Business jet market booms as new models make impact

Kate Sarsfield/LONDON

The business jet industry is riding high, with manufacturers witnessing order surges of a scale not seen since the late 1980s. Overall deliveries rose by more than a third last year against the previous 12 months, with Bombardier top for the first time in value terms, handing over 173 aircraft, up 70%, and displacing long-time leader Gulfstream.

The Canadian airframer saw Challenger deliveries grow from 28 to 42 aircraft, while increasing Learjet 45 and Global Express deliveries by 36 and 29 aircraft, respectively. Bombardier expects a surge in deliveries this year, with Learjet 45 and Learjet 60 production expected to reach around 50 units each. Gulfstream, with its narrow high-end product range, saw deliveries rise by just 10 units, to 71 aircraft.

Cessna led the pack in unit terms, delivering 224 Citations, 10% up on 1998. The most notable increase saw Citation Excel deliveries climb from 14 to 40 aircraft as Cessna ramped up production in line with the hefty order backlog for its newest family member.

The year also marked the entry into service of both US/Israeli joint venture Galaxy Aerospace's Galaxy business jet and the Airbus A319 Corporate Jetliner (CJ), with a handful of each type delivered. Galaxy plans to increase production of its super mid-size offering to 20 aircraft this year, while A319CJ deliveries are expected to double in line with plans to produce 12 CJs a year in this decade.

Airbus rival Boeing Business Jets saw deliveries of its 737-700/800 hybrid grow by seven units to 29 aircraft, worth over $1 billion.

Deliveries by Dassault Aviation rose by more than 50% to 69 aircraft last year, although the French manufacturer says production has reached a plateau, with around 140 aircraft expected to be turned out over the next two years. Its only twin-engined model, the Falcon 2000, performed best, with a doubling of deliveries reflecting the increasing popularity of new super mid-size types.

Raytheon Aircraft posted a modest delivery increase of 22% for its two available business jets, the KingAir turboprop being its star performer, although this is set to change this year as its entry-level Premier I - for which more than 200 orders have been placed - goes on stream.

Three market sectors failed to keep pace with the business jet market's expansion, with entry-level, light and mid-sized types taking a smaller share of the overall market than in 1998, albeit for different reasons.

The entry-level sector, in which the CitationJet was the only offering, saw a fall in deliveries, but will expand rapidly this year as handovers of not only the Premier I but the Cessna Citation CJ11 kick in, to be followed by Sino Swearingen's SJ-30 in 2002.

Light aircraft deliveries were also down as demand shifted towards the increasingly popular superlight sector, dominated by a new range of machines - including the Learjet 45 and Citation Excel - offering larger cabins and increased range for a modest price hike.

The mid-size category took a smaller share of the market despite an increase in handovers, but in terms of size shares the number one spot with the superlights and will be boosted by Learjet 60 ramp-ups this year and the entry into service of Cessna's Sovereign in 2002.

Although the business jet industry is soaring, the picture differs from that of the 1980s in that nearly 30% of sales is accounted for by the four major US fractional ownership programmes. Unlike the previous decade, a possible economic downturn holds a reduced threat thanks to an order backlog for types under development.

Notes: ELV - Entry Level, LGT - Light, SLT - Superlight, MID - Mid-sized, SMD - Super mid-sized, LAR - Large, ULR - Ultra long-range.

Source: Flight International