Berkshire Hathaway on Saturday reported that revenue from its services group—which includes NetJets and FlightSafety International—rose 6.6% year over year in the first quarter to $5.493 billion. This was driven in large part by a 10.4% increase in aviation services revenue.

The company attributed the growth to a higher number of aircraft in NetJets’ shared ownership programs and increased flight hours across its various offerings. Higher average rates across the board also contributed to the top-line performance. Pre-tax earnings for the services group rose 9.6% to $648 million, with aviation services among the primary contributors.

“The earnings increase from aviation services was primarily attributable to increased revenues, partially offset by higher flight crew, maintenance, fuel costs, and depreciation expense,” the company said in its latest financial report. Margins in the services segment improved modestly, with pre-tax earnings rising to 11.8% of revenues.

In addition to NetJets and FlightSafety, the services group includes electronic components distributor TTI, food service franchise Dairy Queen, and several logistics and leasing operations. While other businesses contributed to gains, aviation services were cited as the leading factor in both revenue and earnings growth for the service group.

Separately, Berkshire announced that Warren Buffett will step down as CEO. Greg Abel, the company’s vice chairman for non-insurance operations, will succeed Buffett on Jan. 1, 2026. Buffett will remain chairman of the board.

Improper T-bolt installation and maintenance records were cited by the NTSB as the probable causes in a March 2024 air ambulance accident in Indiana. The Airbus Helicopters BK117C2 sustained substantial damage during a “hard landing” after a critical tail rotor control failure. The pilot and two medical crewmembers aboard were not injured.

Operating as an air ambulance under Part 135, the helicopter was departing Purdue University Airport (KLAF) in West Lafayette, Indiana, at night when the pilot reported feeling a sudden force on the pedals during a hover taxi. The aircraft began an uncommanded right yaw, and the pilot stated that left pedal input had no effect. Next, the pilot executed an emergency landing.

An examination revealed that the T-bolt connecting the tail rotor pitch change bellcrank to the pitch change slider had separated in flight. The NTSB found that the T-bolt and its attachment bolts had been removed “at the direction of a lead mechanic to facilitate troubleshooting of adjacent components,” after which maintenance personnel temporarily installed the T-bolt attachment bolts “finger-tight” without torquing or safety wiring them as required.

Maintenance records did not include any entry for the T-bolt’s removal or reinstallation, and no verification of its final installation was performed before the aircraft was returned to service. The NTSB concluded that the lack of documentation contributed to the oversight.

The Senate Commerce Committee late last week approved by a 19-to-9 vote the nomination of Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator. This approval clears the nomination for full Senate consideration.

Both committee chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) voted in favor of the nomination. Cruz called him a “successful entrepreneur with a bold boundary-pushing vision for space exploration,” while Cantwell also is backing the nomination. “He comes before us with a wealth of business experience and space experience. I do think that…at this point in time—a commitment to keeping the moon mission is the key requirement that we have to have in this position,” she said. Cantwell, however, also expressed reservations about proposed budget cuts at NASA.

Isaacman has garnered support for the role in the business aviation community. NBAA wrote the committee, saying his “experience at the intersection of aviation, space, and technology will be invaluable in supporting NASA’s mission and advancing the aerospace sector.”

Isaacman founded payment solutions provider Shift4 and defense company Draken International, but is best known for his role as the commander of Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit the Earth.

“As a renowned civilian astronaut, accomplished aviator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Mr. Isaacman is an aerospace trailblazer,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. NBAA recognized Isaacman in 2023 with its Meritorious Service to Aviation Award.

StandardAero recently hit a milestone in its engine services, receiving the 1,500th Honeywell HTF7000 series engine for major maintenance at its Augusta, Georgia service center. The MRO provider became an authorized maintenance channel partner for the engine in 2008 and obtained heavy maintenance authorization for its Augusta center in 2016.

With the event, StandardAero noted that it now has performed more major HTF7000 workscope events than any other company. Formerly known as the AS907, the HTF7000 powers a range of super-midsize jets, including the Bombardier Challenger 300/350/3500, Cessna Citation Longitude, Gulfstream G280, and Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600. The engine fleet collectively surpassed 10 million flight hours last year.

StandardAero is expanding its MRO capacity at Augusta Regional Airport to keep up with increasing demand for HTF7000 engine support, the company said. “The grand opening of our expanded engine shop and new aircraft service hangar coming this fall, our growth in capacity enables us to support more HTF7000 operator engines than ever before,” said Chris Bodine, v-p and general manager of StandardAero’s Augusta facility.

In addition to heavy maintenance at Augusta, StandardAero provides minor-level authorized HTF7000 service at its (Fleetlands) Gosport, UK site and line maintenance for the engine at its centers in Houston; Springfield, Illinois; West Palm Beach, Florida; and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It also provides mobile repair team support.

AEG Fuels is updating its AEG Rewards program with a new tiered structure—Ready, Jet, and Fuel—designed to give customers more ways to earn and redeem. With added benefits at every level, the revamped program offers greater value for your fueling and flight support activity.

