Bombardier said at the Paris Air Show yesterday that it expects total deliveries of 11,500 business jets worth $256 billion between this year and 2018. The fleet will grow from 13,500 to 23,800 aircraft, predicted vice president of marketing for business aircraft Philippe Crevier, who pointed out that the industry is buffered in the current economic downturn by a $70 billion industry backlog, compared with $22 billion in the last downturn, which started in 2000. According to Crevier, Bombardier has developed a “comprehensive business model that takes into account oil prices, order history…lots of things.” By aircraft segment, Bombardier predicts around 4,000 light/super-light business jets worth $38 billion will be delivered in the next 10 years; midsize, 2,000 units worth $31 billion; super-midsize, about 1,500 aircraft worth $32 billion; large, some 1,200 airplanes worth $35 billion; super-large, about 1,100 units worth $41 billion; and ultra-long-range, about 1,700 aircraft worth $79 billion. “While in the short term the industry faces such important challenges as high pre-owned inventories, negative public perception and a difficult economic climate, Bombardier remains confident that there is a strong potential for the business aircraft industry over the next 10 years,” the company said. “The anticipated return of global economic growth is expected to result in a strong recovery in the demand for business jets.”