Global business aircraft flight activity last month climbed 3.2% year over year (YOY), despite a 6.5% erosion in European traffic, according to the latest TraqPak data from Argus International. Flying in North America ticked up 2.4%, while in the rest of the world it soared by 17%. For this month, Argus analysts are projecting a 0.2% YOY increase in North American activity and a 3.8% decrease in Europe.

All aircraft categories and operator types were in the black in North America last month. By category, large-cabin jets took the lead with a 3.2% increase, followed by light jets, +2.8%; midsize jets, +2.7%; and turboprops, +1.2%. Fractionals continued to be the frontrunner by operator, surging 9.4%, while Part 135 charter and Part 91 saw more modest 1.4% and 0.4% gains, respectively. Two individual segments recorded double-digit gains: fractional large-cabin jet flying soared 15.4%, and fractional light jets rose 13%.

In Europe, midsize jet activity logged the only increase, up 1.9%. All other aircraft categories in the region experienced losses, led by large-cabin jets with a 17.9% decline, followed by light jets, -3.3%, and turboprops, -2.7%.

Turboprops reigned supreme in the rest of the world, jumping 24.4% last month, while light jet flying climbed a healthy 17%. Midsize jet activity ascended by 12.4%, and large-cabin jets rose 7%.

Aerocor and the Eclipse Jet Owners and Pilots Association (EJOPA) have released a flight operational quality assurance (FOQA) program for Eclipse 500/550 very light jets. The FOQA data analysis program is free for Eclipse owners and available from Aerocor’s FlightData service, which was developed in-house.

About 15 Eclipse owners participated in beta testing the FOQA program, according to Aerocor co-founder and president Gavin Woodman. He expects to see a significant number of Eclipse owners signing up for the FOQA program, not only for the safety benefits but also to help with insurance coverage. Eventually, Woodman plans to offer Eclipse owners a program similar to the Citation Jet Pilots Association Gold Standard by combining extra training events with the FOQA program to encourage insurance underwriters to provide coverage and reasonable rates for participants.

The first release of the Aerocor FOQA program helps pilots view how their flying matches stabilized approach criteria, especially at the 500-foot mark, where landing reference speed should be at most five knots high with a descent rate of 500 fpm.

Aerocor is also integrating the stabilized approach monitoring analysis in its Eclipse training syllabus. This will allow instructors to use real-world data and trends from the pilot’s flights to personalize the training program. The stabilized approach criteria were developed in partnership with EJOPA.

Persistent contrails and aviation-induced cloudiness could be as significant as carbon dioxide emissions in aviation’s contribution to global warming, according to a report released today by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Commissioned by NASA, the 100-page document proposes a federally coordinated research agenda to better understand and reduce the climate impact of contrails through scientific, operational, and policy pathways.

The premise of the report is that aviation’s contribution to global warming extends beyond CO2 emissions, and there is a need to measure these possible impacts. While CO2 from fossil jet fuel accounts for roughly 2.5% of all carbon emissions, the report emphasizes that non-CO2 impacts—especially those from persistent contrails—could be of the same order of magnitude. As air traffic grows, these effects are expected to increase unless mitigation strategies are developed and implemented.

Among the findings in the report is that the majority of contrail-related warming may come from a relatively small percentage of flights. This suggests that targeted mitigation, such as avoiding ice-supersaturated regions on specific high-impact routes, could offer climate benefits. These regions are often horizontally extensive but vertically shallow.

Specific recommendations in four key areas are outlined in the report: improving atmospheric measurements and observations; developing standardized modeling tools for contrail formation and evolution; building and validating operational forecasting systems; and coordinating these efforts through a national research strategy.

The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has certified ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia to perform line and heavy maintenance on Japanese-registered Dassault Falcon 2000EX business jets. This approval is the first time the agency has approved the Dassault Aviation subsidiary as an overseas maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) organization.

Data from Asian Sky places Japan as East Asia’s third-largest business jet market, with 81 aircraft based there as of the end of 2024. According to Dassault, the Falcon 2000EX has sold well in the country due to its combination of range and the ability to make steep approaches and access short runways.

“We see potential in Japan, as it is a sizable business jet market and because operators there want to send their aircraft to an OEM-owned MRO organization that is certified nationally and internationally,” said Ivan Lim, regional v-p for Asia with ExecuJet MRO Services. “We applied for JCAB approval in response to market demand. As customer queries from Japan come in, we will look to further expand the aircraft types in Japan we can serve.”

Kuala Lumpur-based ExecuJet MRO Services is already approved by 15 other regulators, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, FAA, and EASA.

In the demanding world of aviation, OEMs face constant pressure to innovate, maintain quality, and control costs. Increasingly, they are finding a valuable partner in job shop operations like what Duncan Aviation has developed in its Duncan Manufacturing Solutions, or DMS.

