Industry brief

NetJets plans 800 more Columbus jobs and a crew training centre as Gulfstream's Q3 orders outrun deliveries

NetJets will add more than 365,000 sq ft to its Columbus headquarters, including a dedicated crew training centre, and hire about 800 more people by early 2029. Gulfstream delivered 40 jets in Q3 with a 1.4 book-to-bill and a $25.4 billion aerospace backlog. Also: Jeppesen has stopped printing paper charts, and Centennial hangar tenants dropped their suit over an 82% rent rise.

5 min read · 2026-11-04

Nose and cockpit of a business jet on the ramp

Lead

The biggest fractional operator is building for more volume. NetJets announced on 2 November that it will expand its global headquarters on Bridgeway Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, by more than 365,000 square feet, and expects to hire about 800 more people by the time the work is finished in early 2029. That would take its Central Ohio headcount to roughly 3,200.

What NetJets is building

The plan adds two buildings with office space and a dedicated training centre for NetJets crews, plus a parking garage and larger dining and event facilities. It will be built in phases and is still subject to legal and regulatory approvals; NetJets did not disclose the cost. The company says the expansion is meant to keep up with owner demand, and it follows a renovation of the NetJets Flight Center that reopened in June. NetJets also expects to take more than 80 new jets in 2026, and holds options agreed with Textron Aviation in 2023 for up to 1,500 more Citations over 15 years (options, not firm orders).

Gulfstream: one more delivery, a lot more orders

General Dynamics' aerospace segment, which is Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, reported third-quarter revenue of $3.54 billion, up 9.3% on a year earlier, and operating earnings of $513 million, up 19.3%. Gulfstream delivered 40 aircraft (35 large-cabin jets and five G280s) against 39 a year ago, so most of the growth came from a richer model mix and from services: maintenance demand and FBO activity at both Gulfstream and Jet Aviation.

The stronger signal is on the order side. Aerospace orders came to about $5.0 billion in the quarter, a book-to-bill of 1.4, and the segment's backlog rose to about $25.4 billion. Management said demand has held up despite interest-rate and geopolitical worries, and that the G800 reached its 33rd delivery this quarter.

Also this week

Jeppesen has stopped printing paper charts. Jeppesen ForeFlight ended its chart printing service on 31 October, and all remaining paper subscriptions were terminated from 1 November with credit for any unused period. Charts stay available digitally, individual plates and diagrams can still be printed from apps such as ForeFlight Mobile, and larger users can ask for print files for in-house or third-party printing.

Centennial hangar tenants give up their fight over an 82% rent rise. Tenants at Denver's Centennial Airport (APA) dropped their state-court suit against FBO Denver jetCenter, which raised T-hangar rent from $660 to $1,200 a month in April. The FAA had rejected their informal Part 13 complaint in August and refused to reconsider on 7 October. The tenants' group says legal costs passed $60,000 and that it is weighing a formal Part 16 complaint.

What it means for brokers and operators

Fractional capacity keeps growing. More crews trained in-house and 80-plus new jets this year mean NetJets will compete harder for the same travellers, especially on light and midsize Citation missions. Brokers should expect owners and card holders to keep shopping both sides.
Large-cabin supply stays tight. With Gulfstream orders running well ahead of deliveries, new G500, G600, G700 and G800 slots remain scarce, which supports preowned values and charter rates for large-cabin aircraft.
Check your crews' chart setup. Operators still relying on Jeppesen paper binders need their digital chart approval and backup printing process in place now, and should check any regulator approval their operation requires.
Budget for hangar and FBO costs. The Centennial outcome shows a large FBO rent rise can stand when the lease allows "market conditions" adjustments. Read escalation clauses before you sign, and build higher positioning and hangar costs into quotes at busy US airports.

Source note

This brief is an original rewrite of the reports listed below. It is not a verbatim reproduction of those publications.