NETJETS' MOST FAMOUS passenger is preparing to retire. In a few months Warren Buffett will hand over control of Berkshire Hathaway. At 94. Although he has said that he still plans to go into the office most days.

Buffett who famously has lived in the same house for more than 65 years and has pledged to give millions away, has been one of the industry’s biggest advocates.

For NBAA’s No Plane No Gain campaign, he featured in an advert which quoted him saying: “I originally called my airplane indefensible – today, I call it indispensable!”

In a video for NBAA, he said: “Berkshire owns perhaps 70-some companies and there are at least 20 of those that we wouldn’t own if I hadn’t had access to our own airplane.”

He once wrote that it took less than 15 minutes for Richard Santulli, the founder of NetJets, to sell him a quarter share of a Hawker 1000. He loved the product so much that he agreed to provide testimonials for NetJets. A few years later, in 1998, he bought the company.

Buffett is a rare CEO who is happy to admit when deals have gone wrong. “Sometimes I’ve made mistakes in assessing the future economics of a business I’ve purchased for Berkshire – each a case of capital allocation gone wrong,” he wrote in his 2025 letter to shareholders. “That happens with both judgments about marketable equities – we view these as partial ownership of businesses – and the 100% acquisitions of companies.”

Buffet was open about how NetJets struggled following the credit crunch. But unlike some other CEOs he is not great at showing off. NetJets has definitely worked out well as an investment. As Pat Gallagher, president, NetJets Aviation discusses in this cover story, it is continuing to buy a lot of aircraft, retain a lot of customers and keep growing.

In other features we look at how red wolves are travelling by business jet, how to find maintenance slots in the fourth quarter, why Saudi Arabia is one of the hottest business aviation markets and much more. We also look back at our events in Malta, Geneva and Dubai.

The end of the year is a busy one for events and we look forward to seeing you at NBAA-BACE, CJI Miami or CJI Saudi Arabia (we said it is a hot market).

Buffett, who says he is not looking to sell any Berkshire Hathway shares, will keep flying with NetJets. There is a lesson for other frugal businesspeople. As he has often said to shareholders attending the Berkshire Hathaway Annual General Meeting: “Come by bus; leave by private jet. Live a little.”