Business Aviation

Austro Engine GmbH, a division of Diamond Aircraft Group, has reached 1 million flight hours for its AE300 jet fuel aviation engine.

On Jan. 10, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving Flytenow, an online flight-sharing service that wanted the high court to overturn lower court decisions that supported FAA's prohibition of the activity.

Astronics Max-Viz, a division of Astronics Corp., was awarded certification for its Max-Viz 1200 Enhanced Vision System for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

AirFlyte has changed its name to Rectrix MRO. The rebranding stems from the 2013 acquisition of AirFlyte by Rectrix and reflects the company's corporate MRO services and presents a united brand.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has delivered its first CRJ200 Special Freighter to Gulf & Caribbean Cargo, its launch customer. The jets are converted from the passenger version by Aeronautical Engineers of Miami.

FlightServ, an independent fixed-base operation, opened Jan. 1 at the Trenton-Mercer Airport in New Jersey. The FBO was founded by a team from its sister company, Aviation Charters.

The FAA has issued new rules that make it easier and cheaper for certain recreational general aviation pilots to gain required medical certifications to fly.

The FAA is proposing a dozen new high-altitude jet routes along the U.S. East Coast as part of a modernization strategy to replace legacy ground-referenced routes with GPS-supported, performance-based navigation routes.

Air Methods Corp. has acquired three Airbus H145 helicopters for hospital-based air medical transport, to replace older aircraft now in service.

JetSuiteX has begun selling seats for charter service to and from Santa Monica, California. Flights begin Feb. 6 to Las Vegas, San Jose and San Diego County airports.

In December, FAA issued its final rule on the new Part 23 which is intended to reduce the time and cost to certificate aircraft under 19,000 lb.

Piper Aircraft has taken a firm order for 50 Piper Archer single-engine aircraft from China Air Shuttle. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2017.

Italian helicopter maker Leonardo-Finmeccanica is finding eager buyers among the Chinese. The company reports that it has sold more than 180 helicopters of various types to operators there.

Cirrus Aircraft has launched the G6, the latest upgrade of its SR series of single-engine piston aircraft. The new models feature Garmin's Cirrus Perspective+ flight deck.

Indicative of the community's growing importance to China, business aircraft operators have joined to form the Beijing Business Aviation Association.

Executive AirShare, the Lenexa, Kansas-based fractional aircraft provider, has moved into hangar and office space at Col. James Jabara Airport in northeast Wichita from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in west Wichita.

328 Support Services GmbH and Duncan Aviation have partnered to deliver and certify a full cabin completion on a Bombardier Challenger 604.

LifePort, a Sikorsky company, has received FAA airworthiness certification for its Patient Loading Utility System for Pilatus PC-12/47 and PC-12/47E aircraft.

Gulfstream Aerospace has announced that its Gulfstream G280 aircraft recently set a speed record between Carlsbad, California, and Kalaoa, Hawaii, completing the overwater flight in just 4 hours and 47 minutes.

Britain and France are to begin work on the development of a joint Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator in late 2017.

Alfa Air is set to enter the West African business aviation market through its recently established Alfa Air of Africa unit in the Ivory Coast, reports ch-aviation.

The cost of security around President-elect Donald Trump’s Manhattan residence in Trump Tower is reported to be in the $1 million a day range, and costs to business aviation will present an additional challenge.

Mitsubishi Aircraft will delay first delivery of its MRJ regional jet for a fifth time, until mid-2020, the Nikkei newspaper says.

Spirit AeroSystems is looking to outsource some of its supply chain work here in a move to save $5 million to $7 million.

Daher’s Airplane Business Unit delivered 54 TBM aircraft in 2016, compared to 55 in 2015, the company said.