Three new NTSB safety recommendations call for the FAA to make changes to how runway conditions are assessed during heavy rainfall, warning that pilots face a greater risk for overruns under the current assessment system.

These recommendations follow NTSB investigations of 11 runway overrun accidents and incidents from 2008 through 2022 that occurred after landings on wet runways. In nine of these overruns, a shortfall in the measure of the runway’s slipperiness—the wheel braking friction coefficient—most likely resulted from moderate to heavy rainfall intensities and the associated increased water depths on the runways. Low runway friction was cited as a causal or contributing factor in eight of the 11 overruns, the report says.

The NTSB recommended that the FAA update its runway condition assessment matrix to account for the progressive decrease in the wheel braking friction coefficient associated with increasing rainfall intensity. Pilots and dispatchers rely on the matrix to determine how much runway is needed to stop after landing on a wet surface.

Aviation weather reports top out at “heavy rain” as a descriptor, leaving pilots without terminology to distinguish between rainfall that barely crosses the threshold and rainfall that may be 20 times that rate. In extreme rainfall conditions, braking capability can deteriorate so severely that landing should not be attempted, the NTSB concluded.

Canada has selected Sweden’s Saab as the preferred supplier of the GlobalEye platform, based on the Bombardier Global 6500, for its airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) requirement. The country’s defense department announced the decision today, spurring speculation as to possible political motivations for choosing a European partner over U.S. suppliers.

Discussions will now be stepped up involving Saab and Montreal-based Bombardier, which provides the Global 6500s for the program. Preferred supplier selection does not constitute a final procurement commitment, however.

Saab and Bombardier were competing with rival offers, including Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail platform and the L3Harris/Elta Systems Aeris X proposal that is also based on the Global 6500 and offers a 360-degree field of radar vision. Canada’s Defence Investment Agency will lead negotiations with Saab covering commercial, technical, and economic considerations around the prospective contract.

The AEW&C program is intended to provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with advanced command, control, and surveillance capabilities needed to respond to long-range threats in regions including the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. This is intended to boost Canada’s contribution to the North American Aerospace Defence Command, as well as to NATO missions.

Henderson Jet Services (HJS) Aftermarket Aircraft Components has acquired four business jets it is planning to part out and expand its inventory of aftermarket components for operators. The Georgetown, Texas-based company added a Beechcraft King Air 350ER, Dassault Falcon 50, Hawker 4000, and Bombardier Challenger 300, which are currently being disassembled at multiple locations. The company says all four aircraft are verified as non-incident, non-accident airframes.

“This increased inventory reflects our commitment to providing reliable, ready-to-ship parts that help operators minimize downtime and maintain operational efficiency,” said HJS president Scott Lawson.

The company said all parts are being processed with its quality-control procedures, including complete records, inspections, and preservation protocols to ensure quality and traceability before placing parts in the inventory. Operators can contact HJS to reserve parts.

HJS Aftermarket Aircraft Components is an AS9120B-certified supplier of aftermarket aircraft components, complex airframe systems, and engines for business aircraft operators, owners, and MROs. The company specializes in business jets, including Bombardier Globals, Challengers, and Learjets; Falcons; Hawkers; and HondaJet Elite models. HJS has previously parted out Bombardier Globals and Challengers, along with a HondaJet Elite last year.

Despite the geopolitical uncertainties, business jet market fundamentals remained healthy and demand strong with an increase in aircraft departures, growth in OEM backlogs, and stable preowned available inventory in the first quarter, according to Global Jet Capital’s (GJC) latest market brief.

In addition, the business jet financier is optimistic that the strong underpinnings of the economy are setting the industry up for continued health throughout the year. GJC noted that even with the conflict in the Middle East, the global economy sustained steady GDP growth of 2.7% in the first quarter.

This served as a backdrop for broad-based growth in the business jet departures, which were up 3.8% year over year (YOY) in the first three months. OEM backlogs jumped 19.3% YOY in the first quarter, with the four main business jet manufacturers reporting combined revenues reaching $57.1 billion.

Available preowned business jet inventory was down to 6.7% of the overall fleet, from 7.2% a year ago. Bluebook values strengthened by 1.1%. However, GJC also reported a drop in aircraft transaction dollar volume, which was off by 27.3%, but said this may reflect the timing of data reporting.

GJC pointed out the economic roils stemming from the Middle East conflict as Brent crude oil prices skyrocketed 106.5%, and the U.S. Volatility Index (VIX) increased 68.9%. Even so, it added, “The broader economic foundation remained firm.”

