The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has established a formal regulatory pathway allowing Chinese airlines and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers to procure used serviceable material (USM) recovered from aircraft and engines dismantled outside the country.

Detailed in a press release issued by Block Aero Technologies on September 24, 2026, the new framework mandates strict traceability and registration standards for overseas parts. The regulatory shift opens the Chinese aviation market to global USM suppliers, provided they route their documentation through the newly designated AFRA-CAAC Registry.

Regulatory framework and compliance deadlines

The CAAC anchored the new pathway with two regulatory documents issued earlier in the month. On September 7, 2026, the regulator published Advisory Circular AC-145-FS-017 R1, covering aircraft disassembly. This was followed on September 10, 2026, by Management Document MD-MAT-FS-009, which governs the procurement and repair management of used aircraft parts and materials.

Under the new rules, previously approved aircraft-disassembly maintenance organizations face a strict transition period. All applicable procedural, system, and transition requirements must be completed by December 31, 2026, to maintain compliance and continue supplying the Chinese market. The CAAC also held a regulatory briefing focused on airline buyers in Beijing on September 18, 2026, to outline the procurement changes.

The AFRA-CAAC Registry infrastructure

To enforce the enhanced traceability requirements, the CAAC circular identifies the AFRA-CAAC Registry as the current compliant overseas registration platform. The registry operates on the Aviation Blockchain Network developed by Block Aero Technologies.

The formal recognition builds upon a 2023 memorandum of understanding between the CAAC and the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) regarding technical cooperation. Block Aero and AFRA recently renewed their partnerships for a five-year term to deliver the asset registry solution to the CAAC and its stakeholders.

Block Aero Technologies CEO Todd Siena noted that China has historically been one of the most difficult markets for overseas USM suppliers to navigate.

“The door is now open, but it opens onto a checkpoint. The CAAC framework makes provenance something that must be demonstrated, not simply promised,” Siena said in the press release.

AFRA President Brent Webb added that the association has long championed trusted information infrastructure for the global aftermarket, a priority now codified in the CAAC requirements.

AirPro News analysis

We view the CAAC decision as a major structural shift for the global aircraft teardown and part-out market. Historically, foreign USM suppliers faced high barriers to entry in China due to complex and fragmented documentation requirements. By centralizing compliance through the AFRA-CAAC Registry, the CAAC is standardizing the import process. This provides a clear, albeit rigorous, mechanism for Western lessors and teardown facilities to monetize end-of-life assets in the world’s second-largest aviation market. The CAAC mandate for a blockchain-based registry also signals a growing regulatory appetite for immutable digital records to combat unapproved parts and ensure supply chain integrity.

Sources: Block Aero Technologies (via EIN Presswire), Block Aero

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has deployed a new artificial intelligence platform in the Washington D.C. airspace designed to predict and mitigate flight disruptions by analyzing hundreds of operational data streams. The system, known as the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART), launched in a limited capacity on September 21, 2026, covering operations at the region’s three major commercial airports.

Developed by technology vendor Air Space Intelligence, the SMART platform centralizes approximately 200 data streams, including weather patterns, traffic flow, flight paths, and air traffic control staffing metrics. According to the FAA, the tool aims to shift air traffic management from a reactive posture to a predictive model, reducing delays, cancellations, and fuel burn without removing final decision-making authority from human controllers.

Implementation in the National Capital Region

The initial rollout focuses on the National Capital Region, encompassing Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

FedScoop reported that the platform is currently operating in a limited mode, providing suggestions to controllers on handling airspace congestion and other logistical challenges. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy noted that while the system will not immediately transform the passenger experience, gradual improvements in airspace efficiency are expected by the summer of 2027.

“By fundamentally reshaping how we manage our airspace and preventing problems before they happen, SMART will slash those frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers, and lower travel prices,” Duffy said in an agency press release.

Modernization and historical context

The SMART tool is a component of the broader Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS) platform. In June 2026, the FAA awarded Air Space Intelligence a 12-year Contracts valued at approximately $876 million to develop both the FMDS and SMART systems, according to FedScoop.

The deployment in the Washington D.C. sector follows intense scrutiny of the region’s flight corridors. On January 29, 2025, a midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter at DCA resulted in 67 fatalities. While the SMART platform is engineered primarily for traffic flow and congestion management rather than direct collision avoidance, the FAA has prioritized modernization efforts in this highly complex airspace.

Agency officials emphasized that the AI technology functions as an advisory system. All recommendations generated by the SMART platform remain subject to review and approval by FAA personnel and local air traffic control leadership.

AirPro News analysis

The introduction of the SMART platform represents a significant step in the FAA’s long-term effort to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS). By aggregating 200 distinct data streams into a single predictive interface, the agency is addressing one of the most persistent challenges in air traffic management: the siloed nature of operational data. We note that the decision to debut the system in the National Capital Region, one of the most restricted and complex airspace environments in the United States, serves as a high-stakes proving ground for Air Space Intelligence’s software. If the platform successfully reduces controller workload and mitigates congestion here without introducing new human-machine interface errors, it will likely accelerate the timeline for a nationwide rollout. Maintaining the clear boundary between AI-generated suggestions and human operational authority will be critical as the system scales.

Sources: Federal Aviation Administration

Swedish defense and security company Saab has secured a contract with the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA) to deploy its latest Integrated Air Traffic Control Suite (I-ATS) across three commercial airports in Bulgaria.

Announced in a press release on September 16, 2026, the agreement aims to modernize air traffic management at Sofia, Varna, and Burgas airports. The technology upgrade will ensure BULATSA operations comply with European Common Project One (CP1) requirements while providing tower and approach controllers with a scalable platform for future airspace demands.

Modernizing Bulgarian airspace infrastructure

BULATSA currently relies on Terminal Approach Radars at Sofia, Varna, and Burgas airports to manage controlled airspace. Sofia Airport already utilizes an earlier iteration of an Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS), which was provided in part by Saab Technologies.

The newly signed contract will replace and upgrade these existing capabilities. Saab will deliver the latest version of I-ATS, which features an updated Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designed to improve controller situational awareness and workflow. Additionally, Sofia Airport will receive a completely new A-SMGCS installation to enhance surface movement tracking and ground safety.

Strengthening the Saab and BULATSA partnership

The deployment builds on existing relationships between the Swedish manufacturer and the Bulgarian air navigation service provider. Saab representatives indicated that the new systems will future-proof BULATSA operations as European airspace requirements evolve.

Cecilia Larsson, Head of Saab Air Traffic Management, highlighted the collaborative nature of the infrastructure upgrade.

“The agreement strengthens the long-standing partnership between Saab and BULATSA, reaffirming the shared commitment to delivering advanced air traffic management capabilities in Bulgaria. We look forward to the continued journey towards safe and efficient air traffic control.”

AirPro News analysis

We note that compliance with European Common Project One (CP1) is a primary driving factor for air navigation service providers across the continent right now. By upgrading to the latest I-ATS and A-SMGCS standards, BULATSA is aligning its infrastructure with broader Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) deployment goals. These mandates require the synchronized modernization of air traffic management systems to handle future capacity constraints and meet stringent environmental targets.

Sources: Saab AB