April 18, 2024
Launch North American fleet customer for Gulfstream’s G700; Flexjet is likely to announce a significant new order for private jets next month.
Flexjet will likely place a large order for private jets next month during the National Business Aviation Association’s annual conference in Las Vegas.
Speaking during the opening of Flexjet’s new headquarters and operations center outside Cleveland, Chairman Kenn Ricci tells Private Jet Card Comparisons, “We will have an order in the fall at NBAA, and it really results from the fact that we fulfilled both our Embraer and our Bombardier orders. We’ve taken all the aircraft under those orders. We’ll be doing something notable.”
Flexjet flies Embraer’s Phenom 300, Praetor 500, and Praetor 600.
Its fleet includes Challenger 300/350/3500s and Global XRSs from Bombardier.
It also operates Gulfstream G450s and G650s.
According to its current fleet plan, six Phenom 300s will join the fleet this year, giving it 55 in total.
It’s adding 12 Praetor 500s, bringing that midsize fleet to 56 aircraft.
Four Praetor 600s arrive this year, giving it 17, of which 11 are based in Europe.
By the start of next year, the second-largest fractional operator will have 50 Challenger 350s in addition to 36 Challenger 300s.
The Gulfstream G450 fleet goes to 28 of the type, while its five new G650s will give Flexjet 19 of the ultra-long-range private jets by year’s end.
Speaking about the G700, Ricci said, “I think we’re out in ’26 to ’27. We won’t get a date until they know what their certification date is.”
Ricci declined to provide more specifics on the upcoming order.
Overall, the company will have 269 aircraft by year’s end, with over 300 by the end of 2024 based on current delivery schedules.
In addition to shares and leases across the fleet, it offers jet cards on its fleet of Phenom 300s and Challenger 300s.
