The price tag for new orders of the Eclipse 500 VLJ has risen to $1,295,000, following an increase in production costs. Since the company set a price two years ago, the cost of energy-based raw materials and supplier costs have risen.

Despite this, Eclipse maintains that the latest price adjustment remains 70 per cent below today’s current entry-level jets. Certification for the aircraft is on track for March 31,2006, according to a company spokesman, with deliveries expected shortly thereafter.

In April, Eclipse completed the maiden flight of the third FAA conforming aircraft. “To fly our third aircraft just a week after the second one entered flight testing is a great achievement and a clear sign of the maturity of the programme,” commented Eclipse president and ceo Vern Raburn.