Aerion has secured more than 20 letters of intent (LoIs) exceeding $1.5 billion for its supersonic business jet, based on a launch price of $80 million for the Mach 1.6 aircraft.
Sales agent ExecuJet began offering 40 early delivery positions last month to customers outside the Americas, to be secured by $250,000 refundable deposits. Designer Aerion says up to 75 positions will be sold at the current price but would not be drawn on a revised unit cost.
ExecuJet chief executive Niall Olver says the Aerion LoIs are from customers in Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia, including the recently announced deal from Pakistan operator Princely Jets. Typical customers, he says, are corporations and individuals who are already owners of large-cabin or ultra-long-range business jets including the Dassault Falcon 900XP and Gulfstream G550. "We are not surprised at the number of people coming forward. This is just the tip of the iceberg."
Aerion vice-chairman Brian Barents says the company began taking orders at the Dubai Air Show in November because of strong customer interest and advancing discussions with potential manufacturing partners.
He says: "We plan to recruit an established and respected OEM manufacturing partner by the end of next year which would lead to certification and service entry by 2014." Barents admits that Aerion had previously hoped to secure an OEM partner by the middle of 2008. "This won't throw the timetable off course, he says. "We understand that the OEMs' resources are already stretched, but we still plan to launch the programme in the second quarter of 2009, fly the Aerion jet for the first time in the second quarter of 2012 and certificate and deliver the aircraft two years later."
The aircraft is designed to cruise at speeds up to M1.15 over land without producing a boom on the ground, and at speeds up to M1.6 in other areas. Over the continental USA where regulations require speeds below M1, the aircraft is designed to cruise just below the speed of sound, offering economies comparable to today's large business jets, says Aerion. The 12-seat aircraft has a stand-up cabin of over 1.8m (6ft) and a range of more than 7,400km (4,000nm).
Source: Flight International
