Gulfstream Aerospace has completed a ground-test program on its G700 using various fuels, including 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The goal of the test regimen was to understand the environmental characteristics of different fuels with a focus on unblended SAF without sulfur contaminants or aromatic compounds.

The weeklong test program was conducted at the airframer’s Savannah, Georgia headquarters facility using SAF produced by World Energy and transported by World Fuel Services. Personnel measured the gaseous and particle emissions from the G700’s Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines using special instrumentation from the FAA, NASA, Aerodyne Research, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Preliminary data showed minimal to no sulfur contamination and a decrease in non-CO2 greenhouse gas production, demonstrating the potential of 100% SAF for improving the air quality near airports and possibly lessening the formation of contrails.

“Gulfstream has a rich history of innovating for sustainable aviation dating back to 2004 with the first ISO certification for our Savannah facility,” said Mark Burns, the airframer’s president. “Our journey continues today as we work to enhance our understanding of fuel properties and their environmental characteristics to assess business aviation’s impact on the climate, chart the path forward in decreasing that impact, and lead the industry in driving its sustainable aviation goals.”

For the past two years, U.S. developers and prospective operators of eVTOL aircraft have been on the edge of their seats, waiting to be told what will be expected of them to launch commercial air services. The waiting ended on October 22 when the FAA published its Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for the “Integration of Powered Lift: Pilot Certification and Operation”—an 880-page tome the industry is still trying to digest in detail.

That publication was staged on the opening day of this year’s NBAA-BACE trade show in America’s gambling capital, Las Vegas, seeming highly symbolic. The business aviation industry has increasingly emerged as an early adopter of the first new category of aircraft in decades, and the somewhat precocious advanced air mobility sector seems to many to be one big roll of the dice.

Type certification, of course, must come first, and several eVTOL frontrunners such as Joby and Archer appear to be in the latter stages of this process, even if it remains in doubt whether they will meet earlier declared timelines for reaching this milestone before New Year’s Eve 2024. Establishing compliance with the new SFAR could well take longer as companies determine what key requirements—namely, aircraft energy reserves (governing range) and pilot training—can be accommodated. The new rules will apply to Part 91, Part 135, and Part 136 operations.

Bombardier Defense delivered the eighth Global-family special-mission aircraft to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program. The handover of the Global 6500 platform took place at the company’s Hartford, Connecticut service center under an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract affirmed in 2021 and valued at up to $465 million.

That IDIQ contract followed the delivery of four previous Globals under other BACN agreements that had occurred since 2007. Under the 2021 award, the USAF initially had a firm order for one aircraft with the potential of adding as many as five more. The next—and ninth total—delivery is slated for 2025.

Known as the E-11A and dubbed “Wi-Fi in the sky” by the USAF, BACN aircraft serve as high-altitude communications gateways that can relay or bridge voice and other tactical data supporting missions across air, land, and sea.

“The speed, agility, and low operating costs of our Global jets make them ideally suited for specialized missions meant to strengthen national and international security initiatives, such as the critical BACN program,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive v-p of aircraft sales and Bombardier Defense. “With the delivery of this aircraft, Bombardier Defense continues to deepen its relationship with the U.S. Air Force and set itself apart as a missionized platform provider of choice.”

Has managing all your ERJ landing gear overhauls got you feeling overwhelmed? A third-party provider can assist with the entire process, but is outsourcing right for you? In this resource, C&L Aviation Group explains the benefits of working with a provider for all your ERJ landing gear overhaul management needs. 

Following a groundbreaking ceremony last week, a new hangar complex is taking shape at Toronto Hamilton International Airport (CYHM) in Ontario. The facility, being built by BC Developments and expected to open in first-quarter 2026, will house charter provider FlyXcite as its primary tenant.

The $50 million, 50,000-sq-ft first phase of the project will include an FBO-style terminal with passenger lounges, conference rooms, and other amenities, along with a large hangar. A second 50,000-sq-ft phase is planned.

Notably, the facility will house FlyXcite’s overflow aircraft fleet from nearby Toronto Pearson International Airport (CYYZ) and provide room for growth. FlyXcite also operated a base at Buttonville Airport, which closed last year.

The company, which has permission to operate as an FBO, intends to provide hangar space and ground handling for transient aircraft from the start. FlyXcite will also have its approved maintenance organization at the facility to support both airplanes and helicopters.

“Our intentions are to provide a first-class facility for our charter clients and aircraft owners, as well as to provide overflow hangar space at the airport,” FlightExec/FlyXcite Group principal Nick Erb told AIN. He is also in discussions with various fuel companies for the provision of fuel services at the location, which would be the third FBO on the field. “Once selected, we are intending to offer branded fuel at our facility,” Erb said.

Aviation Sans Frontières recently raised more than €200,000 ($217,000) for projects using aircraft and industry volunteers to support humanitarian work worldwide. On October 20, the Paris-based not-for-profit organization held its first sponsored AéroRun event in which 1,200 people of all ages raced around the runway at Le Bourget Airport.

The charity event received strong support from the wider French aviation community, including the country’s DGAC civil aviation agency, Dassault Aviation, Groupe ADP, Jetex, and SkyFirst. The runners included 22 different nationalities and they had full use of Le Bourget’s Runway 03-21 for a 10-kilometer course, enjoying 360-degree views of the airport as they progressed to the finish line.

Aviation Sans Frontières supports projects such as raising funds for a flying hospital that can bring healthcare to vulnerable and isolated populations. It has also organized humanitarian transportation in Africa, helped to carry children to France for medical care, and taken medicines to where they are needed.

“This event beautifully proves what we can accomplish when we unite our efforts for a common cause,” said Gérard Feldzer, president of Aviation Sans Frontières. “Participants, partners, volunteers, and runners, all of us showed how sport can be a means of incredible solidarity.”

During NBAA-BACE last week in Las Vegas, Signature Aviation and NetJets took time from their schedules to participate in the groundbreaking of what will be a new dedicated NetJets facility at Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS). It is scheduled to open in 2027.

Marking the first new-build collaboration between the two industry titans, the complex will include an exclusive NetJets terminal, a fleet maintenance hangar, and a second hangar earmarked for use by NetJets subsidiary Executive Jet Management. The facility will offer dedicated car parking and vehicle ramp access for NetJets’ aircraft owners and customers, with service representatives on hand to facilitate seamless arrivals and departures.

“NetJets has eagerly anticipated breaking ground on the extraordinary Las Vegas facility we are building with our valued partner Signature Aviation,” stated Patrick Gallagher, the fractional provider’s president. “This new campus will amplify the industry-leading service and aircraft access our owners expect and deserve, while simultaneously creating job opportunities for residents in the region.”

The move is the latest cooperation between the two companies. Earlier this year, they announced that one of Signature's FBOs at business aviation hub Teterboro Airport would be devoted to NetJets operations.