Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) once again will be flowing for NBAA-BACE, with aircraft flying into all three Las Vegas-area airports having the opportunity to fill up on it.

Henderson Airport (KHND), home to the show’s static display, will receive 40,000 gallons of SAF from World Fuel. That is more than twice the amount available at the airport during NBAA-BACE 2021, the last time the annual convention was held in Las Vegas.

At Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS), World Fuel Services will supply the Atlantic Aviation FBO with 16,000 gallons of blended SAF. Additionally, Atlantic will offer the ability for customers to use its SAF book-and-claim program to purchase usage credits through its SAF Marketplace at its Los Angeles (KLAX), Long Beach (KLGB), and Stockton (KSCK), California locations. Signature Aviation will also be providing SAF at its KLAS facility.

For the first time in conjunction with the show, SAF will also be available at North Las Vegas Airport (KVGT).

“Providing SAF for aircraft departing from this year’s convention not only makes the event more sustainable, but allows NBAA members to take an active role in helping the industry to achieve our net-zero target,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.

Aside from getting our best celebration wardrobes pressed and shined for NBAA-BACE 2023, which opens on October 17 in Las Vegas, how are you getting ready for this wonderful event? At our company, we are making a list and checking it twice. Picking up the phones and making the key calls to industry players and thought leaders to be sure we have time carved out to meet and reacquaint ourselves with friends and business associates.

There are so many opportunities to shape not just the rest of our year, but also years to come. There are challenges to find solutions to, as well as business opportunities to shape and nurture. I know I personally have so many questions to ask those I meet up with and hope to be asked important questions by those that come up to me and my team at the event.

While reviewing my recent webinar topics and articles, I have looked at those topics that might be at the top of the minds of attendees, as well as readers. Using these topics, we are building the thought leader list of people we want to talk to in Las Vegas. It would be a shame to come home from this event without answers and solutions to the most troubling scenarios we are all talking about.

Flight booking platform Flewber is preparing to launch its Flewber Hops air-taxi service within a 250-nm radius of New York City. By the end of this month, the company expects to complete the acquisition of a Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet, which it will use to offer flights on a per-seat basis via its app. Additional capacity will also be provided by other Part 135 operators.

The Manhattan-based company, which launched in 2018 as a charter broker, is preparing to raise further capital through an initial public offering (IPO). An S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission reported that it was seeking alternative financing to complete the purchase of the Vision Jet, which had been expected to be funded from the IPO.

The Vision Jet will be operated by Ponderosa Air, which Flewber acquired back in 2019. The Part 135 holder, which is based at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York, currently operates a Cessna 421CE Golden Eagle piston twin.

Flewber CEO Marc Sellouk is billing the new Hops service as a “personal air mobility” offering that will be established ahead of the anticipated eVTOL air taxi operations—while also offering greater range and capacity in an aircraft seating up to five passengers. He anticipates per-seat prices of between $199 and $699, with customers potentially able to take off just two hours after making a booking on the app.

Austria-based light jet charter specialist GlobeAir has broken ground on a new hangar at Linz Airport. The company operates the world’s largest fleet of Cessna Citation Mustangs and provides service throughout Europe, allowing access to smaller airports that cannot accommodate larger aircraft.

GlobeAir’s new 12,910-sq-ft facility—scheduled for completion by mid-2024—will be large enough to house eight of the company’s 21 light twinjets at the same time, making it well-suited as a fleet maintenance hub. Up to 30 members of the company’s maintenance department will be stationed there.

The €3.5 million project will include an adjoining three-story office building with training rooms, a pilot lounge, and storage rooms. In keeping with the company’s environmental responsibility pledge, the facility will include green features such as solar panels, a rainwater collection system, electric vehicle charging stations, and dedicated recycling areas.

“With the construction of this hangar, we’re not just building a facility; we’re creating a symbol of our commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability in private aviation,” explained CEO Bernhard Fragner.

Having completed the beta test phase of its Celeste business aircraft carbon offsetting and compliance management platform, technology startup Azzera will officially start its operation on October 18.

Celeste—a fully integrated, subscription-based platform—calculates the CO2 emissions of an aircraft or fleet of aircraft. It then segregates these emissions into the various “compliance markets” where each flight is operating. This includes the European Union's Emissions Trading System, the UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme, and the in-development, ICAO-led Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), set for introduction in 2027.

“Since introducing Celeste at EBACE earlier this year, we have made rapid strides in product development,” explained Azzera founder and CEO Puja Mahajan, who will be appearing at NBAA-BACE on a sustainability panel. “Working closely with leading business aircraft fleet operators, we managed more than 150 aircraft throughout our development cycle. This work has enabled us to harness invaluable feedback and create an online solution that is truly tailored to the needs of business aviation.”

Johan Maertens, co-CEO of ASL Group—one of the companies that participated in the beta test—was impressed with the system’s capabilities. “Its intuitive design streamlines our data integration and compliance reporting processes," he noted. “Additionally, it provides immediate access to emissions allowances and various credits. We are confident that Celeste is a pivotal tool for the aviation industry’s transition to sustainability.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is tightening the requirements for compliant use of the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) for private flights. Any change in the aircraft manifest—including tail number, traveler details and/or substitutions, or time adjustments beyond 60 minutes—will now require re-transmission of the manifest at least 60 minutes before departure.

Operators must also contact the associated departure CBP port and cancel the original clearance request. When conditions mandate an expedited departure, a manual clearance must be obtained for the amended flight. Sector communications should be contacted for after-hours changes and, if that fails, e-mail communication is necessary.

CBP also said it was accelerating in-person checks and clearances, and it reminded operators that submitting invalid requests and/or inaccurate information can trigger large penalties and fines. The new policy replaces the legacy arrangement wherein non-revenue departures were not required to submit updates for time changes if the new estimated arrival time was at variance with the initial local date.

The agency established APIS in 2005 to enable the Department of Homeland Security to identify threats, interface with foreign law enforcement, and prevent the aircraft boarding of “a person of interest.” Initially applied to commercial air carriers, the system and its requirements became mandatory for private flights in 2009.

Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA) awarded its largest scholarship offering yet after receiving more than 200 applications. The 17 scholarships in the fall 2023 program (one of which is to be determined) ranged from awards of up to $5,000 for pilot, flight attendant, maintenance and other professional training.

WCA drew a record number of applicants for the fall awards, and that comes after its spring scholarship program drew an all-time-high number of applications. The scholarships are designed to foster women in corporate aviation paths from those starting out through transitioning professionals. Over the past 17 years, WCA has awarded 280 scholarships valued at $1 million.

The scholarships are part of a multi-pronged effort for WCA to support women in their careers. With its roots tracing back 30 years, WCA has evolved into an organization that provides networking and mentoring, in addition to scholarships to foster careers.