AIN is commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 this week with a series of stories that look back on the tragedy.

Like many others, Steve Brown, FAA associate administrator for air traffic services, started his workday on Sept. 11, 2001, as usual. By the early afternoon, Americans across the nation picked their kids up from school, retreating to their homes.

Brown’s responsibilities at the FAA, however, prevented such a luxury. He and his team were met with the monumental task of securing the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS). This was two years before Brown was to join NBAA and ultimately become COO there.

The typical workday began with direct reports from management teams regarding daily operations. A cacophony of beeping pagers interrupted this routine, signaling the beginning of a national emergency for which no protocol was prepared.

The first strike was met with widespread confusion—perhaps an accident or medical emergency was to blame. Once the second tower was hit, the threat became apparent.

“It was at that point that I, the administrator, and the deputy administrator went into a secured room,” Brown said. “We were on a video teleconference, a secure link, with Vice President [Dick] Cheney at the White House, [Transportation] Secretary [Norm] Mineta, and all of the other cabinet agencies.”

On that call, Brown’s team was tasked with securing the airborne inventory—every single aircraft in flight within the NAS.

I am having fun using artificial intelligence (AI) in my professional and personal life, watching it comb the internet, dig up data, and synthesize it for me.

Having used AI in actual aircraft deals and disputes, I find it a little scary how much it can accomplish in its infancy and the dangers it poses. The age of AI is here to stay, and it behooves us to at least understand it generally, if not use it.

AI can generate market research, draft reports and agreements, summarize mountains of data, and analyze or calculate pertinent metrics. In my legal practice, AI has helped me with research, summarizing articles and legal analysis, improving or correcting drafting, and flagging inconsistencies or errors in aircraft purchase agreements and other documents. As its use expands, AI may lower transaction costs. It is not a panacea, but it can undeniably be a useful tool.

A qualified aviation team that can use AI prudently is and will remain your most important asset in your journey to buying, financing, selling, and owning an aircraft. If your aviation team uses AI, it should do so selectively for purposes such as scanning aircraft markets, assisting with drafting, and performing other functions.

But keep in mind that AI cannot replace human relationships in business aviation, where aviation experts build relationships over a long time.

France’s defense procurement agency, the Direction Générale de l’Armement, has taken delivery of the first two Dassault Falcon 2000LXS Albatros maritime surveillance jets, the manufacturer announced on Wednesday.

Handing over the aircraft marks a milestone for AVSIMAR, France’s maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft program, which launched in 2020 and grew with an order for five more jets announced in October 2025. France expects to employ a fleet of 12 by 2031.

Based on the super-midsize Falcon 2000LXS business jet, the Albatros carries a multifunction radar under its fuselage, an optronic turret housing electro-optical and infrared sensors, observation windows, dedicated communications systems, and equipment for dropping search-and-rescue gear. Dassault said the jet’s roughly 4,000-nm range puts distant search areas within reach, and a maximum speed of Mach 0.86 gets it there quickly, while “excellent” low-speed handling suits the search itself.

Naval Group, Safran, and Thales worked with Dassault Aviation to develop the aircraft. Flight testing took place at Dassault’s Istres flight-test center in southern France, and conversion work continues at its Mérignac plant near Bordeaux.

In a statement, Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Éric Trappier pointed to applications such as pollution and trafficking enforcement, exclusive economic zone surveillance, fisheries policing, search and rescue, and medical evacuations, noting that France holds “the second-largest maritime domain in the world.”

Gama Aviation is challenging a decision by authorities in Guernsey and Jersey to replace Gama as the air ambulance service contractor for the Channel Islands. Yesterday, lawyers representing the UK-based business aviation services group told a Guernsey court that a decision by the States of Guernsey’s Health and Social Care (HSC) agency had breached its own procurement policies on transparency and equal treatment for bidding companies.

HSC has awarded a new air ambulance contract to 247 Aviation, which is due to start its duties in December. The company, based in Northern Ireland with a fleet consisting of Pilatus PC-12s and a Bombardier Learjet 45, did not respond to AIN’s request for a comment on the case.

Gama Aviation has been servicing the Channel Islands’ air ambulance needs with its fleet of Beechcraft King Air turboprops. Its legal team filed for a judicial review with Guernsey’s Royal Court on two grounds: an alleged breach of transparency over a late change of aircraft requirements from Jersey, and a lack of transparency and “rationality” by Guernsey officials in how bidders were rated.

