ommercial air travel in Indonesia may have taken a hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet some private jet service providers are reportedly not only surviving the economic downturn – they are even experiencing an increase in revenue.
"[Our revenue] has remained stable during the pandemic. [Business is as] usual and even tends to increase," Indojet Sarana Aviasi director Stefanus Gandi said in Bali on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.
According to Stefanus, the positive trend was due to customers who flew international, especially when it came to the repatriation of expatriates in Indonesia.
"We received dozens of such requests. However, we couldn't fulfill all of them since it depends on the situation at the destination airport, as there are some countries that have still blocked off access to flights, including private jets," Stefanus said.
As a result of the pandemic, Indojet Sarana Aviasi now requires that its customers undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing prior to booking its service.
Read also: Wealthy flock to private jets as pandemic spreads and airlines tank
"Previously the reservation process could be done in one day or around six hours. However, now the process can take up to three days at the quickest," he added.
The price for private jet services is said to be around Rp 300 million for domestic routes. The company said it usually received four bookings per day, either for domestic or international routes.
"For the domestic charter service like Jakarta-Bali, the rate is Rp 300 million. Both cities serve as our main hub but we also fly to other Indonesian regions such as Sulawesi," Stefanus said. (kes)
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