The business jet market further strengthened in the third quarter with OEM backlogs, departures, and preowned transaction volume all increasing year over year (YOY), while for-sale aircraft inventory stabilized, according to the Global Jet Capital (GJC) Business Aviation Market Brief released today. 

In the report, the financier notes that the market was on “solid footing” with strong fundamentals in the quarter. “These trends underscored the market’s stability and set the stage for continued momentum throughout the remainder of the year,” GJC said.

Global economic growth slowed to 2.7% in the third quarter, down from the 3% average in the first half. But the quarter was stronger than anticipated, and consumer spending and business investments proved resilient, all of which have led economists to up their estimates of future growth.

In tandem, business jet departures climbed 5.1% YOY in the third quarter and are up 3.2% in the first nine months. Business jet backlogs swelled by 12.1% in the quarter, reaching $51.1 billion, and now stretch 18 to 24 months for most models.

Preowned sales activity recovered from the softness in the second quarter and increased 16.3% YOY in the third quarter. Aircraft availability inched down slightly from 7.8% of the fleet in third-quarter 2024 to 7.6% in the most recent quarter. Newer aircraft values rose 0.2%, but older aircraft values slid by 3.7%.

Private aviation provider XO has introduced a corporate membership program to streamline access for business travelers. According to the Vista group subsidiary, the product is designed for organizations that need fast, flexible access to aircraft worldwide and prefer not the be bound by long-term contracts or ownership.

The membership offers corporate users real-time pricing and booking, multi-user account management, and access to more than 2,000 aircraft globally. XO said members also receive priority access to the Vista Members’ fleet, as well as a 4% loyalty credit and additional credits tied to annual flying activity. The program is fully refundable, and the company highlighted city-pair examples such as New York to Los Angeles starting at $29,990.

XO framed the new tier as a response to today’s accelerated pace of business travel, in which executive teams often move between multiple regions in compressed timeframes. The company noted that the corporate membership is built to support multiple simultaneous flights and team-based travel logistics, providing operational flexibility for businesses with geographically distributed activity.

After years of development, LanzaJet has begun production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its $300 million Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Soperton, Georgia. This marks a major achievement for the company, making it the first to produce SAF at a commercial scale using ethanol as a feedstock.

While most SAF produced commercially thus far has been through the bio-oil HEFA pathway using used cooking oil, fats, and grease as feedstocks, LanzaJet’s proprietary next-generation alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology represents a new avenue for the industry. The ATJ process converts low-carbon alcohols, like ethanol, into a synthetic aviation fuel that meets the same performance standards as conventional jet-A.

It is designed to work with a broad range of feedstocks such as agricultural residues, energy crops, municipal solid waste, and captured carbon to deliver “significant” lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction over petroleum-based fuel. At full capacity, the facility will be able to produce 10 million gallons of renewable fuel a year.

The technology was developed in 2012 in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Lab, and the production pathway was approved by ASTM (the regulatory body for fuel safety) in 2016. The first commercial flight using ATJ fuel was by Virgin Atlantic in 2018.

Dubai’s Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital has agreed to provide medical specialists to support air ambulance operator FAI. The cooperation agreement was signed by hospital executives and the German operator’s local subsidiary, FAI Aviation Services, on Monday at the Dubai Airshow.

Under the deal, Medcare’s intensive care unit doctors and other staff will be available for FAI’s air ambulance flights. The partners have agreed to hold joint training and clinical readiness exercises as part of efforts to shorten emergency response times for urgent or critical patient transfers.

According to FAI, enhancing air ambulance services in the UAE is important as part of the country’s efforts to become a hub for medical tourism. The Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital, which has a specialist trauma unit, has been providing critical support for inbound medical evacuation missions for some time, and some of its doctors have already supported FAI flights since 2008.

A recent mission involved a young U.S. expatriate woman, a resident in the UAE, who sustained severe injuries in a car accident while on vacation in Kyrgyzstan. After her doctors advised against a flight back to the U.S., FAI flew her to Dubai on a Bombardier Challenger 604 and she was discharged from the hospital six weeks later.

How automation is helping cut a GTF assembly process time in half.

Prime Appearance—the aircraft detailing division of Texas-based PrimeFlight Aviation Services—has acquired Signature Aviation’s aircraft detailing operation at metro New York City-area Teterboro Airport (KTEB) to enhance its already sizable presence on the field. Signature acquired the business as part of its purchase of Meridian (Signature West) last year.

