Collins Aerospace is adding 14,000 sq ft to its West Des Moines, Iowa manufacturing plant to meet growing demand for new components and MRO services. Construction will begin later this month and is planned to be completed in mid-2027.

The company finished a $14 million, 9,000-sq-ft expansion at the site in 2023, adding metal 3D printers to increase its additive manufacturing capacity for fuel nozzles.

With about 300 full-time employees, the West Des Moines facility will add more jobs this year and into 2027 “to support long-term program growth,” it said. The facility ships more than 25,000 fuel nozzles per month, and its FAA Part 145 repair station provides fuel nozzle and engine accessory MRO services.

“The investment at our West Des Moines site demonstrates our commitment to advancing commercial and military aviation through our innovative fuel‑distribution technology,” said James Bagg, the v-p and general manager of Engine Control Systems at Collins Aerospace. “This expansion helps us enhance delivery performance, improve manufacturing capabilities, and add jobs to meet growing customer demand.”

Textron Aviation’s customer support organization has brought together elements of its mobile service network to create a more seamless customer experience, according to the company. Under the realignment, Textron Aviation consolidated 1Call, mobile service units, and Go Teams under Seth Persons, general manager of the mobile service network.

The Wichita-based comapny said customer feedback guided the move, which it expects will make getting service away from its service centers more efficient. The company fields more than 50 mobile service units and Go Teams to provide owners of Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker models with AOG response, troubleshooting, and select maintenance wherever their aircraft are located. Customers can also access Textron Aviation’s more than 300 authorized service facilities.

“For Seth, the focus is on making that experience easier and more efficient for customers,” Textron Aviation said. “By bringing the teams together, the realignment strengthens coordination between the initial call and the technicians responding in the field, helping to quickly connect customers with the right expertise to keep their aircraft flying.”

The FAA has certified Prima Air, which is based at Hollywood Burbank Airport (KBUR) in California, as a Part 145 repair station. Prima Air said adding in-house maintenance to its private charter and management services will strengthen its integrated offerings.

Specifically, Prima Air’s approved airframe capabilities cover the Gulfstream G650ER, G550, GV, and GIV, as well as the Bombardier Global 5000. Various engine authorizations are also included. The company will carry out work from a dedicated 50,000-sq-ft facility it said is optimally positioned to support operators, owners, and clients across Southern California.

“By supporting both airframe and powerplant maintenance for these large-cabin business aircraft, Prima Air can provide more centralized technical support, streamline maintenance coordination, and reduce the need to reposition aircraft between multiple service providers,” the company said.

A U.S. Army C-12 Huron, the military version of the Beechcraft King Air twin turboprop, has become the 1,000th King Air to receive Garmin’s G1000 integrated avionics retrofit. Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems of Greenville, South Carolina, upgraded the Huron with G1000 NXi avionics and Garmin Autothrottle, and Army officials accepted the airplane during an October 6 event at Stevens.

As part of an avionics modernization effort to keep its C-12 fleet mission-ready through 2050, the Army has upgraded more than 40 Hurons with G1000 NXi, with Stevens holding the installation contract. Stevens senior v-p Jim Williams said Army crews report lower cockpit workload with the retrofit and autothrottle.

“By replacing aging analog systems with reliable, data-enabled G1000 technology, we are mitigating obsolescence, reducing lifecycle maintenance burdens, and improving operational readiness,” said Lt. Col. James Hickey, the Army’s project manager for fixed-wing aircraft.

Garmin received its first FAA supplemental type certificate for a King Air G1000 retrofit in November 2007 and certified the G1000 NXi upgrade in January 2017. Approvals now cover the C90A/B, 200, B200, 300, and 350 series, as well as C-12 military variants. G1000 NXi installations add synthetic vision with a 3D view of the airport surface during taxi, an emergency descent mode that activates automatically if the cabin loses pressurization, and a one-engine-inoperative version of Garmin’s electronic stability and protection system.

What began in Memphis in 1996 with a vision to bring genuine hospitality to aviation has grown into a 30-year legacy. Across Memphis, Houston, and Chattanooga, Wilson Air Center continues to combine exceptional customer service, comfortable facilities, and a personal touch—creating an FBO experience that keeps customers coming back.

