Flight Options planning order at NBAA, NetJets not ready
Two largest fractional operators are both looking to place super-midsize orders but NetJets will not be making an announcement in Las Vegas
NetJets and Flight Options, the two largest fractional jet operators, are both negotiating orders for super-midsize jets.
Flight Options is expected to be the launch customer for Embraer’s Legacy 450 and Legacy 500, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2013.
NetJets is still talking to manufacturers but a spokeswoman for the company says they will not make an announcement at next week’s National Business Aviation Association Convention in Las Vegas. Gulfstream is understood not to have bid for the order.
When announced it will be NetJets’ third order in just over 12 months. In March 2011 it placed an order for 30 Global 5000 Vision and Global Express XRS Vision aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2012, as well as 20 firm orders for Bombardier’s newly-launched Global 7000 and Global 8000 jets, with deliveries of these to begin in 2017.
The order comprising 50 firm orders with options for an additional 70 aircraft had a total retail value of $6.7 billion, making it the largest aircraft purchase agreement in the history of private aviation.
At the 2010 NBAA Convention NetJets placed an order for 50 Embraer Phenom 300s with an option to buy 75 more. Flight Options has started taking delivery of its 2007 order of 100 Phenom 300s.
Recent NetJets orders
| Aircraft | Firm orders | List price | Passengers | Range (m) | |
| March 2011 | Global 5000 | Combined 30 | $45m | 8-19 | 5,800 |
| March 2011 | Global Express XRS | $53.5m | 8-19 | 7,080 | |
| March 2011 | Global 7000 | Combined 20 | $65m | 10-19 | 8,300 |
| March 2011 | Global 8000 | $65m | 8-19 | 9,200 | |
| October 2010 | Phenom 300 | 50 | $8.2m | 6-9 | 2,073 |
