Liftbrief / Regulatory news and changes
Which changes belong on the buyer’s calendar?
Use the status column before changing policy. A final rule, a proposed tax amendment, an enforcement allegation and an administrative-system change have different implications.
| Date | Development and verified status | Who should act | Recommended buyer action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 September 2026 | FAA proposed a USD 260,868 penalty against ExcelAire for alleged unauthorised charter operations. This is an allegation, not a final adjudication. | Procurement and recurring charter buyers | Refresh authority checks rather than relying on historic onboarding. (faa.gov) |
| 30 September 2026 | Initial Part 135 certification applications began transitioning to FAA Aviation Integrated Safety Services. Administrative change, not permission to fly. | Buyers considering new operators | Distinguish an application acknowledgement from an issued operating certificate. (faa.gov) |
| 1 January 2026 | Calendar-year passenger aviation excise-tax amounts changed, including the domestic segment amount to USD 5.30. | Finance, charter buyers and programme reviewers | Update quote-comparison assumptions and require the supplier’s tax calculation. (irs.gov) |
| 14 January 2026 | IRS issued Notice 2026-11 guidance on restored permanent 100% additional first-year depreciation for eligible property. | Aircraft and fractional-interest purchasers | Obtain a transaction-specific tax analysis before relying on a seller’s deduction illustration. (irs.gov) |
| 2 February 2026 | FAA published its final 25-hour cockpit-voice-recorder rule for affected new production. | Owners, acquisition teams and aircraft managers | Check manufacturing-date and aircraft-category applicability. (federalregister.gov) |
| 25 February 2026 | UK moved to full enforcement of digital permission-to-travel requirements. | Executive offices and UK-bound flight organisers | Confirm each traveller’s required permission and the operator’s reporting process. (questions-statements.parliament.uk) |
| 10 April 2026 | EES became fully operational at external border crossings of participating European countries. | European-trip organisers | Confirm arrival processing with the operator and handler. (travel-europe.europa.eu) |
| 13 July 2026 publication; intended 1 April 2027 application | HMRC published draft legislation extending higher-rate APD to aircraft operating as private or business jets within the relevant scope. | UK-departure charter and programme buyers | Model the announced change, but retain a legislative-status qualification. (gov.uk) |
| 28 May 2027 | SMS implementation deadline for Part 135 operators certificated before 28 May 2024. | Charter procurement and supplemental-lift buyers | Request a dated readiness assessment before renewing contracts extending into 2027. (faa.gov) |
| No confirmed launch date in the current official FAQ | ETIAS remains non-operational; applications are not being collected. | European-trip organisers | Monitor the official announcement rather than buying purported early access. (travel-europe.europa.eu) |