Bombardier’s Global 7500 has set its 150th city-pair speed record, the most to date for a single business jet type, the company announced today. The milestone was reached as the ultra-long-range twinjet established speed records in city pairs that include Tokyo to Los Angeles, Toronto to Paris, New York to London, and Hong Kong to Montreal.

On 20 of the record-breaking missions, the aircraft averaged a speed exceeding 1,000 km/hour (about 540 knots). Most of the records have been accrued in the past couple of years as the aircraft fleet spooled up. More than 200 Global 7500s are now in service, logging more than 280,000 flight hours.

In addition to speed records, the Global 7500 has notched the longest flight recorded in business aviation, travelling 8,225 nm from Sydney to Detroit, as well as the longest nonstop mission from London City Airport to Los Angeles.

“Many of these records have been set with passengers on board in varying conditions and airports, making these achievements even more meaningful and reaching this pinnacle more remarkable,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive v-p of aircraft sales and Bombardier Defense.

The Global 7500, which has a top speed of Mach 0.925 and a maximum range of 7,700 nm, soon will be succeeded by the even more capable Global 8000, which will fly at Mach 0.94 and have an 8,000-nm maximum range.

Business aircraft travel is increasingly becoming more of a staple for large-company executives in Asia, according to a just-released study by Airbus Corporate Jets. Conducted by Australian firm Pureprofile, it surveyed 67 senior professionals in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, including 34 executives from large corporations in Asia and 33 from Asian-based family offices, hedge funds, and private equity firms managing $141 billion in assets.

The study found that business aviation is now central to operations, with respondents saying that 63% to 69% of their business travel is now conducted via corporate jets. Nearly all reported saving two to three hours per trip compared with commercial flights, and 72% said at least a quarter of their business routes are not served by airlines.

Productivity gains were also significant, with 87% of executives estimating a 25% to 50% improvement while traveling, and 8% reporting gains of 50% to 75%. Top benefits cited were greater flexibility to handle confidential matters and more control over schedules. Operational flexibility aligns with broader expansion, as private equity and hedge funds plan to grow their global offices, and family offices anticipate relatives relocating abroad.

More than half of Asian organizations surveyed expect business jet usage to increase by 50% to 75% over the next two years.

Founded earlier this year, the Velocity FBO Network has expanded to four locations with the acquisition of the FBO assets of Havasu Air Center (HAC), the lone service provider at Arizona’s Lake Havasu City Airport (KHII). The facility features a 5,500-sq-ft terminal with a reception area, an eight-seat conference room, flight-planning room, pilot lounge and theater room, and aircraft arrivals canopy. It offers more than 100,000 sq ft of hangar space and four acres of ramp parking.

Under the terms of the agreement, HAC’s former owners will retain their aircraft management and maintenance operations under the Northstar Aviation Services name.

“Velocity was founded on a commitment to excellence, delivering a consistent standard of quality and exceptional experiences across our entire network,” said Velocity CEO Chad Farischon. “Havasu Air Center has built a reputation for outstanding service and operational safety, and we are committed to honoring that legacy while bringing our broader platform’s resources to bear.”

Velocity was formed from the three U.S. locations of the Odyssey FBO Network, which was purchased and rebranded by private investment firm Tallvine Partners. “The acquisition of Havasu Air Center represents the fourth location in our growing network,” added Tallvine operating director Ed Zwirn. “We are executing on a focused strategy to build a best-in-class platform, and Lake Havasu is a natural fit.”

Skyryse, which is developing simplified flight controls for helicopters and airplanes, has launched an AI assistant that will help pilots flying aircraft equipped with its system manage communications, navigation, and operations more efficiently. Skyryse projects that are being equipped with the SkyOS operating system and fly-by-wire controls include the Robinson R66, Sikorsky Black Hawk, and Airbus H130 helicopters, in addition to the Cirrus SR22 piston airplane. As an “always-on flight assistant,” Skylar supports preflight planning, startup, in-flight operations, and shutdown.

Skylar is integrated with SkyOS and will not be available in non-Skyryse-equipped aircraft. “SkyOS is the foundational system for Skylar,” according to Skyryse founder and CEO Mark Groden, “because Skylar is accessing data from SkyOS systems, which includes a complete sensor suite, triply redundant flight control computers, and actuators; it would be impossible to deliver this functionality without the SkyOS backbone. It’s the same way you need an iPhone to access your apps.”

“We’re bringing aviation into the 21st century,” said Groden. “SkyOS is an intelligent, integrated system that allows us to offer enhancements like Skylar, supporting safe operations in all situations. Our core premise is that you don’t have to build or buy a new aircraft to make aviation safe, and once you understand how complex aviation communication is, you see such a clear technology gap.”

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Business aviation data tracker Amstat has introduced several improvements to its Premier+ subscription-based information platform. Included in the added functionality is a secure, branded portal that allows brokers to share aircraft specifications and preowned market reports with their clients. It can also track client engagement for timely follow-up contact.

