The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) failed to record before and during the January 31 crash of a medevac Bombardier Learjet 55 in Philadelphia and may not have recorded on any flights for several years, according to the preliminary NTSB report released yesterday. After departing Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE) at 6:07 p.m. EST, the Learjet—headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport (KSGF) in Missouri—went down approximately one minute after takeoff, killing all aboard and one person on the ground.

Both pilots, two medical crewmembers, and two patients onboard the Part 129 air ambulance flight died in the accident. One person on the ground was also killed while four people were seriously injured and 20 more sustained minor injuries. The crew did not make any distress radio calls during the flight.

Security camera footage of the accident showed a large explosion as the aircraft crashed in a residential/commercial area. “The CVR was recovered from the initial impact crater under eight feet of soil and debris and was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for processing and readout,” the report states.

Both the impact and water caused significant damage to the CVR. The laboratory repaired the device and discovered that nothing had been recorded during the flight, and “it was determined that the CVR had likely not been recording audio for several years.”

Putting on a business aircraft conference or exhibition is incredibly hard, and launching a new show is probably 10 times harder. But people like meeting face to face—after all, that’s why business aviation exists. And while it seems like there are way too many aviation events, there was a niche that wasn’t being filled: a business aviation show to replace ABACE, which was held in Shanghai and ended its run in 2019 after Covid shut the world down in 2020.

I’m on my way back to the U.S. on a long United Airlines flight after spending three days at the new Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo (BAAFEx) in Singapore. Even though it was a relatively small show with a three-airplane static display, it exceeded my expectations. I think it’s well on the way to replacing ABACE in a location that is business-friendly and easily reachable for visitors from Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia. 

Launched by Experia Events, which also runs the biennial Singapore Airshow, BAAFEx will take place in opposite years, so the next one is planned for April 6 to 8, 2027. 

About 50 exhibiting companies and organizations took the plunge into BAAFEx, and everyone that I spoke to at the show was enthusiastic about this first effort and plans to come back.

Global business aviation departures ebbed by 1% year over year (YOY) in February but are still up by 1% year to date, according to analyst Jefferies. Citing WingX data, Jefferies added that despite the softening in February, departure traffic in the month was still 33% above 2019 levels.

Europe led the declines last month, falling 5% YOY, and the Asia-Pacific region saw a 2% dip while North America activity slid 1%. Corporate flight departments continue to feel the malaise, with departures down last month by 15% YOY. Private flight departures, however, were up by 2%, and those involving fractional and charter operations surged by 4%.

While departures have softened, flight hours strengthened by 1% YOY last month and by 37% from February 2019. The average trip duration has been relatively stable at 1.7 hours. While February flight hours per aircraft averaged 24.7, or down 2% from a year ago, year-to-date the average is 25.3 hours, up a percentage point.

Flexjet and FlyExclusive are boosting the overall results, with the former seeing activity climb by 15% YOY and the latter jumping by 208% from 2019. Wheels Up activity fell 7% YOY and 34% from February 2019. Embraer aircraft departures are leading the gains among the major OEMs, up 7% YOY, while Textron Aviation flights were down 3%. Bombardier flights were down 1%, and Gulfstream traffic was flat.

With an eye toward the future of vertical lift, Sikorsky has launched an advisory group consisting of leading helicopter operators who will work closely with the rotorcraft manufacturer to define and establish real-world requirements for the integration of next-generation technologies. Intended to give those operators a forum to provide feedback, they will share operational challenges and help shape the airframer’s future product lineup.

The initial group includes Bristow executive v-p and chief transformation officer Dave Stepanek; Flexjet Vertical Lift president Eli Flint; HeliOffshore CEO Tim Rolfe; Macquarie Rotorcraft Leasing COO Greg Allen; Omni Helicopters International group CEO Jeremy Akel; Shell Aircraft manager of air transport safety Mark Boumans; and VIH Aviation Group president and CEO Ken Norie.

