Driven by international expansion and the globalization of wealth, family offices are increasingly treating business aviation as a strategic necessity rather than a luxury, according to new research published on October 1, 2026, by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ).

The study, which surveyed senior executives managing a collective $303 billion in assets, indicates a structural shift in how ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their wealth management organizations operate. With 70 percent of surveyed family offices opening new branches in different jurisdictions over the past five years, the demand for large and midsize business jets is projected to rise sharply to support cross-border activities and workforce connectivity.

Drivers of international expansion and fleet utilization

The ACJ research highlights specific catalysts for this increased reliance on private fleets. Among the respondents, 90 percent cited a rising number of family members living abroad as the primary driver for international expansion, while 72 percent pointed to increasingly diversified investment portfolios. As a result, 70 percent of family office business aviation travel is currently conducted via private aircraft, outpacing commercial routes.

The trend shows no signs of slowing. According to the press release, 96 percent of family office executives reported that their use of private jets has increased over the past two years. Looking ahead, 100 percent of respondents believe their private jet usage will continue to rise over the next two years, with 85 percent anticipating an increase of between 50 and 100 percent.

“As family offices become more international, business aviation is increasingly becoming a strategic necessity,” stated Chadi Saade, President of Airbus Corporate Jets. “Our study indicates that private aviation is not only enhancing operational efficiency but also enabling a more connected and productive workforce.”

Productivity and operational efficiency

The shift toward private aviation is heavily rooted in operational logistics and time management. The survey found that 89 percent of executives save between two and three hours per trip by utilizing business aviation instead of commercial flights. Survey data also shows 92 percent of executives reported being at least 25 percent more productive while working on private aircraft, citing the ability to handle confidential matters in a secure environment.

Route networks play a critical role in this efficiency. Sixty-seven percent of respondents stated that between 25 and 50 percent of their private aviation trips are to destinations not served directly by commercial airlines. To maximize the utility of these assets, 92 percent of family offices now allow a broader range of staff members to utilize private aircraft for business purposes.

Targeting the ultra-high-net-worth market with the ACJ TwoTwenty

Airbus Corporate Jets, the corporate aviation division of Airbus headquartered in Toulouse, France, currently has over 200 corporate jets in service worldwide. The manufacturer has been actively targeting the family office and ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI) market with its ACJ TwoTwenty.

Marketed as an extra-large business jet, the ACJ TwoTwenty is based on the commercial Airbus A220 airframe. It offers a range of up to 5,650 nautical miles, enabling flights of over 12 hours. ACJ positions the aircraft as occupying the same parking footprint as competitive ultra-long-range jets while delivering operating costs that are one-third lower. The aircraft is also certified to operate with up to a 50 percent blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The October 2026 findings align with previous market intelligence gathered by the manufacturer. In September 2026, ACJ released research predicting strong growth in demand for large business aircraft in Asia-Pacific through 2030. Prior to that, a July 2025 study indicated that 93 percent of US-based family offices expected to upgrade to better or newer aircraft models within five years, driven primarily by a focus on operational costs and fuel efficiency.

This projected demand is reflected in the specific aircraft categories family offices intend to utilize. The recent study notes that 43 percent of respondents expect a 50 to 75 percent increase in their use of large jets, while 55 percent predict a similar increase in the use of medium-sized jets.

AirPro News analysis

The data presented by ACJ underscores a maturation in how family offices manage their aviation assets. The fact that 92 percent of these organizations are now allowing non-principal staff to utilize private aircraft indicates a shift away from viewing business jets solely as executive perks. Instead, we are seeing these aircraft deployed as corporate shuttles designed to bypass the inefficiencies of the commercial airline network, particularly for secondary and tertiary markets. If the projected 50 to 100 percent increase in utilization materializes over the next two years, manufacturers offering large-cabin, long-range aircraft with lower direct operating costs will be uniquely positioned to capture this institutionalized wealth segment.

Solairus Aviation has finalized its acquisition of the aircraft management and charter divisions of Clay Lacy Aviation, creating the world’s largest managed fleet of private jets. The transaction, which officially closed on October 1, 2026, brings Solairus’s total fleet to more than 500 aircraft under management.

The integration combines two major California-based operators, with Solairus absorbing approximately 140 aircraft previously managed by Van Nuys-based Clay Lacy. According to a joint press release, the deal solidifies Petaluma-based Solairus as a pure-play aircraft management company, while allowing Clay Lacy to refocus its operations exclusively on aviation infrastructure and maintenance.

Phased integration and fleet transition

The acquisition agreement was initially announced on August 7, 2026. The October 1 closing marks the completion of the first phase of the corporate integration.

In a press release issued to mark the closing, Solairus Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dan Drohan stated that the transaction secures the company’s position as the leading pure-play aircraft management firm globally.

The transition of clients has proceeded with high retention rates. According to reporting by Private Jet Card Comparisons, Solairus received more than 135 consent assignments from Clay Lacy aircraft management clients prior to the closing date. In an internal memo cited by the outlet, Drohan characterized the high volume of consent assignments as a strong endorsement of the relationships those clients had built with Clay Lacy personnel.

Drohan also cautioned employees that the integration process remains ongoing, noting in the memo that there is still significant work required to merge the two operations. He praised the staff for managing the transition while maintaining daily flight operations.

According to ch-aviation, the second major milestone in the integration process is scheduled to begin on November 1, 2026. This phase will involve the transfer of Clay Lacy charter aircraft to Solairus’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 charter certificate. Following this regulatory transfer, Solairus is projected to operate approximately 200 aircraft on its Part 135 certificate.

Strategic shift for Clay Lacy Aviation

For Clay Lacy Aviation, a company with a nearly six-decade history in business aviation, the divestiture represents a fundamental shift in corporate strategy. The transaction explicitly excludes the company’s Fixed Base Operator (FBO), maintenance, and real estate businesses, which will remain under their current ownership structure.