Changes to the MyMarket capabilities expand the platform’s editing, note-making, and document attachment functions, allowing users to quickly catch up on active markets, while upgrades to the AI-driven aircraft valuation tool automatically log estimated values for aircraft transactions, providing a historical snapshot and the ability to track value trends for specific aircraft serial numbers.

Users can now request an easy-to-share market overview to more effectively communicate with customers, and the system offers access to broker collateral, aircraft logbooks, and other materials, as well as integrated links to NTSB damage reports for history checks. The company will demonstrate these new capabilities later this month at NBAA-BACE.

Unchanged are features such as the StatPak presentation developer, the sanctioned aircraft list to avoid high-risk assets, company fleet metrics, customizable territories, and global flight data.

“Amstat was founded to support aircraft brokers and their research teams,” said general manager Andrew Young. “These new features build on decades of experience delivering the data and tools that fuel broker sales activity and streamline research.”

Aircraft management and charter operator Luxaviation Belgium has integrated Azzera’s Celeste platform with its flight scheduling platform to manage use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon credits. The system was specifically developed to support compliance with the European Union’s ReFuelEU SAF mandate.

According to Switzerland-based Azzera, Celeste helps aircraft operators enable their passengers to pay for SAF use and carbon credits to cover their flights. Given limited SAF supplies, most of these transactions are currently based on book-and-claim arrangements.

Celeste uses application programming interface technology to generate accurate summaries of carbon emissions from flights based on actual flight and fuel data. Azzera said the platform simplifies the emissions management process and ensures compliance by assigning each flight to the correct carbon credit market, providing accurate data to support compliance and mitigation.

For Luxaviation, adopting the technology is part of its wider Go-to-Zero program to reduce the business aviation services group’s environmental footprint. Its subsidiary in Belgium operates business aircraft and helicopters and is one of the larger entities in the group.

MD Onboard and Dyami are pooling their respective medical and security support services to offer what they say will be a comprehensive risk management platform for airlines and business aircraft operators. The companies announced their partnership today, with customers now able to subscribe to a range of support options tailored to their operational profile.

Netherlands-based Dyami specializes in security risk management for the aviation sector based on human intelligence sources worldwide. It provides risk assessments for specific trips, as well as training for flight crew and other employees to deal with security threats at a planning and operational level.

This capability is now pooled with MD Onboard’s remote medical advisory services, including in-flight support. The company’s platform combines two-way video and audio communications—with translation services if required—and the ability to relay critical health data in real time from devices such as electrocardiograms and defibrillators.

The partners’ combined portfolio now covers risk intelligence covering all aspects of individual trips, including overflight and destination assessments. In cases where decisions to resolve urgent health situations might need to take account of security risks, such as whether it is safe to remain in a location, Dyami’s team will provide input alongside that from MD Onboard’s medical staff.

Citadel Completions has redelivered a refurbished VIP Boeing 757 to NBA team Dallas Mavericks following a four-month project at its Lake Charles, Louisiana facility. The work included a complete interior redesign, along with a heavy maintenance check.

The aircraft’s new configuration is tailored to accommodate basketball players, coaches, and staff. Citadel installed a bespoke in-flight entertainment and cabin management system with touchscreens at each player’s seat, mood lighting controls, and multiple 4K monitors. Team-specific graphics and themes are also integrated into the system.

Connectivity and comfort upgrades were part of the package. The aircraft now offers updated Wi-Fi, passenger power stations, expanded overhead bins, and antimicrobial lavatory coatings. Citadel noted that combining cabin reconfiguration with heavy maintenance minimized downtime.

In the cockpit, panels and seating were upgraded. Full-grain, team-branded leather seating, new carpets, and tailored panels are featured in the coaches’ cabin. The players’ cabin incorporates custom club seating designed with frames created by PAC Seating Systems, along with additional ceiling-height storage closets. Outfitted with business-class seating, the staff cabin now has enhanced galley and lavatory features, as well as new media tables and monitors.

Women in Aviation Singapore Chapter (WAI-SG) will celebrate 100 graduates of its mentorship program at its fourth annual gala dinner on October 9. Singapore senior minister of state for transport Sun Xueling will serve as the guest of honor at the event. WAI-SG was established in 2021 and celebrated its first program graduates in 2024.

Launched in 2022, the mentorship program supports career advancement by pairing mentees with experienced professionals. According to WAI-SG, more than one-third of its participants have gone on to earn some form of professional recognition, including awards, expanded responsibilities, and organizational acknowledgement. More than 90% rated their experience highly, with satisfaction scores averaging 8.5 out of 10.

“Having 100 mentees graduate in three years is testament of our approach to ensure sustainable growth in female representation while promoting innovation and resilience across Singapore’s aviation ecosystem,” said WAI-SG president Lou-Ann Seet.

Following the gala, WAI-SG will host Girls in Aviation Day on November 1 at Temasek Polytechnic, with Singapore Airlines captain Vanessa Ess as the guest of honor. The event invites girls ages eight to 17 to explore aviation careers through interactive exhibits and hands-on activities.

WAI-SG said that both events underscore its commitment to developing female talent across the aviation sector, complementing national workforce initiatives, including a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore fund that supports workforce needs.