McKinsey flags a capacity squeeze as Bombardier puts $270M into US service growth

Business aviation is busier than ever, but the spare aircraft, hangar space and maintenance slots it used to rely on are running out. That is the core message of McKinsey's first State of Business Aviation report, published on 19 October, and it frames several moves made in the past week.

McKinsey, drawing on WINGX and Cirium data, counts a record 3.9 million business jet departures in 2025, with departures growing about 4.9% a year since 2019. Total flight hours rose from roughly 4.7 million in 2019 to 6.4 million in 2025, and North America still flies about 70% of them.

Supply has not kept up. Manufacturers delivered 842 business jets in 2025, about two thirds of the 2008 peak. The fleet still grew by around 730 aircraft, but mostly because owners retired far fewer jets (about 110 in 2025 against roughly 300 in 2019). The result is an older fleet that needs more maintenance at a time when overhaul capacity is already stretched. McKinsey warns that as these aircraft hit major inspection milestones, some will leave service, which could trigger another round of shortages.

Demand has also moved. Most of the growth in US departures since 2019 came from airfields serving leisure and second-home destinations, which adds pressure on ramp space, hangars and local maintenance. Fractional fleets grew from about 990 to 1,510 aircraft over the same period and now fly around a fifth of all business jet hours.

Against that backdrop, Bombardier said on 23 October it will invest about $270 million in US infrastructure and add 800 jobs across Kansas, Texas, Indiana and Connecticut. Around 500 roles are being recruited now and 300 more will follow as projects come online, with Dallas named as the next major expansion site. The plan builds on the roughly $50 million Wichita package announced on 15 October, which includes a new North American Learning Center for newly hired technicians and an expanded wheel and tire shop, and a new service center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The announcement came as the US administration stepped back from earlier threats to block sales of Bombardier jets in the US. For owners and operators the practical point is more service and technician capacity in the US network, which is exactly the bottleneck McKinsey describes.

• Haute Aviation received FAA Part 129 approval for its Falcon 6X and Falcon 2000LXS, so the Swiss operator can now fly commercial charters to and from the US with both types.
• SyberJet says it has more than 50 non-binding letters of intent for the SJ36 unveiled at NBAA-BACE, with a projected range of up to 3,000 nm and a top speed of Mach 0.88.
• Dassault reaffirmed a 2029 entry into service for the Falcon 10X.

• Book capacity earlier. For peak leisure periods, heavy and super-midsize lift is likely to stay tight, so earlier quotes and firm holds matter more.
• Check maintenance status. Older tails are flying more hours; ask about upcoming inspections when you build a schedule to avoid last-minute swaps.
• Watch new cross-border lift. Part 129 approvals like Haute Aviation's add European-operated options on transatlantic trips.
• Expect more consolidation. McKinsey expects scale to matter more, which can change who controls availability in a market.

Sources: McKinsey, The state of business aviation in 2026 (19 Oct 2026); AIN, Bombardier scales up US operations (23 Oct 2026); Bombardier, $50 million Wichita investment (15 Oct 2026); CBC News, Bombardier investing $270M in US expansion (23 Oct 2026); Avi-Go AviNews Weekly, 19–25 October 2026 (McKinsey, Haute Aviation, SyberJet and Dassault items); NBAA Insider Daily, 26 October 2026. This brief is an original rewrite of those reports. It is not a verbatim reproduction of those publications.