The FAA credited engineered materials arresting systems (EMAS) with safely stopping two business jets in separate runway overruns on September 3. Administrator Bryan Bedford called the technology “lifesaving” after EMAS beds halted a Gulfstream G150 at Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK) and a Bombardier Challenger 300 at Boca Raton Airport (KBCT).

EMAS technology consists of a bed of lightweight, crushable material placed at the end of a runway to stop aircraft that overshoot, undershoot, or veer off the runway surface. According to the FAA, the system reduces the risk of potentially catastrophic accidents by slowing aircraft rapidly without requiring pilot action.

At KPWK, the Gulfstream overran the north end of the runway after landing. NBC Chicago reported the jet “crashed through a fence on the north end of the airport Wednesday, coming just inches from a roadway near the scene.” The two people on board were uninjured.

The same day in Florida, a Challenger 300 arriving from Las Vegas overran the runway at KBCT. NBC South Florida reported on the overrun and posted video that “shows the moments that an airplane that overran the runway… was safely stopped by the EMAS system.” Four people were on board, and no injuries were reported.

There are 122 EMAS systems installed at 70 U.S. airports, and the FAA reports that the technology has stopped 24 aircraft to date.

A federal appeals court has reversed a previous federal judge's ruling, which forced business jet charter operators that sell seats to the public to use the airport terminal and TSA checkpoints, rather than the "private facilities" (FBOs) at Westchester County Airport (KHPN) in White Plains, New York.

In 2021, the airport said that charter operators must use the terminal. JSX Air and XO Global filed a complaint in U.S. district court against Westchester County in March 2022, saying they should be able to continue to use FBOs as they have been for years, even though their aircraft hold more than nine passengers, the County’s claimed long-standing cutoff rules for carriers that sell tickets to the public. The County said those rules, published in 2004, applied to public charters, and the court's opinion, handed down July 1, 2024, sided with the County.

However, the appeals court ruled on August 26 that the County “has not offered a single policy, procedure, or other written document indicating that public charters were required to use the terminal.” The 2004 law “exclusively imposed restrictions on entities that used the terminal and its ramps, and nothing in the law expressly restricted the use of non-terminal spaces (such as FBOs). To the extent another document governs plaintiffs’ use of FBOs or other non-terminal spaces, the County has not provided it.”

Bombardier contributed $7.4 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024, supported nearly 48,500 jobs nationwide, and generated more than $1.2 billion in federal and provincial tax revenues, according to a new PwC Canada study commissioned by the company. Bombardier is the largest player in Canada’s aerospace manufacturing sector, responsible for about 25% of national aerospace output.

Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel said the company’s work drives growth and reinforces Canada’s sovereignty through innovation and defense-related expertise. “Bombardier continues to be a key driver of the Canadian economy through its nearly 12,200 employees and more than 1,550 suppliers across the country,” he said.

In 2024, Bombardier delivered 146 business aircraft and posted $11.5 billion in revenues. Its Canadian supply chain involved more than 1,550 suppliers and $9.1 billion in expenditures. Aircraft exports made up about 5% of Quebec’s total export value, accounting for 1% of Canada’s exports overall, according to the PwC study.

Bombardier’s manufacturing presence in Ontario is also growing, anchored by its new Toronto-area assembly facility at Pearson International Airport, which employs about 2,200 people focused on the Global business jet family.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to add fentanyl/norfentanyl to the list of drugs screened for in the mandatory workplace drug and alcohol testing program. Published in the Federal Register, the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) said the additions of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, and norfentanyl, a metabolite of fentanyl, would harmonize the list with that of the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandatory guidelines for federal workplace drug testing programs.

In the NPRM, the DOT added that the move is in the interest of transportation safety, “given compelling information regarding the number of overdose deaths in the United States involving fentanyl.”

While drug findings involving covered aviation workers are not common—in 2023, the FAA reported 0.881% positive results from random tests—it is typically more commonly discovered in Part 91 pilots, and an NTSB study reported increasing incidents of performance-impairing drugs found in accident pilots.

More recently, in a June 29 fatal crash of a Cessna 441 outside Warren, Ohio, a pilot who was listed as a passenger but situated in the right seat tested positive for fentanyl, according to multiple reports. All six aboard the aircraft died. The investigation is still ongoing.

Comments on the proposal are due October 17.

With improved manufacturing and lessons from a new variant, Pratt & Whitney plans to double time on-wing.

AEG Fuels has welcomed three FBOs—Sky Acres, Best Aviation, and Business Aviation—as members to its AEG Connect-branded fuel dealer network, bringing it to 40 locations.

