Dublin-Based Research Firm Adds Its Voice To The VLJ Fanfare

Research and Markets (R&M) has published a 156-page market research paper titled "The Very Light Jet Market 2007-2016." 

In a press release announcing the availability of its research, the company says business travelers seek the minimization of delay and disruption. In the USA, as elsewhere, passenger travel is concentrated around a few important hub airports. Around 70% of all airline passengers fly through 30 large airports - with 5,000 smaller airports available for services more-or-less on demand.

R&M says business aviation is growing rapidly in North America and VLJ proponents see the opening of this market as an extension to – rather than a replacement for – corporate jet travel. With a VLJ, a company can make jet travel available to managers, as well as board members.

For private owner/operators VLJs offer substantial savings over larger jet aircraft and even some single-engine turboprop types according to R&M. The cost of ownership can be planned by using manufacturer support packages.

If air traffic growth in the US averages an annual increase of 3.5 percent until 2017, estimates are that the US air travel industry would fly 1,088.6 million passengers in 2017. R&M estimates the VLJ market would represent around 0.72 percent of the US airline market.

R&M says time savings for business travelers will be VLJ's biggest selling point. The research counters VLJ safety fears by noting NASA's and the FAA's involvement in their development.

The study predicts the delivery of 4,124 VLJs during 2007-2016 – which added to the 30 or so delivered in 2006 will put the global VLJ fleet at 4,154 aircraft.

Some industry observers critical of the manufacturer-supplied growth rate contend that only two, or at best three, manufacturers will make it to market but the authors of this report are slightly more optimistic.

R&M believes, in addition to the five key programs featured in the report (A700, Cessna Mustang, Embraer Phenom 100, Diamond D-Jet and Eclipse 500) there will be other new entrants who succeed in producing aircraft for the personal jet market.

FMI: www.reasearchandmarkets.com