With nostalgic sentiment harking back to the 'glory days' of business aviation, industry professionals have remarked upon the growth of business and leisure charter in recent years. It can no longer be seen as a struggling industry, trying to pull itself out of the slump suffered worldwide post-9/11: Business aviation is back and it's stronger than ever.

The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating, and if the UK is any a marker for European trends, then it's taking a very big bite indeed. In December alone, some 20 business aircraft were registered in the UK, and the fleets of other European countries are growing at similarly impressive rates.

The number of new turboprops, rotary wing and jet aircraft arriving in Europe is growing steadily and, though some are replacing older aircraft, many of these aircraft have been added to fleets that simply can't keep up with the ever-increasing demand.

And this trend appears set to continue. Rarely does EBAN speak to an operator which doesn't have plans for further fleet expansion. Whether to capture emerging Eastern European markets or to satisfy local demand, it's clear that European operators are keen to capitalise on this period of growth and stability and expand their fleets accordingly.

No longer need we say that business aviation is on its way to finding its feet again - we have well and truly arrived.