Business & Commercial Aviation

Weston Aviation, a UK- and Ireland-based business aviation and FBO specialist, has achieved continuous growth since its opening in 2011 at Humberside International Airport.

Gulfstream Aerospace reported delivering 26 business jets during the first quarter, down from 30 a year earlier. The total comprised 19 large-cabin and seven mid-cabin aircraft, compared to 23 large-cabin and seven mid-cabin jets in 2017.

News of business aviation promotions, appointments and honors.

Berry Aviation in San Marcos, Texas, has begun a $2.7 million expansion of its headquarters, breaking ground on a 31,000-sq.-ft. facility at San Marcos Regional Airport.

Clay Lacy Aviation has opened a 65,000-sq.-ft. aircraft maintenance facility at Waterbury Oxford Airport in Oxford, Connecticut.

Congress recently clarified that aircraft management fees should not be subject to Federal Excise Tax, nor should flights operated by the aircraft owner. However, there are still many gray areas for business flight operations.

The Town of East Hampton, New York, cannot divert airport revenue to pay for legal fees resulting from its unsuccessful effort to restrict access at East Hampton Airport, according to an appeal to the FAA filed by the National Business Aviation Association.

Deer Jet has been awarded Overseas Repair Station recognition by the FAA, allowing it to perform maintenance on N-registered aircraft at its facilities in mainland China and Hong Kong.

Citation VII, the second-generation Citation CE650, built from 1992 to 2000, made up for dozens of shortcomings found in the original model.

Aero Star Aviation has received FAA Part 145 repair station certification for its Dallas Love Field operation. The facility provides maintenance for Embraer Phenom 100s and 300s and capabilities on Cessna Citation 500s and 600s.

Textron Aviation recently chalked up orders for 52 Cessna 172 Skyhawks from two Cessna-authorized sales and service representatives in China, with deliveries expected to be completed this year.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on May 9-10 revealed the local, state and tribal governments that her department has selected to participate in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Integration Pilot Program (IPP) to test small drone applications within their jurisdictions.

The FAA is investing $17 billion to move the National Airspace System through a massive modernization effort known as NextGen that ultimately will impact almost all aircraft movements.

The Indonesian Air Force recently took delivery of an additional six Grob Aerospace G 120TP turboprop trainers, increasing its fleet of the German-made aircraft to 30.

Gulfstream Aerospace plans to build a $55 million, 202,000-sq.-ft. service center at its Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport campus in Georgia, and employ an additional 200 people there.

Business Jet Center at Dallas Love Field is returning to the Paragon Network. It is the only award-winning FBO at Love Field and continues to place at the top of operator surveys.

FAR Part 135 operator GrandView Aviation recently announced a five-year retention package of up to $80,000 to attract and keep qualified pilots to fly its fleet of Embraer Phenom 300 business jets.

Ranked the fifth busiest business aviation airport in the UK, London Oxford Airport retains its top spot for business aviation movements. According to Eurocontrol data published in March, London Stansted leads the "most recovered" airports with 35% growth and London Oxford is second with an overall 32% growth.

Business aviation product and service previews.

OneJet, a three-year-old air transportation network that provides scheduled nonstop service between small and medium-size cities primarily east of the Mississippi River using regional operating partners, is acquiring Ultimate JetCharters.

Workhorse Group, a maker of electric pickups and vans, has joined the small, but growing, rank of companies flight-testing full-size electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, with the first flight of its hybrid-electric multirotor SureFly April 30 near its Cincinnati headquarters.

J.A. Air Center in Sugar Grove, Illinois, has joined the Air Elite Network. Based at Aurora Municipal Airport, the FBO has a 11,000-sq.-ft. terminal facility, 100,000 sq. ft. of heated hangar space and a 20,000-sq.-ft. arrival canopy.

Fractional aircraft operator Flexjet plans to move its Richardson, Texas, operations to the Braniff Center at Dallas Love Field. A private terminal and 60,000-sq.-ft. maintenance hangar are scheduled to open in mid-2019.

There were smiles all around in Stans, Switzerland, because Pilatus delivered 115 aircraft in 2017, grossed sales worth $987 million and closed out the year certifying and delivering the first PC-24 twinjet.

Fred Schrameck, the former CEO of Epic Air of Bend, Oregon, recently pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for a scheme involving his consumer aviation company, Aircraft Completion Services.