The FAA has prohibited touch-and-goes, limited other pattern work, and told controllers to stop clearing simultaneous departures from the parallel runways at Centennial Airport (KAPA) near Denver without directly informing pilots, according to AOPA.

In an email, the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority told tenants that the FAA directed controllers to “immediately cease simultaneous parallel departure operations at Centennial until approved mitigations can be identified to reduce the associated safety risk to an acceptable level.” Among the agency’s concerns are IFR departures conflicting with VFR traffic off the parallel runway.

“While we appreciate the FAA’s role in ensuring safe operations, the sudden decision to ban touch-and-goes and other pattern work without notifying pilots is concerning and appears to be unprecedented,” said AOPA regional manager Brad Schuster. “After nearly a week, the FAA has yet to issue a notam or update the airport’s ATIS with this critical information at one of the nation’s busiest general aviation airports.”

FAA grant assurances require airports to notify pilots promptly of any condition affecting aeronautical use, Schuster noted, adding that the agency should hold itself to that standard. He said the FAA acted “without any discernible stakeholder engagement.”

Other Colorado Front Range airports will absorb the displaced training traffic, Schuster predicted, which “will likely inflame tensions in these communities.”

Flight activity of large business jets in the Middle East could increase by as much as 83% by 2030, according to new research from Airbus Corporate Jets. The manufacturer surveyed 35 business aircraft financiers and brokers in the region, who also forecast 80% growth for light jets and 78% for midsize jets.

Airbus Corporate Jets, which makes VIP-configured ACJ bizliners based on its parent company’s narrow- and widebody airliners, said the Middle East already accounts for around one-third of demand for this class of business jet. It is looking to capitalize on anticipated strong demand for fleet renewal, with around 40% of business aircraft in that part of the world now at or approaching 15 years in service.

The professionals surveyed for the manufacturer all reported stronger business aviation demand over the past two years, with almost a fifth of respondents seeing 15% growth over that period and reports of strong interest from government customers. The rising demand projections were made in the wake of reports last week from industry data specialist WingX that flight activity in the region has continued to decline since the start of the Iran war in late February.

“Business aviation is evolving rapidly in the Middle East,” Airbus Corporate Jets president Chadi Saade said. “Organizations value the flexibility, security, and productivity that private aircraft provide.”

Indianapolis Downtown Heliport (8A4) remains open after the FAA withdrew its notice of permanent closure and rescinded a Nov. 25, 2024 letter of intent to allow permanent closure and sale of the facility. The public comment period on the closure ended on Feb. 26, 2026, and the FAA received 737 comments: 41 supporting permanent closure, 686 supporting it remaining open, eight unclear, and two others.

Vertical Aviation International, its members, and local helicopter entrepreneur Chuck Surack, who owns Enstrom Helicopter, advocated to keep the heliport open, as did Indiana attorney general Todd Rokita. His office filed a petition for review in federal court and asked the court to reconsider the sale of the 5.36-acre property to Indianapolis.

“This is a win for Indiana’s taxpayers, public safety, the future of advanced air mobility, and aviation generally,” Rokita said. “The downtown heliport is a unique asset that, in addition to serving passengers and general aviation, also serves law enforcement, homeland security, military support, and emergency medical services. It will also help with the emerging technology. Closing it for non-aviation redevelopment would have been shortsighted and contrary to the public interest, not to mention a waste of the millions of dollars state taxpayers have invested in the infrastructure. We don’t want the Indianapolis mayor or the Indianapolis Airport Authority to do here what the shortsighted city of Chicago did to Meigs Field.”

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) has redesigned its Certified Aircraft Broker program to further elevate standards in this unregulated discipline. Launching after NBAA-BACE 2026, IADA Certified Aircraft Broker v2.0 adds a three-month IADA U preparation period and a more global focus in the examination of the two-year transaction experience requirement.

These changes reflect the international nature of the marketplace and are intended to provide an expanded professional-development process around defined knowledge standards, required experience, and preparations for the complexities of domestic and cross-border transactions, IADA said.

Under the program, brokers must complete an extended Certified Broker Study Course and a minimum three-month preparation period before taking the examination. Previously, qualified candidates could register and test without completing a prescribed course. IADA said Version 2.0 shifts emphasis from exam preparation to developing lasting professional knowledge. Candidates will use a new digital Certified Aircraft Broker Study Guide that outlines key terms, transaction pitfalls, and required skills, and provides supporting references.

Plans call to continue expanding the IADA U education program to support continuing professional development. The initial IADA U Education Series includes a seven-module aviation insurance program, with courses on aircraft finance, contracts, and aircraft appraisal in development.

West Star Aviation’s new live technician tracking map lets operators see AOG technician locations and expert skill sets in real time.

Bombardier has added a line maintenance station in Sydney, Australia, extending AOG coverage and unscheduled line maintenance to the country’s east coast for Learjet, Challenger, and Global operators.

