Rosen Aviation is introducing a 130-inch Digital Skylight that mounts on business jet cabin ceilings and features a composite chassis enclosing curved 42- to 77-inch OLED panels. These various panel sizes allow for installation in different jet types, and Rosen will build units to order. The company will be displaying the system next week at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas.

Both stock options and custom solutions are available for display on the skylight, and Rosen has tapped a production company to develop those. While external camera images could be shown on the skylight, it explained that “the displayed image will be highly dependent on camera quality, resolution, and outside conditions.”

“Our diverse customer base…have been asking for this next-level experience and now we’re delivering beyond their expectations with a solution that is even larger and lighter,” said Rosen senior v-p of strategy Lee Clark. “The flexible and dynamic architecture of OLED displays, coupled with our more than 40 years of aircraft cabin expertise, allows for a unique and evolutionary product that completely changes how aircraft cabins will be designed.”

Rosen is also highlighting at BACE its largest in-flight entertainment system display: a 97-inch 4K OLED designed for larger business jets. Supplemental type certification of the display’s installation is expected by year-end.

Embraer Executive Jets is adding autothrottle as an available option for new-production Phenom 300Es starting in the third quarter of 2024, the company announced today. It will also offer the new feature as a retrofit for in-service Phenom 300Es with “factory-incorporated provisions” via a service bulletin available in the following quarter.

According to Embraer, autothrottle will enhance the light jet’s “pilot-centric” Prodigy Touch Flight Deck, which uses the Garmin G3000 avionics suite as its platform. Autothrottle will assist pilots in throttle control during various phases of flight; for passengers, this will translate to more comfort in the cabin, the company added.

“We are excited to introduce autothrottle to the Phenom 300E's avionics suite. It is another example of Embraer’s mindset of continued improvement, listening to customers' feedback and elevating an industry-leading product even further. Innovations like this enhance the experience and deliver even more value to operators,” said Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano.

The Phenom 300 series has been the best-selling light jet for 11 years in a row and the most-flown business jet in the U.S., with more than 700 in service logging some two million flight hours, Embraer said.

Sustainability will be front and center next week at NBAA-BACE, where the organization also will be holding its annual Business Aviation Sustainability Summit. The summit will feature discussions on progress toward decarbonization, new technologies that promise improvements in carbon emissions, and the policies that—once enacted—could further support aviation as it moves to its voluntary net-zero emissions goal by 2050.

Production and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) have been on the rise, and new technologies such as electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered propulsion loom on the horizon. The summit will explore these areas, as well as highlight industry efforts to advance them.

On Tuesday, the opening day of BACE, panels will discuss the critical role young professionals play in helping the industry meet its environmental aspirations. They will also talk about the rapid development of advanced air mobility. An invitation-only newsmakers luncheon will focus on the future of hybrid and electric flight.

The following day, industry experts will explore possible industry impacts from environmental policies in Europe and the U.S. Wednesday’s newsmakers luncheon will feature government and business leaders who will examine the industry’s plan for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. A panel later in the afternoon will tackle the facts and fallacies of environmental sustainability and how the industry can communicate that perspective.

Part 145 repair station Trimec Aviation and Universal Avionics have completed the first Universal InSight avionics system installation in a Dassault Falcon 2000EX and await imminent FAA supplemental type certification for the upgrade. InSight replaces the aircraft's original Collins Pro Line 4 avionics and includes SBAS-capable flight management systems, Universal’s connectivity ecosystem, and UniLink communications management units. It also supports RNP 0.3 instrument approaches and CPDLC, digital clearances, FANS 1A+, and ATN B1.

“We are proud of our Fort Worth technical team for making this possible and look forward to welcoming other Falcon 2000/EX operators looking for a solution for their aging and obsolete avionics,” said Trimec Aviation president and CEO Mike Rabadi. “This upgrade will not only increase the value of their asset but improve operating efficiency, enhance pilot safety, and increase the aircraft’s available payload.”

John Holland, Trimec Aviation general manager, said, “It’s exciting to reach the final stage of this STC for Falcon 2000/EX operators. The CDUs and FMS for the Pro Line 4 are irreplaceable and are no longer supported, so this is a timely solution that Trimec is ready to provide. We look forward to talking with owners and operators of these Falcons at NBAA-BACE.”

Florida’s Brooksville-Tampa Regional Airport (KBKV) will be receiving a second full-service FBO with the awarding of a 40-year lease with options to Bluewater Aviation. The company will develop a 12-acre plot at the eastern end of the 7,000-foot primary Runway 9/27.

