Hop-a-jet lawsuit, G300 Debut, and the return of Syberjet

✈️ The VIP Seat Weekly

Your business aviation hot takes, served fresh

This week: Welcome back to The VIP Seat, where we cut through the noise to bring you the stories that matter in business aviation. This week, we're covering SyberJet's “comeback”, Hop-a-Jet's lawsuit bombshell, the FAA's $15 billion failure, we ring the inaugural M&A gong for Leviate Air Group, and Gulfstream's long-awaited G300 unveiling.

Season 2, Episode 20 | October 8th, 2025 | Episode Companion

🛫 The Runway Report

The top 5 stories from this week's podcast that are moving the needle in bizav

🛫 SyberJet Returns From the Dead—Led by a Familiar Character

SyberJet is attempting a comeback with their stretched SJ-36 light jet, promising super-mid range in a light jet package with impressive specs: Mach 0.88 MMO, sea-level cabin at FL410, and 60% better fuel efficiency. The catch? It's being led by Trevor Milton, the Nikola founder convicted of wire fraud after prosecutors revealed the company's "prototype truck" video was actually a non-functioning chassis rolled down a hill. Milton received a full pardon from President Trump earlier this year.

What this means: The SJ-36 boasts some genuinely impressive performance numbers—if they materialize. A 12 PSI cabin differential delivering sea-level pressure at FL410 would be industry-leading. But at 4.71 feet wide and 4.3 feet tall, it's tight. More concerning: Milton says they're developing proprietary avionics after failing to secure a good deal with suppliers, which adds massive complexity to an already ambitious clean-sheet design.

The bigger picture: Milton joins a colorful cohort of aviation entrepreneurs with checkered pasts. The fundamental question remains: can SyberJet secure the billions needed to certify and produce this aircraft? With zero SyberJets currently in operation—including Morgan Freeman's—and first flight projected for 2027, we're looking at late-2020s service entry at best.

Read more: AIN Online

🏛️ Hop-a-Jet Sues GE and Bombardier Over Fatal Crash That Killed Two Crew Members

The 2024 Challenger 604 crash that ended with the aircraft on a Florida highway has taken a dramatic legal turn. Hop-a-Jet is now suing both GE and Bombardier, alleging that engine corrosion caused dual engine power loss. The lawsuit reveals that the aircraft experienced seven hung-start incidents between 2020 and 2024, with both engines experiencing hung starts within 30 seconds of each other just three weeks before the fatal crash.

What this means: NTSB interviews revealed the crew had mere seconds to react before impact—they heard "we're going down" and were told to brace before the crash. Initial speculation focused on pilot error with the fuel selector valve, but emerging evidence points to a systemic corrosion issue. There's now a dispute between GE and operators over engine wash schedules—GE didn't mandate regular compressor washes for corrosive environments, while operators argue they should have been warned.

The bigger picture: This could have massive implications for hundreds of Challenger 604s and 605s flying today. If corrosion from humid, salty environments like South Florida can cause catastrophic dual-engine failure, we may see new mandatory wash requirements for aircraft operating in coastal regions. The lawsuit alleges GE issued a service bulletin for similar engines regarding corrosion but told Hop-a-Jet to change fuel filters instead of investigating corrosion when they reported issues.

Read more: AIN Online

✈️ The FAA Spent $15 Billion on NextGen and Achieved 16% of Promised Benefits

An Office of Inspector General audit revealed that despite spending $15 billion since 2003 on the NextGen air traffic control modernization program, the FAA has only achieved 16% of projected benefits. Translation: at this rate, NextGen will become a $100 billion project. Several key programs have been pushed to 2030 or later, and the FAA has reduced the number of airports receiving upgrades by 45%.

What this means: In July, Congress celebrated passing $12.5 billion for ATC modernization. The FAA has already spent $6.5 billion more than that and barely moved the needle. The new NOTAM system just released its beta version last week—and it's still in all caps, which is somehow both predictable and disappointing.

