Private Jet Demand Grows

Delta Private Jets (DPJ) has reported a strong first quarter. The company saw a record month for charter sales in March 2015. Year over year, Jet Card sales are up 40 percent and charter sales are up 46 percent for the period. The continued growth follows a record 2014 in terms of revenue and fleet growth for the company.

DPJs  aircraft fleet has grown significantly in the past year. They continue to add late-model aircraft with state-of-the-art technology and amenities most requested by customers. Their fleet has grown to over 60 aircraft, and they expect to add five or six more in the next two months.

A complete overview of each aircraft in DPJ’s fleet including photos and interior details is now available and updated on their website. 

Another company that is experiencing an increase in demand in the private jet market is Flex jet. They just announced they have accelerated deliveries of the Gulfstream G450 business jet in response to heavy market demand. With the accelerated delivery schedule, six G450s will be flying in the Flexjet fleet by the end of this year, bolstering Flexjet s ability to serve international routes nonstop.

The G450 is part of an order Flexjet placed in October 2014 for up to 50 aircraft, also including the G500 and G650 , from Gulfstream s iconic line of business jets. Through its close partnership with Gulfstream, Flexjet will closely monitor demand and collaborate with the manufacturer to accelerate deliveries and exercise any of the additional 26 options whenever possible.

Since they took delivery of their first Gulfstream G450 aircraft in June, the response to these new long-range aircraft has been so popular Flexjet have had to ask Gulfstream to move up delivery of our next two G450 aircraft to this fall, rather than mid-2016, as previously agreed to. Flexjet sales for the year are up 20 percent and the marketplace clearly is hungry for extended-range aircraft.

The Flexjet G450 is capable of being configured to carry up to 16 passengers, for 4,350 nautical miles/8,056 kilometers with eight passengers, easily enabling nonstop trips from the U.S. to European and South American destinations. Fortune 500 corporations and other large business flyers, including flight departments in need of supplemental capacity, have shown the strongest interest in the G450.

In the fractional jet industry, you hear a lot about orders for new planes being delayed or cancelled not accelerated. Not only have we had strong demand for the Gulfstream G450, but Flexjet are seeing tremendous enthusiasm for the G650 and are taking delivery early next year, making them the only fractional provider offering this aircraft.

Gulfstream s G450, G500 and G650 will become part of Flexjet s LXi Cabin Collection, which also includes the Learjet 75, the Challenger 350, Bombardier s Global Express aircraft and the Embraer Legacy 450 and Legacy 500. The additions will further reduce the age of Flexjet s fleet, already the youngest in the fractional industry.

All of this good news for the industry is fueled by lower oil prices, the restart of the economy and the internet encouraging people to do more business internationally.

Fabrizio Poli is an Aviation Analyst & Managing Partner of Boutique Aviation Company Tyrus Wings. He is also an accomplished Airline Transport Pilot having flown both private Jets and for the airlines. Fabrizio is also a bestselling author and inspirational speaker & has been featured in the Daily Telegraph, Wealth X, Financial Times, El Financiero and many other Media offering insight on the aviation world. You can tune in weekly to Fabrizio's business Podcast Living Outside the Cube.

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