DESIGNS FULFILLED

caught up to passengers’ fancies

Once in a while, one comes across an aircraft concept that hits all the marks: a sexy silhouette, expansive views, spacious interiors, and the ability to take passengers faster and farther than any existing private jet ever could. Most of these are ideas for ideas’ sake — drawn and detailed merely to satisfy the dreamer’s fancy.

A few, though, become springboards for more realistic designs. Some of these are eventually rendered in prototypes; fewer still survive the arduous process of testing and re-engineering. And then there’s the question of whether the aircraft will whet enough appetites to be able to succeed in the market.

There’s no lack of desire, though, when it comes to space tourism. Now, it appears that the designs and products have finally caught up to passengers’ fancies. Starting next year, a few passenger spaceplanes are expected to begin flights to low Earth orbit, marking the beginning of commercial space tourism. This is faster progress than that of supersonic business jets, the development of which has been hindered by bans on overland supersonic flight due to sonic booms.

Passenger spacecraft, solar flight, versatile business jets, and other developments are celebrated in this edition, along with the bespoke lifestyle. This edition of Jetgala also comes with developments of its own — a different look, and many new team members. It remains, though, the same magazine that has celebrated the growth of private and business aviation in the AsiaPacific region since 2010.

We hope you continue to enjoy these pages, the road, and the runway ahead.