Avery light jet (VLJ),entry-level jet orpersonal jet,^[1] previously known as amicrojet, is a category of smallbusiness jets that seat four to eight people. VLJs are considered the lightest business jets and are approved for single-pilot operation.

The first small jet-powered civil aircraft, the 1950sMorane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris, has been retroactively suggested as being the first VLJ, as it seats four with a single pilot and is smaller than modern VLJs. The production of MS.760 differs from modern business jets in having a slidingcanopy for cabin access rather than a door; a six-seat version with an enclosed cabin and a conventional door was canceled after a single prototype was built.^[2][3]

Two unbuiltCessna aircraft of the 1950s and 1960s would have met the definition of a VLJ. The first was the 407, a four-seat civil version of theT-37jet trainer proposed in 1959; however, the 407 never progressed past themockup stage due to insufficient customer interest. The second was the Fanjet 500, which had an MTOW of 9,500 pounds (4,310 kg) and a single pilot as originally envisioned in 1968; however, as the aircraft evolved into theCitation, the U.S.Federal Aviation Administration demanded a second pilot and various design changes, resulting in an MTOW of 10,350 pounds (4,690 kg).^[3]

Other attempts to create small jet aircraft in this class in the 1970s and 1980s were theGulfstream Aerospace FanJet 1500^[3] and theCMC Leopard.

After a flurry of interest in theSmall Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) andair taxi markets in the early 2000s, the VLJ sector underwent significant expansion. Several new designs were produced, such as theEmbraer Phenom 100, theCessna Citation Mustang, and theEclipse 500. However, following thelate 2000s recession the air taxi market underperformed expectations, and bothEclipse Aviation and air taxi firmDayJet collapsed. In December 2010, AvWeb's Paul Bertorelli explained that the termvery light jet has lost favor in the aviation industry: "Personal jet is the description du jour. You don't hear the term VLJ—very light jet—much anymore and some people in the industry tell me they think it's because that term was too tightly coupled to Eclipse, a failure that the remaining players want to, understandably, distance themselves from."^[1]

Single-engine designs were popular in the mid-2000s, before theGreat Recession diminished the market appeal of the category. Most of those projects, which included thePiper Altaire,Diamond D-Jet,Eclipse 400 andVisionAire Vantage, were all shelved. As of 2016, the only maintained aircraft are theCirrus Vision SF50, which wastype certified that year and put into production, and theStratos 714, which at the time expected certification in 2019. Single-engine VLJs are expected to compete with singleturboprop aircraft.^[4]

Two VLJs in history have won theCollier Trophy, known as the most prestigious aerospace engineering award in the United States — the Eclipse 500 in 2006 and the Cirrus Vision SF50 in 2018.^[5]

VLJs are intended to have lower operating costs than conventional jets, and to be able to operate from runways as short as 3,000 feet (910 m), either for personal use or in point-to-pointair taxi service.^[6][7] In theUnited States, theSmall Aircraft Transportation System is aimed at providing air service to areas ignored byairlines.

Florida-based air taxi providerDayJet, which on October 3, 2007 began its Eclipse 500 service, planned to operate more than 1,000 of the VLJs within five years,^[8] and had stated in mid-2007 that it planned to operate 300 Eclipse 500s serving 40 regional airports in theSoutheastern United States by the end of 2008.^[9] DayJet ceased operations on September 19, 2008.^[8]

Many models are under development or awaiting certification, while others have failed.^[10] Six have so far made deliveries to customers:

• 2006–2017 :Cessna Citation Mustang
• 2006–2008 :Eclipse EA500
• 2008–present :Embraer Phenom 100
• 2013–present :Cessna CitationJet/M2
• 2014–2017, 2023–2024 :Eclipse 550
• 2015–present :Honda HA-420 HondaJet
• 2016–present :Cirrus Vision SF50

The Cessna Citation Mustang was the first production VLJ, first delivered in November 2006,^[11][12][13] and discontinued in May 2017,^[14] and the Cirrus Vision SF50 is the first single-engine production VLJ, beginning deliveries in December 2016.^[15][16]

Business jet sales suffered due to the late 2000s recession. TheGeneral Aviation Manufacturers Association reported in November 2010 that third quarter business jet sales were down 20.3% over the same period in 2009,^[17] with light jets suffering the most.^[18] In 2020, business jet deliveries slowed again due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, with a 20% decrease over the previous year.^[19] However, the industry bounced back the following year, in 2021, with a 10% increase over 2020 and a single VLJ delivery more than in 2019.^[20] The Cirrus Vision SF50 is the most-delivered VLJ with 615 total from 2016 through 2024 and most-delivered per year since 2018, and the Eclipse 500 has the most deliveries in a single year with 161 in 2008.

When these smaller jets were first mooted, there was much interest in the fact that they would not have alavatory on board, with articles discussing the matter inThe New York Times^[29] and items onNBC Nightly News.^[30] Some manufacturers argued that for short flights of 300 to 500 miles (480 to 800 km) and 40 to 80 minutes' duration, the lavatory issue was not a problem^[29] and air taxi service companies said that it was not a concern for most of their passengers.^[30] Despite this, theEclipse 500 had the option of an electric flush, remove-to-service lavatory with a privacy curtain - at the expense of one passenger seat, and the proposedAdam A700 design had a seven-seat configuration with rear lavatory with a privacy curtain. TheCessna Mustang also has an emergency toilet, but it is located between the cockpit and cabin. TheEmbraer Phenom 100 offers a fully enclosed lavatory with a solid door. The 2015Honda HA-420 HondaJet has a full lavatory at the rear of the aircraft with flushing toilet, full sink and closing door.^[31]

• Environmental impact of aviation – Effect of emissions from aircraft engines
• Index of aviation articles

• EBACE 2006 Show preview (series of articles), Flight International, April/May 2006
• Time for an Eclipse?, Aviation Week, April 2006^{[permanent dead link]}
• VLJs fly in the face of critics, Aviation International News, March 2006
• Flight Interview: Vision of Eclipse Aviation's Vern silences the sceptics, Flight International, March 2006
• Dawn of the VLJ, Flight International, May 2005
• NBAA
• Transportation Systems Analysis Model - TSAM is a nationwide transportation planning model to forecast air taxi demand in the United States.

• Business aircraft
• Very light jets

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