Studies reveals age of US business aviation fleet and key reasons to upgrade aircraft

MIAMI, APRIL 15, 2024 – Greater fuel efficiency, better onboard technology and lower operational costs are seen as key reasons for a company to upgrade its current business aircraft according to a new survey¹ commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) of senior executives from large U.S. businesses whose companies own or lease business jets. 

Analysis² of industry data by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) reveals the average age of business aircraft in the U.S. is 18.5 years. In 11 states, the average age is 20 years or more. Newer aircraft would offer better fuel efficiency, advanced technology and lower operational costs. 

“Our analysis shows that a significant number of business aircraft in the U.S. are older, and many of their owners will be looking to replace them with newer, more efficient models,” said Sean McGeough, VP Commercial ACJ for North America. 

He added, “The level of innovation and development in the larger business aircraft segment has been staggering, and this bodes well for this market.” 

In another survey³ of U.S.-based business aviation financiers and brokers, 85% said they expect to see purchases of large, heavy business jets increase over the next five years.  Nearly all of those interviewed (99%) said that demand for large and midsize jets is increasing at a faster rate than other categories due to their range and capacity.  They also said manufacturers are driving interest in these categories with the introduction of new models, further improving the sector’s appeal.

ACJ’s analysis shows that there are around 1,021 business aircraft for sale in the U.S., and 96 of these are large, long-range jets.

ACJ offers a range of large business aircraft. The recently launched ACJ TwoTwenty is carving out a whole new market segment – ‘The Xtra Large Bizjet.’

The ACJ TwoTwenty offers twice the cabin real estate compared to similarly priced ULR business jets with market-leading fuel efficiency and unrivaled reliability. It occupies the same parking footprint as competitive ULR jets and can take off from the same airports, but the ACJ TwoTwenty operating costs are one-third less.

With a range of up to 5,650 nm (more than 12 flight hours), the ACJ TwoTwenty can meet the requirements of 99.9% of all U.S. departures,⁴ connecting city pairs including Los Angeles to London, Miami to Buenos Aires, and New York to Istanbul.

As with all ACJ aircraft, the ACJ TwoTwenty is capable of flying with up to a 50% blend of kerosene and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) while keeping to the technical specifications of Jet A. All Airbus commercial aircraft and helicopters will be capable of operating with 100% SAF by 2030. This capability will play an important role in the sector’s decarbonization journey.

Over 200 Airbus corporate jets are in service worldwide, flying on every continent.

Notes to Editors:

1- Airbus Corporate Jets commissioned the independent research company Pureprofile to survey 100 senior executives of large U.S. corporations with annual revenue of $500 million or more who said their employer uses business aviation.  87% said their employer owns/leases a business jet. The study was conducted in September 2023.

2- Airbus Corporate Jets analysis of JETNET data, February 2024.

3- Airbus Corporate Jets commissioned the independent research company Pureprofile to survey 50 business aviation financiers, and 50 private jet brokers based in the U.S. The study was conducted in September 2023.

4- Airbus Corporate Jets analysis of WingX data, January 2024.