Buyers of Cessna Citation Longitudes and Latitudes set for delivery starting in 2028 can select Gogo Galileo with free installation, according to Textron Aviation, making it “the first original equipment manufacturer to provide such an option for customers.”

The FAA has issued a supplemental type certificate for installation of the Gogo Galileo HDX low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satcom system in these jets. Galileo runs on Eutelsat’s OneWeb global LEO satellite network, which provides HDX download speeds of up to 60 Mbps. 

Customers who select Gogo Galileo for their Longitudes and Latitudes will pay a guaranteed service rate for three years. The three-year retail price lock fee for Galileo service is $10,500 per month for unlimited service. The fee for 25 GB is $3,500, or $7,000 per month for 50 GB, with overages costing $215 per GB. 

“To stay productive wherever they fly, our customers rely on connectivity, and they’re looking for solutions that perform reliably around the world,” said Chris Hearne, Textron Aviation’s senior v-p of engineering and programs. “Achieving FAA certification of Gogo Galileo HDX on the Citation Longitude and Latitude is the result of a strong effort across our teams and gives customers another factory-supported connectivity option to keep them connected wherever their missions take them.”

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is trying to find out how a Bombardier Challenger 604 lost its main cabin door shortly after takeoff from the capital Abuja on Thursday. The jet, with nine people on board headed to Lagos, landed safely at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (DNAA).

The 22-year-old Challenger (T7-SEI) appears to be registered in San Marino to Empire Aviation, and operated by Triton Aviation. Neither company has yet responded to requests by AIN to provide more details about the incident.

According to FlightRadar24, the aircraft climbed to just over 3,800 feet before the crew lined up to land back at Abuja on Runway 22. There were three crew and six passengers on board the aircraft, which took off shortly after 5 p.m. local time.

In a statement, NSIB director general Alex Badeh said that the sheared-off door had been recovered by investigators at a nearby farm. According to Nigerian media reports, the crew initiated the emergency landing after asking air traffic controllers to visually confirm whether the door was still attached to the aircraft.

Mente Group, which recently tied its operations closer together under a unified brand, has enhanced its Mente Values Platform (MVP) to provide a consolidated view of current aircraft values, market conditions, and projected resale values. 

Aimed at aircraft owners, aviation directors, and financial executives, the tool is designed to support ownership and fleet planning decisions. MVP provides subscribers with data on supply, demand, and pricing movement for specific aircraft makes and models and includes residual value curves.

Dallas-based Mente Group rolled out the upgraded platform after renaming Four Corners Aviation as Mente Aviation. The rebrand included a new logo and a single website that incorporates the combined strategy, transactions, operational consulting, appraisals, and charter and management services. 

Four Corners was established in 2021 as an affiliate company of Mente Group to provide aircraft management, charter services, and the Freedom Corporate Jet as a Service program.

Previously, the brands operated independently, with separate websites, organizational memberships, marketing, and administrative activities. Mente said the unification will let the company concentrate its resources under a common identity and direct more time and investment toward client service and growth.

A Dassault Falcon 50 overran Runway 01L at Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS) in Las Vegas yesterday, incurring substantial damage but with no injuries onboard. Pilots aborted takeoff just before 11 a.m. local time, with the aircraft skidding off the runway and colliding with an airport perimeter fence.

The Falcon (N200SG) was being operated by True Aviation Charter Services and is registered to Boca Raton, Florida-based Jacks Wings. According to an airport statement, the nonfatal accident resulted in the temporary closure of Runways 01L and 01R, with the FAA ordering a ground stop to prevent other aircraft from departing until the Falcon could be towed away.

True Aviation Charter Services director of operations Jesse Gallagher told AIN the company is at the very early stages of an internal review of the accident. The NTSB has begun an official investigation.

Passengers onboard included actor Donnie Wahlberg. He praised the pilots for avoiding a more serious accident after keeping the twinjet away from construction equipment between the runway and fence.

The accident happened as thousands of business aviation professionals arrived in Las Vegas for the NBAA-BACE show this week. Flight-tracking data shows that the Falcon 50 arrived at KLAS earlier on Sunday from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA).

Protect your avionics investment and plan ahead for DU-870 display obsolescence with West Star Aviation. Through Honeywell’s DU-875 Extended Program, qualifying operators who enroll in MSP-Avionics for three years may receive DU-875 LCD replacement coverage at no additional program cost when an eligible DU-870 display fails. West Star’s avionics team can help determine eligibility, review coverage requirements and guide you through enrollment.

The Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) has partnered with career platform AvPosts to help strengthen both career opportunities and the talent pipeline in Canada. Under the partnership, CBAA will serve as the exclusive agent for the AvPosts platform to support its members and the broader Canadian business aviation community, the association said.

Job seekers and business aviation employers can access the platform through a job board on the CBAA website. Canadian business aviation companies can create profiles and post jobs for free. The service is also free for job seekers. Offered in English and French, the site breaks down postings into broad categories and by roles.

“Building and supporting the business aviation workforce is essential to the continued strength of our industry,” said Harlan Simpkins, president and CEO of CBAA. “Our recent member feedback reinforced that workforce recruitment and retention are important areas where CBAA can deliver value. Through this partnership with AvPosts, we are helping connect talented business aviation professionals with opportunities while giving employers another effective way to reach the people they need.”

AvPosts worked with technology consulting firm ForIT on the development of the site.

FlyJets has released JetGPT, a charter-booking agent that allows customers and aircraft providers to use plain-language requests instead of filling in search fields. The large language model (LLM)-based tool handles air charter bookings, flight listings, and route alerts, and can export results to Excel or CSV.

Charter marketplace and flight-sharing exchange provider FlyJets’ AI tool can also pull empty-leg and shared-flight availability. The AI agent went live last week alongside the company’s fourth- and first-quarter flight-sharing schedule, eight months after the agent entered beta testing.

The LLM interface draws from real-time availability, pricing, and operator data. A single instruction can compile every empty leg moving through a given airport over the following week, or create listings that carry operator safety ratings, per-flight or per-space pricing, and bid and offer settings. Users can also set alerts for automated notifications on empty legs and sharing opportunities.

“Our team learned quickly that the simple conversational interface we worked with in beta was not going to cut it,” said FlyJets founder and CEO Jessica Fisher.

A second version is planned to pull from aircraft provider and customer dashboards and fleet operating models, add sustainable aviation fuel and carbon credit options through FlyJets’ FlyGreen Initiative, and generate booking and pricing suggestions for sellers of charter spaces. FlyJets’ human advisory desk still remains available around the clock.

Pilots and owners of Piper single-engine piston- and turboprop-powered M-Class (PA-46) airplanes gathered at the 2026 Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) Convention in Colorado Springs earlier this month to share safety information, attend technical sessions, and spend time with fellow Piper aficionados.

Piper Aircraft highlighted its progress on extending the M600 and M700 Fury airframes’ life to 10,000 hours. FAA approval is expected in the second quarter of 2027. A diesel option for the PA-46 is of “continued interest,” according to Piper v-p of sales, marketing, and customer support Ron Gunnarson. 

Safety sessions included an examination of PA-46 accidents and incidents by Manny Casiano, PMOPA Safety & Education Foundation chair; the risks of overreliance on cockpit automation; and introductory and advanced safety training led by Caitlin McCarthy, a Platinum-level CFI in PMOPA’s M-Class Standardized Instructor Pilot program. More than a dozen technical sessions covered piston and turboprop operations, maintenance, avionics, and flight-planning applications, and a “Conversation with Piper Engineering” gave attendees a chance to discuss aircraft needs with Piper officials.

More than 100 pilots met the requirements for PMOPA’s Master Aviator program, which the association says promotes safety, learning, and technical mastery. “Our members gained practical insights they can apply every time they fly, reinforcing PMOPA’s commitment to safety, advocacy, and community,” said PMOPA CEO Mike Nichols.

Aircraft management and charter provider STA Jets has acquired Denver-based International Jet, boosting its presence in the U.S. market to the Rocky Mountain region. According to the Southern California-headquartered group, the integration of Colorado’s longest-established charter operator will add “scale, resources, and reach” to its network. 

International Jet was founded in 1979. It operates 17 aircraft ranging from turboprops to large-cabin jets from its private terminal at Denver Centennial Airport (KAPA). 

STA Jets founder Kurt Belcher said he is committed to preserving the 47-year-old company’s legacy, noting that its new subsidiary “has earned the trust of its clients through safety, service, and consistency.” Since becoming the first Learjet charter operator at Centennial Airport, International Jet has also flown more than 10,000 medical transports over a 25-year period. 

With a main base at John Wayne Airport (KSNA), STA Jets also operates from Van Nuys, San Jose, New York, and Fort Lauderdale. Announcing the expansion, the company stated it is striving to build “one of the nation’s most comprehensive private aviation service networks in the market.”

The AIN 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.