The bigger picture: This audit will become ammunition for privatization advocates who argue the FAA's bureaucratic structure makes long-term capital projects nearly impossible. Leadership turnover creates constant organizational churn, preventing sustained progress. In the private sector, $15 billion would buy transformational change; in the public sector, it buys 16% of promised benefits and endless delays. Whether you support privatization or not, this report makes the status quo increasingly indefensible.

Read more: Aerotime

💼 Leviate Air Group Acquires Vault Aviation in Latest M&A Move 🔔

Leviate Air Group continues its acquisition spree with the purchase of Vault Aviation, a charter brokerage focused on professional athletes. This follows their October 2024 acquisition of a majority stake in Chairman Aviation. Leviate operates a three-legged stool business model: aircraft sales, charter brokerage, and charter management—and this deal strengthens their brokerage arm while giving them access to the lucrative pro athlete market.

What this means: We think charter brokerages typically trade at 2-6x EBITDA multiples depending on size and customer stickiness. The challenge with brokerage acquisitions is that customer relationships are fluid and highly personal—it's not uncommon for clients to only work with specific brokers they trust, making transitions difficult. Smart structuring likely involves equity roll for Vault's founder to maintain those critical relationships.

The bigger picture: Leviate is strategically building a diversified aviation services company through targeted acquisitions that complement their existing operations rather than compete. By bringing Vault's athlete-focused client base into their portfolio alongside Chairman's operations and their existing business-traveler focus, they're creating multiple revenue streams while consolidating infrastructure, technology, and marketing resources. The active M&A environment signals industry optimism.

Read more: AIN Online

📊 Gulfstream Unveils G300: Oval Windows, But No Flat Floor

After years of anticipation (and maybe the worst kept secret in aviation), Gulfstream finally unveiled the G300, replacing the G280 as their super-mid offering. The big win? Oval windows—the signature Gulfstream feature that was conspicuously absent from the G280. The aircraft features updated avionics, improved fuel efficiency, and slightly more range. The surprise? No flat floor, putting it at a disadvantage against the Challenger 3500, Praetor 500/600, and Falcon 2000—all of which offer flat floors in the super-mid category.

What this means: Entry into service is projected between 2027-2029, so we're talking about a long runway before customers can actually fly this thing. The oval windows will appeal to Gulfstream loyalists who criticized the G280 for not looking like a "real Gulfstream." But the lack of a flat floor creates a tangible comfort difference that retail buyers will notice immediately—and may drive them toward the Praetor instead.

The bigger picture: Gulfstream customers are notoriously brand-loyal, and once you're in the ecosystem, you tend to stay. But here's the real play: the G300 will likely drive more G400 sales. With pricing not far apart and the G400 offering meaningfully more range, payload, and cabin space, upselling becomes easier. For corporate flight departments running Gulfstream fleets, the G300 makes sense. For first-time super-mid buyers comparing across brands, that missing flat floor could be a dealbreaker.

Read more: AIN Online

🤳 Mile High Madness

This week's wildest aviation content from social media

NBAA Post with a Twist: If you’re in business aviation, you’ve seen the “I’m going to NBAA” posts probably a hundred times now. Well, Colin Dunne of Jetcraft gives us a comedic relief with his edit. We’ll miss you, Colin! Check out the post here and let him know the VIP Seat sent you!

Fifi Little Darling goes Private: We test our best plane spotting skills trying to figure out what private jet Fifi is on. Jessie always brings the animal posts!

fifilittledarling

42K followers

View more on Instagram

🎧 This Week's Episode

Missed the podcast? Catch up on the full episode at the links below! We would LOVE if you would give us a 5 start review, and share with your friends!

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Website 

✈️ The Final Approach

BACE is coming up… if you’ll be there, so will we! Be sure to reach out to us and see your favorite podcasters in BIZAV! Also, leave us a review and share with a friend… would mean the world to us!

The VIP Seat Weekly is the companion newsletter to The VIP Seat podcast. We give you the business aviation hot takes for your commute.

Jessie’s Links:
Private Aviation Safety Alliance
FlyVizor
LinkedIn

Preston’s Links:
Prestige Aircraft Finance
Private Jet Insider (Newsletter)
LinkedIn
X (Formerly Known as Twitter)