The station is the company’s 11th line maintenance station worldwide and its second in Australia, complementing an existing one in Perth and a service center in Melbourne. Onsite technicians, certified on all three airplane families, also handle select scheduled work such as inspections. A dedicated mobile response truck based at the station permits maintenance personnel to support customers elsewhere in the region.

“Being number one in customer support is something we’re proud of, but staying number one means never standing still,” said Bombardier executive v-p for aircraft sales and aftermarket services Paul Sislian. The new station brings Bombardier expertise closer to operators in the region, he added.

The Sydney addition is part of a broader Asia-Pacific push. Bombardier earlier this year announced an expansion of its Singapore service center that would nearly double the site’s size when it opens in the second half of 2028. This extra space will allow for modifications, avionics installations, round-the-clock AOG support, and a component repair and overhaul workshop to complement its existing scheduled and unscheduled maintenance offerings.

Charter operator AB Jets said it received a clean bill of health on its policies, procedures, and safety systems during its biennial Argus Platinum renewal audit. The company also reported adding a third Starlink-equipped Bombardier Challenger 3500 to its charter certificate and raising liability limits on its super-midsize fleet to $250 million.

According to AB Jets, the audit was an opportunity for a closer self-look at operations and to find ways to build on its safety culture. “Safety systems are built into our daily operation with shared accountability across flight operations, maintenance, leadership, and support teams,” said company partner and director of operations David Turner.

“This wasn’t about preparing for an auditor. It was about demonstrating the standards our team upholds every day,” added founder and president Andrew Bettis.

Meanwhile, AB Jets said its fleet expansion has been well received in both wholesale and retail markets and is seeing repeat demand for the Challenger 3500s, citing the aircraft’s coast-to-coast range, flat-floor cabin, connectivity, and baggage capacity.

Headquartered in Tennessee, AB Jets was founded in 1999 and offers on-demand charter and jet card services with a floating fleet. It also has two more Challenger 3500s on order. Its call sign is Fortitude, which the company said reflects its culture.

Heli Austria and Heli Werk are offering an EASA-approved upgrade to install a True Blue Power lithium-ion main-ship battery on Airbus EC135 helicopters. Heli Austria developed the supplemental type certificate, and Heli Werk makes the upgrade kit.

Both the True Blue Power TB30 and TB40 lithium-ion batteries are available for the upgrade, which reduces battery weight compared with the existing NiCad battery by up to 19.8 kg (about 44 pounds), depending on the battery configuration. The TB30 has a 30 amp-hour capacity, while the TB40 is a 40 amp-hour battery.

Both are available for all EC135 models, including those with Helionix avionics. The upgrade kit includes the battery, installation kit, and the STC documentation.

“EC135 operators can now choose a complete upgrade solution that combines lower weight, higher capacity, and reduced scheduled battery maintenance,” said Heli Werk managing director Joachim Kies. “Our focus was to turn the approved design into a production-ready kit supplied with the required installation components and documentation.”

“Working with Heli Werk went smoothly from start to finish,” said Roy Knaus, managing director of Heli Austria. “The close coordination between design and production helped us move the project through certification and deliver a solution that is ready for operators.”

NBAA has announced further exhibitors participating in the Emerging Technology Pavilion at NBAA-BACE 2026, which will be held next week in Las Vegas. This cluster of exhibitors will showcase progress in advanced air mobility, including electric propulsion technology, the industry group confirmed on Wednesday.

Among the companies occupying the Emerging Technology Pavilion will be French start-up Beyond Aero, which is developing an eight-passenger hydrogen-electric business airplane called the BYA-1. The company has recently unveiled some design changes for an aircraft expected to have a range of 800 nm when it enters service in the early 2030s.

DTA Aircraft is displaying a full-scale, flying example of its two-seat hybrid-electric VTOL, featuring retractable booms so that it can be moved on a trailer for storage. The company said it has already logged more than 200 flight-test hours on the prototype.

Regent Craft will promote its all-electric Seaglider at the business aviation show. The Rhode Island-based start-up is developing versions of the vessel for passenger-carrying missions, as well as for cargo and military applications.

“NBAA is thrilled to have with us companies that are paving the way to a new chapter of on-demand aviation that will usher in an era defined by faster, safer, and more sustainable transportation,” said NBAA interim COO Dan Hubbard.

An AIN-organized lunch on Wednesday, October 21, at NBAA-BACE will explore one of the most important questions facing business aviation today: do we really understand what principals expect from in-flight connectivity? Drawing on one of business aviation's most comprehensive connectivity surveys, and one of the first to compare perspectives from both industry professionals and aircraft principals, this session reveals where assumptions and reality diverge, and what that means for the future of connectivity in the air. Co-sponsored by Honeywell Aerospace and Viasat.