According to figures supplied by aviation data analyst Airclaims, business aviation has enjoyed a steady rise throughout Europe over the past ten years, reaching its highest level for ten years.

The number of aircraft in 36 European countries has risen steadily since 1993 (with the exception of a slight downturn in registrations between 1994 and 1995) although figures suggest that there were ample business aircraft in each country to maintain a stable market.

Ten years ago there were 956 registered business aircraft in European countries, a figure which has risen to 1,237 – an increase of just over 29 per cent over the decade.

Common fears about terrorism, increasing fuel prices and the decline in the economies of many European countries appear to have had little noticeable effect on the increase in the number of business aircraft being added to fleets across the continent.

Germany is leading the way with 237 registered business aircraft in operation as of December 31 2003, followed by the UK with 168 and Switzerland with 125 registered business aircraft in its fleet.

In contrast to the promising figures for most of Europe, France has seen a marked decline in its fleet size since 1993, when it had 175 registered business aircraft. Following a decline in numbers over the late 1990s, the fleet now consists of just 116 aircraft.

At the lower end of the scale of the 36 countries, countries including Macedonia, Croatia and Bulgaria have only one registered business aircraft.

Manufacturers have, of course, profited from the increased demand for business jets and the number of registered aircraft in Europe is a promising sign for future prosperity in this market.

Cessna are at the top of the table with 490 aircraft registered in the 36 European countries, according to Airclaims’ survey. The rise in numbers has been steady since 1993, when 279 Cessnas were in operation but, as with all of the other manufacturers, the number of registered aircraft dipped between 1994 and 1995.

Bombardier – incorporating Canadair and Learjet – has made an impressive impact on business aviation in Europe over the last decade, with 215 registered aircraft compared to 148 in 1993. Gulfstream’s figures (which include those for Israel Aircraft Industries) are equally impressive – the fleet has doubled from 33 to 66.

Dassault Aviation had 270 registered aircraft in Europe in 1993 but, despite steady sales, it had fewer registered at the end of 2003 – falling to 265. Similarly, Raytheon (incorporating BAE HS125 and Hawker aircraft) has 136 registered aircraft in Europe, compared to 152 in 1993, although figures for Raytheon alone have climbed steadily over the past ten years.

The statistical data for the 10 year analysis of business aviation in Europe was supplied by Airclaims, a company which provides aviation data with its CASE database and market analysis with its BriefCASE analysis system, details of which are available on its website, www.airclaims.com