“Sikorsky’s commitment to innovation and transformation is at the core of what we do, and we are excited to have these leading commercial customers join us on this journey,” said Leon Silva, the Lockheed Martin subsidiary’s v-p of global commercial and military systems. “Their expertise and insights will be invaluable as we continue to develop and refine our hybrid-electric propulsion, autonomy, and UAS technologies. Together we will shape the future of vertical lift and create new opportunities for our industry.”

FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval is pending for Garmin's GFC 600H Helicopter Flight Control System in Airbus H130 helicopters. Expected to be available in the second quarter, the retrofit autopilot will provide H130 operators with enhanced safety features and reduce pilot workload.

The system incorporates a hover assist mode that automatically detects hover conditions and helps maintain position over the ground. Garmin’s helicopter electronic stability and protection (H-ESP) technology is also featured in the system, helping pilots maintain a safe flight envelope even when hand-flying.

Included in the hardware configuration is a console-mounted mode controller with push-button interface and night-vision-goggle compatibility. Integrated smart servos manage pitch and roll inputs, and a collective sensor provides smoother flight control adjustments. When paired with Garmin’s G500H TXi and GTN Xi avionics, the system enables fully automated approach capabilities and en-route navigation guidance.

Among its safety-oriented features, the GFC 600H includes a dedicated return-to-level button that can help pilots avoid spatial disorientation in degraded visual environments, along with low-altitude protection that provides alerts and automatic pitch adjustments.

Beyond retrofit applications for existing H130 and EC130T2 helicopters, Garmin indicated that the GFC 600H will also be available as a factory-installed option in new-production Airbus H130 helicopters.

Airbus Corporate Jets approved Jet Aviation’s Singapore maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility to join its network of authorized service centers, the companies announced today. This means the operation can now conduct warranty work on ACJ318/319/320/321 bizliners, as well as handle modifications, cabin refurbishment, and software upgrades.

Jet Aviation Singapore has joined the Swiss-based business aviation services group’s facilities in Basel and Dubai as part of the ACJ service center network. It is the only such facility in the Asia-Pacific region, and Airbus Corporate Jets president Chadi Saade said the appointment marks a milestone for the airframer’s relationship with clients in this part of the world.

“Singapore is a key business aviation maintenance hub in Asia-Pacific, with excellent connectivity to the region and beyond,” said David Best, Jet Aviation’s senior v-p of regional operations for the Americas and interim for Asia-Pacific. “The extension of our onsite capabilities builds on our ongoing global partnership with Airbus and our commitment to providing a seamless service for ACJ customers wherever, and whenever, they need us.”

Jet Aviation has operated aircraft management, charter, and MRO services at Singapore Seletar Airport (WSSL) since 1995. With six hangars, the facility has 162,000 sq ft of floor space and holds EASA Part 145 approval and equivalent certification from eight other national aviation regulators.

MOL Group has successfully produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and diesel fuel containing hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) at the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava, Slovakia, confirming its readiness to produce alternative synthetic fuels.

Slovnaft has now become one of the few refineries in the world capable of producing SAF. This comes as the European Union has set ambitious targets for SAF usage in aviation. Starting in 2025, SAF must account for 2% of total aviation fuel consumption, increasing gradually each year to 6% by 2030, 20% by 2035, and 70% by 2050. MOL Group’s ongoing work in this area includes collaboration with the faculty of Aeronautics at the Technical University of Košic.

“We are technologically ready to produce biodiesel of vegetable origin as well as sustainable aviation fuel,” said MOL Group fuels senior v-p Csaba Zsótér. “This could open a new chapter in the sustainable efforts of MOL Group: we offer our customers an increasing variety and quantity of fuels, thus contributing to the smart energy transition as well.”

The HVO was produced using cashew nut shells, processed together with crude oil, and the quality of the product was verified through radioisotope analysis by Isotoptech, an independent laboratory. This process, known as co-processing, is already in use at the Danube Refinery in Százhalombatta and helps to reduce the emissions of traditional fuels.

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