Most people don’t associate Airbus with private aviation, but its Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) division not only fields a widespread fleet of Airbus airliners in corporate configuration, but also conducts well-respected market research in the field. The most recent study revealed some details on the current state of business aviation, particularly in the U.S.
Airbus data shows a total fleet of 14,632 private jets in the U.S., representing roughly 62.5 percent of the worldwide fleet. Sean McGeough, Airbus VP Commercial ACJ for North America, said, “The U.S. business aviation sector is the biggest in the world, and it is growing. In the first six months of 2022, the number of business aviation departures in the U.S. was 15.2 percent higher than during the same period in [pre-pandemic] 2019.”
McGeough continued, “Because of the huge size of the U.S. and its importance on the global stage, over one-third of private jets registered in the country are categorized as heavy or ultra-long range, which is where we focus.” Airbus is particularly keen on prospects for its ACJ TwoTwenty, the corporate version of the A220 regional airliner program that Airbus acquired from Bombardier. “We expect to see strong demand from owners of private jets looking to upgrade to newer models, and we are seeing more potential first-time buyers of larger private jets,” McGeough said, adding, “With our ACJ TwoTwenty and its compelling proposition of ultimate comfort with superior economics, we are well positioned to capitalize on this growth.”
Further, Airbus research into U.S. private jet fleet activity revealed that, along with the 37.5 percent categorized as “heavy or long-range,” 36.5 percent are “light,” 20 percent “midsize” and 5.5 percent are “very light” jets.
