While areas of the Southeastern U.S. continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the next major storm, Hurricane Milton, is barreling through the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to be one of the strongest storms seen in recent history. The hurricane is forecast to make landfall in Florida Wednesday night.

Milton was recorded as a category 4 storm as of Tuesday morning.

Tampa International Airport (KTPA), St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (KPIE), Albert Whitted Airport (KSPG), and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ) are all closed until at least October 11.

“Today is the last full day for Florida residents to get their families and homes ready and evacuate if told to do so by local officials,” wrote the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in an advisory on Tuesday.

Hurricane-force winds from the storm are projected to extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds could extend outward up to 105 miles.

The National Weather Service has warned that this could be the worst storm to impact Tampa in over 100 years.

Chantilly Air Jet Center, one of two service providers at Washington D.C.-area Manassas Regional Airport (KHEF), is the latest to join the Paragon FBO Network, a worldwide group of high-end FBOs that are audited to ensure they meet quality standards.

Celebrating its 34th year in operation, Chantilly Air offers a wide range of services including aircraft management, charter, and maintenance, in addition to FBO services. Garnering a solid reputation across all of its business segments, the company has earned IS-BAO and IS-BAH registration, as well as Wyvern Wingman and FAA Diamond Award repair station status.

Its modern 11,000-sq-ft terminal, which opened in 2021, offers a passenger lounge, private VIP customs screening area, fitness center with shower facilities, two conference rooms, crew planning area, pilot lounge, and snooze rooms. The complex also offers 80,000 sq ft of hangar space.

“The addition of Chantilly Air to our distinguished network underscores our commitment to assembling the finest group of FBOs worldwide,” said Paragon Aviation Group president and CEO Crystal Kubeczka. “This partnership reflects our dedication to excellence and our commitment to elevate the aviation experience for our clients globally.”

Earlier this year, the Paragon Aviation Group that manages the network was purchased by Luxaviation, which with its ExecuJet FBO division brings the network to more than 140 locations worldwide.

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) will release its third-quarter report as part of the October 21 press day at NBAA's Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) taking place in Las Vegas. The report promises the latest insights into preowned aircraft transaction trends, supported by sales data from IADA-accredited dealers.

The trade organization will have a strong presence at the annual business aviation showcase, with 87 member companies participating.

"Our IADA members are the backbone of the preowned business aircraft resale industry accounting for more than 50% of the market," said executive director Wayne Starling.

Starling, who serves as a senior advisor for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, is also executive director of IADA’s AircraftExchange platform . The platform hosts over 700 listings, each represented by IADA-accredited dealers. IADA reports that these dealers saw a 40% rise in sales leads via AircraftExchange in 2024. (Ed. note: AIN is a marketing partner with AircraftExchange)

Twelve IADA-accredited dealers and OEM members, as well as 28 products and services members, will bring their own exhibits or static displays to NBAA-BACE. Forty-seven dealers and products and services members are slated to exhibit with IADA at its booth.

The Canadian Business Aviation Association said it will “continue its ongoing efforts to seek revisions” to the luxury tax on aircraft despite a recent decision that upholds its legality. In a September 26 response to the CBAA’s challenge to the tax, Canada’s Standing Joint Committee on the Scrutiny of Regulations “determined the Order [establishing the tax] does not violate any of its criteria and has closed the matter without further comment.”

This joint committee decision is the latest government action that failed to exempt aircraft from the 10% tax. The tax on certain aircraft remained unchanged in the current federal budget released earlier this year, although a second recommendation from Canada’s House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance stated that the country’s new budget proposal “exclude aircraft from the luxury items tax act and place a moratorium on the luxury tax on aircraft pending further industry consultation.”

However, there has been at least one positive modification. Shortly after the tax took effect in September 2022, the government incorporated a concession to business aviation by adding the use of aircraft for business to the list of “qualifying flights” that are exempt from the tax. Specifically, an aircraft is qualified if it is conducted at least 90% of the time “in the course of a business of an owner or lessee with a reasonable expectation of profit.”

Duncan Aviation broke ground on August 26th for its new 36,000-square-foot Pratt & Whitney Canada Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) in Lincoln, Nebraska. Set to open in 2026, this facility will enhance Duncan Aviation’s engine service capabilities, supporting the PW300 and PW500 series engines and expanding MRO services company-wide.

