The VIP Seat: Private Aviation News

What do private jets and catheters have in common? Apparently, a publicly traded parent company.This week on The VIP Seat, Jessie Naor and Preston Holland unpack Catheter Precision’s rebrand as Flyte Aviation, trading under VJET on the NYSE American—and the unusual combination of private aviation and cardiac technology. Then, they tackle Kissimmee’s proposed camera-based landing-fee system, the legal fight over delivery drones, and Global Jet Capital’s forecast for $247 billion in business-jet transactions through 2030.In this episode:Flyte Aviation, formerly Flewber, and its public-market pivot.Airport cameras, ADS-B restrictions and the landing-fee debate.Fifteen states and Harris County challenge the FAA’s drone-delivery environmental review.Why heavier jets are expected to lead transaction growth.AOPA’s announcement that it was leaving X—and the online reaction.A helicopter, a limousine and a very questionable stunt.Confirmed information about the tragic Bermuda-to-Boston air ambulance accident, without speculation about its cause.Update: After this episode was recorded, AOPA reversed its decision to leave X and said it would keep its account active.Thank you to AB Jets and RealJet for sponsoring this episode.Subscribe to The VIP Seat for business aviation news, industry analysis and candid conversations. Share this episode with someone in aviation, and leave a review wherever you listen.#BusinessAviation #PrivateJets #TheVIPSeat

The FAA has ended the single-pilot exemption pathway for several legacy Cessna Citation models, creating an immediate operational and economic issue for affected aircraft owners, contract pilots and charter operators.In this episode of The VIP Seat, Jessie Naor and Preston Holland break down what the FAA’s move actually means for Citation II, Bravo, V, Ultra, Encore and Encore+ operators and why the CE-525 CitationJet family is not affected. They discuss the agency’s safety rationale, allegations of noncompliance in the exemption ecosystem, the impact on staffing and operating costs, and the possible implications for aircraft values.Also in this episode:FAA proposes a $260,868 civil penalty against ExcelAire over alleged unauthorized charter operations.OneFlight faces growing scrutiny and multiple lawsuits, raising bigger questions about jet cards, prepaid charter funds, escrow and customer due diligence.FAA mechanic certificate issuance reaches a record level, while aviation maintenance employers still confront a long-term talent pipeline challenge.FAA proposes changes to high-altitude oxygen-mask rules for Part 91 and Part 135 operations.The Pilatus PC-12 PRO receives FAA and EASA approval for Garmin Safety Autoland.Mile High Madness: private-aviation social media, FBO confusion and the week’s strangest aviation moments.The big takeaway: whether you are buying a jet card, booking charter, owning a legacy Citation, hiring a contract pilot or evaluating an operator, due diligence matters more than ever.Subscribe to The VIP Seat for weekly conversations on private aviation, business jets, aircraft ownership, safety, charter, fractional aviation and the business behind flying private.

Are Steve Varsano's viral phone calls real or staged? We finally asked. In part two of our conversation, recorded live from the A319 cabin mockup at The Jet Business in London, Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci and Steve Varsano go through the deal from the buyer's side. They cover who pitched it (over lunch, of course), why Kenn calls it 80% acqui-hire, how Flexjet plans to move 30–50 pre-owned aircraft a year, and Kenn's three types of M&A deals, including the two he never wants to do again.First, the news. Canada joins the bonus depreciation club with PM Carney's Productivity Mega Deduction, covering both new and pre-owned aircraft. The HondaJet Echelon slips again, with first flight in 2028 and deliveries in 2031, and we ask whether it's the engines. We also ring the M&A gong for Derek Johnson and Mach One Aviation joining Citadel Aviation. Plus Mile High Madness: a social media aviation-investment pitch that earns a hat, and a helicopter giving birth.Thanks to our sponsors: AB Jets, RealJet, and WingformSubscribe to the newsletter at https://www.thevipseat.com for the weekly Mile High Madness links and more.

Is private aviation really one industry anymore?In this special edition of The VIP Seat, Kenn Ricci argues that the interests of charter operators, aircraft manufacturers and FBOs are increasingly pulling in different directions — while the organizations lobbying Washington have traditionally tried to represent them all.Kenn gets into why airlines have access to a robust market for PMA replacement parts while business aviation operators face far fewer options, including manufacturers’ reluctance to provide the technical data needed to develop alternatives. He also takes aim at soaring FBO landing, handling and special-event fees — costs that ultimately hit operators and their customers.For large companies, those pressures may be manageable. For smaller charter operators, Ken argues they’re making an already difficult business even harder to compete in.His bigger question: when manufacturers, FBOs and operators have competing economic interests, who is actually standing up solely for the operator?

This week on The VIP Seat, we unpack who is gaining control across business aviation—from airport policy and FBO economics to charter platforms, premium terminals, and cockpit safety culture.Chris Rocheleau is leaving NBAA to lead Airports Council International–North America, putting a former FAA leader at the helm of the organization representing airport operators across the U.S. and Canada. We look at why that move matters for airport access, infrastructure, FBO power, fees, and the future relationship between airports and business aviation. Rocheleau is set to become ACI-NA president and CEO on October 5, succeeding longtime leader Kevin Burke.We also break down Priester Aviation’s “One Priester” rebrand and what it really says about the company’s acquisition strategy. With Mayo Aviation, Hill Private Aviation, Omni Air Transport, Elite Jets, and MaxAir now inside the broader platform, is this simply a brand consolidation—or a push to own more of the client journey from jet card to charter to aircraft management?Then, OneFlight’s story gets more complicated. We discuss reports of financial and operational pressure, questions around operator payments, the company’s aggressive growth and marketing strategy, its short-lived surcharge, and why a jet-card company’s ability to deliver promised lift is ultimately a balance-sheet question.We were also on site at Farnborough for Flexjet’s new $34 million private terminal—the company’s first dedicated facility outside North America. More than a lounge, it is a statement about global fractional growth, customer experience, training, maintenance, and who controls the private-aviation journey on the ground.Finally, we examine the Nicholas Air whistleblower case and what AIR21 protections actually mean for pilots and other aviation workers. When a crewmember raises a reasonable safety concern, where does legal protection begin—and where are its limits?In this episode:Chris Rocheleau’s move from NBAA to ACI-NAAirport influence, FBO consolidation, fees, leases, and accessPriester Aviation’s rebrand and completed acquisition roll-upOneFlight’s financial and operational questionsFlexjet’s Farnborough terminal and global fractional strategyWhy pilots receive whistleblower protections under AIR21The difference between a safety culture statement and a safety culture in practiceThank you to our sponsors AB Jets, REAL Jet, and Wingform for making this show possible as well as Wingform