Refinance With Bain Capital Adds Capacity and Financial Flexibility

Bridger Aerospace has entered into a new $331.5 million financing deal with investment firm Bain Capital. The agreement includes $100 million in financing for Bridger to expand its fleet of aerial firefighting aircraft, a $210 million loan, and a $21.5 million line of credit.

Also: Taiwan Cuts Age Limit, Denver To Pay ATC?, NBAA Calls Out False Claims, Another Regional Shuts Down

The longest federal government shutdown in history is finally coming to a close… but the aviation industry is taking its time to bounce back. Airlines are getting ready to shoulder thousands more flight delays and cancellations as the President himself takes to warning air traffic controllers with pay cuts. The FAA’s game plan involved an initial 4 percent flight reduction at 40 major airports, incrementally working its way up to 10 percent. Through years of first-hand experience, Adriana Barrigan has seen how damaging holes in the flight training industry can be on student pilots… and she created an app to fix it. FlyORKA, which recently made its way onto Apple and Android platforms, is designed to make training more efficient and promote student confidence. Spartan Education Group announced the acquisition of Aviator Air F

Exploring Expansion Of Infrastructure For Future BETA Aircraft

Signature Aviation and UrbanLink Air Mobility signed onto a letter of intent for the purpose of exploring infrastructure and operational development for all-electric aircraft across Florida, signaling a move forward toward scaling advanced air mobility.

Breaks Ground On 1.2M SF Facility In North Charleston, South Carolina

Boeing broke ground on a $1 billion expansion of its 787 Dreamliner facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, ahead of an increase in production of the widebody to 10 aircraft per month in 2026.

Record Demand Drives Growth, First Facility Operational 2026

Williams International announced the groundbreaking on its new advanced production facility in Okaloosa County, Florida, in a ceremony attended by over 150 people including stakeholders and local, county, and state officials. The initial project is a 1-million-square-foot facility for production of its turbofan engines as well as future product lines.

Also: Embraer Nixes Next-Gen Turboprop, Boeing $1B Expansion, 12 Class B Airports Closed To GA, Relief Flight Downed

The CAF Gulf Coast Wing’s AC-47 “Spooky” gunship has taken to the air once again. The Vietnam-era aircraft made its return to flight to honor fallen veteran Lt. Col. Paul Mendes. The flyover was held during the Vietnam Veteran Parkway Dedication ceremony. Mendes, a decorated Green Beret and three-tour Vietnam veteran, was among the last American soldiers evacuated from Saigon in 1975 and later played a key role in recovering missing US personnel. Boeing offered a new contract to the more than 3,200 workers at its facilities in the St. Louis area, with increased bonuses and adjusted terms as the company tries to end the walkout that has now lasted more than three months. NBAA is bluntly shutting down any claims that business aviation has been exempted from the FAA’s new traffic reduction measures. The cuts come

Also: VerdeGo Contract, Medi-Carrier, Gambit 6 UCAV, Blade Urban Air Mobility Pilot

Archer Aviation has inked a deal for control of Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), also known as Jack Northrop Field, in Los Angeles for $126 million in cash. This marks a major shift in its strategy to build a localized urban air-mobility network and test next-gen aviation tech. The 80-acre facility offers roughly 190,000 square feet of terminal, hangar, and office space in a dense urban setting. Joby Aviation announced the start of power-on testing of the first of its FAA-conforming aircraft built for TIA, or Type Inspection Authorization, that is the lead-up to “for credit” flight tests with FAA pilots operating the aircraft. Joby will now proceed to conduct thousands of hardware and software integration tests prior to the start of flight testing. Three Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station watched as their Shenzhou-20 return capsule wa

Shutdown Impacts Unpaid Aviation Workers, Disrupts Flights And ATC Modernization

The National Air Transportation Association joined more than 50 aviation stakeholders who, in an open letter published in The Washington Post, emphatically called on Congress to end the shutdown immediately that has gone on for 41 days and is significantly impacting air travel in the U.S.

Base Of Operations And Testbed For AI-Powered Aviation Tech

Archer Aviation announced it has executed agreements to acquire control of the Jack Northrop/Hawthorne Municipal Airport (KHHR) in California for $126 million in cash. The company plans to utilize the site as a base of operations for its planned Los Angeles air taxi network and also as a test facility for AI-based aviation technologies.

Also: Duffy Predicts ‘Mass Chaos’, Modern Skies Coalition, More Impacts,  Archer Buys Hawthorne

With only a few months of preparation—and minimal outside media support—the first-ever Affordable Flying Expo successfully unfolded over three energetic days this past week. According to exhibitors and attendees, (not us), it was a success. As with any first-time event, there were lessons learned. Thankfully, we had the expert team from the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo by our side. Two and a half years and 1,000 flight hours after its unveiling captured the attention of business aviators across the world, Textron’s Cessna Citation Ascend has earned FAA type certification. The first few jets have already rolled off the production line and are expected to enter service later this year. In a minorly tearjerking yet hopeful letter from Kenai Aviation owner Joel Caldwell, it was confirmed that the Alaskan regional airline