WingX: August Bizjet Activity in Record Territory

Global business jet activity last month marked the busiest August in nearly two decades, according to the latest statistics from industry data provider WingX, which began compiling such utilization data in 2006. The 327,745 flights worldwide in August represented 5%, 3%, and 30% increases from the same months in 2024, 2022, and 2019, respectively.

Fractional providers NetJets and Flexjet were the busiest operators for the month, with their combined 58,000-plus flights accounting for 18% of global business jet flight activity.

In North America, activity in week 35 (August 25 to 31) saw 11% growth and trending upwards by 6% over the past four weeks compared with the same period in 2024. Growth was more moderate in Europe, with usage for the week 5% above that of a year ago. While Switzerland saw the largest improvement at 13%, neighboring Germany had a year-over-year downturn of 2%.

The rest of the world experienced a second straight week of 14% improvement, led by Africa, which saw departures increase by 26% over the same span last year.

“August 2025 was our busiest August on record, with week 35 seeing the largest weekly jump year-to-date,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe. “Labor Day activity demonstrated the strength of leisure demand for business jet travel. Despite broader economic concerns, business jet activity trends appear to have accelerated rather than slow as the summer ends.”

GE Aero Invests $300M in Beta’s Hybrid-electric Plans

GE Aerospace and Beta Technologies have begun work to jointly develop a hybrid-electric turbogenerator to power various military and civil aircraft. Under the terms of a strategic partnership announced today, GE is making a $300 million equity investment in Beta, which is developing the CX300 and Alia 250 electric aircraft.

According to the companies, the hybrid powertrain could be based on existing GE engines such as the CT7 and T700 turboshafts. They are aiming to deliver improved range, payload, and speed for aircraft that include extended-range VTOL aircraft and new models that Vermont-based Beta might develop in the future.

The partnership is expected to capitalize on the Beta engineering team’s expertise in high-performance, permanent magnet electric generators. Apart from its established engine portfolio, GE is providing extensive experience with certification processes, electrical power systems, and large-scale manufacturing.

Under the terms of the alliance with Beta, GE has the right to designate a director to join the start-up’s board. “Partnering with Beta will expand and accelerate hybrid-electric technology development, meeting our customers’ needs for differentiated capabilities that provide more range, payload, and optimized engine and aircraft performance,” said GE Aerospace chairman and CEO Lawrence Culp.

Fresh Funding Drives Osprey’s AI Use for Risk Management

Osprey Flight Solutions is set to expand the scope of its aviation risk management business, having secured more than £40 million ($54 million) in fresh funding from technology growth capital group Level Equity. Announcing the transaction yesterday, the UK-based group said it is investing to boost its capabilities in using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to provide predictive security guidance for airlines and other aircraft operators.

According to Osprey CEO Andrew Nicholson, the aviation industry’s risk management needs are quickly evolving in response to exceptional geopolitical instability. As examples of heightened concerns for aircraft operators, he pointed to threats such as Russian military action, the confiscation of assets, and the ramifications of last month’s Canadian court ruling that found Ukrainian Airlines liable for the destruction of its Flight PS752 by the Iranian military after takeoff from Tehran in January 2020.

With the new investment, Osprey said it is better placed to provide more support to clients such as insurance companies. “The world is becoming more unstable, and insurers need to understand what might transpire [from flight operations],” Nicholson told AIN, adding that C-suite level management at aviation companies now needs to have a much firmer grasp of how risks might impact not only duty of care responsibilities for day-to-day operations but also wider strategic considerations.

Italy’s Finance Police Orders Another Piaggio P.180 Avanti

Italy’s Guardia di Finanza police force is adding a third Piaggio Aerospace P.180 Avanti Evo twin pusherprop to its fleet. Announced today, the order was the manufacturer’s first sales transaction since it was acquired in July by Turkish aerospace group Baykar.

Under the contract, the customer holds options for further aircraft and will also receive product support and supplies. The Guardia di Finanza is a military unit that combats financial and economic crimes, including tax evasion, smuggling, money laundering, counterfeiting, and the funding of terrorist groups.

Baykar completed its takeover of Piaggio after a prolonged process spanning more than six years since the company sought options for restructuring in the face of insolvency. The deal had to be approved by the Italian government due to the sensitivity around military programs.

Ownership of Piaggio expands Baykar’s horizons beyond its primary focus on drones. The group may seek to revive Piaggio’s plans to use the Avanti airframe as the basis for the proposed P.1HH HammerHead medium-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aerial system.

Now, the Genoa-based company is trading under the name Baykar Piaggio Aerospace. In July, the new owners appointed existing COO Giovanni Tomassini as CEO of its Italian aircraft manufacturer subsidiary.

Sponsor Content: Gogo

Gogo: Unrivalled Customer Support

Gogo customer support is ever-present, wherever our customers are flying around the globe.

GAO: Urgent Need for More Aviation Meteorologists

A newly released report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) warns that the number of aviation meteorologists has fallen considerably, with the remaining staff severely under strain to provide needed services.

Under a 2016 agreement between the FAA and the National Weather Service (NWS)—set to expire this month—the NWS was required to staff 90 positions with full-time meteorologists at the FAA’s 21 ATC Center facilities. The FAA then reimburses the NWS for the associated costs, subject to the availability of annual appropriations.

In July 2024, the FAA said it planned to reduce the number of meteorologists to 71 by the end of last year, but the NWS urged the FAA to reconsider, stating that this could lead to serious safety and economic consequences. Ultimately, the agencies agreed to cap staffing at 81 for fiscal year 2025. This maintained the status quo since natural attrition kept staff at an average of 81 meteorologists from 2019 to 2024.

