Those finding short-range aircraft to best suit their needs have an impressive new set of options now that manufacturers are rolling out very light jets. The planes typically seat five or six and can fly about 1,300 miles nonstop (say from Houston to Denver) cruising at 400 miles per hour. In a fierce competition to lead this new and rapidly growing market, at least seven aircraft companies are working feverishly to build and deliver these popular little jets.

     The most attractive benefit is the price. Very light jets are between 25% and 50% as much as entry-level business jets to buy. Plus, at around $1.50 per mile, they're about 90 cents cheaper per mile to fly.

     A startup called Eclipse Aviation is producing one of the lowest-priced VLJs on the market, fetching about $1.5 million. The priciest VLJ is currently the Citation Mustang, going for about $3.3 million. With their low cost and the manufacturers' exceptional effort to deliver superior performance, these microjets are selling fast.

     Who is buying all of these jets? While many sales are and will continue to be to individuals, manufacturers see much of the growth potential in corporate fleets. Many companies will need to replace aging fleets of propeller-driven planes, and while still developing, the air-taxi market appears to be poised to take off.

     It appears that the air-taxi, or sky-cab market may be the segment with the biggest growth potential for VLJs. There are currently at least eight air-taxi operators currently available for charter in the U.S. and three more will be ready for business soon. Air-taxi service is accessable at airports in 21 states. As this budding industry continues to grow it will provide travelers with an increasing number of options and amenities that will ensure that very light jets will be a popular choice well into the future.