NBAA-BACE 2026 Takeaways: Gulfstream Eyes 200 Jets a Year, SyberJet Lands 50+ LOIs

A busy show floor and a bullish Gulfstream

NBAA-BACE ran from 20 to 22 October in Las Vegas with more than 100 first-time exhibitors and more than 100 education sessions. The loudest market signal came from Gulfstream. President Mark Burns told Aviation Week that 160 aircraft are due to be assembled in 2026, that the company is “well on the path” to exceed that, and that it can build more than 200 a year. He said 135 G700s have been delivered since the type was certified in March 2024, and more than 200 G600s have been delivered. More new large-cabin jets should, over time, widen the fleet available for long-range charter.

New jets, engines and a first for eVTOL

Cirrus marked 10 years of the Vision Jet, which has passed 800 deliveries and now flies Part 135 charter as well as business and special missions. SyberJet unveiled a full-scale SJ36 mockup and reported letters of intent for more than 50 aircraft. The in-development light jet is projected to reach Mach 0.88 and fly up to 3,000 nautical miles with up to eight passengers, and SyberJet says charter rates could be up to 50% lower than midsize jets. Those are manufacturer projections; the aircraft is not yet certified.

Pratt & Whitney Canada showed its newly certified PT9 turboprop, which delivers 33% more power at altitude and 20% lower fuel burn than previous-generation engines after more than 14,000 development hours. And the FAA gave BETA Technologies’ ALIA A250 the first Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys issued to an electric VTOL. On its first flight under the authorization, the A250 covered 34 nautical miles in 20 minutes from Plattsburgh to Burlington. It is not yet type-certified, so paid passenger service is still some way off.

Crews cost more, and the industry keeps consolidating

AirComp Calculator says total compensation for business aviation professionals rose 8% in 2026, up from 6% in 2025 and more than twice the 3.4% national rate for U.S. workers. Higher crew costs feed through to hourly charter rates. CAE will add four more full-flight simulators across the Americas to ease training bottlenecks. On the business side, Solairus discussed its deal for Clay Lacy Aviation’s management and charter divisions, and Steve Varsano spoke about Flexjet’s acquisition of The Jet Business.

Desk takeaway

Demand for new large-cabin jets is strong, crews are getting more expensive and the operator landscape is consolidating. For flyers, that points to firm charter pricing at the top end. Compare options early, stay flexible on aircraft type and check the empty-leg board for one-way repositioning flights. Set empty-leg alerts for your routes and follow the market in Market Intelligence.

Verified data & source

Every quantitative statement below comes from one of seven separately cited sources. Show figures and industry announcements are from NBAA’s closing press release (22 October 2026). Gulfstream production and delivery figures are from Aviation Week’s interview with Gulfstream President Mark Burns. Vision Jet, SJ36, A250 and PT9 figures are from the Cirrus, SyberJet, BETA Technologies and Pratt & Whitney Canada press releases. Compensation figures are from an AirComp Calculator press release. Manufacturer projections are labelled as such; nothing is blended or derived.

Key verified statements (NBAA press release, 22 October 2026; Aviation Week (Gulfstream), October 2026; Cirrus, SyberJet, BETA Technologies and Pratt & Whitney Canada press releases, 19–21 October 2026; AirComp Calculator press release, 19 October 2026):

• NBAA-BACE 2026 took place on 20–22 October 2026 in Las Vegas with more than 100 first-time exhibitors and more than 100 education sessions; the show returns to Las Vegas on 19–21 October 2027 (NBAA press release, 22 October 2026).
• Gulfstream President Mark Burns said at NBAA-BACE 2026 that 160 aircraft are due to be assembled in 2026, that Gulfstream is “well on the path” to exceed that, and that the company can build more than 200 aircraft a year (Aviation Week, October 2026).
• 135 Gulfstream G700s have been delivered since the aircraft was certified in March 2024, and more than 200 G600s have been delivered (Gulfstream President Mark Burns, via Aviation Week, October 2026).
• Cirrus marked 10 years of the Vision Jet at NBAA-BACE 2026: the single-engine jet, FAA type-certified in 2016, has passed more than 800 deliveries worldwide and is used for business travel, supplemental lift, special missions and Part 135 charter (Cirrus press release, 19 October 2026).
• SyberJet unveiled a full-scale SJ36 mockup at NBAA-BACE 2026 and announced letters of intent for more than 50 aircraft from charter operators, corporate flight departments and private owners; the in-development, not yet FAA-certified light jet is projected to reach Mach 0.88, fly up to 3,000 nautical miles and seat up to eight passengers (SyberJet press release, 21 October 2026).
• SyberJet says charter rates for the SJ36 could drop by up to 50% compared with midsize jets; all SJ36 performance figures are projected and the aircraft is not yet certified (SyberJet press release, 21 October 2026).
• The FAA awarded BETA Technologies’ ALIA A250 a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys, the first such authorization for an electric VTOL aircraft, allowing flights with operators and key stakeholders while BETA works toward full type certification; the announcement was made at NBAA-BACE 2026 (BETA press release, 21 October 2026).
• On 20 October 2026, in its first flight under the new FAA authorization, BETA’s A250 took off vertically from Plattsburgh (PBG) and landed vertically at Burlington (BTV), covering 34 nautical miles in 20 minutes; the aircraft is designed to carry up to five passengers (BETA press release, 21 October 2026).
• Pratt & Whitney Canada unveiled the PT9 turboprop at NBAA-BACE 2026: the newly Transport Canada-certified engine delivers 33% more power at altitude and 20% lower fuel consumption than previous-generation engines, and amassed more than 14,000 development hours (Pratt & Whitney Canada press release, 21 October 2026).
• Total compensation for business aviation professionals rose 8% in 2026, up from 6% in 2025 and more than twice the 3.4% national rate for U.S. workers (AirComp Calculator press release, 19 October 2026).
• At NBAA-BACE 2026, Solairus founder and CEO Dan Drohan discussed the company’s deal to acquire Clay Lacy Aviation’s management and charter divisions, and The Jet Business founder Steve Varsano spoke about Flexjet’s acquisition of his company (NBAA press release, 22 October 2026).
• CAE announced at NBAA-BACE 2026 that it will open four more full-flight simulators across the Americas to boost training capacity for several business jet types (NBAA press release, 22 October 2026).

Frequently asked questions