The Million Air FBO at New York’s Westchester County Airport (KHPN) is the latest to undergo an audit as part of Argus International’s Base Operator Certification program. “Million Air already holds a strong reputation in the FBO industry,” said Argus president Mike McCready. “Achieving Argus certification will further elevate their systems and demonstrate their leadership in safety and service.”

Launched three years ago, Argus’ audit and rating certification identifies and promotes FBOs around the globe that meet rigorous industry best practices and standards. It examines vital areas including safety management systems, emergency preparedness, personnel training and competency, facility maintenance and infrastructure, and customer service protocols. For Million Air, the KHPN location is its first to undergo the audit. It expects to receive the results of the audit in the first quarter next year.

“Working with a globally recognized audit organization like Argus International sends a clear message to our customers: safety, quality, and excellence are foundational to everything we do,” said Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey, adding that the program sets a high bar. “Our customers deserve the best, and our team is committed to delivering it.”

Dressed as a pirate, Tony Kern opened his session at Bombardier Safety Standdown 2025 yesterday with a hearty “Good morning! How arrre ye?” and launching into a presentation that linked 17th-century pirate culture to modern aviation safety and leadership.

In his keynote, “Under the Black Flag: Lessons on Performance and Culture from Men Without a Country,” Kern—founding partner and CEO of Convergent Performance and a standing fixture of annual Safety Standdown events—explored how the discipline, teamwork, and shared accountability of seafaring crews mirror the foundations of high-reliability flight operations. “What can we learn from pirates?” he asked. “Turns out, quite a lot.”

Kern reminded the audience that pirates operated “with life and death on the line if they didn’t perform as a synchronized team.” Comparing the sea to “the first sky,” he said, “Aviation really came from the sea…we share a common mindset. Once you get the gear up, it’s all on you.”

He built his talk around the 11-article code of pirate captain Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts, drawing parallels between the centuries-old code and aviation professionalism. Article One—equal voice and fair access—became a call for participation in safety. “Every professional has the right, better said, the duty, to speak up in matters of safety, operations, ethics, quality—all the things that we’re supposed to be looking at every day,” Kern said.

ExecuJet MRO Services’ facility in Johannesburg is busy installing automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) equipment in business aircraft to meet a pending mandate issued by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. The company said its avionics team is now conducting installations on various Bombardier, Learjet, Embraer, Hawker, and Beechcraft models.

Under the mandate, all aircraft operating in South African airspace have to be fitted with ADS-B/Mode S 1090-MHz extended squitter transponders. The requirements were issued by the regulator late last year and took effect in Class A airspace from June 12.

In addition to South Africa, 17 African states that are members of the ASECNA air traffic management agency have an ADS-B mandate that was introduced in June 2023. ASECNA includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.

According to Vince Goncalves, ExecuJet MRO Services’ regional v-p for Africa, the South African regulator might consider issuing extensions of between three and six months to aircraft operators that have submitted a valid application and can show purchase orders for parts and a confirmed upgrade reservation. “It is, however, advisable that operators schedule their ADS-B upgrades well in advance to secure a maintenance slot, and to mitigate any lead times that might apply to the ADS-B equipment,” he told AIN.

Haven Aviation Services Group has opened its first FBO—at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (KAMA) in Texas. Specializing in aircraft maintenance, the company began at the airport in 2017.

The facility—which now gives aircraft operators a choice of FBOs at KAMA—is centrally located on the field and includes a 12,000-sq-ft terminal with refreshment bar, pilot lounge and snooze rooms, conference room, classroom, valet, concierge, and courtesy cars. Its 30,000-sq-ft hangar can shelter ultra-long-range business jets, and the Avfuel-branded dealer's fuel farm can hold 60,000 gallons of jet-A and 15,000 gallons of avgas.

“We are so excited to finally provide FBO services to round out our full-service offering of aviation services,” Haven CEO Travis Lamance told AIN, adding that he believes the more his company can vertically integrate its services, the better it can ensure exceptional service and safety to its clients. “This is the first of many FBOs for us as we will strategically add additional locations to support our clients, our maintenance services, and our charter fleet.”

An official grand opening event will be held on November 20 from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Training providers are capturing data during training events and combining this with operational data to improve pilot training outcomes, CAE senior manager of product management Clément Cateau explained this morning at Bombardier Safety Standdown 2025. His presentation, “Enhance Safety Intelligence with Training Data,” explored how this data is being used to improve training and support safety management systems (SMS).

Just as aircraft operators use flight operational quality assurance to leverage aircraft data for SMS programs, so too are training providers with what is being called simulator operational quality assurance. This is all part of what Cateau identified as "safety intelligence…it’s about collecting data, transforming raw data into actionable insights for safety management systems.”

While Cateau’s presentation delved into various aspects of safety intelligence, one of the more interesting points he made was about the growing use of artificial intelligence tools in analyzing the data that is captured.

He said the goal of using training data to enhance safety intelligence is “knowing what happened, why it happened, and providing automatically the recommendations to all different stakeholders and organizations…in an automated way.”

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of Ireland has concluded that “loss of control in flight during transition from forward flight to hover due to the collective pitch lever movement being restricted by a loose article” led to a Sept. 15, 2022, accident involving an Airbus Helicopters EC155B at Shannon Airport (EINN). According to the AAIU’s final report, that article was an unsecured portable power bank.

Registered EI-XHI, the helicopter was on a positioning flight from Loughrea, County Galway, to Shannon with only the 50-year-old ATP-certified pilot aboard. As it approached the light aircraft parking area, the AAIU found, the pilot attempted to flare and transition to a hover. However, the collective pitch lever “available movement…was in the order of 20–25 mm,” or close to one inch, “from the full down position,” preventing the pilot from controlling the descent.

“The collective pitch lever movement was restricted by a portable power bank device which was unsecured in the cockpit,” the report said. The device had migrated from the avionics center console into a space between the pilot’s seat and the console, where it became trapped against the lever’s friction lock adjuster sleeve.

Striking the taxiway with significant downward force and forward momentum damaged the left main and nose landing gear. There was no fire, and the pilot was not injured.

Ingenio Aerospace has introduced the AeroPortal system, a “modular open systems approach” (MOSA) toward adding or moving in-flight entertainment (IFE) and cabin management system (CMS) components in business jet cabins and cockpits. AeroPortal’s key elements include the AeroPuck dynamic connectivity interface and the AeroReceptacle mounting system.

The AeroPuck not only acts as a receptacle for IFE and CMS components but it also provides charging capability of up to 100 watts and up to 10 GB ethernet connectivity with other components. The AeroReceptacle can mount displays and other components at seating and other locations.

AeroPortal’s standardized electromechanical connection points create “plug-and-play integration zones that allow for the effortless addition, removal, or replacement of components such as lighting, screens, speakers, cameras, or other third-party devices without requiring repetitive modification or wiring changes,” according to Ingenio. Cabin interior designers can easily integrate third-party products or develop their own designs using AeroPortal’s modular products and Ingenio’s AeroAccessory design service.

“We are providing a MOSA-driven ecosystem that finally makes high-speed, high-power connectivity truly interchangeable,” said James Bell, president and CEO of Ingenio Aerospace. “AeroPortal is the key to unlocking true design freedom in aviation. It's more than just a component; it's a fully certifiable solution that streamlines the process for installers and customers, saving them time and money, while offering aircraft owners limitless, situational customizability to enhance their in-flight experience.”