Aviation security consultant Eric Schouten of Dyami Strategic Security Services said his team has concluded that an air-to-air missile likely caused the August 23 crash of the Embraer Legacy 600 that killed Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and others from the Wagner Group. The Putin administration has denied suggestions that it was responsible for the killing of Prigozhin, who had recently launched a coup attempt after withdrawing his forces from the frontlines of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee has been instructed not to investigate the alleged accident, as would normally be the case under ICAO protocols. Instead, the Investigative Committee of Russia has begun what has been characterized as a criminal investigation.

Schouten, a former Dutch intelligence officer, explained that an onboard bomb could not have destroyed the Legacy 600 because large sections of the pressurized aircraft’s hull were seen intact among the wreckage of the crash site between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. He added that multiple classified sensors monitoring the area would have detected a surface-to-air missile launch.

According to Schouten, his team’s working theory is that an air-to-air missile impacted the airframe near one of the engines, forcing the aircraft into a roll, with one side of the wing being ripped off by g-forces.

North American business aircraft owner/operators are showing optimism about the economy for the first time in nearly two years, according to the results from the third-quarter JetNet iQ survey. The survey data was presented by Rolland Vincent, the survey’s founder and director, this afternoon at the annual JetNet iQ Summit in New York City.

This latest survey, the company’s 50th since it began querying operators in 2011, shows that nearly 56 percent of the respondents believe the current market conditions are past the low point for business aviation, and Vincent suggested the lull was a result of lagging business confidence driven by higher interest rates and inflation.

In its latest industry forecast, the company calls for deliveries of 8,684 new business jets worth $268 billion over the next decade. That represents an increase of 284 jets over last year’s forecast. “The major change has been a shift in production to the latter half of our 10-year outlook because we are seeing consistent delays in certification of new aircraft,” Vincent told AIN. “The reality is it’s just harder and longer to certify an aircraft than it ever was before, and it’s affecting the entire OEM industry.”

In this latest survey, Vincent also noted a strong boost in the respondents’ awareness of, and willingness to use sustainable aviation fuel, with a 76 percent increase in positive responses since 2019.

A little more than a week after unsuccessfully attempting to block the entrance to the annual Burning Man Festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, with signs calling for “banning private jets,” the same environmentalist group attempted to shut down New York City’s West 30th Street Heliport (KJRA) yesterday afternoon.

Holding banners that decried helicopters as “luxury emissions,” members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) tried to block ground vehicles from entering or leaving the heliport for approximately 90 minutes beginning at 3:20 p.m. local time. Some protestors used lock-ons in an attempt to block passenger access. Six people were arrested and New York City police eventually dispersed the protestors.

A spokesman for Blade Urban Air Mobility, a major KJRA tenant, told AIN that the protest did not disrupt normal operations and that company personnel were on hand to safely escort passengers to and from aircraft and the facility. XR claimed it succeeded in disrupting flights “the same way severe storms would.”

XR said the action is a precursor to a larger protest tomorrow in New York City. Charles Komanoff, who XR described as a “bicycle activist and transportation analyst,” said the heliport was targeted because “Helicopters are a pestilence to New Yorkers and a rotten pinnacle of an economic system that places pleasure over planetary survival. We must stop them.”

Aircraft operators are being advised to avoid the airspace over Armenia and Azerbaijan as concerns rise over the possibiity of war breaking out again between the countries, which border Europe and Asia. Over the past week, the former Soviet Union states have accused each other of escalating troop buildups along their shared border despite efforts to agree about aid shipments to be sent to Armenians living in Azerbaijan.

Aviation security consultant Dyami Strategic Security Services has warned its clients to avoid the area, with founder and CEO Eric Schouten expressing concern that operators may not yet be taking the overflight risk seriously enough. “This is a truly dangerous emerging hotspot,” he told AIN.

The airspace over Armenia and Azerbaijan offers a small corridor between two powerful and unstable states, namely Russia and Iran. Nearby Turkey also has been identified as a player in the Caucasus regional conflict in the context of Azerbaijan’s apparent intention to seize territory in Christian-majority Armenia to create a land connection to its Muslim ally.

The mounting tensions have prompted concerns that aircraft operators may be reluctant to fly even longer, fuel-burning detours to avoid the area altogether on intercontinental flights. Flights are already advised to steer clear of the nearby warzone along the border between Ukraine and Russia.

