Late last night, the U.S. and Iran announced a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with a signing set for June 19. If it holds, it could change the fuel story we've been covering for four months straight. But wait, there's more: Flexjet bought The Jet Business and named founder Steve Varsano president, putting one of bizav's biggest social media names in charge of fleet sourcing. The FAA loosens its mental health certification policy for pilots and controllers, which is a big win for the industry. And World Cup host cities are now under PPR with FBO surcharges running 20-40% above standard rates.

This week's Scissortail Brief opens with the tragic crash of a Gulfstream G200 at La Romana in the Dominican Republic that resulted in the loss of both pilots. The aircraft had departed for Austin and declared an emergency; what followed was a fatal second landing attempt into what appears to have been a tailwind.

NBAA's Q1 accident analysis is out, covering 40 safety events, including six fatal accidents, with stabilized approaches and runway excursions leading the findings. Jet-A has found a plateau at $7.83 nationally with wholesale prices starting to soften. And the FIFA World Cup opens Thursday at MetLife, with bizav demand on host-city routes forecast to surge through the knockout rounds.

With kids out of school and summer upon us, the BizAv family is busy. The World Cup is two weeks out. CBP is under pressure. An Ebola outbreak in Africa has NBAA issuing operator advisories. The DHS is floating a proposal that would gut customs operations at major gateway airports, and NBAA is fighting it. And in Massachusetts, a business aviation association just canceled their annual event because activists bought tickets to it. It's been that kind of week.

This week's Scissortail Brief covers the FAA's new ATC workforce plan and the union dispute over a staffing target that dropped by 2,000 positions overnight. Wheels Up completed its fleet transition 18 months ahead of schedule and posted a 99% completion rate. FBO Jet-A is at $7.96 per gallon nationally heading into Memorial Day weekend, and the eastern half of the country is going to be a weather workout for anyone flying this weekend. We also take a moment for Memorial Day, because some things are more important than the news cycle. Read the full Brief at scissortailconsulting.aero.

This week's Scissortail Brief covers the FSF Business Aviation Safety Summit in Provo, where the DCA midair's 50-plus recommendations took center stage. Hal Shevers, the founder of Sporty's Pilot Shop, passed away at 90 after six decades of building the pilot pipeline. STXBAA, HigherVets, and South Texas PAMA came together at The Bandit Golf Club in New Braunfels on May 14 for a golf classic and after-party benefiting veteran transitions into bizav careers. FBO Jet-A is holding near its decade high. And the NTSB released its preliminary report on the Cessna 421C crash near Wimberley — pitot heat failure in icing conditions, in-flight breakup, five fatalities. We also debut a standing weather brief this week.

This week's Scissortail Brief covers the NBAA Maintenance Conference in New Orleans, where the maintainer shortage took center stage with 1,000-plus attendees and 42% first-timers. Embraer posted record Q1 revenue of $1.447 billion with strong executive jet deliveries, but U.S. tariffs compressed margins sharply and that headwind isn't going away. FBO Jet-A hit a decade high in April and ticked up again to $7.94 per gallon nationally this week. Kentucky Derby traffic held steady, giving us two events and two different readings heading into summer. And the FIFA World Cup opens June 11 across 16 North American host cities with charter demand forecast to surge 200-300% during the knockout rounds — if you haven't locked in aircraft and FBO slots, the window is closing.

If you own a business jet in Texas, how you operate it can have a major impact on both your state and federal tax position. This article explains how placing an aircraft on a Part 135 charter certificate can unlock a more favorable valuation method under Texas law, potentially reducing property taxes, while also outlining key federal considerations including depreciation, qualified business use, and passive activity rules.

May the Fourth be with you, BizAv family. This week's Scissortail Brief has something for everyone: Spirit Airlines shut down at 3 a.m. on May 2 after a $500 million bailout collapsed, and 2,000 experienced turbine pilots just became available (a few of them might be ready to cross from the Dark Side to the Light). Gulfstream posted its best Q1 delivery count ever. Florida banned ADS-B-based landing fees. And the IADA Q1 market report shows 333 closed transactions with inventory still tight and values holding firm. The Force is strong with this one. Read the full Brief at scissortailconsulting.aero.

This week's brief touches the NTSB's final report on the Hop-A-Jet Challenger 604 crash near Naples (corrosion in both CF34 engines' variable geometry systems, driven by years of salt-air exposure), plus a breakdown of what $8.63-per-gallon national average FBO Jet-A is doing to Part 91 and Part 135 operations, an update on the DOT's ATC modernization progress out of the Modern Skies Summit, and Starlink coming to the Citation Ascend.

