October 30, 2025
Bombardier’s mystery customer will be announced Tuesday – it will be a U.S. player; Kenny Dichter to detail plans for Real Jet, and more.
Next week’s annual convention of the National Business Aviation Association in Las Vegas is expected to have several big announcements with familiar faces detailing new ways you can access private aviation.
BACE, as the confab is called, stands for Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition.
The event includes a trade show at the convention center and a static display at Henderson Executive Airport.
In the past, the event has been the stage for big announcements from fractional, jet card, and charter companies.
In 2015, Flexjet announced an order for Aerion’s proposed supersonic business jets.
NetJets announced a deal in 2018 for 175 Longitudes and 150 Hemispheres from Textron Aviation.
Gulfstream announced fleet orders for its G700 from Qatar Executive and Flexjet in 2019.
In 2022, FlyExclusive announced its IPO via a SPAC merger.
Last year, Wheels Up announced its acquisition of GrandView Aviation and $325 million in additional financing.
Last week’s announcement by Flexjet for 300 Phantom 3500s seemed to suggest we might not see any significant news from private jet flight providers.
Yesterday, Bombardier scheduled two press events for Tuesday.
Also, Real Jet, Kenny Dichter’s return to private aviation, is expected to hold a press conference on Monday.
Magnifica Air, which plans to offer a luxury-by-the-seat semi-private airline launching in 2027, is expected to reveal more details.
Yesterday, it released the initial cities it plans to serve with its fleet of VIP configured Airbus A220 and A321neo jets.
Bombardier did not disclose what is on tap, but expectations are that it will reveal the mystery customer who placed a firm $1.7 billion order for Challenger and Global jets in June.
At the time, speculation was that it was a customer from the Middle East, perhaps India, with a focus on Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom is making significant investments in aviation – both public and private.
However, it is now confirmed to be a U.S.-based customer.
Bombardier artfully said it would be a new customer, ruling out NetJets, Flexjet, and VistaJet —the three biggest operators.
It would also rule out Airshare, which has been expanding its Challenger 3500 fleet.
In fact, it is expected to be both a new customer for the Canadian OEM and a new operator.
Meanwhile, Kenny Dichter tells Private Jet Card Comparisons his 8:30 am Monday morning press briefing will have plenty of Real Jet logo hats as he returns as the media sponsor for coffee and donuts.
Dichter was famous for passing out Marquis Jet and Wheels Up swag.
Dichter founded Marquis Jet Partners in 2001.
He then launched Wheels Up in 2013 before exiting in 2023.
Dichter plans to give an overview of how he hopes the private aviation offshoot of his Real SLX lifestyle platform will attract the next generation of private flyers and those who can afford private flying but have stayed on the sidelines.
Earlier this year, NetJets President Patrick Gallagher estimated that before Covid, only 10% of those with the wealth to fly privately were doing so.
Gallagher said even with the pandemic surge, as much as 85% of the addressable market remains untapped.
Since the Bombardier, Real Jet, and Magnifica Air press plans only popped up in the past 24 hours, the possibility, however unlikely, remains that there could be even more late-breaking news.
Of course, not everything announced at NBAA or anywhere always pans out.
The Aerion SSTs never took to the air, nor did the Textron Hemispheres.
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