Gulfstream Aerospace has completed the first flight of a fully outfitted G400 test aircraft, bringing the program for the 4,200-nm twinjet closer to certification, the company announced yesterday at NBAA-BACE. At the same time, the company is prepping to add a second G300 to that flight-test program.

On Wednesday, the fully-outfitted G400 completed its first flight from Dallas Love Field (KDAL), staying aloft for 2 hours 46 minutes and reaching an altitude of 48,000 feet. Configured with an 11-passenger layout in two-and-a-half cabin zones, the aircraft will evaluate cabin systems at altitude, as well as functionality and in-flight comfort. 

Honeywell Aerospace’s 35th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook predicts deliveries of 9,950 business jets and 4,200 turboprops over the next decade. Released yesterday, the forecast considers personal jets such as the Cirrus Vision Jet, as well as business turboprops, for the first time. The outlook examines fleet usage and operator purchase expectations.

“In the past, it was only deliveries and only business jets,” Honeywell Aerospace strategic planning manager Kevin Schwab told AIN. “What we’re trying to accomplish is to help the industry understand where we sort of stand today, where we think we’re going into the future, so that everybody can sort of adequately plan and prepare, and sort of have some transparency around where we think the sector is going, and we thought that excluding some of the segments of the industry was doing a little bit of a disservice to that goal.”

SyberJet Aircraft unveiled a full-scale mockup of the SJ36 light jet’s cabin and cockpit last night during the SyberJet World event at the Las Vegas Henderson Executive Airport. The company also brought a trailer to NBAA-BACE 2026 with an avionics mockup for show attendees to experience the airplane’s in-house-designed touchscreen suite. 

The SJ36 is a redesigned and stretched upgrade of the SJ30-2, an FAA-certified light jet that was notable for its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.83, 2,500-nm range, 49,000-foot maximum altitude, and sea-level cabin altitude at 41,000 feet.

Universal Aviation, formerly the business aircraft ground-support arm of Universal Weather and Aviation, rebranded as Affinity Aviation on Monday at NBAA-BACE 2026.

A year ago, World Fuel Services parent company World Kinect agreed to purchase Universal Weather and Aviation’s trip-support division. Under the deal that closed late last year, World Kinect acquired one of the most trusted and recognized brands in business aviation, and with more than six decades of experience.

A Pratt & Whitney factory that makes fan blades for aircraft engines has dramatically boosted output and reduced production time—thanks in large part to an RTX data and AI platform that helps optimize operations across the company's vast global manufacturing footprint.

Compensation for business aviation professionals in the U.S. rose 8% this year, according to an industry survey analysis by AirComp Calculator. This follows a 6% industry pay increase in 2025 and more than double the year-to-date 3.4% national rate tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Pay increases varied widely by role. Non-flying aviation managers saw the largest gain, jumping almost 20%, while senior flight attendants got 11% and maintenance assistants 10%. Chief pilots gained 9% and technicians 7%. Flying directors of aviation, the highest-paid group, got just 3.5% despite strong demand for their skills, AirComp Calculator founder Chris Broyhill told AIN.

NetJets Aviation leveraged NBAA-BACE’s Las Vegas venue to unveil its latest private facility yesterday at nearby Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS). 

The city represents one of the top destinations for NetJets fleet owners. Since 2022, its flight activity to Las Vegas has risen by nearly 45%, with approximately 8,000 flights through the end of 2025. That has continued into this year, with demand up nearly 30% year over year.

NBAA and Rolland Vincent Associates (RVA) are partnering to deliver business aviation market intelligence to NBAA members. Quarterly updates, to begin at the RVA Summit in mid-February, will provide members with “a recurring pulse on business aviation, rather than a static snapshot of the market,” according to NBAA.

The quarterly market intelligence reports will be based on RVA survey responses, including from NBAA members, and “NBAA’s perspective on the industry and policy environment to deliver exclusive, unique, and actionable insights to association members at a time when the industry is rapidly evolving.” 

Symmetry Crew Solutions, founded by two career pilots in 2025, is providing staffing for Gulfstream operations and is exhibiting for the first time at NBAA-BACE 2026.  

With their experience, founders Brett Rundle and Grady Montgomery have gained firsthand perspective on challenges confronting corporate flight departments and are striving to address the issues of inconsistent crew quality, unfamiliarity with advanced avionics, and lack of continuity between missions. To solve this, they are assembling a team of experienced Gulfstream G800, G700, G600, and G500 contract pilots.

The digital flip-through issues of AIN’s award-winning NBAA Convention News is now available online. It’s a great way to quickly scan the news from NBAA-BACE 2026, whether you’re in Las Vegas attending the show or watching from afar.