Google are set to break more records as they launch their new $82 million business jet facility on a 29 acre site at San Jose airport. The airport will make approximately $3 million per year in lease income.

The facility will house the personal aircraft belonging to the Google executives and principal players, joining Hewlett Packard on the site, who have corporate hangers already in place. Google will move from a NASA-owned site, which have housed their aircraft since 2007.

The new facility will bring San Jose revenue, and will create 36 permanent jobs in addition to 370 generated direct and indirect positions.

Although this will effectively give Google its own, private airport, the facility will also grant private access to “other figures in the Silicon Valley business community as well.”

The new complex will be one of the largest corporate facilities in the world once completed and in operation, but it has not been without problems.

Earlier this year, Atlantic Aviation, who currently lease part of the development, filed legal challenges against San Jose, on the grounds that the airport did not meet Californian environmental issue requirements when granting the Google facility.  Blue City will run the facility, a partner described by San Jose as “a corporation representing the personal aircraft of the principals at Google.”

There has been ‘talk’ that Google and Blue City have received hefty discounts on fuel prices to the cool tune of more than $3 million less than the current market rate for jet fuel. The report says that another Google associate, H211 received the fuel at a considerable saving and may have ‘engendered a sense of unfairness’ amongst the business aviation community.

We know that Google executives fly ‘a lot’ and now can look forward to an exclusive facility, dedicated to their private aircraft.

The Dubai air show has been busy this year with aerospace companies doing deals behind the scenes for rich and powerful Middle-Easterners with sales for private jets and helicopters.

Demands are high for security, good, robust construction and high performance.

Eric Trappier, Chief Executive of French Dassault Aviation, said that over the next 10 years, “We hope to double our orders in the Middle East where we have strong work and which attracts more and more competitors in the field of business aviation.”

Mr Trappier says that business aviation is rapidly growing in the Middle East, because of the demand for flexibility from customers.

Dassault were there to promote the new range of 5X business jets, originally unveiled in October in Las Vegas, which are expected to enter service in 2017.

American Beechcraft believe the region is a ‘key market’ for business aviation and has a market share of 69% for the turboprop products in the Middle East and 88% in North Africa.

“We do see this is a very strategic market for us and we expect growth over the next five years,” said Richard Emery, President of Sales for Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Beechcraft.

He described some of the luxury aircraft as ‘flying apartments.’

Embraer Executive Jets announced a purchase agreement for a Lineage 1000 to Arab Wings.

Style and comfort is a big factor for the purchase of executive jets here in the Middle East.  The analogy of the flying apartment is pretty accurate, but also pretty luxurious, with the incredible designs.

French interiors designer Jacques Pierrejean said “The market has evolved with aircrafts that have changed in size. We are more and more carrying flying apartments.”  His latest project was the design for the interior of an Airbus Corporate Jet for Emirates, who earlier this year launched their VIP charter flights service.

The design is luxurious, with large living room space and mini suites with shower.  The movement towards larger aircraft is a reflection upon the demand for ‘home comforts.’