Green Fuel Forward, an initiative to spur demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, was unveiled this week at the GenZero Climate Summit in Singapore. Developed as a partnership between the World Economic Forum and GenZero, an investment platform focused on global decarbonization, the measure looks to increase SAF usage in the region, eventually leading to a production ramp-up.

“The Asia-Pacific region has a unique opportunity to lead in sustainable aviation fuels,” said GenZero CEO Frederick Teo, “but unlocking this potential requires stronger demand signals.”

Due to its rapidly growing aviation sector, abundant feedstock resources for the production of SAF, and increasing governmental support, Asia-Pacific is poised to become a key market for the renewable fuel. Singapore, Australia, and Japan have already implemented measures to encourage faster decarbonization in aviation.

Green Fuel Forward’s goal is to unite airlines, logistics providers, and corporations operating in APAC in this process, which has already garnered support from leading companies and agencies including American Express Business Travel, Boeing, DHL, International Energy Agency, Neste, Qantas Group, Singapore Airlines, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.

Planned activities will feature workshops and guidance to help users understand key topics such as environmental integrity, book-and-claim systems, and reporting practices for claiming and logging sustainable credits. A hands-on exercise in buying SAF and SAF credits will also be offered.

Epic Aircraft has designated Victory Lane Aviation as its inaugural Gold Star Authorized Service Center, establishing a new tier within the OEM's maintenance network that elevates operational standards and customer service.

“This designation marks a significant step in our strategic collaboration with Victory Lane Aviation,” said Epic Aircraft CEO Doug King. “Victory Lane joined Epic’s authorized service center network in 2022. Our relationship has steadily grown year after year through our shared dedication to the highest levels of safety, quality, and customer service.”

The Gold Star classification represents Epic’s highest level of authorized service provider, requiring facilities to maintain comprehensive maintenance capabilities for the manufacturer’s E1000 turboprop singles.

Ryan Shepherd, CEO of Victory Lane Aviation, remarked, “We’re honored and proud to be designated as the first Gold Star Authorized Service Center within the Epic Aircraft network. Doug and his team make safety and customer satisfaction top priorities. This partnership aligns with those priorities, and is the reason we’ve invested in increased capabilities, including AOG support.”

To achieve the Gold Star designation, service centers must demonstrate excellence across multiple operational areas. Requirements include offering a range of maintenance services from routine inspections to complex repairs, employing factory-trained technicians, maintaining FAA Part 145 repair station certification, and providing regional AOG support.

Tamarack Aerospace is offering a carbon-offset program for customers under a partnership with aviation sustainability company 4Air. The initiative provides Tamarack clients the opportunity to offset 100 flight hours when purchasing active winglets for their Cessna Citation CJ1, CJ2, CJ3, M2, or CJ3+. “Tamarack is committed to reducing our environmental impact in a responsible and effective manner, and we are pleased to offer our customers the opportunity to join us in promoting sustainability,” said Tamarack president Jacob Klinginsmith.

Through the partnership, customers can opt in to offset emissions by purchasing verified carbon credits managed by 4Air. Each participating aircraft will undergo an emissions assessment, with credits retired in compliance with industry-recognized standards. These credits will fund real-world environmental projects that reduce carbon emissions.

Tamarack’s active winglet technology is designed to enhance aircraft performance while reducing fuel consumption. The offset program builds on these efforts by offering clients an additional avenue to support sustainability. “Our customers aren’t just looking for performance upgrades—they’re looking to make a difference,” said Eric Cunningham, v-p of sales at Tamarack. “We’re giving them a simple, verifiable way to support sustainability alongside the fuel-saving benefits of active winglets.”

Academy Aviation Group announced a new business division, Academy Aviation Online (AAO), last week at the NBAA Maintenance Conference. Featuring an online learning management system, AAO aims to bring a fresh approach to self-directed e-learning through its pool of subject matter experts, such as Academy Aviation Maintenance Training (AAMT) in Melbourne, Florida; Academy 147 in Europe; and ATC Dubai in the UAE.

These experts will write and maintain the content in their respective areas while AAO will host the courses, which will include human factors, safety management systems, suspected unapproved parts, and aviation awareness for MRO and FBO staff. According to the company, new courses—each with interactive multimedia features, including videos and quizzes—will be posted to the site every month.

Each class will have an assigned subject matter expert who will be available to engage with students and answer questions. Students will be able to study at their own pace from lesson plans that merge theoretical training aspects with real-world case studies.

“The e-learning platform is being launched to satisfy those customer requirements for critically important non-technical courses, providing a simple path to maintain compliance and expand their employee knowledge base,” AAMT president Joe Bonita told AIN.

AAO will formally launch around midyear, and Academy Aviation Group is now accepting early bookings with launch customer pricing.

Tell us about the product support you receive from business aviation OEMs. The 2025 AIN Product Support Survey is open, ready for selected readers to rate aircraft, engine, and avionics support. AIN readers who have been picked to participate in this year’s Product Support Survey should have received their password and link to the online survey by e-mail. The survey needs to be completed by midnight on June 1. Please contact Lisa Valladares if you have not received your access code.