The UK Civil Aviation Authority has approved a full trial phase for the new instrument approach to Runway 03 at London Biggin Hill Airport (EGKB). Announced today, this authorization extends the use of the airport’s enhanced instrument runway visual range system, which is part of a wider upgrade program that has also included runway resurfacing and new airfield lights.

According to the privately owned airport, the satellite-based approach supports more predictable and reliable arrivals, giving aircraft operators more confidence in the facility’s operational resilience. It means that aircraft can continue to land in a wider range of weather conditions.

In addition to a grooved landing surface, Biggin Hill has invested in LED centerline lighting to improve visual cues for pilots. It has also introduced 24/7 auto-metar service to provide live continuous weather data that makes it easier for flight planning into the airport, which is southeast of the UK capital and has good access to the financial district.

“The final stage of the Runway 03 approach trial marks another important step in strengthening the airport’s operational capability,” said airport commercial director Robert Walters. “Alongside our recent wider airfield investments, the procedure gives operators greater flexibility and confidence when planning flights into London Biggin Hill. Together, these upgrades reinforce our commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and efficient operations for our customers.”

U.S. Air Force Reserve crews rescued all 11 occupants of a Beechcraft King Air 300 that ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s east coast on Tuesday morning reportedly following an engine failure.

The 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, recovered the 11 adults from life rafts approximately five hours after the aircraft went down during a flight from Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (MYAM, formerly Marsh Harbour International), Bahamas, to Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF). The aircraft, registered HP-1859 in Panama, departed Marsh Harbour before the pilot declared an emergency, and communication was lost with air traffic control. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal alerted U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders in Florida around 11 a.m. local time.

Pararescue personnel aboard a HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter completed nine hoists in three- to five-foot seas, finishing the recovery with only five minutes remaining before reaching bingo fuel, the minimum required to return to shore. An HC-130J crew located the survivors shortly after beginning search operations and dropped an MA-1 survival kit containing two additional life rafts, food, water, and survival tools.

“The 11 survivors were then divided into their raft and then the two rescue rafts that we dropped to them,” said Elizabeth Piowaty, the HC-130J aircraft commander. A 920th Rescue Wing HH-60W crew, already airborne for training, was redirected to assist.

Iridium Communications has entered into an agreement to acquire Aireon, the operator of the only space-based ADS-B aircraft surveillance system in commercial service today. Announced this morning, this transaction will bring the Aireon payload, host satellite network, and fast-growing aviation data services business under common ownership.

Iridium, which co-founded Aireon in 2012 and already holds a minority equity stake, is purchasing the remaining 61% of the company from its five air navigation service provider (ANSP) shareholders—Nav Canada, UK NATS, AirNav Ireland, Italy’s ENAV, and Denmark’s Naviair—for approximately $366.7 million. Half of that will be paid at closing and the balance due a year later. Iridium will also assume roughly $155 million in Aireon debt. The transaction is expected to close in early July, pending regulatory review.

As part of the deal, Nav Canada and NATS, which manage the North Atlantic oceanic airspace and were the first ANSPs to put Aireon’s service into operational use, will sign extended data services agreements running through 2035 and beyond. It also includes provisions for continued joint work on space-based VHF communications and other new capabilities.

By combining surveillance, satellite communications, and alternative positioning, navigation, and timing services, Iridium intends to “disrupt the market in a way that we can provide better service, more safety, and an important global capability beyond,” CEO Matt Desch said.

The Air Charter Safety Foundation’s (ACSF’s) Industry Audit Standard Lite (IAS Lite) program is gaining traction, with Blue Spruce Capital becoming the latest company to achieve the registration. ACSF launched the Lite version of its comprehensive IAS in 2024 to offer a streamlined program for non-commercial and small charters that may not have the resources of major operators. Quest Diagnostics was the first to gain Lite recognition.

The Lite program provides a pathway to strengthening safety management systems in alignment with Part 5 and is designed to help operators build a stronger safety culture while avoiding the complexity of a larger audit program.

To achieve the Lite registration, Blue Spruce Capital successfully demonstrated its commitment to safety management and operational excellence, including a dedication to implementing effective safety practices, continuous improvement, and industry-recognized operational standards, ACSF added.

“IAS Lite was designed for operators like [Blue Spruce Capital’s] team, and earning registered status is a meaningful milestone,” said ACSF president Debi Carpenter.

“Safety has always been a core part of how we operate and make decisions every day,” said J.R. Mitchell, director of aviation at Blue Spruce Capital. “IAS Lite gave us a practical way to strengthen our safety processes and measure ourselves against recognized industry standards without needing the resources of a much larger operation.”

