Private jet bookings surge as scheduled flights recover

Business trip ROI, Covid-safe travel practices and fewer scheduled flights are causing an upsurge in private charter flight bookings.

Silhouttes of business people striding out to private jet

Ruth Holmes

11 October 2021

With the Foreign Office today again relaxing travel rules to more than 30 countries, Claudette Gharbi, Group VIP Charter Director at private jet air charter specialist Chapman Freeborn, comments: “In the third quarter of 2021 we experienced huge demand to charter private jets as the UK government eased its international travel restrictions and other countries opened their borders, with bookings to Europe, US and Middle East up by more than 50 per cent compared to the same period last year.”

A long-term trend?

The air charter company predicts the upturn in corporate business jet hire will continue beyond 2021 if there are no further lockdowns.“One factor for the surge in demand is the ongoing lack of scheduled flights, and a feeling of insecurity in this Covid world.“People are turning to private jets as a means to travel now more than before and we are seeing an increase in customers who are new to private jets.”

Corporate business travel post-Covid

Balancing employee wellbeing with the need to travel for business again is also driving bookings, according to Chapman Freeborn.“We have seen a shift within the corporate sector. Where previously c-suite executives may have taken multiple scheduled flights, they are switching to a smaller number of private jet flights," continues Claudette Gharbi.“The trend as we are opening up more from Covid seems to be towards the quality of the meeting and a real focus on the ROI of each trip, which in many cases has created increased demand for private jets with this corporate sector."

Covid-safe business travel

“This is all great news, both for travellers and the aviation industry, but people need to remember that Covid is ongoing and there are still restrictions in place. For example, vaccination is compulsory for those who want to fly in or out of many countries, including the UK.“However, people can minimise the risk of contracting Covid by booking private, for instance by avoiding crowds at airports and travelling only with people they know in the aircraft itself.”

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