It has been nearly two years since the coronavirus pandemic swept the world. Lockdowns, border closures and other precautionary measures impacted almost every aspect of life, including travel.  

For businesses in the air transport industry, the plummet in passenger numbers during the onset of the outbreak was a true test to the mettle. Carriers across the globe bled billions in cash and their survival was threatened. 

But despite its devastating effects on the broader aviation sector, the outbreak has been a boon for private travel. While airlines continue to lose revenues despite massive vaccinations and reopening of borders, private jet providers are seeing unprecedented demand from flyers, particularly wealthy individuals and corporates in the Middle East who want to beat airport crowds and avoid cramped airline seats. 

According to business aircraft operator VistaJet, there has been a surge of 49 percent in corporate demand for private jets globally since the start of the pandemic, as companies require “24/7 accessibility and maximum flexibility in their travel requirements”. High-net-worth individuals are also jetting off to multiple destinations overseas, including remote locations, to enjoy a holiday or spend some quality time with their families. 

The Middle East, in particular, is a key and growing market and the company has seen both corporate and leisure customers flying to Russia, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, the United Kingdom and India. 

“[We have] seen a surge in demand globally…the Middle East has – and continues to be – key and growing market for us and we have seen such a strong and consistent growth through the first half of the year, especially from the UAE which has remained resolutely open for business – demonstrating how private aviation is the critical mobility solution,” said Ian Moore, Chief Commercial Officer at VistaJet. 

Last year was a strong period for VistaJet and, so far, 2021 has been “exceptional”, according to Moore.  

“In the first half of this year alone, VistaJet welcomed 53 percent more new members versus 2020, each and every one of them enjoying a tailored flying solution – whether they are travelling for business and need to be in multiple locations within a short period of time, or vacationing with their family and looking to create the most memorable leisure trips in remote destinations around the world,” Moore told Zawya. 

In the Middle East, the company’s results for the first half of the year saw a 100 percent year-on-year increase in the number of customers who have signed up for its membership programme.  

The region also recorded a 153 percent increase in the number of flight hours during the same period, with North America and Europe posting growth rates of 76 percent and 41 percent, respectively. 

Why flyers are opting for private jets 

One of the factors that make private travel attractive for a lot of people, particularly in the age of social distancing, is the small number of touchpoints. When they travel via private jets, flyers go through a total of 20 touchpoints compared to 700 when they fly commercial, according to Moore. 

In a VistaJet survey conducted at the end of last year, 79 percent of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) said they would be more inclined to travel by private jet than before, considering that it is a safer and more reliable travel option.  

But it’s not just the ultra-wealthy who are travelling private. 

“If you also consider that [during] pre-pandemic only around 10 percent of people who could afford to fly privately did so, now 71 percent of VistaJet’s new incoming requests are from passengers who have not regularly used business aviation solutions in the past. There’s a definitely correlation which shows how people value the ease, security and accessibility that comes with private aviation,” Moore pointed out. 

But the demand for private travel in the Middle East was already growing prior to the pandemic. Before the start of the outbreak, the Middle East and North African Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) highlighted that the region had been seeing a rise in demand for private travel for some time, with up to 70 percent of flights within the region being for business purposes. 

“What has become evident is that the pandemic has served to further emphasise the benefits of private air travel beyond the VIP market, with corporates increasingly recognising the business opportunities it offers in terms of safety, security and accessibility,” said Moore. 

“One of the results of COVID-19 redefining the global aviation landscape has been a significant shift in the perception towards private travel, with many organisations viewing it as an increasingly reliable and financially viable travel solution.” 

Who is flying private? 

While private travel is traditionally popular among well-heeled individuals, companies are now more inclined than ever before to travel by private jet, according to Moore.  

These customers are expanding their use of private aviation for business trips and are increasingly flying entire executive teams to multiple locations around the world, to ensure business continuity. This is particularly true in markets like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and North Africa. 

The trend is expected to continue next year, even when commercial passenger travel improves, according to Moore, citing a growth in VisatJet’s customer subscription base. 

“The nature of our subscription model means that our members sign a multi-year agreement based on their current and expected travel needs. Much of the growth we have seen in new subscriptions is a direct result of conversations we were having before the pandemic took hold with people quite wisely taking a step back from making a final decision until there was a more positive outlook and better clarity on their flying needs,” Moore explained. 

“Based on current and new subscriptions, we can confidently predict that this momentum will take through into 2022 and beyond.” 

With the growing demand, VistaJet is working to expand its fleet with the delivery of the first four of its game-changing Global 7500 aircraft earlier this year and a further nine coming before the end of 2022.  

It has also placed an order for ten new Challenger 350 planes from Bombardier, bringing the company’s global fleet to 96 aircraft with access to 187 countries. 

The majority of the new Challenger 350s are expected to be delivered in 2022. The Challenger 350 is quite popular among charter operators and corporate flyers. 

Also this year, VistaJet is expected to complete the upgrade of its entire Challenger 850 fleet, including the installation of inflight WiFi with KU-band technology and enhancement of the cabins.   

(Reporting by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Mily Chakrabarty) 

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© ZAWYA 2021