Duncan Aviation transformed a Falcon 2000EX to mirror a newly acquired 2000LXS, creating a seamless fleet experience. By blending precise replication with modern upgrades, the project highlights how thoughtful design, advanced connectivity, and deep customer collaboration can extend aircraft value while delivering consistency passengers immediately recognize.

Hamilton AI launched three tools for private aviation operators within three months of bringing on Matthew Schwegler as head of products. The three tools—Hamilton Banking, Hamilton Dispatch, and Hamilton for Brokers—are available now and in use with operators including Baker, Craft, and Jetvia. These platforms extend Hamilton’s existing sales module and are designed to feed each other.

“Hamilton Sales collapses [air charter] quoting from tens of minutes down to seconds, which means operators are suddenly able to quote dramatically more flights,” Schwegler told AIN. “Hamilton Dispatch picks those quoted flights up and runs them through the operational workflow—crew, aircraft, scheduling, coordination—and feeds real-time aircraft availability back into [Hamilton] Sales, so the next quote going out reflects what the fleet can actually do. Each product takes the output of the others as its input.”

Hamilton Banking handles payment settlement within the same platform where trips are sold and flown, eliminating the float and reconciliation delays common in legacy charter payment systems. Hamilton Dispatch gives operations staff a single view of crew currency, duty-time limits, and aircraft status. The tool can also flag scheduling gaps and conflicts and identify opportunities to reduce empty repositioning legs, with authorized personnel making the final call on each. The third product, Hamilton for Brokers, connects operators to broker demand, converting additional quoting capacity into booked revenue.

NBAA has published an aircraft transactions guide covering tax, regulatory, and other considerations when buying or selling business aircraft. The guide walks people through preliminary considerations, contract and title concerns, closing process planning, and post-closing preparation.

It addresses assembling acquisition teams, developing ownership and operating structures, managing letters of intent, conducting title and lien searches, navigating aircraft purchase agreements and pre-purchase evaluations, handling registration processes and non-citizen trusts, and meeting post-closing documentation requirements.

“Aircraft transactions can be complex, and require coordination of entire teams on both the buyer's and seller’s side to ensure a smooth transaction,” said NBAA general counsel and corporate secretary Benjamin Schwalen. “No two transactions are identical, but following the time-tested guidance in this members-only publication can help keep your transaction on track.”

NBAA’s Tax Committee and Aircraft Transactions Working Group developed the guide with principal reviewers David T. Norton of Shackelford, McKinley & Norton, and Jeff Agur of The VanAllen Group. NBAA also provides members with other resources on trusts and aircraft export guidance, as well as an onboarding checklist for new owners.

Aviation staffing firm CrewBlast is expanding its reach with the launch of an affiliated company, CharterBlast, to offer a technology platform for charter operators and customers. Developed with white-labeled web and mobile technology, CharterBlast provides a means for operators to market empty legs, one-way flights, and other real-time charter availability. The site integrates directly into an operator’s existing website, increasing direct operator-to-customer engagement and eliminating brokerage fees.

CharterBlast’s mobile application is white-labeled for each operator, enabling customers to instantly view nearby available aircraft and submit booking inquiries directly to the operator. Charter customers can customize their preferences and receive push alerts to their devices when relevant charter opportunities become available. They can also opt for geolocation alerts to receive notifications about the availability of their current location. The platform integrates Clear biometric identity verification technology to provide for passenger security and identity screening.

Unlike traditional sites, CharterBlast is not a broker and does not charge brokerage fees. Rather, it is a technology platform to enable web integration and mobile app capabilities. Operators can upload available empty legs manually or email flight lists directly to CharterBlast. Using AI technology, CharterBlast processes flight details and instantly publishes them to the operator’s branded account and mobile platform.

While sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has long been hailed for its environmental benefits in the effort to lessen climate change, the recent conflict in the Middle East and its deleterious effects on the world’s petroleum supplies have highlighted the need to decouple fuel pricing and availability from geopolitical instability.

A new report from UK-based market research firm IDTechEx noted: “Rising oil prices prove that the disadvantages of fossil fuels extend beyond their negative environmental impact. Therefore, sustainable aviation fuel should also be viewed through the lens of empowering energy security.”

The HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids) pathway—which utilizes used cooking oils, fats, and greases as the feedstock instead of fossil fuels—is still the primary production process for SAF, and while the price gap between conventional jet fuel and HEFA SAF has shrunk slightly following the impact of the Iran war, HEFA fuel is still more expensive, the report noted. As demand grows, HEFA SAF production will be constrained by the availability of feedstocks.

Other SAF processes are still gaining market traction, such as alcohol-to-jet or Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, which use bio-based feedstocks such as bioethanol or municipal solid waste that can be sourced locally. When it comes to feedstock flexibility, e-SAF produced with CO2 from the air combined with green hydrogen (generated from water using renewable energy) is the ultimate winner, according to the report.

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