Business & Commercial Aviation

While this may be the age of same-day shipping, computer-controlled inventories, global distribution networks and numerous third-party parts suppliers, chances are good that your airplane will break at the worst possible time and the part that you need will be in a building buried in a blizzard half a continent away. Meanwhile, the boss is packing for an imminent trip to close a do-or-die deal. You may be willing to bet your career on the part showing up in time to launch on that mission, but be sure your resume is up to date, just in case.

China will likely overtake Japan this year as the largest civil helicopter market in the Asia-Pacific region, even as its rapid growth of the recent past abates to more realistic levels.

Business aviation departures in Europe rose 2.3% in February when compared to the same time a year ago, due to a boost from the leap year, according to WINGX’s Business Aviation Monitor.

Dassault Aviation’s new Falcon 5X business jet will not enter service until the first half of 2020 due to difficulties in developing the Silvercrest engine at Safran’s Snecma motors division.

Keystone Aviation in Salt Lake City, Utah, has expanded its North American sales territory for the Daher TBM turboprop aircraft. It has added four Canadian provinces and one additional U.S. state, Alaska, to its area of responsibility.

Solar Impulse 2 has completed its first test flight following a battery system upgrade and ahead of restarting its solar-powered round-the-world flight attempt in April from Hawaii.

Jet Aviation will acquire Avjet Corp., a Los Angeles-based jet charter and management company, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will expand Jet Aviation’s aircraft management and charter services on the West Coast.

Duncan Aviation has been selected as the exclusive aircraft-on-ground (AOG) service partner for inflight connectivity specialist Gogo Business Aviation.

Wichita-based True Blue Power, announced that its lithium-ion engine-start battery will power Bell Helicopter’s 505 Jet Ranger X.

Key business jet market indicators, measured by a monthly UBS Business Jet Market Index survey, point to a weakening global market and have fallen back to levels tracked in 2008-09.

VistaJet experienced double-digit growth in passenger and flight traffic in 2015, the European private jet charter and aircraft management company said.

GE Aviation has created a digital organization that brings digital operations from across its aviation businesses into one.

Bombardier’s Challenger 650 business jet has been granted full type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency.

BendixKing has enhanced its inflight Internet connectivity for general aviation aircraft, according to BendixKing.

Petroleum Air Services has been appointed the first Bell Helicopter Authorized Customer Service Facility in North Africa, the helicopter manufacturer said. Petroleum Air Services provides fixed wing and helicopter transportation to the oil and gas and travel industries in Egypt.

Disabled Aircraft Services, based in Buffalo, Minnesota, has introduced upgrades to its line of PlaneSkate products designed to move aircraft with a flat tire from a runway, taxiway or ramp.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Campus and Universal Helicopters have extended a 2010 agreement to exclusively provide helicopter training to Embry-Riddle students.

Aviation Week & Space Technology’s 59th annual Laureate Award for business aviation went to the CEOs of Textron Aviation and Textron Corp.

Banyan Air Service signs an agreement with Aircraft Technical Publishers to transition Banyan’s technical information library from CD-based services to the ATP Aviation Hub.

When a hacker last year claimed to have tapped into an airliner’s entertainment system and then wormed his way into the flight control system, the major avionics companies were quick to internally debunk the claim, but they were less outspoken in public. That’s because the bourgeoning number of federated boxes that are increasingly common in connected cockpits are outside their direct control.

Bombardier Business Aircraft delivered its 75th Model 75 Learjet in late February, two years after the first Learjet 75 entered service.

Bell Helicopter delivered 175 aircraft in 2015, including 99 Model 407s, 52 Model 429s and a dozen each of 412 twins and Long Rangers.

SKYTRAC has joined with Flight Data Services for enhanced Flight Data Management Services.

The FAA last month issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Part 23 that would overhaul airworthiness standards for small general aviation aircraft.

Piper Aircraft recently received an order from ATP Flight School for 15 additional Archer TX training aircraft.