The Weekly of Business Aviation

By Bill Carey
The FAA issued a second emergency airworthiness directive this week that requires operators of additional models of Bell helicopters to inspect their main-rotor hubs for potentially faulty hub strap pins.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Graham Warwick
In 2018, Astro Aerospace became one of the first companies to fly a full-scale electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicle. That same year, Astro became the first startup targeting the urban-air-mobility market to go public. But then the company went quiet.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Michael Bruno
Angeles Equity Partners is adding its own director to Primus' board as part of the deal as the Tier 2 supplier looks to scale up.
Supply Chain

By Graham Warwick
Using its experience in providing on-demand helicopter service in New York and other cities, Blade Urban Air Mobility is working with electric air-taxi developers to tailor their aircraft to its operations.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Bill Carey
Emergency airworthiness directives (AD) have been issued requiring main-rotor hub inspections of certain Bell helicopters following the fatal crash of a Bell 212 last month in Canada.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Two subscale models of a fan-in-wing vertical-takeoff business jet are to fly in 2022 under the UK government-supported Project NOMAD.
Emerging Technologies

By Molly McMillin
Textron Aviation appears to have delivered its final Citation Sovereign+ Model 680 aircraft, more than three months after the company confirmed it had ended production of the midsize business jet.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Molly McMillin
Three long-time business aviation professionals recently joined forces to launch Vulcan Aviation.
Maintenance & Training

By Molly McMillin
In a partnership with Textron Aviation, WSU Tech has launched a two-year professional pilot program aimed at preparing students for careers—the first collegiate aircraft pilot program in what is known as the Air Capital of the World, officials noted.
Maintenance & Training

By Molly McMillin
Bombardier has launched its Certified Pre-Owned Aircraft program to offer customers a “like-new” experience, it said, with each aircraft selected, inspected and upgraded as needed and offered with a one-year warranty.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Molly McMillin
Fractional ownership provider NetJets has suspended sales of light jets, including the Cessna Citation XLS and Embraer Phenom 300, and has started a waiting list for U.S. customers.
Airports, FBOs & Suppliers

By Graham Warwick
With certification targeted for the end of 2022, Germany’s Volocopter has taken a major step toward moving its electric air taxi from development into production.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
Deutsche Aircraft has partnered with German hydrogen propulsion specialist H2Fly to demonstrate a zero-emission, fuel-cell-powered version of the Dornier 328 regional turboprop.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
The airshow's organizers say attendance by overseas visitors, which may be difficult depending on COVID-related border restrictions, is not critical to the success of this year's event.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
The distinctive, 100-kg (220-lb.) UAS100 has been designed to carry up to 10 kg with a radius of action of 100 km (62 mi.) and perform surveillance of critical infrastructure.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
Existing aeronautical standards are not adequate for certifying artificial intelligence (AI) with safety-critical systems, and new means of compliance will have to be developed, concludes a report jointly issued by standards developers SAE International and Eurocae.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
As it prepares to list on the New York Stock Exchange, on-demand private aviation provider Wheels Up has detailed its vision for expanding into the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing market.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Thierry Dubois
Dassault Aviation has created a joint research laboratory in partnership with two French academic institutions dubbed Moliere, an acronym of the French for “innovative functional materials for aviation.”
Emerging Technologies

By Adrian Schofield
Sydney Airport's board will analyze whether the offer is “reflective of the underlying value of the airport given its long-term remaining concession and the expected short-term impact of the pandemic.”
Airports & Networks

By Steve Trimble
The Paraguayan Air Force plans to start operating the new aircraft for humanitarian missions in the second half of this year.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Australian startup Swoop Aero has completed a study in Mozambique that demonstrated the feasibility of using drones for the cold-chain transport of infectious tuberculosis and COVID-19 laboratory samples.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
On-demand drone delivery provider Zipline has secured an additional $250 million in funding.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
For unmanned cargo aircraft to operate effectively within a future express logistics system, what happens on the ground is as important as what happens in the air.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Molly McMillin
Gulfstream Aerospace has ended G550 production and delivered its final ultra-long-range twinjet on June 30 for commercial use, with the aircraft going to an international customer, the company says.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Bill Carey
A third Falcon 6X prototype has joined the aircraft’s flight-test campaign, manufacturer Dassault Aviation announced July 1.
Aircraft & Propulsion