In the next month, the FAA is expected to release the much-anticipated Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for "Integration of Powered Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations," according to Christopher Coes, acting undersecretary of transportation for policy for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Speaking this morning during Honeywell’s third-annual Advanced Air Mobility Summit in Washington, D.C., Coes added, “I think you'll see it is quite responsive to the comments.”

Stressing a drive to ensure the government paves the way for operations as the initial advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles ready to enter service, he added that the SFAR will be “well ahead of certifications that FAA is working very hard with our manufacturers in the fleet [for] 2025.” The proposed rules are intended to form a foundation for the introduction of eVTOL aircraft in the U.S. in 2025 but have drawn substantial concerns surrounding what was viewed as a misalignment with international standards and requirements for airman qualification.

Industry is hopeful that the final SFAR will provide a “practical pathway” to enable AAM to fit seamlessly into the national airspace system and add to transportation opportunities with multiple applications, Kristie Greco Johnson, NBAA's senior v-p of government affairs, told attendees at the Honeywell forum.

Greco Johnson added that if the FAA delivers the SFAR in a few weeks, “it'll be a major accomplishment for the agency.”

W Aviation, an FBO at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE), has opened its new terminal. The company—one of four service providers on the field—acquired a vacant 20,000-sq-ft building in 2020 and began a $4.5 million total reconstruction project.

The two-story terminal features several private lounges, a refreshment bar, conference room that can accommodate up to 25 people, pilot lounge, fitness center, entertainment arcade, duty-free shop, and three overnight suites—each with its own bathroom.

It represents a vast upgrade over the company’s previous 1,250-sq-ft terminal, which is now being leased to a charter operator.

W has had a presence at KFXE since 2015, and in 2020 it added a pair of 20,000-sq-ft hangars to its complex. It is currently in negotiations with the city to build two new 18,000-sq-ft hangars that will increase its aircraft storage capacity to 100,000 sq ft, along with increasing its ramp space by two acres. Over the past decade, the company—which also operates FBOs in Venezuela and Aruba—has invested more than $24 million in its KFXE facility.

“Our vision is to exceed expectations and provide an amazing experience for every guest,” said Hugo Cortes, the location’s general manager. “With this new terminal, we are setting a new standard for elegance, convenience, and customer care in South Florida’s aviation industry.”

Oxfam, the not-for-profit campaigning on poverty and sustainability issues, has called on the UK government to introduce new luxury taxes on owners and users of private jets and super yachts. In a report published yesterday, the group said that up to £2 billion ($2.6 billion) could be used to fund work in “communities suffering the worst impacts of climate change.” The pressure for new wealth taxes comes as the UK’s new Labour government prepares to introduce its first budget in October. 

According to Oxfam, up to £830 million could have been raised last year if the previous government had introduced a proposed higher rate of air passenger duty on private jet flights and an ownership tax on super yachts. Its research pointed to an additional £1.2 billion in revenues that could be raised by taxing fuel for business aircraft, imposing a 20% value-added tax on private aviation, and charging additional fees for private jet landing and departure slots.

The British Business & General Aviation Association refuted the basis for Oxfam's tax proposals, saying it is "factually incorrect" but welcomed an open dialogue with Oxfam. "Private aircraft, their users, and the industry that serves private aviation are all subject to tax in the UK in the normal way," it said.

According to EBAA, new taxes on business aviation also would be ineffective in reducing the industry's carbon emissions.

Kansas-based MRO and FBO operator Yingling Aviation has acquired fellow maintenance provider Bevan Aviation, a 70-year-old company specializing in avionics repair and installation.

A neighbor of Yingling’s at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT), Bevan Aviation's capabilities include aircraft avionics inspection and maintenance, with its experience covering not only the latest avionics equipment but also legacy communication systems, autopilots, navigation and GPS units, and transponders.

“We are excited to welcome the Bevan team to Yingling and look forward to leveraging their decades of avionics expertise to continue to add value for our growing customer base,” said Yingling CEO Bob Rasberry, adding it will “deliver additional capacity and technical capabilities enabling us to continue meeting the rising demand for maintenance and refurbishment of aircraft.”

“The addition of Bevan underscores our commitment to building a best-in-class platform in aircraft repair and maintenance that is strategically located and positioned to deliver a service standard of excellence to the business aviation market,” added Jon Nemo, managing partner of Yingling parent and private investment firm AE Industrial Partners. “This acquisition adds depth to Yingling’s avionics service capabilities, strengthens capacity in Wichita, and positions the company for continued growth.”