George J. Priester Aviation has selected AirTera as its safety management system (SMS) provider. It will partner with the software company to co-develop a next-generation emergency response planning (ERP) module, scheduled for release in the third quarter.

The ERP module will be fully integrated into AirTera’s SMS platform, offering a scalable and modernized tool for emergency planning within the same environment used for security, safety, and compliance. Based on Priester’s internally developed ERP framework, the software is reengineered to reflect current operational needs and to serve a broader segment of the charter industry.

“We didn’t just build our ERP for internal use; we built it to solve real problems for charter operations like us,” said George J. Priester Aviation chairman Andy Priester. “Now, by partnering with AirTera, we’re taking that proven foundation and turning it into a platform that can benefit the entire industry.”

According to the companies, the ERP tool will be available as an optional module within AirTera’s SMS and will incorporate AI-driven automation and resilience planning tools. AirTera CEO Jiri Marousek described the collaboration as a natural evolution of the platform’s broader mission to streamline operational management.

VistaJet has formed a partnership with skincare specialist Barbara Sturm to launch a wellness initiative focused on mitigating the effects of high-altitude travel. The partnership marks a broader expansion of VistaJet’s in-flight wellness offerings.

“To seriously address the impact of travel on the skin, we joined forces with Dr. Barbara Sturm, the global authority in science-backed skincare, to deliver the most advanced, results-driven treatments available—seamlessly integrated before, during, and after every flight,” said Matteo Atti, global chief marketing officer at VistaJet.

The collaboration includes the Dr. Barbara Sturm x VistaJet In-Flight Kit, which contains six skincare products designed for use during air travel. To be available fleetwide, the kit is packaged for use during and after flight. In addition, all 590 VistaJet cabin hosts will receive training from Sturm’s learning and development team, with select crewmembers certified to perform in-flight facials aboard the Global 7500 on select routes.

VistaJet members will also have access to preflight express facials at select Dr. Barbara Sturm Spa & Boutique locations and post-flight skincare amenities at Vista House experiences. Members will receive complimentary access to Privé, the brand’s membership program.

“The high-altitude environment presents unique challenges for the skin, from dehydration to increased sensitivity,” said Barbara Sturm. “By combining our science-based skincare solutions with VistaJet’s service, we are setting a new standard for skincare across the globe.”

The Air Charter Association (ACA) is hosting its annual Air Charter Forum conference as part of this year’s EBACE show. This will run from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21 on the Innovation & Sustainability Stage. Additionally, the industry group will hold its annual networking event for members in Geneva the evening before this session.

Across three sessions, speakers will address the state of the charter market and the role of brokers, as well as provide some training through an interactive quiz to test industry knowledge led by ACA training manager Julie Ellis and chief executive Glenn Hogben.

The opening session will begin with the latest market data from WingX managing director Richard Koe. A discussion about whether air charter is growing or shrinking will include contributions from industry leaders including MaceAero CEO Chris Mace; FlyingGroup’s director of sales, Matthieu Dardenne; Saxon Air CEO Alex Durand; Andy Jurd, senior v-p for private jets with Air Partner; and Roberto Zapatero, commercial and business development director at Gestair.

The discussion about the evolving role of charter brokers will be led by Julie Black, head of UK executive charter at Hunt & Palmer. Other panelists will include Yann-Guillaume Jaccard, CEO and co-founder of Simply Jet; Robert Plhak, CEO at VOO Flights; Tomás Camprubí, managing director UK with LunaJets; and James Shotton, co-founder of Skytime.

Two U.S. lawmakers are urging Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau to issue a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to reimburse airport businesses affected by temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) around presidential residences. The lawmakers—Reps. Lois Frankel (D-Florida) and Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-New Jersey)—noted that they represent Palm Beach County, Florida, and Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Donald Trump spends significant time.

“When the president is at his residences in our districts, TFRs are put in place for his safety, effectively shutting down general aviation airports in our districts, including Lantana Airport, Somerset Airport, and Solberg-Hunterdon Airport,” the lawmakers noted in a joint letter to Duffy and Rocheleau. “These closures severely disrupt operations and result in millions in lost revenue for the small businesses that operate out of these airports and employ hundreds of people.”

They pointed out that since the first Trump Administration, Congress appropriated $3.5 million annually to reimburse businesses affected by such TFRs that temporarily limit airspace access during certain presidential travel. However, they said, the FAA must issue an NOFO for businesses to be able to seek reimbursement.

“We strongly urge the FAA to open a NOFO for this grant opportunity before funds expire at the end of the fiscal year to ensure that eligible airports and businesses can receive the relief they need as soon as possible,” they appealed to the agency chiefs.

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