A look back at the biggest private aviation news stories in 2019

Demand for private jet travel at its highest in a decade

IMAGE: Alt tag: Many Private jets all parked in an airport

November 2019 brought more than 350 private jet manufacturers, appraisers, senior-level financiers, private jet companies and brokers, lawyers and arrangers together in Miami Beach at the Corporate Jet Investor Conference. They gathered to negotiate and close deals, meet new leads, and grow their aviation business. It was an optimistic close to an extraordinary year for the business and general aviation sector that had seen private jet manufacture reach its highest level in a decade in the first nine months of 2019.

Between January and September, 516 brand new private aircraft were delivered to buyers, compared to 447 units in the same period the previous year. By mid-2019, private plane manufacturers had recorded a five-year-high billings increase of $1 billion year on year. It’s a trend that shows no signs of letting up with 7,600 brand new jets worth $248 billion expected to take to the skies in the next decade. Renewed confidence in the market, centered in the US and China, is being fueled by companies and the wealthy who are keen to refresh their fleets with new models released by the largest private jet manufacturers in the world.

Savvy private jet charter companies with healthy business models are seeing upward movement in the increasing demand for private jet charter services. Air Charter Service expanded its US headquarters in 2019 to facilitate future growth of the company’s nine offices across the region. The year saw an additional expansion for ACS’s Spanish operation with a move to new premises that were double the size of its previous office.

All-new advanced technology aircraft

Part of the upswing in new private aviation aircraft sales is thanks largely to the launch of a number of new planes that offer something for everyone, whether you’re after the most expensive private jet with all the bells and whistles, the fastest private jet, or the largest private jet on the market. In October 2019, Gulfstream unveiled the new G700 flagship which should make its first flight in early 2020. It’s set to take the record as the largest private jet in the world. The G700 will be a stretch on the Gulfstream G650 which continues to be a popular choice for those who enjoy the aircraft’s super-large cabin. The $75 million G700 will offer discerning travelers an additional 10 feet of cabin space. This would put the Gulfstream G700 on the best private jet list.  

Other groundbreaking aircraft that made their debut in 2019 were:

• The Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant high-speed compound helicopter completed its first flight in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 21.

• The Flaris LAR01 – a five-seat, very light jet powered by a single Williams FJ33 turbofan made its first flight on April 8 at Zielona Góra Airport in western Poland.

• The Airbus ACJ319neo – a corporate jet version of the A319neo – achieved its first flight on April 24.

• The Airbus CityAirbus made its first flight unmanned on May 3. Plans are to launch the electrically-powered VTOL aircraft as an air taxi to relieve ground traffic congestion.

• ATR launched the STOL (short takeoff and landing aircraft) variant of its ATR 42 on October 9. The aircraft can operate from 2,600 feet runways with up to 42 passengers. Certification is set for late 2022.

• The Epic E1000 is given FAA type certification on November 7. The private jet is an American single-engine, six-seat, turboprop under development by Epic Aircraft of Bend, Oregon. The company aims to launch it as the fastest private jet (single-engine civil aircraft) at its time of induction into service.

Many of these aircraft were first introduced to buyers at the world’s largest air shows that continued to increase in attendance and value in 2019. The 2019 Paris Air Show ran from June 17 to 23 and saw 866 aircraft commitments totaling $70 billion, including 388 for Airbus, 232 Boeing aircraft, 145 for ATR and 78 for Embraer. The types of aircraft were: 558 narrow bodies, 62 wide bodies, 93 regional jets, and 153 turboprops.

IMAGE: Alt tag: Airplanes flying over Paris creating the France flag with smoke 

Reducing flight times and increasing distance

In September 2019, UK-based Reaction Engines made aviation news when they announced that their engineers had successfully tested a pre-cooling system that allows engines to survive Mach 5 speeds (3.836 miles per hour). The ability to fly at Mach 5 would revolutionize commercial and private aviation, but when traveling at these speeds, temperatures reach more than 1,832F, which would melt an engine. Reaction Engines have tested pre-cooler technology that can lower the temperature to 302F in one 20th of a second. This effectively brought the aviation world a step closer to a four-hour flight from Sydney to London.

Electric planes that made airplane news in 2019

The quest for electric aircraft went ahead full pace with several breakthroughs in electric aviation technology in 2019.

