Metro Business Aviation, the largest FBO chain in the United Kingdom, is erecting a new hangar at London's Luton Airport. The 23,000-square-foot building, which is to be operational in November, is designed to accommodate aircraft as large as the Boeing Business Jet or Airbus A319CJ.

Under pressure from lobby groups, the European Joint Aviation Authorities' (JAA) technical operations committee has rewritten a notice of proposed amendment on extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) for business aircraft. The proposed amendment allows commercially operated business jets under 45 tonnes (100,000 pounds) MTOW to fly up to 120 minutes from the nearest diversion airport. This is extended to 180 minutes once special aircraft systems and crew procedure requirements have been met.

At a time when many companies are trimming back to focus on ``core competencies'' U.K.-based FR Aviation (FRA) is bucking that trend by providing all of its own engineering support.