Gulfstream Aerospace deliveries dropped by eight units year-over-year in the third quarter to 27 aircraft as the company continued to grapple with supply chain challenges, parent company General Dynamics (GD) reported today. Third-quarter deliveries included 22 large-cabin and five midsize-cabin models, down from 28 large cabins and seven midsize from the same period a year ago.

Revenues at GD's aerospace group—which includes both Gulfstream and Jet Aviation—slid in the third quarter by $315 million to $2.03 billion. While it works through the ongoing supply chain issues that have plagued the Savannah, Georgia manufacturer (along with the industry in general) this year, the company anticipates more than 60 aircraft deliveries in the fourth quarter. However, Gulfstream will likely not reach its 2023 delivery forecast of 145 units.

Despite the decline in deliveries, GD officials were upbeat about the order intake and the strengthening results during the year. “We enjoyed a strong quarter, particularly so in light of the supply chain and program mix headwinds that time will cure,” remarked GD CFO Jason Aiken during the third-quarter earnings call with analysts.

Meanwhile, the G700 flight test and certification program is approaching its final stages. “We continue to plan for certification in the fourth quarter of this year, largely dependent upon the availability of FAA resources and the credit the FAA may allow for company flying,” Aiken said.

Honda Aircraft has developed a service to help HondaJet owners manage the maintenance of their airplanes. Called Aircraft Management Services (AMS), the program aims “to make HondaJet ownership effortless while offering owners greater control and predictability over maintenance demands,” according to the company. AMS is available to owners who enroll in Honda Aircraft’s Flight Ready service plans. 

AMS participants will work with Honda Aircraft’s customer service division to “guide, plan, and schedule maintenance activities, prioritizing safety, dependability, and value preservation.” Work will be done by Honda Aircraft’s network of authorized service centers, which number 21 worldwide, although AMS is initially available only for U.S.-based N-registered HondaJets. The AMS program will also be tailored to the way each owner operates their jet.

The AMS program includes AOG and unscheduled maintenance support; scheduling and tracking of upgrades, modifications, and regular maintenance; scheduling of aircraft detailing; pilot services such as for relocation and service bulletin and airworthiness directive compliance; and consolidated billing.

“At Honda Aircraft Company, our top priority remains customer satisfaction, a value that starts with your HondaJet purchase and extends throughout the life of the aircraft,” said Luis Jimenez, Honda Aircraft division director of customer service. “The AMS program further solidifies this commitment as the HondaJet fleet continues to grow.”

In a rare show of unanimity, the U.S. Senate yesterday voted 98-0 to confirm the nomination of Michael Whitaker to serve as FAA administrator for a five-year term. That vote followed a procedural vote of 94-0 to invoke cloture, or cut off debate, that was held to ensure that the nomination could not get hung up by other issues.

Whitaker steps into a position that has been held on an acting basis by Polly Trottenberg and, before that, Billy Nolen since April 1, 2022, after the previously confirmed FAA administrator, Steve Dickson, left halfway through his term.

Whitaker, who has a lengthy aviation resume, garnered wide support, not only from both sides of the aisle but throughout the industry and even from the government rank-and-file. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) remarked that his "overwhelming confirmation demonstrates the Senate's commitment to getting aviation right. There is a lot to do on FAA staffing, technology upgrades, and safety improvements and Whitaker is the right person to lead it.”

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-Missouri) issued a joint statement with aviation subcommittee Chair Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) that “Whitaker’s confirmation will provide much-needed stability and certainty for the agency.”

As a testament to the urgency of putting a confirmed administrator in place, Whitaker’s confirmation occurred less than two months after the White House announced his nomination.

Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) has launched PartsHub, a digital platform to manage the procurement process from end to end. Billed as an online one-stop parts shop for business aviation, PartsHub builds on JSSI’s rapidly growing parts and leasing business and its breadth of inventory across makes and models.

PartsHub provides access to more than 100,000 parts, including documentation and certifications. Further, it offers “buy it now” pricing for instant purchase of high-turn parts and consumables, comprehensive parts information, a personalized dashboard for order activity, and self-service accounts and fleet management. Access to the site is free, with no sign-up fees, JSSI said.

“JSSI has become the trusted one-stop source in the industry for the hard-to-find material and lease engines, and our inventory position has tripled in the last two years,” said JSSI COO Ben Hockenberg. “We set out to build something unique, not only to digitize the parts-buying experience but to enhance it for our clients.”