In operation at more than 160 airports in the U.S., Prime Appearance specializes in a wide range of aircraft services, including exterior detailing, paint protection, leather treatments, interior detailing and restoration, and transient support.

The Signature West-based crew will immediately transition to the Prime Appearance brand, providing exterior quick turn service, exterior wash and wax, paint sealant, gear well detailing, interior cleaning, bright work polishing, and carpet extraction. The move increases the company's staffing at KTEB to 46 employees.

“We are excited to expand our presence at one of the general aviation industry’s busiest airports,” said PrimeFlight COO Charlotte Cheatham. “We are now better positioned to support our base and transient customers with around-the-clock operations at several FBOs across the airport.”

Jet Aviation is marking the 20th anniversary of its FBO and business aircraft MRO services in Dubai this week. The business aviation support group opened its facility at Dubai International Airport (OMDB) in 2005 to boost its presence in the growing Middle East market, having been present in Saudi Arabia since 1979.

The company has since made further investments, starting with the opening of a second FBO at Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW) in 2012. Five years later, this facility moved to its current location in the shared VIP terminal.

Jet Aviation expanded its MRO capabilities in the region through the 2018 acquisition of Hawker Pacific and RBIH Dubai, which offer helicopter support, including spares and blade repairs in partnership with Bell. In 2024, the Dubai facility became an authorized support provider for the Pilatus PC-24, adding to its existing capability for the PC-12.

In the same year, General Dynamics sister company Gulfstream appointed it as an authorized service center for the G700. The company, which has 50 facilities and 4,500 employees worldwide, also provides aircraft management, charter and sales services, as well as cabin interior completions.

Last year, Jet Aviation celebrated its 45th anniversary in Saudi Arabia, where it has FBOs in Jeddah, Medina, and Riyadh. A company spokeswoman told AIN that the group is committed to supporting future growth in the Middle East business aviation sector.

To help prepare pilots for expensive training events and reduce time spent in flight training devices and simulators, Loft Dynamics and Trifork have developed LoftHome, a pilot training kit that runs on the Apple Vision Pro virtual reality (VR) headset platform. Loft Dynamics’ VR flight simulators cost far less than full-flight simulators and require much less space.

LoftHome uses Loft’s FAA- and EASA-approved VR simulator and training technology to deliver instruction in a simpler but accessible format. “Loft managed to get the simulator into a smaller footprint, at a lower price, and now we step in by using VR goggles,” said Fabi Riesen, founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics.

Pilots learning to fly business jets and airliners typically use multiple devices to access training material and to practice using avionics and aircraft systems. These often begin with training documents and modules on iPads, then avionics training devices and procedures trainers, followed by a flight training device, and finally the full-motion flight simulator.

“Loft makes a completely different approach,” Riesen explained. “We get rid of that complex world, with so many devices.” All a trainee needs is an Apple Vision Pro VR headset, an iPad, and an internet connection to Loft. “Simplying from seven to two training devices is great,” he said.

Aeronautical Data Systems (ADS) has been added to Starr Safety Partnership’s network of service providers, extending a variety of benefits to the latter’s membership. Established three years ago, this network—a division of Starr Insurance—offers safety-focused services at a discount to Starr aviation customers. These typically cover various phases of aircraft ownership and operation. According to Starr senior v-p and chief underwriter Kyle Sparks, the program is unique “in how it serves the aircraft owner’s needs, as well as those of the pilot.”

New Jersey-headquartered ADS specializes in flight safety technology and training. “From apps to software, to [safety management systems] and training, ADS is all about reducing pilot task saturation and ensuring quick rescue with flight planning and real-time technology,” the company said.

Starr customers are now eligible for a discount on several ADS-provided products. These include the apps Ergo Blue, designed to help pilots locate the nearest vessel when flying over water, and Ergo 360, which displays real-time fuel, oxygen, and emergency landing information. ADS’ Oxygen equal-time-point fuel and oxygen planning software is also available at a reduced rate under the partnership.

Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology is looking for pilots and aircraft owners willing to take a 10-minute survey on electronic conspicuity (EC) technology, which helps aircraft pilots, drone pilots, and air traffic services be more aware of what is operating in the surrounding airspace. This includes ADS-B systems and other technologies to enhance aircraft visibility and situational awareness. The survey aims to understand opinions and concerns about potential EC requirements, including cost, privacy, and regulation. Your feedback will help researchers, policymakers, and developers better understand the challenges of adoption and improve airspace safety. Participation is free and anonymous. For questions, contact Dr. Damon Lercel at dlercel@purdue.edu.