Dassault Falcon Jet opened its new service center at Melbourne Orlando International Airport (KMLB) this week. The French airframer said the investment significantly boosts its capacity to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) support for operators of its business jets in North and South America.

The 250,000-sq-ft complex can accommodate all current Falcon aircraft, as well as the ultra-long-range Falcon 10X now in development. There is space for technicians to work on up to 14 jets simultaneously.

Dassault’s Melbourne facility is equipped to handle a full range of inspection, repair, and overhaul tasks, from line maintenance through to C checks, as well as engineering and modifications projects. It includes a 54,000-sq-ft aircraft paint shop, as well as other workshops, customer offices, and lounges.

“Our state-of-the-art Melbourne MRO is the latest expansion of our worldwide network of more than 40 service locations,” said Éric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “It adds significant capacity in the Americas and puts more service capability closer to our Falcon customers. Dassault already has a large footprint in the United States, which includes 2,500 employees, aircraft completions, and sales.”

Sales of Embraer’s business jets in the U.S. have not been dented by the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on products imported from Brazil, according to Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano. Speaking at an investors’ day event at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, he expressed optimism that Brazil’s aerospace sector might win a full exemption from the current 10% tariff rate for aircraft and their components.

Amalfitano noted that under the 1979 Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, there have been no tariffs on aerospace until President Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2. “That is where we’re going to go back to as an industry. The industry is very committed to that, to go back to zero-tariff regime,” he stated.

In the interim, however, Embraer has to deal with what Amalfitano said has been “plaguing” all products imported from Brazil. Nonetheless, he stressed that the 10% tariff on executive jets isn’t inhibiting buyers in the U.S. “These buyers can afford aircraft in the private jet space. It’s not impacting demand in any way,” he noted. “And because I have the benefit of a pricing discipline strategy, we’re able to absorb and impact it.”

U.S. content in Embraer’s aircraft helps to offset tariffs, but Amalfitano did not detail how much there is in its executive jets.

Aircraft management and private flight membership provider Jet Linx has upgraded its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, in response to the increasingly international scope of its services. The rebranded facility is now called the Global Safety and Operations Center.

Since 2020, Jet Linx has reported a 19% increase in international flights and a 51% spike in heavy jet utilization, building on the growth it achieved in the second half of the 2010s. Ultra-long-range flights now account for a quarter of all trips, with popular destinations including the Bahamas, Mexico, Canada, Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, the UK, France, Italy, Bermuda, Spain, and Ireland.

Over the past 10 years, Jet Linz said it has increased the number of international trips it makes for clients by 260%, compared to an overall boost in operations of 60%. Heavy-jet flights have increased by 438%, with this part of its fleet including types such as the Bombardier Challenger 604/605, the Dassault Falcon 7X, Embraer Legacy 600, and Gulfstream G550.

The Global Safety and Operations Center now manages a fleet of 96 aircraft and flights to around 1,991 airports in 105 countries. Jet Linx—which has IS-BAO Stage 3 registration, as well as Argus Platinum Elite and Wyvern Wingman Pro status—said it now has 1,157 customers signed up for its jet card membership programs.

Bombardier received an order from Japanese trading company and business jet provider Sojitz for a Global 6500 and Global 8000, Bombardier announced this morning at NBAA-BACE 2025. They will be used to launch Share Jet Program (SJP), Japan’s first shared ownership program for large, ultra-long-range business jets.

“The collaboration between our companies underscores a mutual dedication to advancing business aviation in Japan and Asia, connecting cities with greater speed and efficiency,” said Éric Martel, president and CEO of Bombardier.

Yohei Sakurai, the general manager of the business jet department at Sojitz, said the selection of the Globals was driven by the company’s extensive experience operating Bombardier aircraft in Japan. “Their proven aircraft platforms and quality of service make them the ideal foundation for launching Japan’s first large-jet, shared-ownership program,” he said.

SJP worked with Bombardier on one-of-a-kind interiors to deliver “an unparalleled experience” in cabin design and craftsmanship.

Alpine Aerotech, a Canadian helicopter MRO based in Kelowna, British Columbia, has received a Transport Canada Civil Aviation supplemental type certificate (STC) for its Bear Paw on the Airbus H145D3. The company also received an FAA STC to install the Astronautics AFI 4700 RoadRunner EFIS on Bell 212 and 412 helicopters.

Air-ambulance provider Stars worked with Alpine Aerotech on the Bear Paw STC, to support its EMS operations in challenging terrain across Western Canada. The lightweight Bear Paw kit features a quick-clamp installation system and ice grippers. “The certified kit enhances skid flotation on soft or uneven surfaces, such as snow, mud, and sand—ensuring safer landings and takeoffs in remote locations,” according to Alpine Aerotech.

