FICTION: Very light jets (VLJs) will blacken the skies and clog the air traffic control system.
FACT: Industry experts say no more than 1,500 of these aircraft are likely to be flying within the next five years. And VLJs will not be flying into today's busy hub airports. The advantage of a VLJ to a businessperson is avoiding the congestion and delays at major airports by flying directly to the ultimate destination and landing at a reliever or regional airport.
The FAA's own research contractor says, "VLJs are an emerging market in aviation, and we (at MITRE) are looking at their impact on NAS (National Airspace System) operations, but at this point the impact on the air traffic control system is not known."
The Civil Air Navigation Service Organization recently evaluated the VLJ production forecasts for the leading VLJ manufacturers and determined that within five years, there will be slightly more than 1,400 aircraft in operation globally.
"Even if the most optimistic predictions about the VLJ market turn out to be true, we will not see large numbers entering the system over the next five years. That means we have time to see how this market truly develops." -Jack Pelton, Cessna Aircraft Company chairman