Gogo received its largest single order this year from an MRO provider when Duncan Aviation prepaid for 40 Galileo half-duplex (HDX) satcom systems.

HDX runs on Eutelsat’s OneWeb low-Earth-orbit satellite network and provides global coverage with speeds of up to 60 Mbps download and 11 Mbps upload. Roughly half the size of Gogo’s full-duplex (FDX) antenna, the HDX electronically steered compact antenna can fit on light jets and turboprops, though some customers opt to install it on large-cabin jets.

According to Gogo, it has built a reliable supply chain for Galileo and emphasizes cybersecurity and data privacy protections, along with flexible financing, predictable service pricing, and multilingual support around the clock.

With a three-year price lock, HDX service plans range from $3,500 per month for 25 gigabytes (plus $215 per gigabyte of overage) to $10,500 per month for unlimited data. One-year locked prices are higher. 

“As expectations around inflight connectivity rise, we anticipate growing demand for Gogo Galileo HDX and are ready to support it,” said Duncan Aviation modifications sales manager Nate Klenke. “Having equipment on hand gives us greater flexibility to plan installations around our customers’ schedules. We have confidence in the technology and in Gogo’s ability to support our team and customers over the long term.”

Av8 has signed a five-year agreement to maintain the landing gear on Wheels Up’s Embraer Phenom 300 fleet. The deal covers both overhaul and exchange support for the light jets.

Houston-based Av8, a Victor Sierra company, believes its landing gear exchange pool is the largest in the industry. Highlighting that Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft “continue to represent one of the busiest fleets in business aviation,” it recently added more Phenom 300 landing gear shipsets and additional rotable parts to its inventory.

Av8 said it can offer flat-rate pricing across the program and the longest warranty ever offered on Phenom 300 landing gear. The company holds more than 300 FAA parts manufacturer approvals for the Phenom.

Meanwhile, Wheels Up operates one of the largest Phenom 300 fleets worldwide—currently 25 aircraft—and expects to expand further. “Av8’s support brings added predictability to our Phenom 300 operations, and we look forward to working with their team as we continue to scale our modernized fleet,” said Wheels Up chief operating officer Dave Holtz.

Romania has placed an order for 12 Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracals, funded through the European Commission’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) financing program, to strengthen its defense capabilities. The deal was concluded last week via France’s General Directorate for Armament (DGA) rather than directly with the French OEM.

This confirmation marks Romania’s second Airbus helicopter acquisition achieved via the SAFE mechanism, a financial instrument that the European Union explained “provides long-maturity loans to member states to support urgent and strategic investments in defense.” In June, a separate SAFE-enabled contract between Airbus Helicopters and Romania saw the former sign for seven H160s and five H145s for public-service missions. 

That same month, the Romanian government outlined its intention to acquire the 12 H225Ms as part of a SAFE-allocated €16.7 billion (about $18.7 billion) “for the acquisition of military or dual-use equipment, as well as for dual-use infrastructure.” It estimated the H225M order was worth around €800 million and suggested that “the Romanian state intends to acquire a subsequent batch of 30 H225M helicopters produced in Romania.”

The heavy-twin helicopters, which will serve in both conventional and special operational roles, are intended to replace the Romanian air force’s aging Industria Aeronautica Romana IAR-330 Puma. This license-built variant of the Aérospatiale SA330 Puma first entered service with the Romanian military in 1975.

During a recent three-day conference in Denver, FBO leaders in the Paragon network traded best practices on operations and customer experience. FBO support services provider Paragon Aviation Group held the 2026 Leadership Conference with JetCenters of Colorado as host, with sessions on leadership, safety, and staying competitive.

“Independent FBOs are navigating an increasingly competitive environment, and no single operation has all the answers,” Paragon president and CEO Crystal Kubeczka said.

Julie O’Brien won Paragon’s annual Big Idea Competition with a concept titled “Make Economic Development Work for YOU!” after finalist presentations and live voting by attendees. Paragon also gave its Special Partnership Recognition Award to Steve Bruneau and Polaris Aviation Solutions for five years of collaboration on safety education and training across the network.

Customer experience author David Avrin presented “Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With” on reducing customer friction. Cat Wren and Jamie Muñoz led a separate session on leadership and team building.