NBAA and Citation Jet Pilots ask the FAA for at least 90 days before Citation SPE rescissions

NBAA and the Citation Jet Pilots association have asked the FAA to wait at least 90 days before rescinding single-pilot training exemptions, known as SPEs, for certain Cessna Citation aircraft. The request is the lead item in the 1 October NBAA daily. For desks that sell light Citations as single-pilot trips, the exemption status of the specific aircraft is now a quote question.

The letter asks for a delay of 90 days or more on rescinding those training exemptions. On the facts in the digest, it is a request. It is not an FAA decision, and it does not say that every Citation is covered. “Certain Cessna Citation aircraft” is as far as the summary goes.

Before telling a client that a single-pilot Citation trip is unchanged, ask the operator whether that tail’s SPE is still in force and whether a second pilot will be required if the rescission goes ahead.

A second pilot changes cost, duty time, and sometimes whether the trip still fits the aircraft the client was shown. A quote built on one pilot becomes wrong on price and on operating rules if the exemption is withdrawn.

If the FAA accepts the 90-day pause, operators and brokers would have a window to re-crew and re-price. Until there is an FAA response, mark single-pilot Citation options as exemption-dependent and keep a two-pilot alternative in the comparison.

The same digest carried several commercial and product items that sit apart from the Citation exemption request:

• SmartJets’ fourth-quarter 2026 outlook, reported by DOM Magazine, describes the top tier of the preowned business-jet market as being in full growth, with high transaction volumes and large manufacturer backlogs.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pushing faster aircraft certification and citing competition with China. AeroTime reports that the FAA is proposing changes to certification requirements.
• The FAA has certified Garmin Autoland for the Epic E1000 AX, with Autoland buttons in more than one location in the cabin, as reported via Yahoo/Flying.
• Wheels Up and Delta are partnering with the nonprofit Endeavor to expand business-aviation use among Endeavor’s member companies.
• NBAA named eight recipients of the 2026 Kern Professionalism Awards, which recognize safety and leadership professionalism.
• SC Aviation has broken ground on a $3.5 million hangar at Southern Wisconsin Regional (JVL). Corporate Jet Investor reports a waiting list for hangar space serving the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison markets.

On Citation options sold as single-pilot, ask whether an SPE still covers that aircraft and what the quote becomes with two pilots. Keep the 90-day figure labeled as a request to the FAA. The preowned-market outlook, the Epic E1000 AX Autoland certification, and the Wheels Up–Delta–Endeavor partnership are separate facts from the same daily.

This brief is an original rewrite of facts reported in the NBAA Daily email of 1 October 2026 and the outlets it cites, including DOM Magazine, AeroTime, Yahoo/Flying, and Corporate Jet Investor. It is not a verbatim reproduction of those publications.