Business Aviation

So, how big should a business jet be? As big as it can get, apparently. Airbus announced an order for six as yet not prototyped A350 extra-wide-body aircraft to MAZ Aviation, which represents clients in the Middle East. The deal is worth $1.5 billion. As little as six months ago, Boeing and Airbus were heavily […]

Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier says the company will give “the jet” a real name before it hits the market and the moniker was simply an in-house convenience that stuck when the company went public. But Klapmeier also took pains to assure a news conference at EBACE 2008 that the jet itself is “real” and he’s […]

One of the most mundane forms of air transportation is finding new life at the top of the food chain. Project Phoenix is converting Bombardier CRJ 200 regional jets to ultra-luxurious business jets in the same league as the Bombardier Global Express at less than half the price. But while the $18.5 million price tag […]

One of the most popular booths at EBACE 2008 has nothing directly to do with business aviation, but it’s attracting crowds of people. Boeing has put up an elaborate flight simulator with controls approximating a Boeing Business Jet and a wide-screen depiction of the ILS to Nice, France. Most people who try it, like this […]

One of the biggest stars on the Formula 1 racing circuit drives a Honda, and he’ll soon be flying one. Jenson Button was introduced at EBACE 2008 as the first European customer for the HondaJet. A large crowd formed at the Honda booth at the PalExpo convention center in Geneva to catch a glimpse of […]

Business aviation is by far the safest segment of general aviation but that doesn’t mean it can’t be better. And there’s also a shift in personnel and operations on the horizon that might challenge that claim, though not necessarily. At a seminar at EBACE 2008 in Geneva on Wednesday, Don Spruston, Director General of the […]

A major European aviation publication is speculating that Eclipse Aviation might have to build a separate line of its E500 very light jet to satisfy concerns of the European Aviation Safety Agency. Flight Global reported Wednesday in its EBACE publication that EASA has significant concerns. As AVwebBiz reported Wednesday, CEO Vern Raburn is saying he […]

A day after unveiling the mockup of its next-generation composite business jet, the Premier II, Hawker Beechcraft announced it has taken 40 firm orders and has 30 more in the wings. The aircraft is an update of the Premier 1A, which was the first (and still the only) all-composite business jet in certified service. It […]

Boeing makes no bones about the luxury and style it offers on its large business jets but thanks to an innovative project developed in Sweden, they can be converted to lifesaving workhorses in a matter of hours. The company has certified a modular system of stretchers and self-contained intensive-care beds that can be used in […]

Embraer unveiled a mockup of its new midsize business jet and announced it was naming that aircraft the Legacy 500, and its mid-light stablemate the Legacy 450, at EBACE 2008 on Tuesday. Until now, the paper jets were called the MLJ and MSJ. The 500 seats up to 10 and has a range of up […]