Business Jet Deliveries Will Rise Next Year, JPMorgan Predicts

Business jet deliveries will stay flat this year at about 549 aircraft, 47 percent below the 2008 peak, predicts JPMorgan North American Equity Research in its latest monthly report on the industry. However, a turnaround could be imminent, as the firm expects more than 650 bizjets to be delivered in 2012. "We are forecasting a 20 percent increase off the bottom in 2012," said JPMorgan analyst Joseph Nadol III, "but this will require a pickup in demand that has been slow in coming and confined to the larger segment of the market." The firm noted that the "challenging U.S. macro outlook" could delay a recovery for small and midsize jets but that demand for larger jets should remain strong, thanks to "international customers, including those from China."