When the supersonic business jet becomes reality, Warren Buffett will be ready to buy.

"I can see the heavy demand" for fractional ownership of SBJs, the sprightly head of investment firm Berkshire Hathaway said here yesterday. Indeed, Buffett believes fractional SBJs are even "more of a natural" market than current, hugely popular fractional jet programs that fly subsonic aircraft. "A hundred hours a year in an supersonic business jet is a lot of" travel capability, he said.

Berkshire Hathaway's business aviation subsidiaries include FlightSafety International and Executive Jet International, which operates the industry-leading NetJets fractional program. Top EJI executives have said the company is interested in purchasing SBJs when they become available for either their charter or fractional ownership businesses.

By Paul Proctor