[Learjet] Goodbye to the original celebrity private jet

[Gordon_R]

Goodbye to the original celebrity private jet

Learjet will stop production this year, having created the private jet market for the super-rich.

www.bbc.com

Learjet, once synonymous with private jet travel for the super-rich and famous, will stop production this year.

Its owner Bombardier has seen sales decline among its wealthy customers who are now demanding bigger, more comfortable private aircraft to carry them around the world.

The Learjet, created by US inventor Bill Lear, allows up to eight people to travel in relative luxury, and was championed by the likes of Frank Sinatra, James Brown and Arnold Palmer.

Having first flown in 1963, Canadian manufacturer Bombardier said the Learjet would be discontinued to focus on its other business jet models, the Global and Challenger series.

Wealthy buyers are increasingly looking for jets with larger cabins, like General Dynamics' Gulfstream, the Embraer Phenom 100 and Bombardier's own Global series. These come with showers and beds, and connect passengers to cities across the globe without the need to refuel.

"To many, any business jet is a' Learjet' - even if it's a Falcon 8X or something else."

The Learjet is just one of the casualties of an aviation industry battered by tough travel restrictions, but some feel it may not completely disappear.