As the deadline looms for the FAA’s current authorization to expire at the end of this month, 28 aviation organizations are urging Senate leaders to act on a long-term reauthorization bill. Those organizations also urged the chamber to work quickly on confirming the White House’s choice for FAA Administrator, Michael Whitaker.

The September 13 letter the organizations sent jointly signifies the broad support Whitaker has already captured in the days since the White House announcement of its nomination intentions. “This is a critical and transformative time for the aviation industry. To keep pace, the FAA needs permanent leadership and clear direction,” the organizations wrote.

At the same time, the organizations asked the Senate to move forward with an FAA reauthorization bill that stalled in June over slots and pilot qualification issues. The House approved its version of a long-term FAA bill in July.

Meanwhile, Washington is watching closely as the current fiscal year is ending at the end of the month as well, but Congress has not yet ironed out FY2024 funding. While some parts of the FAA would be protected should the impasse lead to a government shutdown—including air traffic control and the FAA registry—acting FAA Administrator Polly Trottenberg told reporters that “if we shut down for a couple of weeks, it takes a lot more than a couple of weeks to recover.”

The U.S. aerospace and defense industry has fully rebounded from the pandemic, according to the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). 

Releasing its “Facts & Figures” in concert with S&P Global Market Intelligence yesterday, AIA noted workforce topped 2019 levels last year to reach 2.2 million. This is the highest since AIA has tracked the data, marking a recovery from 2020 and 2021. According to AIA, aerospace and defense jobs are in every state, representing about 1.47 percent of the nation’s total employment.

The supply chain accounts for 58 percent of employment of the industry. Commercial aerospace represents 57 percent of jobs with the remainder falling into defense and national security. Average salary comes in at $108,900, or 55 percent more than the national average.

Meanwhile, the aerospace and defense industry generated more than $952 billion in total sales last year, up 6.7 percent from 2021. Of this, $537 billion in sales involved the end user and the remaining came from within the supply chain. Economic value is up 7 percent, representing 1.65 percent of the total nominal GDP for the U.S.

“This year’s ‘Facts and Figures’ illustrates the American aerospace and defense industry’s vital role in driving our economy and ensuring our national security and is evidence that the industry has returned to pre-pandemic levels of employment and economic contributions,” said AIA president and CEO Eric Fanning.

Wheels Up today appointed George Mattson as CEO. He is a board member of Delta Air Lines, the current lead investor and chairman of seaplane operator Tropic Oceans Airways, and a former partner at the investment banking firm of Goldman Sachs, where he was responsible for oversight of transportation and airline practices.

Mattson is expected to join the company in October and will be based in Atlanta, the location of Wheels Up’s new operations center. Acting CEO and CFO Todd Smith will remain with the company. Smith was appointed acting CEO in May after founder and CEO Kenny Dichter stepped down. Dichter remains on the company’s board.

Mattson’s appointment drew praise from Dichter. "I am very enthusiastic about the future of Wheels Up," he said. "George is an exceptional choice to lead the company through this important time.  He will serve customers, employees, and stakeholders consistent with the elevated experiences that have always defined Wheels Up. The entire Wheels Up community has my unwavering support on the journey ahead."

Owners of smaller aircraft such as the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop single now have the option to install SmartSky’s Lite air-to-ground connectivity system. The Lite package includes the base radio, which weighs 12.1 pounds, and a single full-duplex quad antenna, at 6.5 pounds.

Capable of streaming video and full Internet access, SmartSky Lite is designed for smaller aircraft that can’t accommodate the two-antenna SmartSky Flagship system. Both run on the same network, which covers the continental U.S.

SmartSky Lite’s list price is $59,999, and monthly service plans include unlimited data for $3,495 or $995 for 10 hours plus $99 for each additional hour. 

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Davinci Jets has installed the Lite system in its PC-12, and the supplemental type certificate for the turboprop and other aircraft should be issued shortly. “Its ability to connect many devices at the same time with no system degradation is truly impressive,” said pilot Barry Blackwood, who flies the PC-12 managed by Davinci. “Having the SmartSky system on board is immensely valuable in aiding aviators with communications and access to real-time flight information.”

“Because word is getting out about SmartSky’s superior inflight performance, we are booking more installations and are excited to be bringing this long-awaited level of connectivity and affordability to our management and MRO customers,” said Davinci CEO Eric Legvold.