EBACE highlights competitive aircraft market and sustainability.
An observation that stands out from EBACE 2022 in late May was the growing competition in the ultra-long-range category of corporate jets, as well as the emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) and electric aircraft markets. These aircraft categories are opposites as far as range is concerned. On the ultra-long-range side, Bombardier introduced at EBACE the Global 8000, which it says will have an 8,000-nm range at “a top speed” of Mach 0.94, with a typical cruise speed of Mach 0.85. The company plans to enter the aircraft into service in 2025. In comparison, Gulfstream’s G800, which it announced in October 2022, features a range of 8,000 nm at Mach 0.85, with a maximum of Mach 0.925. Gulfstream expects to enter the G800 into service in 2023. Dassault’s 10X, expected to enter service in 2025, will feature a 7,500-nm range at a top speed of Mach 0.925. Then there’s the Airbus and Boeing business jets, which don’t fly as fast or as far, but have much larger cabins. Comlux, the launch customer for the Airbus Corporate Jets ACJ TwoTwenty, is completing the first aircraft at its Indianapolis facility and expects it to be ready in very early 2023, according to Comlux Group COO Andrea Zanetto. On the other end of the spectrum, electric and hybrid-electric aircraft have a shorter mission and range, but they are emissions-free, or virtually emissions free. While eVTOLs will connect people within urban areas, fixed-wing electric aircraft, such as Eviation’s Alice, Pipistrel’s Velis Electro, VoltAero’s Cassio and the Lilium Jet—have ranges that are considered more regional connectors. Electric propulsion, along with increased use of sustainable aviation fuel, are two key ways aviation can decrease its carbon footprint. To see how infrastructure is developing for AAM, check out this cover story.
Eviation Aircraft’s all-electric Alice aircraft is designed to fly 440 nm on a single charge. Credit: Lee Ann Shay
Given the buoyant business aviation market, partly due to new, younger buyers, will this customer group stick with it? Embraer thinks so, as long as you keep these new users engaged and supported. Doing so is obviously important. For Embraer, first-time customers translated to 36% of sales, 38% of its backlog and 26% of aircraft deliveries in 2021. Those numbers are even higher when it comes to entry-level Phenom jet deliveries: first time buyers represented 47% of its deliveries. While the market could face some headwinds due to the volatile stock market, recessionary pressures and geopolitical conflicts, the outlook for business aviation is still strong. “This is a market that never took a macroeconomics class because it is doing everything that it should not,” says Paul Cardarelli, JetNet vice president of sales. Definitely don’t miss BCA’s annual Purchase Planning Handbook, which is included in this issue. And as always, I welcome your feedback. Thanks!
Lee Ann Shay Editor In Chief, BCA
