NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen addressed the recent spate of high-profile aviation accidents and their effects on the business aviation industry this morning during the opening session of the association's Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in New Orleans.

“We know that business aviation—all of aviation—is under a microscope right now,” he said, noting the fatal midair collision in Washington, D.C., involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA Airlines CRJ700 regional jet. That accident was followed by others involving business aviation aircraft, including fatal accidents involving a medevac Learjet in Philadelphia and a runway departure in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“All of this has brought an intense focus on aviation, with an important question being asked about our industry: Is it safe?” said Bolen. In response, he pointed to aviation’s enviable safety record. “Imagine that, [of] all the modes of transportation, the one that goes up in the air and comes back down is the safest way to go.”

Yet, he added, “It is not enough to be safe; we’ve got to be perceived as being safe,” and for him, being safe is not a destination in itself, but a path toward perfection. While acknowledging that this is an unachievable goal, Bolen said it is one the industry must strive for “every day, in every way.”

Budget cuts at the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) are beginning to show effects in weather forecast preparations, a panel of experts said during a session yesterday at the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference.

NWS released a bulletin this week noting that, due to a “lack of Weather Forecast Office staffing,” it would be immediately suspending weather balloon launches in Omaha, Nebraska, and Rapid City, South Dakota. This is in addition to announcements since early February that balloon launches in several other locations would also be suspended or curtailed.

“The impacts are starting because I have seen reports that a few offices in the Plains have stopped doing balloon launches because they are understaffed or underfunded,” said Andy Eggert, a flight planner/meteorologist at International Trip Planning Services. “It’s basically a trickle-down effect: if we lose that at the local level, that’s less data fed into the models, [and] that’s less data to be run into research studies. It’s not an immediate problem, but it causes a bigger problem down the way. We’ll just have a degradation of available data.”

Rich Weiss, quality assurance and training manager at World Fuel Services, added, “The weather balloons that get launched daily, it’s not just for that day’s model run, now it’s in the historical data for any future model run where you see a similar situation happening.”

Software developer Quantavia, safety and compliance specialist DM Aviation Consulting, and human factors expert Simon Gill of ReThink Safety have created a fatigue risk management platform focused on aviation maintenance technicians. The team will demonstrate the platform at the HeliOffshore conference next month in Athens.

According to a 2024 HeliOffshore survey, 38.8% of maintenance technicians “reported fatigue experienced by themselves or colleagues had led to a safety incident or near-miss in the past three months.”

Targeting MRO facilities and continuing airworthiness management organizations, the platform is designed to help companies reduce fatigue-related risks using predictive fatigue forecasting that can be used to make proactive decisions. It does this by “improving reporting, predictive fatigue forecasting, and decision-making. Designed specifically for [maintenance] teams, it streamlines fatigue risk management, rostering, and communication,” according to Quantavia and DM Aviation.

The reduction in complications due to fatigue will result in operational cost improvements, the team said, using a visual interface designed for reporting, analysis, and operational efficiency in maintenance operations.

“Having been a regulator, I saw firsthand the challenges [maintenance] departments face in measuring fatigue,” said David Malins, director of DM Aviation Consulting. “Together we will develop a solution that will provide clear visibility into fatigue and human performance, ultimately improving the safety of operations.”

Bombardier Defense has sold two Challenger 650s to Australian aviation leasing company Principle Finance for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Set for delivery in 2026, the twinjets will enhance Australia’s defense and surveillance capabilities.

“This purchase represents a major milestone for Bombardier Defense, increasing our presence in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive v-p of aircraft sales at Bombardier Defense. He emphasized the aircraft’s operational reach and persistence, as well as the company’s established support infrastructure in the country.

Principle Finance managing director Harrison Langrell highlighted the Challenger 650’s reliability and performance, stating that it would significantly enhance their surveillance effectiveness in a rapidly evolving defense landscape.

The Challenger 650 has an endurance of up to 11 hours, along with a dispatch reliability rate of 99.9% and 4,000-nm range. Its ability to fly higher and farther than legacy ISR platforms offers cost-effective performance comparable to larger maritime patrol aircraft, according to Bombardier. Additionally, it said, the aircraft's flexible configuration supports customized mission-specific equipment.

Bombardier Defense has expanded its Australian footprint with the 2022 opening of the Melbourne Service Center, as well as an office in Adelaide that was added last year. The company also launched a line maintenance station in Perth last week.

Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) introduced the Prodigy 3ATI Integrated Standby Unit (ISU) last week at AEA 2025. The ISU is a direct form, fit, and function replacement for legacy standby systems, according to the Exton, Pennsylvania-based avionics manufacturer. IS&S said the Prodigy ISU is available now for commercial, business, and military aviation applications.

With a familiar primary flight display format, the Prodigy ISU provides critical flight information, including altitude, attitude, airspeed, slip/skid, and navigation on an LED-backlit LCD display with direct sunlight readability. Attitude and heading information is derived from a built-in inertial measurement unit. An optional air data module enables the ISU to independently calculate altitude, airspeed, and Mach number. For variable lighting conditions, the ISU’s ambient light sensor adjusts display brightness.

With certification to DO-160G and RTCA DO-178C Level A standards, the Prodigy ISU includes a directional gyro mode and offers internal and external magnetometer interfaces. The ISU also has an optional autothrottle control capability and configurable options such as night-vision goggle compatibility and standby radio management.

Avfuel rolled out a portal to provide customers access to reporting documentation and tools surrounding sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon offsets. The AvfuelZero Portal organizes a user’s SAF documentation and other transaction details, such as volume, feedstock, manufacturing, and certification information.

This includes documents involving proof of sustainability, certificates of analysis, bills of lading, and other supporting reports, enabling users to streamline manufacturing verification and certification for ASTM D-7566 and ASTM D-1655 specifications. In addition, users will have access to carbon emissions reporting and information to help them meet their sustainability goals.

“As we continue to increase SAF customers and availability, easy access to transparent documentation has become all the more important to aviation operators,” said Avfuel executive v-p C.R. Sincock II. “They not only need access to the product but also a way to verify their actions and showcase their emissions reduction progress. By launching this portal, we’re further streamlining the journey to net zero and simplifying sustainability for all who are ready to make that commitment.”

Avfuel launched the portal as it continues to ramp up access to SAF. The fuel supply and services provider just added a SAF supply terminal location in Dallas. This is the fourth brought online in the last three months, with other recent additions at Port Everglades, Florida; Linden, New Jersey; and Pasadena, Texas.

UAS International Trip Support has extended its participation in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Reimbursable Services Program (RSP) to five more airports. Bringing the total of UAS RSP airports to 30, the latest additions are Salt Lake City International (KSLC) in Utah, Buffalo Niagara International (KBUF) in New York, Denver International (KDEN), San Francisco International (KSFO), and Kona International at Keahole (PHKO) in Hawaii.

Through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) RSP, UAS is able to request and pay for CBP overtime services at approved U.S. entry ports where hours are limited.

“Our clients appreciate the extra flexibility and freedom they enjoy through our RSP service offering,” said Abdul Charafeddin, executive v-p for the Americas for UAS, which is exhibiting this week at the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference. He added that the company’s specialists in Houston are “standing by” for occasions when such services are necessary. “As experts in U.S. Customs and Border Protection procedures, we will ensure compliance and mitigate any impediments or challenges that could impact operations.”