Vertical Aviation International (VAI) has signed up several companies in its Operational Risk and Resilience Accreditation (ORRA) program, which helps operators step up their safety programs with coaching assistance and a goal of continual improvement. VAI has teamed with VLinc to create an integrated ORRA team to help operators “go beyond traditional risk management and elevate their operational processes,” according to VAI.

“ORRA is designed to meet the diverse demands of small, medium, and large aviation operators, ensuring a robust yet flexible framework that empowers a trajectory of continuous growth, advancement, and safety improvement. This easy-to-start program meets operators at any stage of safety management system implementation and comes with a coach, so they’re always on a clear path of process improvement.”

Enrollments to the ORRA program include Brim Aviation (Ashland, Oregon); Dakota Rotors (Custer, South Dakota); Helius (Prescott, Arizona); Sikorsky (Stratford, Connecticut); Two Bear Air Rescue Foundation (Kalispell, Montana), and Helicopter Horizons (Maun, Botswana).

“We congratulate these operators for taking the critical first step toward safer operations by actively managing risks through trusted third-party coaching and self-assessment support,” said James Viola, VAI president and CEO. “Our team is ready to facilitate their journey of hazard discovery and risk mitigation, and we applaud their goal of striving for operational excellence.”

As charter companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to make their operations more efficient, Avitor.ai is enhancing the capabilities of its AI-powered private jet booking and trip planning platform with a tremendous amount of data and natural language processing capabilities.

Avitor’s generative AI-powered private aviation marketplace now includes information on 3,300 operators, 15,000 aircraft, and 34,000 aircraft worldwide, and the company developed its AI algorithm from more than 1.5 million flight records and 25,000 sales queries. According to the New York City-based company, the platform provides travelers, brokers, and operators with personalized private flight services at an “unprecedented” speed.

“We utilize generative AI to empower the marketplace for both brokers and operators, and by doing that, we build a bridge to bring the supply and demand together to make sure that their operations are more efficient,” which can help to reduce operating costs, Avitor CEO Wen Wang told AIN. “By leveraging generative AI, our system will be able to help our brokers and online travel agencies manage their clients 24/7, which means that they don't even need human beings to be there to manage their clients,” Wang said.

New York-based maintenance provider InLine Aviation Group has launched a new subscription support program for general aviation aircraft. The UpAssist plan includes a block of prepaid maintenance hours, worldwide AOG assistance, parts procurement, 24/7 technical support, records management, quality control and oversight, supplemental lift, and more.

The base $10,000 annual subscription plan includes 75 hours of aircraft maintenance in any capacity including scheduled or unscheduled maintenance and inspections, while more extensive plans bump that total to 150 hours for $19,250, and 300 hours for $37,250.

Headquartered at Westchester County Airport (KHPN), InLine has a team of FAA-licensed mechanics, and subscribers will receive priority access to service, enhanced parts purchasing power, and a range of features all managed by a dedicated support team.

Outside of the tri-state region, InLine leverages a network of vetted repair stations, FBOs, and industry partners globally.

“UpAssist is a seismic shift from traditional, pure-play on-demand AOG maintenance support offering a best-in-class maintenance and multi-services solution that aircraft owners will appreciate, and maintenance directors will love,” said company partner and CEO Eric Faulkner. “Fundamentally, program economics fill a real value gap, especially during AOG events when repair costs can easily soar, leaving owners most exposed.”

PHI Aviation has introduced a pair of Airbus H175 helicopters to its offshore energy support fleet in Australia. The recently delivered twins are based at Broome in Western Australia, with more H175s set to arrive from Europe in the next few months.

The operator expects to tap the H175’s range of up to 600 nm to connect energy company sites across large territories. The aircraft can carry up to 18 passengers, cruising at 155 knots and powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67E turboshafts.

PHI also has bases at Exmouth in Western Australia and at Darwin in the Northern Territory. The company, which has operations worldwide, is also active in services including search-and-rescue and marine transfers. Its customers also include hospitals, air medical organizations, and government agencies.

“These state-of-the-art aircraft are a significant addition to our growing fleet in Australia,” said Cory Latiolais, PHI Aviation’s chief operating officer for the Asia-Pacific region. “They elevate our operational capabilities while reinforcing our commitment to sustainable innovation and delivering world-class service to our clients.”