In June 2019, Rolls-Royce announced its acquisition of a Siemens' electric propulsion branch which was completed by the end of the year, with 180 employees in Germany and Hungary. Its purpose is to develop the E-Fan X – a hybrid-electric aircraft with a Siemens 2,700 horsepower electric motor adapted by Rolls-Royce and powered by its AE2100 turboshaft which will be controlled and integrated by Airbus with a two-ton battery.

In November 2019, a team out of China’s Liaoning General Aviation Academy carried out a successful test flight of a four-seater electric airplane. The RX4E aircraft has a fight radius of 186 miles. The tiny plane’s limited engine capacity makes the aircraft suited for short-haul flights, aerial photography, or for training pilots.

IMAGE: Alt tag: 3D render of an airplane being charged with electric

The race to bring a fully electric aircraft to market hotted up in 2019. Electric flight startup, Kitty Hawk, announced plans in October 2019 for a third aircraft – Heaviside. The plane is intended to be 100 times quieter than a helicopter and capable of traveling 55 miles from San Jose to San Francisco in 15 minutes. Kitty Hawk, which is backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, may be beaten to the finish line by a number of contenders in the electric air taxi space. Uber has plans to start test flights of its Uber Air service in 2020 with the hopes of launching in 2023. Meanwhile, another startup, Lilium, carried out a test flight of its own five-seater air taxi in early 2019.

Surprising 2019 airplane news was the partnership between Boeing and Porsche, with the aim of creating a flying car. Aircraft giant, Boeing, and German sports car maker, Porsche, announced the new venture that would "explore the premium urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into airspace with a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle".

Private jet airport infrastructure evolves through 2019

Eurocontrol again highlighted the need for airport infrastructure to keep pace with the rapid increase in passenger air traffic. With main routes across central Europe filled with traffic from Asia and the Middle East, Eurocontrol warned that it may be necessary to reduce congestion by spreading air traffic on these routes. This is a challenge facing not only Europe but commercial aviation hubs across the world.

Private aviation passengers are able to use both the larger commercial airports as well as smaller airports and airfields in remote locations. Airport service providers are tapping into this trend by upgrading existing private jet airport services and the development of new, luxurious facilities for private jet passengers with some exciting developments in 2019. But be warned! Once you’ve experienced the luxury and convenience of a private jet terminal, you might find it impossible to go back to checking in your own bags, standing in long lines, and going through a series of customs and security delays.

• Upgrades were completed on Manchester Airport’s New Premium Terminal. The new private aviation terminal now provides passengers with a premium air travel experience.

• Fattal VIP Terminal in Tel Aviv was unveiled at Ben Gurion Airport. The new $5 million private jet center has check-in points, border control, and access to the runway. Private aviation passengers can enjoy luxurious private lounges with a number of add-on services, restrooms with a shower, and a butler.

• Milano Linate SEA Prime unveiled its shiny new $6 million VIP terminal called Malpensa Prime, at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. Its sister airport Milano Linate will be upgraded next. The new private aviation terminal has its own apron and hangar, immigration and customs area, and five luxury lounges, along with a state-of-the-art conference center, limousine service, and concierge.

• Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi announced plans in 2019 to create a two-story building of 17,000 square feet that will house a private terminal. When put into service, the VIP travelers will be treated to luxury services of the highest standards

Private jet charter to the rescue in natural disasters and political unrest

IMAGE: Alt tag: Aerial view of floods in Thailand

Natural disasters and political unrest continued to make private jet travel an attractive, and sometimes only, alternative to commercial airline travel. Political unrest in Hong Kong that saw the closure of Hong Kong International Airport and the suspension of all flights in August 2019, highlighted the role private aviation plays in continuing to airlift people and aid into or out of troubled regions.

The year saw no let-up in the number of humanitarian private jet charter missions flown by Air Charter Service. At the close of 2018, ACS gave assistance to governments and charities by flying 600 tons of aid into Indonesia onboard private jet flights in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

In April 2019, ACS flew almost 500 tons of humanitarian aid, as well as 100 doctors, onboard private plane charter flights into disaster-struck Mozambique after Cyclone Idai swept through the region, leaving 700 people dead and three million in need of humanitarian assistance. In September, ACS again made airplane news when it helped to evacuate those affected by Hurricane Dorian and flew medical personnel and equipment into affected areas in Florida and the Bahamas.

If you would like to find out more about private jet charter, please speak to our team about the benefits of private jet charter for fast, agile, and personalized travel. We’d also be happy to speak to you about your other options for flexible, cost-effective jet charter, like our short-haul air taxi service or our jet card that offers you a range of benefits unsurpassed by any other product on the private aviation market.