Brian Kirkdoffer, Chairman of the Board for Clay Lacy Aviation, told Aviation Week that the company will now operate as a focused aviation infrastructure platform centered entirely on FBOs, aviation real estate, and aircraft maintenance services.

Consolidation in the private aviation market

Solairus Aviation, founded in 2009, operates from over 100 base locations across North America and employs more than 1,200 flight crew and support personnel. Prior to the merger, Solairus managed approximately 360 aircraft.

The combination of the two fleets alters the hierarchy of the United States charter and management market. Before the acquisition, Solairus ranked as the seventh-largest operator in the United States by charter and fractional flight hours, while Clay Lacy ranked 17th. When factoring in Part 91 private operations, Solairus recorded 85,067 flight hours in 2025. According to ARGUS data cited by Private Jet Card Comparisons, this volume placed Solairus fourth in the industry, trailing only NetJets, Flexjet, and Vista Global.

The Solairus and Clay Lacy transaction reflects a broader trend of consolidation within the private aviation sector. Operators are increasingly seeking scale to manage rising operational costs, secure better pricing on fuel and insurance, and improve service reliability. Similar recent market moves include Wheels Up completing its acquisition of GrandView Aviation’s fleet of 17 Embraer Phenom 300 and 300E aircraft in November 2024, and FlyHouse closing on its acquisition of Jets MRO in early 2026 to expand its maintenance network.

AirPro News analysis

The creation of a 500-aircraft managed fleet under a single operator represents a significant milestone in business aviation consolidation. By separating the asset-light management and charter business from the capital-intensive infrastructure and maintenance operations, both Solairus and Clay Lacy are adopting highly specialized business models. For Solairus, the scale achieved through this acquisition provides increased purchasing power for fuel, insurance, and crew training. These are critical advantages in a market facing persistent cost inflation and supply chain constraints. Conversely, Clay Lacy’s decision to exit aircraft management allows it to deploy capital directly into high-margin infrastructure projects, avoiding the margin compression often seen in the highly competitive charter management sector.

Embraer delivered 66 aircraft in the third quarter of 2026, marking the strongest third-quarter performance in the Brazilian manufacturer’s history as its two-year production leveling strategy yields tangible results.

The October 2 announcement confirms the company remains on track to meet its full-year delivery guidance across all divisions, having successfully reduced its historical reliance on a fourth-quarter delivery surge. According to the company’s press release, the 66 deliveries represent a 6 percent year-over-year increase and bring the nine-month total to 175 aircraft.

Executive aviation maintains steady output

The executive jet division anchored the quarter with 41 deliveries, matching the output from the same period in 2025. According to reporting by Aviation International News, the third-quarter executive jet total comprised 22 light jets and 19 midsize and super-midsize aircraft.

The light jet deliveries included two Phenom 100s and 20 Phenom 300s. In the larger categories, Embraer handed over nine Praetor 500s and 10 Praetor 600s. The steady output brings the manufacturer’s year-to-date executive jet delivery total to 115 aircraft.

Global demand for our industry-leading products remains robust across corporate, high-net-worth, and fractional customers, reinforcing confidence in our brand.

Michael Amalfitano, President and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets, told Aviation International News that the consistent performance reflects continued market growth and strong strategic execution. He added that the company remains focused on operational excellence and production discipline to drive long-term profitable growth.

Commercial and defense sectors show growth

Embraer’s commercial aviation division delivered 22 jets in the third quarter, representing a 10 percent increase over the same period last year. The commercial deliveries were evenly split between the manufacturer’s legacy and next-generation platforms, consisting of 11 E175s and 11 E2 family aircraft.

The Defense & Security division also recorded an uptick, delivering three aircraft compared to a single delivery in the third quarter of 2025. The recent defense handovers included one KC-390 Millennium and two A-29 Super Tucanos.

The defense figures follow a series of recent milestones for the KC-390 program. On September 25, 2026, Embraer delivered its first C-390 Millennium to the Uzbekistan Air Force. Days later, on October 1, 2026, the manufacturer advanced plans with the Mahindra Group for potential C-390 industrialization in India, identifying Nagpur as a prospective assembly location.

The shift away from fourth-quarter concentration

The record third-quarter performance highlights a structural shift in Embraer’s manufacturing and delivery cadence. Founded in 1969, the Brazilian aerospace company has delivered more than 9,000 aircraft and established itself as the leading global manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 150 seats. Historically, the company concentrated a disproportionately large percentage of its annual deliveries in the fourth quarter, placing significant strain on completion centers, supply chains, and delivery logistics at year-end.

Over the past two years, Embraer implemented a comprehensive production leveling program designed to distribute deliveries more evenly across the calendar year. The 14 percent increase in total deliveries over the first nine months of 2026, rising from 153 to 175 aircraft, demonstrates the effectiveness of this initiative.

With 115 executive jets and a steady flow of commercial aircraft already delivered, Embraer is positioned to meet its stated 2026 guidance. The company has forecast 160 to 170 executive jet deliveries and 80 to 85 commercial aircraft deliveries for the full year. Embraer will report its final fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results in early 2027 to confirm final figures.

AirPro News analysis

We view Embraer’s successful production leveling as a critical operational victory, particularly in an aerospace environment still constrained by supply chain bottlenecks. By smoothing the quarter-over-quarter output, the manufacturer reduces the traditional end-of-year scramble that often introduces quality risks and logistical bottlenecks. If the current pace holds, achieving the upper end of the 160 to 170 executive jet guidance appears highly probable. This consistency not only cements the company’s strong position in the light and midsize business jet segments but also provides predictable cash flow and operational stability heading into 2027.