In New York’s Hudson River Valley, privately-owned Sky Acres Airport (44N) celebrated its 60th anniversary last year and offers a terminal housed in a converted dairy barn with a café. While the airport’s 3,828-foot runway can take small jets, the FBO provides only avgas.

Across the country, Best Aviation, the lone FBO at Bakersfield Municipal Airport (L45), offers full-service jet-A and 100LL, as well as a self-serve avgas pump. Its terminal features passenger and pilot lounges, concierge, refreshments, shower facilities, and crew car. The California facility includes an 18,000-sq-ft hangar, which can accommodate midsize business jets.

Lastly, Business Aviation at Providenciales International Airport (MBPV)—the main aviation gateway in Turks and Caicos—delivers a full suite of FBO amenities including a pilot lounge, flight-planning area, business center, refreshment bar, customs and immigration assistance, and onsite car rental. Dish washing, laundry, aircraft maintenance coordination, and cleaning services are also available.

“Each of these FBOs exemplifies the values of the AEG Connect Network: safety, quality, and customer-first service,” said Kurt Brulisauer, AEG’s senior v-p of general aviation. “From the Caribbean, to the Northeast, to the West Coast, these new partnerships expand our ability to support operators with premium service at every stop.”

TRU Simulation’s Veris virtual reality (VR) full-motion flight simulator has received FAA level-7 flight training device qualification. The Bell Training Academy (BTA) in Hurst, Texas, is the launch customer for the Veris simulator, which replicates the Bell 505 helicopter.

With a six-degrees-of-freedom motion base, the Veris simulator hosts the flight data and RealFeel digital electronic control loading system that TRU uses in its level-D simulators. The motion system enables the Veris simulator to “produce accurate flight cues and vibrations,” according to TRU.

Unlike some VR simulators, the Veris is equipped with Garmin G1000H avionics panels and other cockpit equipment so pilots can push buttons and actuate switches and knobs like the real helicopter. Because the cockpit uses real equipment, pilots can also train in the Veris without the headset, for example, to learn the avionics before flying in the simulator.

Another advantage of the Veris is that the Varjo VR headset replaces the bulky visual system required for full-flight simulators, while retaining TRU’s image generator powered by Unreal Engine. The Veris thus takes up much less space and can easily be moved using a forklift. The motion base and entire simulator are also much smaller and lighter, eliminating the need to build the complex concrete foundation that is required for full-flight simulators.

An individual who accessed the secure airside area at Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (KOTH) in North Bend was arrested after entering multiple aircraft inside a hangar. The incident took place on September 3, and 11 aircraft were affected.

Officers from North Bend Police and airport operations staff conducted a search of the airport and found North Bend resident Melvin Myhill inside one of the aircraft. Police arrested Myhill and charged him with 11 counts of criminal mischief in the first degree; two counts of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle; two counts of burglary in the second degree; one count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; and one count of criminal trespass in the second degree.

According to the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport administration, “Following his arrest, Myhill was released from custody and transported to Bay Area Hospital for evaluation.” The administration has notified owners of the aircraft, who were “advised to conduct thorough checks and inspections before moving their aircraft.”

An investigation is ongoing and includes the North Bend Police Department, FAA, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Coos Aviation FBO. According to an airport spokeswoman, "The Southwest Oregon Regional Airport's security plan is on file with the TSA. It is reviewed and approved every year as part of our certification process. In the meantime, an internal review is also underway. Maintaining safety and security at the airport is of the highest priority."

Country music star and pilot Dierks Bentley has pledged his support for Textron Aviation’s 2026 Special Olympics Airlift, a nationwide volunteer mission that will transport athletes and coaches to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota. The star invited pilots and owners to participate in a video call to action.

The airlift, first organized in 1987, mobilizes hundreds of Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker aircraft owners and operators who donate their aircraft, crews, fuel, and time. Participating flights receive priority handling and the “Dove” call sign while transporting athletes to the games. The program has served more than 10,000 athletes and coaches in its more than three decades.

“Getting to be part of the 2026 Special Olympics Airlift is something I’m genuinely excited about,” Bentley said. “As a pilot, it’s an incredible way to use aviation for good—and as a person, it’s a chance to connect with some truly inspiring athletes. It’s going to be unforgettable.”

Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper welcomed Bentley’s involvement, noting, “His passion for flying and for giving back reflects the very spirit of this mission and we’re honored to have him on board.”

The 2026 event is scheduled for June 19 and June 27. Organizers expect Doves to depart or land at St. Paul Downtown Airport Holman Field (KSTP) every three minutes during a 10-hour window.