Florida airports are buzzing with business jets

Florida outranks 48 states and some foreign countries as a base for business jets, according to Global Jet Capital, a Boca Raton-based lender to plane buyers.

Florida is the home base for 2,100 business aircraft, more than any other state except Texas, where 2,780 such aircraft are based.

Global Jet Capital also reports that the comparable numbers are 1,548 in Canada, 747 in Germany, 596 in Great Britain, 504 in France and 291 in Japan.

Shawn Vick, executive vice president of Global Jet Capital, told the Palm Beach Post, “We currently have around $1 billion to lend to clients looking to buy larger aircraft, and we are placing a huge focus on Florida.”

Fort Lauderdale is home to 321 privately owned jets, Miami has 198 and West Palm Beach 98.

Business travel by air made tragic headlines Tuesday when seven employees of Boca Raton-based PEBB Enterprises died in a private jet crash in Ohio.

Many large companies in Florida including AutoNation, Lennar and NextEra Energy, the parent company of Florida Power & Light, have private jets that transport their executives on business trips. [Palm Beach Post] — Mike Seemuth