The Weekly of Business Aviation

Tupolev has released specifications and a seven-year schedule for completing design of a 30-seat, supersonic business jet, which includes flying a testbed aircraft possibly derived from the Tu-160 bomber.

Be The Match, a not-for-profit operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, has a particular shortage of volunteer pilots to fly donors or bone marrow and their couriers in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the U.S. and between Canada and the U.S.

As Textron Aviation plans to restructure and reduce its workforce, company officials have asked the Machinists union to open contract negotiations early.

Fractional ownership provider NetJets has launched the Advanced Qualification Program to customize pilot training based on human factors.

Network-based identity and position reporting by drones will not be costly for their operators, says one of the companies assisting the FAA in developing “Remote ID” service requirements.

Flying privately eliminates as many as 680 “person-to-person touch points” rather than traveling by commercial airline—potentially reducing the chances of contracting the coronavirus leading to COVID-19, according to Colibri Aircraft, a London-based private jet broker.

Startup SkyDrive has confirmed plans for a public flight demonstration this summer of Japan’s first manned electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has signed off on the certification of Airbus Helicopters’ five-bladed H145 twin-engine light helicopter.

Conferences and events for professionals in the business aviation community.

Appointments and promotions in the business aviation industry.

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Regulations recently issued by the FAA for business aircraft.

Northern Jet Management, a business jet operator, is digitizing its regulatory documents to be compliant with changing aviation regulations. Seeking

Jet Edge has partnered with Redline to launch new health and safety protocols for its fleet of more than 80 aircraft.

Lanier Flight Center, a Georgia-based Part 141 and 161 flight school, has purchased a new ALSIM AL172 simulator.

The Helicopter Association International (HAI) has launched HAI’s COVID-19 Clean Program, designed to help members protect customers and employees from infectious diseases.

Jetcraft has partnered with Jet Support Services (JSSI), a maintenance support program provider, to offer after-purchase unscheduled maintenance for business jets bought through Jetcraft.

Tamarack Aerospace Group has launched a temporary program to waive installation fees for Active Winglet installations on Cessna Citation business jets.

Brief news items of interest to business aviation professionals.

Items of interest to professionals in the business aviation industry.

Textron plans to lay off nearly 2,000 employees at its TRU Simulation + Training, Textron Aviation and Industrial divisions to cut operating expenses as it restructures in response to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said in a Securities & Exchange filing June 18.

The number of used business jets for sale grew 4% in June, when compared to a year ago, and 1% from May figures, according to a report from Jefferies analysts.

Honeywell has unveiled a thermal management system designed for vertical takeoff and electric urban air mobility vehicles that will be introduced on Eviation Aircraft’s all-electric Alice aircraft.

Aircraft developer Aerion Supersonic confirms that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced it to delay development of the AS2 supersonic business jet, pushing first flight back from 2024 to 2025, but says the overall program otherwise continues as planned.

While the first electric air taxi prototypes are already flying on available lithium-ion batteries, developers are hoping for significant advances in energy storage to squeeze more performance out of their vehicles.