The company's new super mid-size Gulfstream G250, with its initial phase manufacturing at Israel Aerospace Industries near the Ben Gurion International Airport, also remains on track, with a first test flight later this year and delivery beginning in 2011.

Signs of recovery?

While aircraft production has slowed in response to a still-sluggish economy, Gulfstream's Research and Development arm remains active, Baugniet said.

"We continue to do research on sonic boom suppression, the use of composites, acoustics and advanced cabin and cockpit systems."

And, while sales of the company's G150 and G200 models remain flat, Gulfstream is beginning to see renewed interest and orders for its large-cabin models, particularly the G550.

"And the order book on the G650, which will begin deliveries some three years from now, remains firm," he said.

Because the company continues to provide service to the majority of Gulfstream planes currently flying, it also may be among the first to notice another positive harbinger of better times to come.

"We've begun to notice a modest uptick in the number of flight hours," Baugniet said. "We should know by the end of this month if that's a real trend or just a blip."