FAA is calling “implausible, if not simply preposterous,” the city of Santa Monica, Calif.’s arguments on why its lawsuit over control of Santa Monica Airport (SMO) should continue. The city on Oct. 31 filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California seeking to control the fate of SMO, saying it has “unencumbered title to the airport property and its availability ... to use the airport property as it chooses.” If successful, the city would have the option to close the airport after July 2015.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is urging FAA to rethink its approach to aircraft weight and balance requirements, saying the new approach is better suited for scheduled carriers.

The Transportation Department watchdog is criticizing FAA’s policy on aircraft registration, saying the agency still does not have the information it needs on non-U.S. citizen trusts (NCTs). FAA in June released a policy clarification that culminated a multiyear effort to tighten the use of NCTs to improve the accuracy, transparency and timeliness of aircraft registration information.

FAA’s limited resources and cumbersome approval processes are costing small businesses thousands and hamstringing growth of the general aviation industry, general aviation business leaders tell lawmakers.

Epic Aircraft has begun production of its first conforming Epic E1000 six-place single turboprop aircraft and hopes to begin certification flight trials this summer, keeping it on pace for certification by mid-2015.

FAA, which has faced substantial criticism over its lengthy certification processes, released guidance to simplify approvals for a key safety instrument for general aviation aircraft. The new streamlined procedures for angle of attack (AOA) indicators are part of a multi-faceted effort by FAA and the general aviation community to improve general aviation safety. The units, which are not required equipment on general aviation aircraft, measure the angle between the wing and oncoming air, providing a warning of low airspeed and potential for stall.

Lawmakers are heading toward the next significant budget debate as the Feb. 7 deadline for addressing the debt ceiling passed, forcing the Treasury Department to implement “extraordinary measures” to avoid a federal default. But, unlike most of the budget battles that have occurred over the past two years, it appears that discussions about raising taxes on business aircraft have been set aside, at least for now.

In a move that comes as Airbus puts a sharper focus on gaining market share in its Airbus Corporate Jets unit, the manufacturer has appointed Benoit Defforge as the unit’s new managing director. Defforge, who has headed the Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC), succeeds Habib Fekih, who helped establish the corporate jets unit and has led it as president since 2011. Airbus credited Fekih with consolidating ACJ activities in recent years. He is moving on to new responsibilities within Airbus, the company says.