Business jet deliveries in the first nine months rose 10.1% year over year (YOY) while turboprops saw a slight decline, according to the third-quarter 2024 aircraft delivery report released yesterday by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Overall airplane billings climbed by 20.5%, to $17.3 billion.

Most of the business jet airframers saw improvement, led by Embraer, which ramped up its production by 30% YOY in the nine-month period. Gulfstream experienced a more than 23% increase in deliveries, while Bombardier had an 8.5% YOY rise. Business jet handovers at Textron Aviation, Cirrus Aircraft, and Pilatus Aircraft were flat. Honda Aircraft—with nine HondaJets to date this year—reported a 25% decline from the same period in 2023.

Turboprop shipments experienced a nearly 1% YOY decline in the first nine months, but the high-end pressurized segment counted four more deliveries, equating to a better-than-2% increase. Epic Aircraft ramped up E1000 GX production by 80% YOY, while Piper delivered two more turboprop singles in the first nine months. At Textron Aviation, Beechcraft King Air handovers were flat from a year ago, while Pilatus had a 12% erosion in PC-12 deliveries. Piaggio shipped two of its twin pusher P.180 Avanti Evos through October, one more than it did in the same period last year.

Bombardier settled its 2016 lawsuit filed against Honeywell over HTF7000 engine pricing before the Superior Court of Québec, the companies said yesterday. Honeywell also simultaneously announced a strategic agreement to collaborate on new technologies “for current and future Bombardier aircraft in avionics, propulsion, and satellite communications technologies.”

Terms of the settlement were not revealed, but Jefferies Equity Research said Honeywell updated its 2024 guidance to reflect the investments being made as part of the agreement. This includes “$400 million in contra-revenue tied to its planned launch contributions for the HTF7000 and Anthem co-development programs.”

Though no details are yet available, Honeywell hinted at some developments in its announcement. These include a new engine in the HTF7000 family and joint development of Honeywell’s new Anthem avionics platform. The two companies will “co-innovate” development of the engine and avionics, which could be a hint that Bombardier is designing a new business jet in the super-midsize category or planning avionics upgrades in its current product line.

“We have been expecting a new or reimagined/refined engine to be developed in the super-midsize space, so this is an endorsement of the health of this segment of the market, which is in such high demand, especially with fractional and large fleet operators,” said Rolland Vincent, president of Rolland Vincent Associates and founder/director of JetNet iQ.

Gulfstream Aerospace has manufactured its 1,000th aircraft wing after moving production to its Savannah-based manufacturing facility in 2012. All wings for Gulfstream large-cabin business jets—the G400/500/600, G650ER, and G700/800—are produced at the company's headquarters in Savannah, Georgia. The 1,000th wing shipset will be installed on a G600.

“Production of the 1,000th wing at our headquarters in Savannah is a testament to how advanced our technology, production, and design processes have become with the help of the industry’s most talented workforce,” said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream. “Thanks to the investments made across the business, the enhanced operational efficiency and flexibility of our in-house manufacturing facilities ensure we continue to deliver the utmost in quality and innovation when creating and delivering the world’s finest aviation experience.”

In 2018, Triumph shifted its Gulfstream G650 wing box and wing completion work to Gulfstream’s plant in Savannah. Over the following years, Triumph continued to shift more of its G650 and G700 work to Gulfstream to divest non-core operations. That hand-off followed the transfer of Triumph’s G650 wing assembly lines in Nashville, Tennessee, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the Savannah facility.

In 2022, Gulfstream announced the expansion of the wing manufacturing facility, as well as an expansion of the adjacent G400/500/600 manufacturing complex, to meet growing customer demand.

The 10th edition of the MEBAA show is set to open next Tuesday at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport, with 145 exhibitors seeking to capitalize on private aviation growth across the Middle East and Africa. The biennial, three-day event is organized by the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) and is expected to draw more than 10,000 visitors from 95 countries.

MEBAA’s expanded conference agenda reflects the rapid pace of change since the show launched two decades ago, addressing pressing matters such as environmental sustainability and technological advances that will be presented by 55 senior industry leaders in the BizAv Talks program. The 2024 show also features new elements such as the Advanced Air Mobility Pavilion, the Startup Hub, and the Luxury Boulevard.

Leading aircraft manufacturers will be prominent at the static display, including Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream, and Textron Aviation. The lineup, which includes some companies that skipped this year's EBACE and NBAA-BACE shows, also features major operators and service provides such as Qatar Executive, Royal Jet, VistaJet, Falcon Aviation, Comlux, Aloula Aviation, and Saudia Private Aviation.

AIN Media Group will publish print editions each day at the MEBAA show. Full news coverage will also be available on a dedicated show landing page at AINonline.

Hospitality school Les Roches and Jetex have launched a postgraduate course to help people interested in becoming professionals in private aviation learn the nuances of serving the sector. The postgraduate diploma in private aviation will be offered at Les Roches campuses in Marbella, Spain; Crans-Montana, Switzerland; and Abu Dhabi, UAE.

A full-time program over two semesters, the program includes a six-month internship with Jetex, which operates FBOs worldwide and provides charter and trip-planning services. Partial scholarships are available for selected participants, and Jetex will consider initial employment for high achievers based on their performance and the company’s hiring needs.

“Jetex is redefining the standards of private aviation, and this partnership reflects our commitment to developing a new generation of professionals who embody our values of innovation, excellence, and luxury,” said Adel Mardini, founder and CEO of Jetex.

“Les Roches has always been at the forefront of shaping leaders for the luxury service sector,” said CEO Carlos Díez de la Lastra. “This partnership with Jetex represents a remarkable opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in the world of private aviation and emerge as future leaders.”

Officials in McCook, Nebraska, say they are close to restoring aircraft fueling services at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport (KMCK) after Red Willow Aviation, the lone FBO on the field, declared bankruptcy on November 15. The long-standing FBO last changed hands in 2022 and provided aircraft maintenance services at KMCK, which features a 6,450-foot primary runway.

City manager Nate Schneider told AIN that the company immediately ceased all operations under the terms of the liquidation bankruptcy, leaving the airport in a tough situation.

“The bankruptcy trustee, they control all of the assets, which includes the buildings that were owned by Red Willow Aviation and all the equipment,” he said, adding that the city is working to hammer out a lease agreement with the bankruptcy trustee to allow for the use of the buildings and the equipment so it can restart aircraft fueling operations.

In the meantime, the city has had to establish its own insurance for the FBO and retained the location’s certified fueling staff as independent contractors. To pay for it all, one of the options Schneider is exploring is the uncommon use of city council contingency funds.

As for the future of the FBO, Schneider expects the city will eventually issue an RFP for a new operator, but until then it will have to wait until the bankruptcy winds its way through the legal process.