Deliveries from the top five business jet OEMs are forecast to jump by 17 percent from an estimated 575 in 2023 to 670 in 2024, according to investment research firm Jefferies. This would surpass the 652 delivered in 2019, according to the analyst.

Leading this growth are new programs—including Gulfstream’s flagship G700, which is anticipated to soon enter service, and Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 6X—along with an easing of the supply-chain headwinds, Jefferies added.

“[Gulfstream parent General Dynamics (GD)] benefits the most on deliveries and mix, while [Textron] sees more moderate growth,” Jefferies said. The delay in G700 certification, which had been targeted by year-end 2023, pushed at least 15 G700 deliveries into 2024.

In the Jefferies outlook, Gulfstream deliveries would increase from the estimated 114 in 2023 to 155 this year. Jefferies equity research analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu estimated that Gulfstream has built 49 G700s thus far, 30 of which are forecast to be delivered this year. In addition, the Jefferies outlook anticipates G800 certification later this year, with 10 of those handed over by year-end.

As for Dassault, Jefferies sees a gradual increase from 32 business jets in 2022 to 35 in 2023 and then 52 this year. Overall, the business jet market is anticipated to maintain a book-to-bill of 1:1 with both pricing and sales softening in 2024.

The FAA grounded more than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9s over the weekend when it introduced an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) requiring immediate inspection of mid-exit plug doors. This followed an incident on Friday night in which an Alaska Airlines aircraft depressurized soon after takeoff from Portland International Airport in Oregon.

NTSB officials are investigating the incident, which involved Flight 1262 landing safely with 174 passengers and six crewmembers on board after the door detached from the fuselage at around 16,000 feet.

According to a fleet analysis by IBA, the grounding could disrupt operations for around 85 percent of the 216 Max 9s delivered to date, with most of these being operated by Alaska and United Airlines. The UK-based aviation consultancy said that the Max 9 BBJ bizliner also has the mid-exit plug door—while indicating that its records show just one example of this variant in service today.

Late yesterday, the NTSB confirmed that the door had been found in a school teacher's backyard in the Portland area and will now be evaluated by the agency’s structures team. Boeing is convening a company-wide meeting on safety issues to be webcast tomorrow from its production line in Renton, Washington. On Saturday, the company said it fully supports the FAA’s decision to require immediate aircraft inspections.

With the opening of the Beacon Air Group facility, aircraft operators visiting Montana’s Billings Logan International Airport (KBIL) now have their choice of two FBOs.

“We are honored to serve as the region’s new premier FBO option, connecting aviators with the beauty and bustle of southern Montana,” said company owner Joel Simmons. “Every aspect of Beacon Air Group was designed with our customers’ needs in mind, from the facilities that house our operation to the services we provide out of it.”

The 9,000-sq-ft private aircraft terminal features a pet-friendly lobby; a pair of six-seat conference rooms; 50-seat seminar room; business center; crew lounge; coffee bistro; laundry and dishwashing service; and crew cars.

The facility also provides 36,000 sq ft of heated hangar space capable of sheltering aircraft up to a Gulfstream G600. Beacon Air also offers aircraft management and charter broker services.

As an Avfuel dealer, the FBO will participate in the fuel provider’s contract fuel and customer loyalty programs.

“The Avfuel team congratulates Beacon Air Group on the opening of its first-in-class FBO,” said David Mittleman, the Michigan-based company’s senior sales manager for the western U.S. “With this partnership, we’re able to connect our 6,000-plus flight department customers with the top-notch services and facilities Beacon Air Group has to offer.”

Helicopter operator PHI Group recently filed an amended S-1 prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange. Its first IPO filing was on October 4. When the stock begins trading, it will be under the ticker symbol ROTR with 24,267,599 shares outstanding.

PHI operates helicopters that serve global oil and gas exploration and aeromedical transportation, and it also provides MRO services at its Lafayette, Louisiana headquarters. The company's fleet includes 213 aircraft, 189 of which PHI owns, 20 that are leased, and four that PHI manages on behalf of owners and are used for aeromedical services. Five of the PHI-owned aircraft are fixed-wing (four Bombardier Learjet 31As and one Beechcraft King Air), and the remainder are light, medium, and heavy helicopters.

Although there is strong demand for heavy helicopters from oil and gas customers, PHI plans to replace “a significant part” of its Sikorsky S-92 fleet, which numbers 32 helicopters, due to supply-chain challenges “that have delayed parts and repairs…thereby limiting the number of such aircraft that are serviceable today.” PHI plans to add more super-medium Airbus H175s and has options for an additional 18 on top of the 20 that it ordered in September, as well as eight medium H160s.

Clay Lacy Aviation and Joby Aviation are preparing to install what they say will be the first charging unit for eVTOL air taxis in Southern California. The Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS) developed by Joby will form part of Clay Lacy’s $100 million redevelopment of its FBO at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, which is due to be completed by mid-2025.

Joby is already using the GEACS units to support test flights with its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft at its facility at Marina in Northern California and at Edwards Air Force Base. Last year, the company made the specifications for the charging units available publicly to encourage other electric aircraft manufacturers and operators to adopt them as a universal recharging interface.

According to Joby, John Wayne Airport will be part of its planned air taxi network serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area from 2025. Its piloted aircraft will operate on routes of up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 200 mph. The manufacturer plans to operate commercial routes in major U.S. cities—which could include New York City—with partners such as Delta Air Lines.