A short briefing every morning: what’s new in the world of private jets, plus an aircraft, a priced route, a fact and a story from the archive.
JETNET’s October market barometer says worldwide business jet departures reached 4.01 million on a trailing-12-month basis through September 2026, up 4.2%. Fractional ownership grew 9.9%, while corporate flight departments fell 8.6%.
Read the brief →The PC-24 is the only business jet certified for unpaved runways, combining a cargo door, a flat-floor cabin larger than most light jets and single-pilot operation. Pilatus delivered a record 51 in 2024 and introduced an upgraded version with 2,000 nm range and higher payload, keeping demand strong from owner-pilots, charter fleets and air-ambulance operators. Range 2,000 nm, 6 seats, about $12,500,000 new and roughly $1,900 an hour in fuel and maintenance.
Full profile →The Gulfstream G650's 16 windows are 28 inches wide, among the largest on any business jet, and the G700 fits 20 of them. (Gulfstream specifications)
More numbers →7,261 nautical miles, about 17h 15m in a large jet, roughly $225,999–$352,070 one-way for four — about $72,259 a seat.
Price this route →Richard Santulli, a former Goldman Sachs mathematician who had bought Executive Jet Aviation in 1984, used his models of aircraft utilisation to launch the NetJets programme in 1986. Customers bought a share of a specific aircraft, as small as one-sixteenth, and received guaranteed access to the fleet with a few hours' notice. The idea created a whole new tier of private flyers and copycats worldwide.
The full timeline →Kardashian is reported to have paid around $95 million for the G650ER and spent a further sum on an all-cashmere, light-wood interior, with total figures of roughly $150 million widely quoted. House rules reported by her family include no spray tans on board and branded slippers at every seat.
The story →FALSE — Seat belts are required by law for take-off, landing and whenever the captain says so, on private jets exactly as on airliners. Every certified seat has one, including the ones on divans and beds. What differs is enforcement style: nobody makes an announcement, the cabin attendant (if there is one) asks politely, and in smooth cruise you are free to move about. Pilots take unbelted passengers seriously because turbulence injuries on small jets are real.
The evidence →