Aircraft

Eclipse Aviation has delivered the first of 239 Eclipse 500 Very Light Jets ordered by DayJet, the first commercial operator of the type.

DayJet plans to enter commercial operations with the Eclipse 500 later this year offering point-to-point services to regional communities. CEO Ed Iacobucci says the arrival of the aircraft promises “radical change and benefit to thousands of regional business travellers”. 

The four-passenger Eclipse 500 cruises at 370kt and is priced at around $1.5 million. Sales to-date stand at 2,500 aircraft, but delays to the programme have led to a massive backlog which the company is struggling to fill.

The three aircraft delivered to DayJet will be used for training. Eclipse plans to deliver at least 500 aircraft this year and expects to receive US Federal Aviation Administration certification after an agreed, but undisclosed, number of aircraft have been built.