Demand remains high for private jets

According to an article on private jet travel, one expert expects 15,000 business jets to be sold over the next decade.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy may be coming in for a landing, but the demand for private jets is still flying high.

The bustling economies of China and India, and newfound oil wealth in countries such as Russia, have helped keep sales of small executive jets strong. Despite the weakening of corporate profits in the United States, North American plane makers are reporting record orders, many from overseas.

“There is a lot of demand worldwide,” said Raymond Jaworowski, an aerospace analyst with market research firm Forecast International in Newtown, Conn. “If the U.S. economy does soften and even if we go into recession, the effects will be insulated somewhat by the growing economies outside the United States.”

The overall demand for jets is expected to remain strong in the coming years, said Jaworowski, who forecasts nearly 15,000 business jets worth a total of $192 billion will be sold over the next decade industrywide. The increase will come in planes of all sizes, he said.

New planes may be in the works to satisfy companies hoping to free top brass from the hassle of commercial air travel. Some analysts expect General Dynamics Corp., owner of the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., to announce plans as early as this week for its largest plane yet, a jet that could carry around 20 people across the Pacific Ocean on one tank of fuel.

The North American market has traditionally been the biggest consumer of private jets, but Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics said 2007 orders for Gulfstream jets overseas surpassed its North American totals for the first time. The company sold its first large cabin jet in China last month.

Canada’s Bombardier Inc. said earlier this year that it had a record 452 orders in its fiscal year ending Jan. 31, up from 274 in 2006. The Wichita, Kan.-based Hawker Beechcraft Corp. said the Chinese business aircraft operator Deer Jet, one of China’s largest charter companies, ordered two midsize business jets last year.

The Brazilian plane maker Embraer recently signed deals with Indian and Chinese companies, while Cessna Aircraft Co., the world’s largest manufacturer of general aviation planes, said companies outside the United States accounted for 53 percent of its total business jet orders in 2007, up from 48 percent in 2006.

Nicholas Chabraja, CEO of General Dynamics, told an investor conference on March 4 that the company is still trying to chart the long-term impact of the increase in overseas orders, but said “it looks like a structural change in the marketplace.”

Private jets have become the travel method of choice for corporate executives who can afford them, cutting down on wait times and delays that affect commercial carriers. Corporations can either buy planes outright, or buy fractional jet shares to avoid shouldering the hefty price of planes that can range from a few million dollars to $50 million.

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If you want to sidestep expected increases in commercial airline fares, as well as take advantage of all the other benefits of private jet charter travel, such as safety and convenience, visit Blue Star Jets.

2007 was banner year for private jet sales

In what was a record year for private jet sales, Bombardier has emerged as the industry’s top dog. The Canadian conglomerate’s aerospace division topped over $5.2 billion on orders of 226 private jets in 2007, according to the General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA). Bombardier’s strong showing is owed to the strong reception of the company’s Global Express XRS, which tops the group’s comprehensive range of Challenger and Learjet aircraft.

Bombardier was closely followed by General Dynamic’s Gulfstream Aerospace with billings of $4.83 billion, led by strong demand in the heavy jet category for its G550 and G500 jets. Textron’s Cessna Aircraft remained particularly strong in the light and mid-sized jet category. The Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer, who last week unveiled plans for its long-range Citation Columbus, billed $3.91 billion. Dassault Aviation rounded out the top four with orders totaling $2.32 billion.

The banner year for private jet sales was bolstered by strong international demand, coupled with steady domestic sales. Last year saw a 28.4 percent increase in private jet sales over the 886 sold in 2006, as sales breached the one thousand mark for the first time. A record 1,138 aircraft were sold in 2007, according to the GAMA.

With an extensive backlog, and a number of new jets poised to enter the market—in particular some long awaited Very Light Jets—analysts are predicting that private jet sales should remain strong through 2008 and beyond.

If you want to sidestep expected increases in commercial airline fares, as well as take advantage of all the other benefits of private jet charter travel, such as safety and convenience, visit Blue Star Jets.

Spotlight On: The CSeries

One of the private jets you may find yourself on when you arrange a flight with Blue Star Jets is the Bombardier CSeries, a business jet manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace.

According to the manufacturer’s website:

The Bombardier CSeries is the only family of aircraft designed specifically, without compromise, for the lower end of the 100- to 149-seat market. CSeries is the perfect balance of proven methods, materials and leading-edge technology to meet the airline needs for 2013 and beyond.

This competitive aircraft family will be built with unmatched operating economics, optimal environmental friendliness, total life-cycle support, unparalleled passenger appeal, superior operational flexibility and mature reliability levels at the entry into service.

The aircraft features an optimized cabin design for widebody comfort and storage, an aluminum lithium pressurized fuselage, better fuel economy, and other ‘green’ features such as reduced CO2 emissions and noise.

It also features larger windows and wider seats for enhanced passenger comfort.