While none of the major business jet manufacturers are at EBACE 2025, some of the start-ups looking to replace them showed up. Sessions on the event’s Innovation & Sustainability stage on Tuesday heard from companies developing electric aircraft they say will not only reduce the industry’s environmental footprint, but also prepare the way for more inclusive air transport business models bringing affordable and flexible flight options to smaller communities.

In Toulouse, Beyond Aero is developing a six- to eight-passenger business jet that will use gaseous hydrogen to produce electical power via fuel cells for flights of up to 800 nm. The start-up, which has attracted experienced engineers from aerospace giants including Airbus and Embraer, believes it can certify the BYA-1 model under EASA’s CS23 rules by 2030. Yannick Schwarzenbart, the company’s head of program industrialization, said the performance it delivers will meet around 80% of current use cases for an aircraft of that size.

Signature Aviation has expanded its Bravo discount program for small and medium-sized operators. Launched last year in the FBO chain’s U.S. locations, the free membership program now includes benefits across its entire global network.

Benefits include discounted handling services at non-U.S. locations, Signature Gold Status, a best-price commitment on jet-A at its U.S. locations, discounts on maintenance services with TechnicAir MRO in the U.S. and UK, and additional benefits from program partners. Bravo participants are also eligible to earn points through Signature’s Tailwins customer loyalty program.

Jet Aviation’s FBO at Rotterdam The Hague Airport (EHRD) is the latest of its locations to undergo a full renovation, the company announced this week at EBACE. The global aviation services provider acquired the former KLM Jet Center facility in 2018, and its redevelopment brings it in line with Jet Aviation’s brand standards. It involved a redesign of all customer and crew areas and addition of environmentally friendly infrastructure enhancements.

On the passenger side, the facility's two lounges have been modernized and refurnished with new conference facilities, with the larger expanded by 15 sq m (160 sq ft), allowing it to be divided to provide privacy for smaller groups. Other enhancements include a 40-sq-m pilot lounge with a shower room, while the existing kitchen and working areas were relocated and redesigned to facilitate a more streamlined user experience.

Geneva Airport (LSGG) hangarkeeper Geneva Airpark saw its daily occupancy rise last year by 11%, as it welcomed nearly 170 different aircraft in 2024.

As the only private aircraft shelter on the field, the company’s heated, 10,000-sq-m (107,639-sq-ft) hangar can accommodate two Boeing 747s simultaneously. It is home to 22 aircraft, ranging from a Pilatus PC-12 turboprop single to an ultra-long-range Bombardier Global 7500.

Gogo is sharpening its international strategy following the integration of Satcom Direct and the rollout of its Gogo Galileo HDX antenna for low-earth-orbit (LEO) connectivity. Speaking with AIN ahead of EBACE 2025, Gogo CEO Chris Moore emphasized the merger’s significance, the European market’s role, and the company’s aim to provide seamless in-flight connectivity across aircraft and borders.

The combination of Gogo and Satcom Direct creates a unified provider offering air-to-ground, 5G, and low-earth-orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous (GEO) satellite connectivity. “What Satcom Direct brought to the deal was this global capability with sales and support,” Moore said. “We’ve got 13 offices all around the world, and [can] touch a customer’s aircraft in under 24 hours, anywhere on the planet.”

Global flight training provider CAE has opened its Vienna facility, marking the company's first business aviation training center in Central Europe. The facility—which opened last month and complements the UK CAE location at Burgess Hill—received its first customer.

“We are very excited to welcome Alexander Vagacs, chairman of Avcon Jet, as our first customer at CAE Vienna,” said Alexandre Prévost, CAE’s division president for business aviation. “Alexander has trained with us for 25 years, and since founding Avcon in 2007, we are proud to say he has entrusted the training of his pilots to CAE.”

The digital flip-through issues of AIN’s award-winning EBACE Convention News are now available online. It’s a great way to quickly scan the news from EBACE 2025, whether you’re in Geneva attending the show or watching from afar.