Alliance Aviation, which recently opened the first general aviation hangar at Saudi Arabia’s AlUla International Airport (OEAO), is hoping to build out the site as a central general aviation facility that accommodates other aviation businesses as the company eyes expansion into other locations, according to CEO Brendan McQuaid. During a panel at the Irish Business and General Aviation Association’s International Business Aviation Conference last week, McQuaid called that move “the beginning of Alliance Aviation in the kingdom, and from there we’ll hopefully develop into other airports on the west coast.”

Late last month, Alliance Aviation announced it opened a hangar and FBO facility at OEAO in partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla, which is in western Saudi Arabia. Noting that Alliance Aviation took the “keys” to the facility in October, McQuaid expects the facility to be fully operational in January. 

Alliance Aviation plans to expand its Part 145 MRO services at the Saudi location. Along with a line maintenance base, the company is establishing a rapid response truck that can dispatch to AOG situations.

Noting the move into Saudi Arabia took about a year, he said. “Now we’ve learned the footfalls, we want other companies to come in and for AlUla to become the number-one general aviation airport in Saudi Arabia. We’re providing a service of administration.”

Airline pilots have commuted for decades, but the practice hasn’t been as common in Part 91 flight departments. Many high-net-worth and corporate operators require their crewmembers to live within one to two hours of the hangar. Being ready to go the moment the principal calls creates efficiencies and supports a cohesive team with a shared workload.

But rising living costs and recent base consolidations have prompted some hiring managers to rethink their long-standing policies. Several business aviation leaders now allow select crewmembers to live an airline flight away from base and/or travel commercially to meet the aircraft wherever it operates. And, as we know, many schedulers already work remotely full time.

When managed well, this model can work for both the team and the operation. Still, commuting isn’t right for every department.

To understand the tradeoffs, I spoke with several Part 91 leaders. One adopted a hybrid approach after a base closure. Others embrace it to keep trusted people through life changes. Another’s fleet moves so often that a fixed base offers little value.

What I heard was consistent: distance can test an operation, yet it can also strengthen it. Retaining talent, they told me, often matters more than geographic convenience.

UAE investment group Tariq Al Futtaim this week confirmed plans to build several hangars for private aircraft in the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW). Announcing the development yesterday at the Dubai Airshow, the company said the new facilities will be managed by aircraft management and charter group Empire Aviation.

The project is being managed by Jet Park Investment, which is a subsidiary of Tariq Al Futtaim, a privately owned venture focused on real estate, technology, energy, education, and mobility. Project partners did not specify how many hangars will be built, what size they will be, or when they will be ready for use, but did confirm that ground support and light maintenance will be available for aircraft.

Empire Aviation will use the facility to accommodate aircraft that are part of its managed fleet and also those of third-party operators. Earlier this month, the Dubai-based company said it planned to open a new headquarters in the second half of 2026.

Founded in 2007, Empire operates 25 privately owned aircraft, with around one third of these available for charter flights. Included in the fleet is a mix of Gulfstream G700s, G600s, and G280s, as well as several Bombardier Global XRSs, an Airbus Corporate Jet, and an Embraer Legacy 650.

NBAA has voiced support for two bipartisan bills introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) and Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) to support aviation professionals. The Aviation Medication Transparency Act, introduced earlier this year by the House of Representatives, stands to improve medication guidance for pilots and air traffic controllers. The Mental Health in Aviation Act, already passed by the House, seeks to improve and update the FAA’s medical certification process. 

“NBAA strongly supports the Mental Health in Aviation Act, which aims to address the stigma surrounding mental health in the aviation community,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. He added that pilots, controllers, and others should feel safe seeking help without fear of repercussions.

“The Aviation Medication Transparency Act will establish a streamlined mechanism for pilots, air traffic controllers and others to access vital information about medications that may be safely prescribed,” Bolen said. Greater clarity helps individuals work with their doctors while minimizing effects on certification, he added.

NBAA noted that it has long advocated for improvements in the FAA’s medical policies and represented the business aviation sector on the FAA’s 2023 Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee, which offered similar recommendations.

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Opposition to the city of Cleveland’s efforts to permanently shutter Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL) is growing, with AOPA joining the fray as part of the Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership (LAPP). Last month, Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne issued a request to the federal government, asking it to relieve the city of its federal grants obligation to operate the airport, which opened in 1947.

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and several members of Ohio’s congressional delegation, they asked for “partnership and support to begin the formal process—working with the FAA and regional stakeholders—of decommissioning Burke Lakefront Airport and repurposing this uniquely situated, approximately 450-acre waterfront site for public access and job-creating development.”

The LAPP countered that request with a letter of its own, reminding the legislators and secretary that, according to the nearly $20 million in airport improvement grants given by the FAA and the state of Ohio, KBKL is required to remain open until the late 2030s.

“By accepting these grants, the city has agreed to operate and maintain the airport,” LAPP stated. “Temporary politicians should not be able to ignore or undo commitments made by their predecessors, which will have negative long-term impacts.”

Textron Aviation will end production of the Beechcraft Baron G58 piston twin and Bonanza G36 piston single once all current orders are fulfilled, the company said in a statement this week. This move will allow the company to shift focus to welcome the Denali turboprop single, it said. Both piston models have long been used by smaller companies as business aircraft and have maintained a decades-long presence in the industry.

A company spokesperson said the decision is part of Textron Aviation’s broader product investment plan. The aircraft “have been cornerstones of the company’s leadership in the piston market for nearly eight decades,” the spokesperson said. “More than 6,000 Baron and 18,000 Bonanza aircraft have been delivered worldwide.” Next month marks the 80th anniversary of the Bonanza’s first flight. 

“This strategic shift will enable Textron Aviation to focus on welcoming the Beechcraft Denali into its product portfolio while thoughtfully assessing future investments within this segment,” the spokesperson said. Textron did not outline possible future piston offerings but emphasized that reassessing the segment is part of its ongoing investment strategy.

UK start-up Fly Above Group is preparing to launch private charter services with an Embraer Phenom 100 light jet. The company, which will trade under the brand Above, will base the aircraft at the XLR Executive Jet Services FBO at Birmingham International Airport (EGBB). The Phenom, previously owned by an operator based in Germany, has club-four seating in the cabin.

Above will operate under the air operator certificate it has acquired with the purchase of Bournemouth-based Alto Aerospace. Alto operates a managed fleet including Beechcraft King Air 200, Cessna 421 Golden Eagle, and Diamond DA-42 models that it uses for private charter flights and special missions.

Subject to approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, Above aims to start flying the Phenom in early 2026. The company said the Phenom is optimal for flights of up to 2.5 hours.

The company has financial backing from its founder, Vince Essex, and local business partners eager to introduce more entry-level-jet charter capacity to the UK’s G-register. Essex formerly was the chief commercial operator at Cello Aviation, which operated BAe 146s and Boeing 737s for charter services out of EGBB between 2010 and 2018. He also has experience running aircraft ground support and concierge services through his Arvin Group venture.

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