Business aircraft deliveries this year and next will drop slightly, while over the same 12- to 18-month period new orders should start to pick up slightly. These are the core predictions of the latest business aviation outlook report published by Honeywell Aerospace last month. And they are broadly supported by the new forecast document from its engine-making rival Rolls-Royce, which also proclaimed its findings at the NBAA show in Orlando, Fla.
Foreseeing a gradual return to higher levels of demand, Honeywell has estimated a requirement for 7,600 new corporate jets valued at more than $121 billion from 2003 to 2012. “Significant aircraft backlogs (currently recorded at more than 1,800 units), bolstered by the appeal of new and derivative aircraft models entering service and continued growth in fractional ownership, position the industry for a near-term period of sustained demand at current or slightly lower levels,” the report concluded.