With Gogo Galileo HDX now available for the King Air, global connectivity has finally caught up to one of aviation’s most trusted platforms. Stevens Aerospace worked alongside Gogo to bring the system to the King Air, delivering seamless integration, proven real-world performance, and connectivity aligned with how operators fly today.

The FAA has awarded a supplemental type certificate (STC) to Pentastar Aviation for the installation of Gogo LX5 connectivity systems on Gulfstream IV/G450 and V/G550 airframes. Shane Smith, avionics sales and engineering manager at Pentastar, said, “This STC upgrade can be installed at our Oakland County International Airport (KPTK) location,” where the company is headquartered.

Gogo’s LX5 provides coverage throughout the continental U.S. and Canada, improving bandwidth and speed—up to 80 Mbps on Gogo’s 5G ATG network—while allowing for more connected devices. It’s lightweight and has a low profile. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $100,000. It also “offers flexibility in configuration and service plans,” according to Gogo.

The LX5 upgrade from Avance L3/L5 (or other systems) can be easily paired with the Gogo Galileo HDX or Galileo FDX satcom systems that will be available in the fourth quarter.

“Our technicians are second to none when it comes to expertise, professionalism, and overall quality and care given to your aircraft,” Smith commented.

Signature Aviation has broken ground on a new $10 million hangar/office complex at its Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (KROA) FBO in Virginia.

The project, slated to be completed next year, includes a 22,000-sq-ft hangar capable of sheltering ultra-long-range business jets, along with an attached 3,000-sq-ft office facility and a 14-vehicle parking lot. When opened, it will bring the location to more than 100,000 sq ft of aircraft shelter.

The development was part of the company’s 2024 lease renewal, which also included the rebuilding of its fuel farm. In December, Signature installed a self-serve avgas fuel pump there.

The facility’s lineage on the field dates back to 1957, when it was part of Piedmont Aviation, one of the companies Signature acquired to form today’s megachain. “Signature’s history at KROA is not just measured in years, but in the relationships, aircraft, and regional missions we have supported since the Piedmont Aviation era,” said Jim Hopkins, Signature’s senior v-p of airport relations and strategic programs.

“This project allows us to build on that foundation with modern infrastructure that responds directly to guest and customer demand, supports the airport’s long-term goals, and reinforces our commitment to Roanoke for years to come,” he added.

New regional aircraft that are more operationally flexible and with lower costs could unlock time savings on more than 2,600 U.S. domestic journeys of between one and three hours, according to a new study by Electra, which is developing a hybrid-electric nine-seat model called the EL9 Ultra Short. The company’s Direct Aviation Market Outlook study, published today, examines the case for air services to replace cars for trips of up to around 265 miles for which there are currently no scheduled airline options.

According to Virginia-based Electra, the EL9—which is intended to operate from landing strips as short as 150 feet—could open up air routes that are not currently viable. Part of the plan hinges on the aircraft being able to fly from “distributed access points” that could include parking lots, rooftops, fields, or barges.

The foundation for Electra’s analysis is the daily road trips currently undertaken in the U.S. by 35 million passengers of between 50 and 500 miles. These involve 1.6 million passenger-miles annually, and include more than 6,000 routes with some 1,000 travelers each day.

Electra believes that 80% of trips between 50 and 265 miles lack a practical air service option, forcing travelers to use cars.

Airbus Corporate Jets has received an EASA supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Gogo Galileo full-duplex (FDX) connectivity solution on its ACJ320ceo/neo series, bringing the highest-speed option in the ACJ Connect platform to the narrowbody family.

The certification covers an installation that centers on an electronically steerable flat antenna with two separate arrays—one dedicated to transmission and one to reception—enabling simultaneous two-way data transfer. That architecture allows the system to achieve download speeds of up to 195 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 32 Mbps, a significant step up from the half-duplex (HDX) solution previously certified on the ACJ319 family, which tops out at 60 Mbps down and 11 Mbps up.

Gogo’s Galileo service uses Eutelsat OneWeb’s low-earth-orbit (LEO) constellation of more than 640 satellites, delivering lower latency and broader coverage compared to traditional geostationary networks.

The ACJ Connect platform, developed jointly with Gogo, was announced in February 2025. Airbus is supplying the complete solution—including the STC, antenna hardware, and installation kits—through its network of service centers, with the first ACJ320-series aircraft now entering cabin outfitting.

FDX certification for the ACJ318, ACJ319, and widebody ACJ330 is expected by year-end.