The company is seeking to have the contract decision overturned or at least to be awarded damages over the loss of the contract it has held since August 2020.

As avionics systems age and legacy components become harder to support, West Star Aviation is helping operators stay ahead of obsolescence. Discover how FAA STC ST00818DE provides a simple, cost-effective path to upgrade legacy Honeywell CRT displays with the modern CD-830 Flat Panel Display across 40+ aircraft models.

Chris Rocheleau, who recently returned to NBAA as COO, was named CEO of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), effective October 5. Rocheleau succeeds Kevin Burke, who has led the association for nearly 13 years. Burke will remain as CEO emeritus through year-end.

Rocheleau had rejoined NBAA last month after spending 19 months as acting and then deputy administrator of the FAA. He has had a career with the FAA dating back nearly three decades, and also spent a stint in the early 2000s as a senior policy adviser to the then-nascent Transportation Security Administration, and from 2022 to early 2025 with NBAA.

“The North American airport industry is navigating significant change, and Chris Rocheleau is the kind of leader ACI-NA needs as we look to the future,” said Cindy Nichol, director of airports for Sacramento County and chair of the ACI-NA board of directors. “Chris brings a deep breadth of aviation knowledge, proven executive leadership, and relationships across government and industry.”

In announcing his upcoming departure, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen praised Rocheleau. “His leadership makes every organization stronger, and he is uniquely qualified for his new role at ACI-NA. We wish him all the best as he begins an exciting next chapter in the industry,” Bolen said.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit in which the plaintiffs asserted that the General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA) statute of repose didn’t apply after the crash of a Huntington Beach (California) Police Department helicopter.

GARA was signed into law on Aug. 17, 1994, and barred most civil actions against manufacturers of general aviation aircraft and components brought more than 18 years after delivery. In this case, the plaintiffs claimed that the GARA excepted “public aircraft” that are owned or operated by the government. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that the GARA did apply in this accident and thus the claim against Boeing was rejected.

The accident involved an MD520N helicopter manufactured by Boeing, which held the type certificate that was later sold to MD Helicopters. The helicopter crashed into the water near Newport Beach, killing tactical flight officer Nicholas Vella and injuring officer RJ Garwood, according to the Ninth Circuit decision. “The plaintiffs allege that the crash was caused by a defect in a stability augmentation system that led to a loss of control.”

The NTSB final report found that the stability augmentation system was not faulty, nor did it contribute to the accident.

The Netherlands plans to acquire its inaugural sovereign Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, complementing participation in the renewal of NATO’s fleet capability. The single Bombardier Global 6500-based Saab GlobalEye is set to be delivered to the Netherlands in 2031 and will, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, “be added to a joint pool” with Sweden’s three examples.

Announcing the move on September 10, the Dutch government acknowledged it is reliant on, “among other things, the outdated NATO [Boeing E-3A Sentry] AWACS aircraft” for surveillance and command capabilities. However, it said, acquiring its own aircraft will “enable it to determine more independently where and when the aircraft is deployed.”

Crucially, the Dutch government confirmed that a joint pooling system will ensure both Swedish and Dutch crews “have access to the available aircraft.” The Swedish Ministry of Defence added that this operational model will provide “close cooperation on the systems, which means that the GlobalEye can be jointly utilized and the capability can be better utilized where and when the need arises.” Sweden suggested that this arrangement will strengthen both countries’ capabilities “in the immediate area,” something which is “closely linked to NATO’s capabilities.”

Titan Aviation Fuels has entered into an exclusive partnership with Aero Specialties to launch the Titan Preferred GSE Program powered by Aero Specialties. This initiative is intended to offer operational advantages and benefits to the more than 675 Titan-branded FBO locations worldwide.

Through the program—designed to help FBO operators improve equipment reliability, increase operational efficiency, and lower total cost of ownership—participating Titan network locations will have access to preferred pricing on ground support equipment (GSE) and OEM parts, including sustainable, electric-powered options; global service and support resources; operational training; and fleet optimization expertise.

“At Titan, we’re always looking for meaningful ways to strengthen the value we bring to our network partners,” said Kathy Moss, the North Carolina-based fuel provider’s global business development director. “Aero Specialties has built an outstanding reputation throughout the aviation industry, and this partnership allows us to connect our FBO network with world-class equipment, support, and expertise that will help operators’ success.”

“Together, we are creating a program that delivers real operational and financial benefits while helping FBOs prepare for the future of ground support operations,” added Aero Specialties CEO Brad Streeter. 

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