The huge appetite in Europe and the Middle East for new aircraft from the burgeoning ranks of owners and operators was reflected in the staggering number of orders declared at the show.
- Eclipse Aviation secured the largest order, in unit terms, through Luxembourg-based European distributor ETIRC Aviation for 180 Eclipse 500 very light jets - 120 firm orders and 60 options. The deal is the largest order for the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based airframer outside North America and more than doubles its tally for Europe.
- Fellow very light jet developer Adam Aircraft also announced an order for 96 A700 Adam Jets from Monaco-based air taxi start up Nexus Jets, which plans to begin operations after A700 certification next year. Adam also announced an order for 50 A700s from its Chinese distributor and air taxi developer Hainan Zhong Hangtai General Aviation Airlines.
- Embraer sealed orders for four Phenom 100 VLJs from Irish charter company Premier Aviation, while US company Executive Airshare snapped up orders and options for 14 of the very light jets. Greek start-up operator K2 SmartJets has bought a Legacy 600, with options for a further two.
- Cessna received a $280 million order for 25 Citation business jets, including two Citation Xs one Sovereign and seven Mustangs, from Europe's third largest charter operator JetAlliance.
- Europe's leading fractional ownership operator NetJets inked the largest deal in value terms for 32 Hawker 4000 super-mid size business jets. The $700 million contract marks NetJets Europe's foray into the super-mid size market which the London-based company markets as its "entry level stand-up cabin aircraft", to be added to its growing fleet over an eight-year period, starting next year. Hawker also clinched an order from Spain's Gestair Private Aviation for two mid-size Hawker 900XPs.
- Europe's only other fractional operator JetFly also announced orders for 14 turboprops - four Socata TBM 850s, six Pilatus PC-12 single engine turboprops and four Piaggio P180 Avanti IIs - and expects to announce further orders in the coming months to satisfy demand for its programme "which is growing at a rate of 50% a year in terms of owners and hours flown", says Jetfly president Jacques Lemaigre du Breuil.
- Saudi Arabian fractional and charter operator National Air Services inked a deal with Gulfstream for 20 Gulfstream G450s - three firm orders and 17 options. The first aircraft is earmarked for delivery in the third quarter of 2009. Three G450s ordered by NAS two years ago are scheduled to enter service by the end of the year. NAS says the aircraft will service the thriving Middle East charter and fractional market, which it operates in partnership with NetJets Aviation under the NetJets Middle East banner.
- Airbus sold four more A318 Elites to US launch customer Petters Group.
- Boeing Business Jets sold its seventh 787-8 VIP to Hong Kong businessman Joseph Lau and its ninth BBJ in less than five months to UK operator Ocean Sky.
- Bombardier signed deals with five customers. European Skytime ordered a Learjet 40XR and 45XR. Portugal's Omni Aviacio a Challenger 300 and Learjet 40XR, VistaJet of Switzerland two Learjet 40XPs and a Global Express XRS, Bexair of Bahrain two more Challenger 605s and Echo Air Services of the Lebanon an XRS.
Source: Flight International
