Private aviation to soar amid strong economics and tech boom: Honeywell

Amid growth happening ‘right now’, Honeywell bumps 10-year business-jet deliveries forecast up 4.4% from last year’s outlook.
There are simply not enough business aircraft available to meet roaring market demand.

That is the message conveyed by Honeywell Aerospace’s 2026 Global Business Aviation outlook, which says broadly positive economic and consumer trends suggest a period of long-term, sustained growth is at hand.

“There is a scarcity of aircraft in the market,” says Honeywell strategic planning manager Kevin Schwab. “AI wealth creation… is fuelling a lot of the growth we’re seeing right now.”

The firm released the report on 19 October ahead of the NBAA-BACE business aviation trade show’s opening in Las Vegas.

It predicts that through 2035 airframers will deliver 9,950 new business jets, including all models between “personal” types like Cirrus SF50 Vision jets and the longest-range, largest-cabin models.

The company’s forecast last year pegged 10-year demand at 8,500 aircraft, but that figure excluded personal jets.

Honeywell added those and business turboprops to this year’s outlook to better capture the broader market.
Adjusted to be comparable, Honeywell’s new 10-year business-jet demand forecast is up 4.4% from last year.

“We’re expecting the fleet to grow 29% over the next 10 years, which is more than it has grown over the last 10 years,” Schwab says. “We see a lot of positives for the industry this year.”

Global concerns aside (Middle East conflict and elevated interest rates and fuel prices), broad economic trends remain positive.

“Businesses are doing well, which generally means that there’s strong demand,” Schwab says, adding that the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals is climbing thanks partly to the AI and broader tech-sector boom. “Business aviation is extremely sticky. Once people are in business aviation, they tend to stay.”

Amid such factors, flight hours are up 4% year on year, partly reflecting the growth of large charter operators and fractional-aircraft providers – firms that are introducing more people to private aviation.

Market confidence

Meanwhile, aircraft delivery rates are up 8% year on year and aircraft-retirements have declined. Schwab says 28% of operators who responded to Honeywell’s survey (which it uses to generate its forecast) report holding unfilled orders for at least one business aircraft, while 32% anticipate flying more next year.

“They’re feeling healthy. They are feeling confident,” he says of operators.

Honeywell expects manufacturers will deliver some 14,000 business jets and turboprops between 2026 and 2035. That will drive the global fleet up 29% from 39,400 to 51,000 aircraft, including 18,000 turboprops and 15,000 light, 8,200 midsize and 9,700 large-cabin jets. It expects flight hours will jump 34% over the period.

“Over the next decade we’re predicting one of the most-robust periods ever for business aviation,” says Honeywell president of commercial original equipment Linnea Whisler.

The USA remains the top business aviation market; it and Canada will account for nearly two-thirds of deliveries over the next decade, Honeywell predicts.

Conflict in the Middle East has caused business aviation growth there to stall. But because that region represents only about 3% of flight activity, the slowdown has shaved only half a percent off the global industry’s growth, says Schwab.

The post Private aviation to soar amid strong economics and tech boom: Honeywell first appeared on FlightGlobal.

Source: www.flightglobal.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.