The Astronautics STC gives Bell 212 and 412 operators a reliable electronic replacement for aging attitude direction indicators and horizontal situation indicators that are heavy and expensive to service. Features of the AFI 4700 RoadRunner include synthetic vision, traffic, radar altitude, marker beacon, and upcoming GPS overlay. Minimal wiring changes are needed to install the AFI 4700, which is a drop-in replacement for the helicopters’ instrument panels.

“Operators are continually faced with the rising issue of aging equipment, and this system provides a cost-effective way forward,” said Bert Geofroy, avionics manager at Alpine Aerotech. “Along with its safety benefits, it enhances capability while improving dependability.”

Aviation Concepts Technical Services Incorporated (ACTSI) has broken ground for the construction of its maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility at Subic Bay International Airport (RPLB) in the Philippines. Set to open in May 2026, the hangar complex will span 75,347 sq ft, increasing the company’s capacity to support a variety of business aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region.

A recent ceremony to mark the occasion was attended by officials from the Subic Bay Freezone Authority who are supporting ACTSI in the project.

ACTSI, established in 2010, is an authorized warranty repair facility for Gulfstream Aerospace’s business jets. It holds international approvals from the FAA and regulators in the Cayman Islands, San Marino, and Bermuda.

“This investment strengthens ACTSI’s vision of being a leading independent MRO provider in the Asia-Pacific, dedicated to providing aircraft owners and operators with consistent and reliable maintenance and parking services,” said T.J. Trinidad, the company’s president. “The new hangar reflects phase 2 of our long-term strategy to significantly increase ACTSI’s capacity to serve our growing clientele.”

German business aviation services group Aero-Dienst has boosted its aircraft modification capability with the acquisition of AeroVisto Interior Services. Through a deal announced on Friday, the Swiss company brings expertise in cabin design, refurbishment, upholstery, and component maintenance to its new owner.

AeroVisto is an EASA-approved Part 145 maintenance organization and also holds Part 21G production approval from the European regulator. According to Aero-Dienst, the expanded service portfolio means it will be able to provide more complete support for aircraft owners and operators.

“With AeroVisto we are not only gaining more exceptional technical expertise, but also passion, integrity, and clearly defined values,” said Aero-Dienst CEO André Ebach. Co-founder and COO Hermann Bauer, along with co-founder and chief commercial operator Carsten Matthiesen, are remaining with the Swiss company in their current roles.

AeroVisto currently employs 80 people at its sites in Switzerland (Zurich and St. Gallen) and Germany (Schnaittach). These will complement existing Aero-Dienst facilities in Austria alongside its main headquarters in Nuremberg, as well as a maintenance station near Munich and a component shop in Lansberg am Lech.

The new Aero-Dienst subsidiary was launched in its current form in 2014 when an existing company, Maritime Aerospace, was transferred to new owners and renamed. In 2023, it acquired Germany’s Complete Aircraft Services in a move that expanded its capabilities and infrastructure.

Gogo has appointed Metrojet Engineering Clark (MEC) as an authorized dealer for its satellite communications systems. The maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider will install the equipment in business and government aircraft at its facility at Clark International Airport (RPLC) in the Philippines.

Metrojet will supply the multi-orbit, multi-band equipment previously produced under the Satcom Direct brand, which Gogo Business Aviation acquired in February 2025. MEC is a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based business aviation services group.

The Clark facility holds authorized repair station approvals from the FAA, as well as from regulators in the Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Qatar, South Korea, Indonesia, San Marino, and Guernsey. It has 76,424 sq ft of hangar space at the former U.S. military base. It performs line and base maintenance on multiple business aircraft, including Gulfstream and Bombardier types, and also has approvals from Honeywell and Starlink.

“The availability of satellite communication technology through MEC provides operators with additional options to meet their connectivity needs, supporting both operational requirements and passenger expectations,” said MEC general manager Rudgen Guzman.

EHang has launched the VT35 autonomous eVTOL, showing video of the two-seater at an event in the Chinese city of Hefei on Monday. According to the company, the new model could offer range of up to 200 kilometers (109 nm), which would be almost six times the distance over which its in-service EH216-S aircraft operates.

The VT35, which will be priced at RMB 6.5 million ($950,000), features a tandem fixed-wing configuration and is fundamentally different from the EH216’s multicopter architecture. It has eight distributed lift propellers for vertical takeoff and landing, and a pusher prop for horizontal cruise flight.

The new aircraft’s wings are 8 meters (26 feet) in length and the aircraft is 3 meters (10 feet) high with a maximum takeoff weight of 950 kilograms (2,090 pounds). EHang said the VT35, which is a development of the earlier VT30 design, will be able to operate from the same vertiports designed for the smaller EH216-S and that its “compact design reduces operational risks.”

In addition to having the EH216-S in series production with numerous examples delivered to customers and partners, the company holds an air operator certificate for commercial operations. It is also developing an aircraft called the VT20 or freight services.