Bombardier is eyeing uncrewed possibilities, potentially in the military market, as it explores technologies it could derive from its EcoJet blended-wing project, according to company president and CEO Éric Martel. In the shorter term, the Montreal-based company remains on track for entry into service of the Global 8000 this year as it nears completion of the first production model, Martel told analysts and reporters as the company released its first-quarter results this morning.

Martel noted that “strategic discussions are happening at Bombardier and still continue” on the future of the EcoJet program and its technologies.“The discussion of an unmanned airplane is on the table, and we’re looking into that,” he said.

Bombardier is gauging market interest. “But clearly, there are quite a few possibilities. The EcoJet will be quite a capable product, so this is definitely one thing we’re looking into.” He suggested that military may be a first application, given the certification hurdles of uncrewed operations on the civil side.

As for the Global 8000, Martel said the Mach 0.94, 8,000-nm successor to the Global 7500 remains on track for delivery in the fourth quarter. “Assembly is running very smoothly right now. We’re about to complete the final aircraft assembly.” The company has “basically completed flying,” and the company is in the documentation stage to ensure it is in line with certification requirements.

Bombardier revenues in the first quarter jumped by 19% year over year, to $1.5 billion, with a three-aircraft increase in deliveries and continued gains in the services side, the Montreal manufacturer reported this morning. The company also released its full-year guidance—postponed from earlier this year given the uncertainties surrounding tariffs—forecasting that it would deliver 150 aircraft and bring in $9.25 billion in revenues in 2025.

In the quarter, Bombardier delivered 23 aircraft, including 12 Challengers and 11 Globals. This reflects increases in the Global family, compared with 12 Challengers and eight Globals in the first three months of last year.

As for the guidance, Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel told analysts that the company now has more certainty surrounding tariffs. "Since February, we have gained a lot more clarity on potential tariff mechanics. It's important to note that despite being in a more volatile environment, we continue to see order activity, and we have not seen any cancellations.”

The company ended the quarter with a book-to-bill of 1:0.9, just shy of the 1:1 target, and a backlog of $14.2 billion, down from $14.4 billion at the end of 2024. Bombardier reported a 21% gain in adjusted EBITDA, to $248 million, in the quarter. Helping to improve that performance was an $18 million gain in revenues, to $495 million.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee yesterday approved along party lines its piece of the budget reconciliation package, including a $12.5 billion bump for air traffic control technology upgrades and controller funding. Also, eliminated in the bill are green technology grants—including for sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen, and other low-emissions projects—that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

While the committee originally planned to add $15 billion in air traffic control funding, that was scaled back through a manager’s amendment to meet Republican funding targets. The committee passed the bill after ruling out dozens of amendments; well over 100 were filed.

These included one from the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), to gut the entire T&I portion of the reconciliation bill, except for the additional ATC funding and targeted money for the U.S. Coast Guard. Larsen noted that while portions of the bill cut funding and increase taxes, the Coast Guard and ATC sections “make critical investments. Increased investment in our air traffic control system is undoubtedly needed.” Other rejected items include a Larsen amendment to prohibit the use of any funds to either privatize or sell off portions of the ATC system.

The ATC funding has received strong support from a cross-section of stakeholders, with more than 50 organizations signing a letter stressing the need for the additional budget.

Cabotage restrictions for air charter operations in Saudi Arabia are now eliminated under General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) rules that took effect today. This move by the aviation regulator opens Saudi Arabia’s domestic private aviation market to international on-demand operators that apply for permission from GACA and also follow specific requirements set by the agency.

Since the initial announcement of the cabotage removal in February, GACA has received several applications from international and regional air charter operators expressing interest in entering the Saudi market. “This early momentum reflects growing investor confidence in the kingdom’s aviation vision and the attractiveness of its evolving general aviation landscape,” it noted.

According to GACA general manager for general aviation Imtiyaz Manzary, “GACA is excited to welcome international operators to fly within Saudi Arabia. This policy change will build opportunities for growth, create jobs, and make the kingdom a more connected, accessible place for business and private travel.”

Opening of the domestic market comes as part of GACA’s General Aviation Roadmap, which aims to transform the sector into a $2 billion industry by 2030, creating 35,000 jobs. Included in the plan is the development of six dedicated business aviation airports and an additional nine business aviation terminals.

When a seasoned charter customer decided it was time to purchase his first jet aircraft, he turned to longtime Duncan Aviation Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions Sales Rep Doug Roth for guidance. What followed was a careful, well-researched acquisition process that matched the customer with the perfect aircraft.

