Jet Parts and DAS Aviation have merged to create a single company under the DAS Aviation brand. Jet Parts specializes in business aircraft components while DAS Aviation repairs and overhauls components in Cedar Hill, Texas, and Solon, Ohio.

The merger of these companies, which are owned by West Star Aviation, “connects Jet Parts’ extensive inventory with DAS Aviation’s overhaul and repair capabilities, enhancing our ability to provide outright sales, exchanges, rentals, and repair services to our customers,” according to DAS Aviation.

Component facilities are housed in more than 100,000 sq ft of shop space, supplemented by a 44,000-sq-ft warehouse in Collinsville, Illinois. DAS Aviation’s capabilities will include airframe structural repairs, sheet metal fabrication, component overhaul, composite structures, parts services, engineering, machining, painting, transmissivity testing, and mobile onsite repairs.

“As we transition from Jet Parts to DAS Aviation, we are excited to broaden our scope and reinforce our commitment to customer service,” said DAS v-p and chief revenue officer Dan Podojil. “Our expanded inventory and new service offerings are designed to meet the diverse needs of our clients, ensuring they receive the parts and support necessary to keep their aircraft flying safely and efficiently.”

Gary Buchanan, executive v-p of FBO operations at Million Air, was optimistic about the future of sustainability while speaking this morning at the NBAA Regional Forum in White Plains, New York. “One of the things that’s important to us at Million Air is that we get beyond green,” he said. “A lot of companies talk about going green, and they think about the technologies available today. We aspire to be forward-thinking for our customers.”

The company recently announced a partnership with Beta Technologies. The two companies are installing electric aircraft and vehicle charging infrastructure at select Million Air FBOs, with its facilities in Tallahassee, Florida (KTLH),and Gulfport, Mississippi (KGPT), the first to install them.

“We have to be in a position where we have to anticipate that growth and these things are going to be down the road, and when they are, we’re prepared,” Buchanan said. “We have the infrastructure in place. What I love about Beta is they were focused on the infrastructure.”

Buchanan added that Million Air’s focus also means being forward-thinking. “Not only are we looking at green technologies today, how we get to zero emissions and good stewards of the environment, we’re looking at how we anticipate the next 50 years in aviation and what that’s going to look like, and making sure we’re taking the steps to get there.”

Flightstar, a full-service MRO as well as the lone FBO at the University of Illinois-Willard Airport (KCMI) in Champaign for nearly half a century, has completed a new 27,000-sq-ft hangar.

Known as Hangar 11, the $7 million-plus structure features a 30-foot door height and can accommodate the latest ultra-long-range business jets. It brings the facility’s total hangar area to 137,000 sq ft and doubles Flightstar’s dedicated space for maintenance and avionics operations, as well as supporting its growth in Bombardier Learjet and Challenger 300-series work.

With a staff of more than 170, the company is a Bombardier-authorized service center for the Learjet 40, 45, 70, and 75, and a Honeywell-authorized service center for TFE731 and HTF7000 engines and various Honeywell APUs.

“The addition of Hangar 11 is a strategic investment in our future,” said Flightstar founder and president Bill Giannetti. “This expansion not only strengthens our infrastructure but also reaffirms our commitment to delivering superior maintenance service and support to our clients.”

U.S. House lawmakers continue to spotlight the progress of implementing the comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill enacted last year, emphasizing that it is an even more urgent priority given the air traffic control failures and the series of high-profile accidents.

Noting that the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 was designed to strengthen every facet of the aviation ecosystem, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), ranking member of the House aviation subcommittee, said during a hearing today, “Laws and words alone do not save lives. They require timely and accountable implementation. And today, sadly, the stakes are higher than ever.”

Testifying before the aviation subcommittee, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen agreed, calling modernization “a national imperative.” Bolen praised the committee’s commitment of $12.5 billion toward infrastructure improvements and controller hiring, but said, “The system needs $18.5 billion in additional funding over the next three years to make these urgent capital improvements and realize the benefits of modern technology, or we will repeat the failures of the past.”

AOPA president and CEO Darren Pleasance added, “Having the entire aviation industry behind this effort is both important and unique. The time to upgrade…is now.”

Southwest Airlines Pilots Association president Jody Reven further said, “Unfortunately, a large percentage of FAA’s current equipment and communications systems are outdated and not up to the task of handling the current airspace system, let alone future demands.”

“It is inspiring for us to see a sold-out exhibit floor,” said John D. Witzig, chair of NBAA’s board of directors and Pfizer’s v-p of corporate aviation, kicking off the opening session this morning at NBAA’s White Plains Regional Forum at New York's Westchester County Airport (KHPN).

He noted that there were more than 200 exhibiting companies at the event being held in the 54,000-sq-ft hangar at the Million Air FBO, as well as more than 3,000 registered attendees.

On the adjoining ramp, the static display featured 24 aircraft. “The reality is, whatever your mission is in aviation, the aircraft that fits your needs is here today, from small STOL aircraft, turboprops, all the way up to ultra-long-range aircraft to rotorwing,” Witzig said. Included was the Beta Technologies Alia, which made news yesterday as the first all-electric passenger aircraft to land at one of New York City’s major airports. “The inroads that are coming every day within the [advanced air mobility] space are really remarkable,” he said.

Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey welcomed showgoers and highlighted general aviation’s impact on the economy, adding that it employs more than one million people and represents $250 billion in economic activity on an annual basis. He stated that 85% of the Fortune 1000 companies use private aviation.

Chicago’s Department of Aviation and the FAA have announced that Chicago Midway International Airport’s Runway 13L-31R will be formally decommissioned on June 12 and 13C-31C will be redesignated as 13L-31R. Runway 13L-31R was closed in 2023 and became Taxiway H, but the Runway 13C-31C designation for the former center runway didn’t change.

Although it appears a runway incursion on February 25 may have led to the decision to accelerate the formal decommissioning and renaming, the process began a year earlier with environmental reviews and permitting under a federal infrastructure project.

During the incursion, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 crew performed a go-around after a Flexjet Bombardier Challenger 300 crossed active Runway 13C-31C without a clearance. According to the NTSB preliminary report, “The captain stated that as he approached Runway 13C-31C, he had thought it was Runway 13R-31L. As they approached the runway intersection, the crew stated they both looked to the left and to the right and did not observe the [Southwest 737] on final.”

Once the decommissioning of the closed runway is completed, part of the decommissioned runway will be turned into a holding, parking, and deicing pad, according to the FAA. The estimated cost of the project is $79.2 million.

Paragon Aviation Group, a Luxaviation Group subsidiary, has welcomed two new non-FBO partners to its roster: First Chime and Flight Crew International.

Washington D.C.-area private aviation catering specialist First Chime brings extensive international expertise to the table, having supported private jet provisioning for the 2018 Winter Olympics with an outpost in Korea. Founded by Young Park—a classically trained chef and aviation service professional—the company also operates a corporate flight attendant training program and a reservation-only private fine dining venue in Frederick, Maryland.

“First Chime represents a remarkable fusion of passion, creativity, and excellence in aviation catering,” said Paragon president Crystal Kubeczka. “Their dedication to quality and thoughtful service will undoubtedly elevate our network and the aviation experience for our partners and guests alike.”

Flight Crew International, an aviation staffing and human resources solutions provider, boasts rapid response times for service requests and its ability to deliver a fully vetted crew usually within 48 hours. Established in 1993, the family-owned company maintains a global database of aviation professionals and offers a suite of HR programs, including temp-to-hire, retainer agreements, and international crew management.

Both additions reinforce Paragon’s commitment to delivering a comprehensive portfolio of services to its members, it said.