This was possible through the combination of JSSI’s maintenance data, inventory position, and procurement capabilities, Hockenberg said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is dispatching an investigation team to William P. Hobby Airport (KHOU) in Houston after two private jets were substantially damaged in a collision there on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement, the FAA noted that a Hawker 850XP (registered as N269AA to Whitmore Holdings of Chicago) was attempting to depart on Runway 22 without ATC clearance when it clipped a Cessna Citation Mustang that was landing on the intersecting Runway 13R.

The Hawker—which sustained damage to its left wing—was able to get airborne and returned safely to the airport within five minutes of takeoff. The Mustang received damage to its tail section during the impact.

There were no injuries reported, but the incident initiated a ground stop while debris was collected and removed from the runways. It snarled traffic at KHOU for several hours and caused delays, cancellations, and diversions for more than 100 flights.

According to an airport spokesperson, the Mustang was taken to the Wilson Air Center FBO, while the Hawker was brought to the Signature Aviation facility. An onsite NTSB examination in situations such as this typically takes three to five days, the Safety Board told AIN.

The ongoing aircraft mechanics shortage has prompted West Star Aviation to open a maintenance school called West Star Aviation Academy (WSAA) in January at its facility in East Alton, Illinois, the company said Tuesday. West Star plans to hire 25 apprentices who will spend seven and a half months learning and earning wages and benefits. They will receive hands-on practical training, mentoring, and job shadowing in preparation for their FAA license tests.

Under a partnership with West Star, Southwestern Illinois College will run WSAA through its Part 147 FAA-approved curriculum at a dedicated learning hangar that incorporates the newly developed Choose Aerospace curriculum and proprietary West Star technical training. West Star says WSAA will accelerate the skill development to certify new technicians more quickly than the industry’s traditional 18- to 30-month apprenticeship programs.

“We are very excited to offer a branded training program leveraging our community educational partners to provide a direct career pathway for those aspiring to be an AMT,” said West Star Aviation CEO Jim Rankin. “For apprentices, it’s an opportunity to make a living while learning a highly skilled technical trade in less than a year. For West Star Aviation, WSAA will help ensure that we continually have a strong pipeline of skilled and licensed technicians to deliver industry-leading MRO services to business aviation customers worldwide.”

Farnborough Airport this week passed a landmark of selling its millionth liter of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), just over two years after it first made the fuel available in June 2021. The London-area business aviation gateway views boosting SAF supplies as a key aspect of the Roadmap to Net Zero decarbonization strategy it introduced in 2022, with the goal of achieving net-zero status for emissions under the airport’s direct control no later than 2030.

In 2018, privately-owned Farnborough said it had become the first business aviation airport in the world to achieve carbon neutrality. Earlier this year, the UK facility was awarded Level 4+ accreditation by the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, based on measures such as installing solar panels on hangar roofs, as well as its terminal building, air traffic control tower, ground support facility, and the onsite Aviator hotel.

SAF is supplied to Farnborough by World Fuel Services. In the build-up to the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow, the airport made SAF available to aircraft operators at the same price as standard jet-A1 fuel.

“We want to be a genuine catalyst for change and are always looking for new ways to supply and create sustainable energy sources,” commented Farnborough Airport CEO Simon Geere, who said that it aims to be a SAF-only airport by the end of this decade.

StandardAero will add line maintenance support for select Rolls-Royce CorporateCare engine models at its recently acquired Western Jet Aviation facilities in Van Nuys, California, and Springfield, Illinois. The authorized service center agreement covers the Tay 611-8/8C and BR710 A1/A2/C4 engines at Van Nuys and the Tay 611-8/8C engines at Springfield.

The five-year agreement goes into effect in the first quarter of next year and includes the renewal of line maintenance support for CorporateCare operators with AE3007A engines at StandardAero’s Augusta, Georgia, and Houston facilities. It also effectively renews line maintenance of Tay 611-8/8C and BR710 A1/A2/C4 engines at StandardAero’s Dallas-Fort Worth facility and abroad through the company’s Mobile Service Team.

Rolls-Royce has also authorized StandardAero to provide full maintenance, repair, and overhaul support for Tay 611-8/8C and Spey engines at Dallas-Fort Worth. StandardAero’s Springfield and Van Nuys sites provide varied levels of airframe maintenance services for Gulfstream and Global Express aircraft powered by Tay or BR710 engines, while StandardAero’s Western Jet Aviation location in Opa-Locka, Florida, offers line maintenance support for Gulfstream operators in the region.

StandardAero’s Houston and Augusta sites also provide airframe maintenance services for the Rolls-Royce AE3007A1E-powered Embraer Legacy 600.