KATE SARSFIELD / ORLANDO
Fractional giant spends $12 billion to launch CJ3 and G150
TEXT: NetJets has placed another record-breaking order, signing a deal for over 200 business jets at last week's National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) show in Orlando, Florida. The deal was the largest of several announced at the show, and confirms the pivotal role of fractional ownership programmes, which are continuing to sustain the business aviation industry during the economic slowdown.
In its latest spending spree, NetJets, the world's largest fractional ownership provider and business- jet operator, is paying nearly $2 billion on launch orders for Cessna Citation CJ3s and Gulfstream G150s, with orders and options for 100 of each. The deal also includes 12 Citation X super mid-size business jets on top of the 60 aircraft already in service with NetJets, which operates nearly 500 aircraft. The announcement brings the Woodbridge, New Jersey-based company's orderbook to over 1,000.
First deliveries of the mid-size G150 and light CJ3 will begin in the second quarter of 2005, and those of the Citation X in 2004.
As a further boost to its orderbook, Cessna is adding 25 each of the CJ3 and the Excel superlight business jets to its Cessna CitationShares fractional programme which it owns with TAG Aviation.
Italy's Piaggio Aero sold six P.180 Avantis to Skyline Aviation Services in a needed fillip for the Italian manufacturer, which has been struggling to gain a foothold in the US market with its unconventional business aircraft design. Since its 1998 relaunch, 23 P.180s have been delivered worldwide. The orderbook totals around 30 aircraft.
Bombardier Flexjet, meanwhile, has become the first fractional programme to operate an aircraft for a US government agency, following the sale of a one-eighth share in a Learjet 31A and a one-sixteenth share of a Learjet 60 to NASA. If the two-year evaluation is successful, says Flexjet, the US Congress is likely to approve government ownership of aircraft shares.
Flight Options, the second largest fractional programme since its acquisition earlier this year of Raytheon Travel Air, has, meanwhile, launched a pre-owned Citation X programme in a move designed to bridge the gap between the mid- size Hawker 800XP and the Challenger 601 programmes. The first of five aircraft is set to enter service on 1 November.
Source: Flight International