Phase I of the project is expected to break ground in first-quarter 2024 and be completed by the end of that year. It will consist of a fuel farm, temporary terminal, and a build-to-suit hangar complex called “The Hangars at BKV.” Phase II—which is anticipated to launch within two years—will include a permanent terminal and community hangars able to handle the latest ultra-long-range business jets.

Offering convenient access to the Tampa Bay area via the Veterans Expressway, KBKV features a control tower, ILS precision approach, and an onsite airport rescue and firefighting unit. Bluewater president Anthony Santarsiero, a local pilot, believes KBKV is a sleeper airport with untapped potential.

“This airport is very special to me; I visited it so much in my training, and I'm excited to now expose its amazing features and location to the rest of the GA community,” he told AIN. Santarsiero added that the location is not only convenient for the Tampa Bay area but is also a great option for crew and equipment positioning for flight departments all over the state.

Dubai-based aircraft brokerage ArcosJet has purchased shares in private heliport operator Air Chateau as part of a plan to develop a large-scale helicopter project in the UAE. Air Chateau owns an eight-pad commercial heliport at the VIP terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport that began operations in November 2021.

This base will serve as the foundation of an ecosystem to operate and service privately owned helicopters in the region. Air Chateau also will operate the country's first off-airport commercial helicopter hangar, slated to open by April 2024.

“We see an unfilled market niche in developing private helicopter infrastructure in the UAE,” said ArcosJet founder and CEO Mikhail Alenkin. “Together with Air Chateau, and with support of the government of Dubai, we expect to unite heliports across the Emirates into one network with Dubai South and the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, which will greatly improve door-to-door accessibility of the entire area.”

“Creating an all-round ecosystem to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient helicopter operations should meet the current demand on the part of the transport system, passengers, and helicopter owners to improve accessibility and passenger mobility in Dubai and the UAE. We are confident that our partnership with ArcosJet is a new step…along that path,” said Air Chateau co-founder and CEO Shilton Tony Irudayaraj.

As part of its continuing effort to redevelop its facilities, Air Culinaire Worldwide recently completed a major renovation of its Miami-area aircraft catering kitchen. The $1 million project increased the usable space there from 3,000 sq ft to 7,500 sq ft.

The Universal Weather and Aviation subsidiary has been operating in Miami since 2014 and its newly enhanced location features modern cooking appliances, multiple walk-in coolers, an expanded cold production workspace, extra storage space, and a GPS system for delivery tracking and accuracy.

Located a mile from Miami International Airport (KMIA), the facility—led by general manager Yashan Alvarez and assistant general manager Claudio Camacho—also provides catering to clients at Miami-Opa Locka Executive (KOPF) and Miami Executive (KTMB) airports.

According to the company, the expansion has doubled its volume and revenue in Miami. “It was a big shot in the arm for the team down there,” Paul Schweitzer, Air Culinaire’s senior v-p of global sales and marketing, told AIN. He also noted that the facility just acquired a new road-worthy refrigerated lift truck to service large private charter and VIP aircraft.

To serve nearby Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton-area airports, Air Culinaire operates another kitchen at Palm Beach International Airport (KPBI).

FBO software systems integrator X-1FBO has introduced the latest enhancement to its Cloud Connect platform for fuel truck operations. The use of the company’s Cloud Connect modem provides a new level of fuel automation for users.

Notably, it moves the tanker’s fuel register information into the X-1FBO system and its Single Point fuel management module. The system allows remote control of the TCS meters, allows users to create on-the-spot fuel tickets, and includes a built-in GPS transmitter to permit the tracking of fuel trucks.

For existing X-1 customers, this marks a powerful enhancement to their operations, as well as an incentive for those looking to adopt the management system.

“From the drawing board to the ramp, we envisioned the X-1 Cloud Connect as the nexus of technology, data, and fueling technology," said company co-founder and CEO Jim Wiley. “Today, seeing it connect devices, trucks, and the cloud with such precision…we’re not just improving fueling operations; we’re transforming how FBOs operate for the future.”

Next week at NBAA-BACE, the company will be demonstrating its X-1 Pilot application, which provides real-time visibility to aircraft operators and service providers. Through the application, users can find FBOs, review their services and fuel prices, and send requests directly to their customer service desks. A complementary wallet feature allows them to save payment methods, view invoices, and pay them.