true true 0 The last year was nothing if not eventful for private flyers. We've picked out some of the year's top stories to get you up to speed. And don't worry, it's not all bad news. h3. Online Private Flight Booking Gets an Upgrade <a href="http://jets.halogenguides.com/companies/virgin-charter">Virgin Charter</a> launched its online private jet booking site in March. Site founder and CEO Scott Duffy says the company, backed by the Virgin brand empire, is faring well. * [Virgin Charter CEO Reflects on First Six Months of Business](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1423-virgin-charter-ceo-reflects-on-first-six-months-of-business) h3. Very Light Jets Take a Hit But See a New Entrant The low-cost and technologically revolutionary very light jet (VLJ) industry predominantly fell short of expectations. Among the biggest headlines were the bankruptcy of Eclipse Aviation, and the collapse of air taxi operator, [DayJet](http://jets.halogenguides.com/companies/dayjet). * [Eclipse Aviation files for Bankruptcy](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1591-eclipse-aviation-files-for-bankruptcy) * [Night Falls for DayJet](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1451-night-falls-for-dayjet) * [First Flight For Piper's VLJ](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1373-first-flight-for-piper-s-vlj) h3. A New Big Name to Operate Private Flights in Europe NetJets sits comfortably on top of the fractional ownership jet market in Europe, but Jet Republic looks like it means business. We're going to keep an eye on this new contender; after all, they just ordered $1.5 billion worth of Learjet 60XRs, and hope to be [carbon neutral](http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/24/theairlineindustry). * [Jet Republic to Challenge NetJets in Europe](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1458-jet-republic-to-challenge-netjets-in-europe) h3. Sleek New G650 and G250 Jets Revealed by Gulfstream They're still in the design phase, but the newest additions to the Gulfstream fleet look nothing short of sexy. The G650 is also slated to be the fastest civil aircraft in the world with a top speed of Mach 0.925. * [Gulfstream Reveals New Model, G650](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1069-gulfstream-reveals-new-model-g650) * [Gulfstream's G250 Jet](http://www.gulfstream.com/gulfstreamg250) h3. Phenom 300 Jet Rolled Out by Embraer Priced at a moderate $6.25 million, the new Phenom 300 is a serious competitor in the category of light jets. The first model made its maiden flight this year and is slated for production in 2009. * [First Flight for Phenom 300](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1qld1OSrQw) h3. NetJets Sets Lofty Carbon Neutral Goal for European Fleet In a surprising move, NetJets decided to roll carbon offset costs into new contracts and renewals. The company hopes to be carbon neutral in Europe by 2012. * [NetJets Plans for a Green Future](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1330-netjets-plans-for-a-green-future) h3. Despite Ailing Economy, Private Jets Still Rolling Off the Production Line The General Aviation Manufacturer's Association (GAMA) reported [record business jet deliveries](http://www.gama.aero/resources/statistics/shipments.php) once again. Jet shipments during the first nine months of 2008 increased 30.1% over [last year](http://jets.halogenguides.com/articles/1017-banner-year-for-private-jet-sales), according to GAMA. Canadian jet maker [Bombardier](http://jets.halogenguides.com/companies/bombardier) topped last year's deliveries at over $5.2 billion on 226 private jets. By September of this year they reported 193 deliveries, and are [expected](http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=4415e542-f260-467c-8c71-fbf7e7c75d3e) to crest at 264. 2009-01-02T22:34:15Z 0 true 1640 true false 2009-01-02T15:32:00Z true false 2008-the-year-in-private-jet-travel false 0

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