This week's Scissortail Brief is out, and it's a full one.

The ALERT Act passed the House. The FAA replaced its 40-year-old NOTAM system. EBACE 2026 was canceled. American Airlines entered the private jet market through a TLC Jet partnership that has real implications for fractional and card operators. Masters week traffic came in below forecast. And Jet-A prices are up more than $2.00 per gallon year-over-year, which means trip planning looks different than it did six months ago.

If you operate, own, or advise in business aviation, there's something in here for you.

A more active week in business aviation. FAA hiring efforts move forward, new EU passenger requirements take effect, and updated safety guidance puts more focus on approach risk. Add in firm aircraft demand and elevated fuel costs, and there’s plenty driving how operators are planning and flying right now.

The first week of April brought a mix of FAA rulemaking, fleet activity, and steady movement in the aircraft market. The FAA introduced proposed updates to Part 141 training rules, operators worked GPS interference procedures into daily planning, and the Global 8000 began entering service with NetJets. At the same time, aircraft transactions stayed active across multiple segments, and Jet-A pricing continued to vary widely depending on where you were buying.

This week in business aviation was anchored by NBAA’s record-setting Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in Cleveland, where 3,500 attendees focused on the realities of running flight operations today. At the same time, the FAA issued a new Piaggio airworthiness directive and updated GPS interference guidance, Bombardier delivered the first Global 8000 to NetJets, and Jet-A prices continued to show wide variation at the truck across the country.

New AI capabilities are enabling operators to analyze flight data continuously rather than only after events, helping identify patterns in approach stability, energy management, and overall operational performance. As tools like ForeFlight begin to surface trends automatically, flight departments are gaining earlier visibility into risk and more actionable insight into how their aircraft are flown every day.

This week in business aviation included continued activity in Washington as industry leaders engaged lawmakers, along with updates that directly affect how operators plan and fly. The FAA extended key operational flexibility for smaller aircraft, HPN announced upcoming runway closures, and Jet-A prices moved higher due to Middle East instability. At the same time, early developments in AI-driven safety tools are beginning to shape how flight departments use data across their operations.

This week's Scissortail Brief covers Dassault's Falcon 10X rollout in Bordeaux, the FAA's selection of eight eVTOL operators for a 26-state pilot program with a Texas corridor connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, Joby Aviation's first conforming aircraft flight test, the Airbus ACH140 debut at VERTICON, Senate movement on the next NTSB member, an industry pushback on proposed altimeter mandates, where Jet-A retail prices stand nationally as Middle East conflict continues repricing the fuel market, and the launch of business aviation's first credentialed sales career pathway.

The top of the business jet market now has three serious contenders: the Gulfstream G800, Bombardier Global 8000, and Dassault Falcon 10X. Each aircraft pushes the boundaries of range, speed, cabin environment, and operational capability, but they arrive at those results in very different ways. This analysis breaks down the specifications, performance envelopes, and real operational differences that buyers should consider when evaluating the new generation of ultra long range flagship aircraft.

Dassault has officially unveiled the Falcon 10X, its new ultra long range flagship designed to compete directly with the Bombardier Global 8000 and Gulfstream G800. With a 7,500 nm range, Mach 0.925 top speed, and the largest cabin cross section in business aviation, the aircraft represents a major step forward for the Falcon line. In this Scissortail Knowledge Hub piece, we break down the aircraft’s specifications, pricing, delivery timeline, and the engineering choices that set the 10X apart in the top tier of the business jet market.

Business aviation is getting its first structured pathway into sales. AvSales Talent and Texarkana College have launched the Aviation Professional Sales Certificate Program, a six-week credentialed training course designed to prepare the next generation of aviation sales professionals. Beginning March 23, 2026, the program introduces a three-phase career pathway—education, supervised practicum experience, and industry placement—creating the kind of professional development infrastructure aviation has long had for pilots and technicians, but never for the revenue-driving side of the business.

The past week in business aviation brought the industry's largest VTOL aviation gathering to Atlanta, a strategic expansion into Brazil’s rapidly growing private aviation market, and continued pressure on operators from MRO capacity constraints and skilled labor shortages. VERTICON 2026 drew more than 15,000 professionals to discuss the future of rotorcraft and advanced air mobility, while FlyHouse announced a partnership with TAM Aviacao Executiva to bring modern charter technology to Latin America’s second-largest general aviation market. At the same time, operators are navigating elevated Jet-A prices tied to geopolitical tensions and monitoring cross-border security developments in western Mexico that briefly affected access to key airports.