president.

Wilson is survived by his wife Wendy, daughters Kylie and Emerson, brother Douglas, half-brother Steve, half-sister Ginger, and parents William H. Wilson Jr. and Patricia M. Wilson. A memorial service is planned in the fall.