The recent run of aviation accidents starting off the year has put a spotlight on aviation safety, Gregory Feith, a former NTSB senior accident investigator and private pilot, said during the keynote address on Tuesday at the NBAA Maintenance Conference in Columbus, Ohio. He specifically addressed the role that maintenance has to play in accidents.

“We don’t want those accidents and the people that are involved in those accidents and incidents to have either perished or at least sustained any kind of injury in vain,” said Feith, who spearheaded a number of high-profile accident investigations during his more than two decades with the agency. “We have to take those lessons, we have to bring them back into aviation.”

Now a consultant, media aviation commentator, and one of the hosts of the “Flight Safety Detectives” podcast, Feith told the audience, “As a pilot, when that airplane comes out of maintenance, I have a tacit trust in my mechanic that that airplane has been returned to service properly…and that aircraft has been maintained properly by procedure.”

He cited a quote by Wilbur Wright, one of the fathers of powered aviation. “Carelessness and overconfidence are usually more dangerous than deliberately accepted risk.” Indeed, it was his brother, Orville Wright, that was involved in the first fatal aircraft accident in September 1908, killing passenger Thomas Selfridge.

An incentive agreement to enhance hiring and retention for air traffic controllers between the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has been finalized, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced today.

Designed to tackle ongoing ATC staffing shortfalls, the plan introduces several targeted incentives, including a graduation bonus for students who complete training at the FAA Academy, as well as financial incentives for new hires at high-cost or hard-to-staff facilities. For better retention, a 20% bonus of base pay is being offered for experienced controllers who are eligible for retirement but agree to remain on duty for an additional year.

“This new recruitment award and retention incentive program is a meaningful step toward addressing the ongoing staffing shortages in air traffic control across the National Airspace System,” said NATCA president Nick Daniels. “We thank Secretary Duffy for his commitment to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest in the air traffic control profession.”

Today’s announcement follows additional steps by the FAA to improve its hiring pipeline for controllers. The agency has recently simplified candidate screening and added hiring flexibilities to expedite onboarding at chronically short-staffed facilities. Also, the effort is aligned with Duffy’s modernization plan, which calls for simultaneous investment in facility infrastructure and controller technology tools.

Against a backdrop of what it defined as uncertain market conditions, Wheels Up continues to strive for profitability, some 19 months after an investor consortium led by Delta Air Lines restructured the private flight provider’s leadership team. According to first-quarter results released this morning, the company reported $177.5 million in revenues, down 9.9% year over year, and a net loss of $100 million, $3 million more than the deficit recorded in the first three months of 2024.

Nonetheless, CEO George Mattson insisted the company is heading in the right direction, while acknowledging that unstable and uncertain business conditions were, in part, prompted by the new U.S. administration’s disruptive economic policies. He pointed to a 7.5% increase in Wheels Up’s gross flight bookings at $241.9 million during the first quarter as evidence of progress, as well as a 50% year-over-year improvement in its EBITDA loss, which stood at $24.1 million in the first quarter.

In response to a New York Stock Exchange notice of a potential delisting, the Wheels Up board has approved the repurchase of up to $10 million of shares. The company can take this option as it endeavors to meet the requirement for its stock to trade at above $1 for a 30-day consecutive period within six months of the April 22 notice.

Airbus Helicopters’ revenues improved by 10%, to €1.6 billion ($1.816 billion) in the first quarter, boosted in part by a slight increase in deliveries to 51 aircraft, as well as growth in the services side of the business, parent company Airbus announced yesterday. Deliveries in the first three months of the year were up one unit from 50 helicopters in first-quarter 2024.

At the same time, rotorcraft orders dramatically jumped by 58.7% in the first quarter to 100, compared with 63 from the same period a year ago. This included the first orders for Airbus Helicopters’ multi-mission H140 that was announced at Verticon in early March. As a result, backlog grew to €942 million by the end of the quarter, up 15.3% from €817 million a year ago.

Meanwhile, earnings before interest and taxes improved commensurately with revenues, up almost 10%, to €78 million, compared with €71 million a year earlier. This was aided by a slight dip in research and development expenses from €71 million in the first quarter of 2024 to €66 million in the most recent quarter.

AIN’s senior-level Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit (CALS) East, set for July 14 to 16 in Boston, Massachusetts, will address the latest topics, strategies, and solutions in business aviation. The summit is attendee-centric and serves as an educational and professional networking platform, connecting corporate aviation leaders with peers, industry experts, and solution providers in a relaxed, informal environment. We invite U.S.-based flight department leaders to apply to attend this all-expenses-paid event as our guests.