Engine Assurance Company (EAP) knows that an engine maintenance program is proactive protection for your aircraft and your schedule. But with aircraft utilization at close to record levels, there’s increased competition for the already limited resources needed to keep engines in peak condition. That's why EAP has amassed a large pool of rental engines, maintains a multi-million-dollar inventory of spare parts and has assembled a highly-skilled technical team including AOG support.

Cleveland, Ohio, is continuing its investigation into the possible closing of Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL) with the release this week of the results of studies commissioned by the office of Mayor Justin Bibb.

The first, an Airport Layout Narrative Report, focused on the FAA requirements as well as the legal, operational, and financial implications of closing the airport. Due to its current FAA grant assurances—which will not expire until 2036—the airport is committed to remaining open for more than another decade, if the city does not accept any further improvement grants.

In 2022, the most recent year of available data, there were 40,000 operations at KBKL, less than half of what the airport saw during its peak years in the 1990s and 2000s. The studies determined KBKL’s annual direct economic impact is $76.6 million, most of which it said would stay in the region if the dedicated general aviation airport would close, with Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Cuyahoga County Airport able to absorb its traffic.

Possible redevelopment of the site, which occupies 245 acres of prime lakefront real estate, was also considered by the studies. “The findings have reinforced my long-held belief that closing Burke is both possible and economically advantageous for Cleveland,” said Bibb, who added that the decision to close KBKL has not yet been made.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to conduct a cybersecurity audit of the FAA’s “high-impact systems,” the agency announced yesterday. It will begin the audit later this month.

This audit comes after an August 2021 order to reorganize the FAA’s systems as low, moderate, and high-impact. The DOT characterized high-impact systems as those that, “in the event of system failure, would have adverse impact to FAA’s mission and on the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS).”

“Implementing high-security controls, such as penetration testing or supply-chain protection, is vital to securing the NAS and mitigating cybersecurity risks. If FAA does not perform comprehensive testing of its systems’ security and defenses or check for flaws in the supply-chain software of its high-impact systems, the FAA could be at increased risk for successful cyberattacks,” according to the DOT.

Using fleetwide health and usage monitoring system data, Sikorsky has obtained FAA approval for a one-time life extension for specific S-92 main gearbox housings. The approval will help ease supply-chain constraints by allowing longer life for some gearboxes.

Fleet data was collected from more than 300 S-92s logging more than 2.3 million flight hours, allowing Sikorsky to develop a methodology “to more accurately determine the life limit for parts,” according to the company.

“The maximum earned life credit is 1,200 hours/3,600 ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles, representing an additional 12 to 18 months for an average S-92 offshore oil operator, and more than 24 months for others,” explained Leon Silva, v-p of Sikorsky's Global Commercial and Military Systems division. “Since it is offered as a one-time, end-of-life credit based upon individual usage, the final total hours of the serialized housings will differ, with the maximum possible being 5,500 hours.” The current life limit is 4,300 hours.

Sikorsky’s LifePlus methodology has been used before, with the first component life extension granted in 2023 for the S-92’s main rotor hub. In this case, the component’s life was revised to 15,000 hours from 9,000 hours or 45,000 GAG cycles. LifePlus “determines remaining component life of S-92 helicopter parts based on actual aircraft usage,” according to Sikorsky.

Connecticut-based First Aviation Services—an aircraft parts manufacturing, component maintenance, and engineering service company—has acquired Saint Technologies of Shannon, Illinois. Terms of the deal were not announced.

Saint Technologies, founded in 1999, manufactures specialized lock washers used for securing critical hardware assemblies in high-vibration and shock environments under the brand name RealLock.

“We are very pleased to announce Saint Technologies is joining First Aviation’s engineering-driven group of companies. RealLock has tremendous growth potential in the aerospace and defense industry as engineers seek products that save weight, reduce costs, and improve reliability. We welcome the Saint Technologies team into the First Aviation family,” said Paul Bolton, president and COO of First Aviation Services.

RealLock was invented as a “time-saving alternative to safety wire.” It includes a spring material that provides two independent lobes to allow the engaging nut to rotate over the lobes. As the nut is torqued, one lobe springs back to its original position, preventing the nut from reverse rotation, while the second lobe provides a force bias on the nut.

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