The UK Budget confirms the higher passenger duty for business jets.
Budget 2026, published on 28 October, confirms that Finance Bill 2026-27 will extend the higher rate of Air Passenger Duty to every aircraft of 5.7 tonnes or more operating as a business jet, from 1 April 2027. Until then the higher rate applies only to aircraft of 20 tonnes and above with fewer than 19 seats. For 2027 to 2028 the higher rate will be £146.63 per passenger on domestic and Band A flights (up to 2,000 miles), £1,132.76 on Band B and £1,178.20 on Band C. Rates for 2028 to 2029 will rise again in line with RPI.
Dealers report the strongest seller’s market in nearly three years.
The International Aircraft Dealers Association says its accredited dealers completed 409 pre-owned transactions in the third quarter, against 367 a year earlier, and 1,155 in the first nine months, up from 983. Its buyer-seller index fell to 2.65 from 3.16 a year ago. Owners waiting for new deliveries are keeping their current aircraft longer, especially late-model midsize and large-cabin jets, and about 60% of dealers expect large-cabin prices to rise over the next six months, although some foresee a slowdown in 2027.
ITA Airways becomes Archer’s first European airline partner.
Archer Aviation and ITA Airways, part of the Lufthansa Group, have agreed to develop an all-electric air taxi network in major Italian cities using Archer’s Midnight aircraft. Archer says a one-hour drive from Rome Fiumicino to the city centre could take less than ten minutes by air.
A charter supplier fits its whole Citation X fleet with satellite Wi-Fi.
Gogo says US operator Jet Excellence, which supplies aircraft to fractional, membership and charter providers, will equip its entire Cessna Citation X fleet with the Gogo Galileo HDX system, which uses the Eutelsat OneWeb low-earth-orbit network. The FAA has approved the installation, and work has begun. Jet Excellence is paying through Gogo’s five-year instalment plan.
Jet Access opens a private terminal in Nashville.
The charter and aircraft management company has opened a private terminal at John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, with concierge service and room for large business jets including the Bombardier Global 7500 and Gulfstream G800.
This briefing is a market summary compiled from the cited public sources. It is not investment, legal or operational advice; figures are as reported by those sources.
