Hydroplane has been awarded U.S. Department of the Navy Phase 1 Option Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to further develop its mobile hydrogen fuel-cell ground power unit (GPU).

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), an independent provider of maintenance support and financial tools to the business-aviation industry, announces the appointment of Natalie Vander Kelen as vice president of Customer Support for Traxxall, JSSI’s suite of maintenance-tracking software solutions. In this new role, Vander Kelen will lead Traxxall’s global team of aircraft maintenance and records analysts, further elevating the customer experience for Traxxall customers, which include corporate flight departments, management companies and charter operations.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) introduces a Business Aviation Customer Service Certificate program in partnership with ServiceElements International (SEI). The program will establish a baseline knowledge, identify resources business-aviation professionals can rely upon as references, and encourage participants to seek more advanced learning in the areas of customer-service management.

West Star Aviation announces the promotion of Ray Sharp to director of maintenance at its East Alton, IL (ALN), facility, overseeing all maintenance programs. Sharp’s diverse experience includes working with a wide range of airframes, such as Falcon, Hawker, Lear, Cessna, Challenger and Gulfstream.

ARGUS International, a member of the SGS Group, honors Elevate Jet as an ARGUS Platinum Operator, which places the company in the upper five percent of over 1,000 U.S.-based charter operators. The Platinum Rating is a higher level in the ARGUS audit standard and is awarded only to those air-charter operators who have demonstrated successful implementation of industry best safety practices regarding their operations and maintenance.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announces that Laura Everington has joined the association as its director of flight operations and regulations.

West Star Aviation Academy (WSAA), established in January 2024 by West Star Aviation in partnership with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), celebrates the graduation of its inaugural class in the presence of employees, families, community members and industry leaders. These 23 graduates are now in the process of testing for their FAA Airframe License. West Star also welcomes 25 new apprentices into WSAA, with their graduation anticipated in spring 2025.

Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings is now accepting entries for its 2025 Aerospace Coatings calendar, which showcases superb aircraft paint schemes and exterior finishes completed with Sherwin-Williams coatings.  

Private pilots and corporate operators now have the ability to easily locate AEA member companies through iFlightPlanner. This new service will help thousands of pilots find an avionics shop in the United States through iFlightPlanner’s web-based platforms, including iFlightPlanner for AOPA and mobile apps for iOS. The collaboration is expected to expand to additional countries in the future.

IBAC renews its alliance with Carbon Trade eXchange (CTX) to provide a new transparent and efficient platform for business-aviation companies to voluntarily purchase carbon credits to offset their CO2 emissions as part of an overall sustainability plan. The new ACE platform is hosted at www.offsetflights.com.