According to the NWS, as of this June, the number had fallen to 69; staffing levels have been affected by the Trump Administration’s federal hiring freeze and deferred resignation program. The GAO is recommending that the FAA identify potential risks to the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System caused by current meteorologist staffing levels and “take urgent action to address them.”

DOT Streamlining Systems, Consolidating FAA

The U.S. Department of Transportation is undertaking a “1DOT” consolidation initiative that will involve streamlining processes, consolidating administrative functions, modernizing its own infrastructure, and bringing together modal administrations both operationally and physically, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed employees last week. Plans call to streamline systems, eliminate redundancies, and transfer FAA employees to the DOT headquarters at New Jersey Avenue in the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.

Noting DOT runs more than 425 information systems, Duffy called the department’s IT and HR systems outdated, expensive, unsecure, and somewhat redundant. “This complicated web of technology is more than just a nuisance. Less efficiency means longer wait times for project completion, grants signed, or safety reviews conducted,” he said. Plans call for beginning to sunset legacy systems over the next few weeks, he said.

As for the FAA relocation, Duffy said the agency has spread out over a “patchwork of federal buildings” separate from DOT, creating unnecessary complexities between the department and the agency. Further, FAA’s facilities are in a state of disrepair, he maintained. “Decrepit offices, non-potable water, and unsanitary spaces have come to define the primary agency responsible for the safety of the national airspace,” according to Duffy.

DOT officials said the timelines and next steps would be outlined in the coming weeks, but the affected unions have been notified.

Safety Standdown 2025 To Focus on Accountability

Registration is now open for Bombardier’s 29th annual Safety Standdown, scheduled for November 10 to 13 in Wichita. The free event continues a tradition of bringing together aviation professionals from around the world for seminars, workshops, and discussions focused on advancing flight safety. This year’s theme, “Own the Outcome,” underscores the seminar’s emphasis on accountability at every level of aviation.

The agenda begins with a welcome reception on November 10, followed by three days of general sessions and workshops. Returning once again to the podium is Tony Kern of Convergent Performance, a longtime Safety Standdown presenter. Kern will deliver the opening keynote on November 11, “Under the Black Flag: Lessons on Performance and Culture from Men without a Country.”

Other general session topics include “Learning from Normal Work,” presented by Madeline Young of Polaris Aero and Ivan Pupulidy of the University of Alabama at Birmingham; “Enhance Safety Intelligence with Training Data” by CAE’s Clément Cateau; and “Leadership and Life Lessons from Blue Angel One” by Russ “Boss” Bartlett of Centerpoint Leadership.

Workshops will cover a wide range of issues, from runway excursion prevention and upset training evolution to psychological safety, data-driven training, aviation security, and sustainability. The seminar’s structure ensures that participants can attend sessions of interest.

Safety Standdown remains free to attend but requires advance registration. Some sessions also will be live-streamed online.

Motiva To Host Southeast Aviation XP in Belo Horizonte

The first southeast Brazil edition of Aviation XP will take place on September 18 and 19 at Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport (SBBH) in Belo Horizonte. Supported by airport operator Motiva, the event is expected to bring together manufacturers, operators, service providers, and companies to showcase developments in business aviation in the capital of Minas Gerais.

Aviation XP has established itself as one of Brazil’s main aviation gatherings, with previous editions in Brazil’s midwest, northeast, and south. Attendees at the upcoming southeast show will have the opportunity to view aircraft on display and take demonstration flights.

“It is an honor for Motiva to host the first edition of Aviation XP in the Southeast, especially at Pampulha Airport, today the leader in fixed-wing aircraft movements in Brazil,” said Graziella Delicato, executive manager of aviation business at Motiva. “As leaders in the general aviation segment in Brazil, with 18% of the market, we believe in the power of meetings that drive business and strengthen the sector. Aviation XP is a strategic showcase, and we are proud to support this initiative in Belo Horizonte.”

SBBH recorded more than 27,000 takeoffs and landings in 2023, reflecting an expansion of business aviation in Minas Gerais.

Flying the Pilatus PC-12 NGX over the Mountains of Colorado

AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber visited Pilatus Business Aircraft’s U.S. headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado, where he got the opportunity to fly the PC-12 NGX. Pilatus Business Aircraft chief pilot Gerard Lambe planned a flight from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) to Steamboat Springs (KSBS), a relatively short flight for the PC-12 NGX but still offering stunning views.

Watch video

UPCOMING EVENTS

AIRPORT EXPERIENCE SUMMIT 2025
GUANGZHOU, CHINA
September 8 - 11, 2025

JETNET IQ SUMMIT
WASHINGTON, D.C.
September 9 - 10, 2025

GLOBAL AEROSPACE SUMMIT
WASHINGTON, D.C.
September 9 - 11, 2025

CORPORATE AVIATION LEADERSHIP SUMMIT EUROPE
BASEL, SWITZERLAND
September 15 - 17, 2025

NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEMENT 2025
WICHITA, KANSAS
September 19, 2025

MONACO YACHT SHOW
MONACO
September 24 - 27, 2025

NORTH AMERICAN SAF CONFERENCE & EXPO
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
September 24 - 25, 2025

RACCA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
September 30 - October 2, 2025

NBAA TAX, REGULATORY & RISK MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
October 12 - 13, 2025

NBAA BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION & EXHIBITION (NBAA-BACE)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
October 14 - 16, 2025

View calendar

AINalerts: September 2025

Explore past AINalerts email newsletters.

AINalerts: September 5, 2025

AINalerts: September 4, 2025

AINalerts: September 3, 2025

AINalerts: September 2, 2025

Want more alerts?

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN