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Private jets soar past global pandemic, oil price woes
The appeal of private jets has taken off since the start of the pandemic, amid fear of catching COVID-19 and as widespread cancellations and stringent measures have turned flying commercial into a logistics headache.
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In this file photo taken on May 24, 2016 A pilot talks on his mobile phone at the stand of the Swiss private business jet charter VistaJet during the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. (AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)
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irlines may find themselves swept up in unprecedented turbulence -- with air travel shunned over climate concerns, plagued by pandemic shutdowns and soaring oil prices -- but for private jet operators, business is booming.
The appeal of private jets has taken off since the start of the pandemic, amid fear of catching COVID-19 and as widespread cancellations and stringent measures have turned flying commercial into a logistics headache.
"The impact of COVID really forced people to look elsewhere for their travel needs," said Philippe Scalabrini, who heads the southern European division of the international private aviation company VistaJet.
"Anyone who can afford it wants an entire plane at their disposal," he told AFP, adding that "private aviation, as whole, has had an incredible surge of demand over the past two years."
Numbers from air traffic regulator Eurocontrol appear to confirm that.
It found that private air travel nearly doubled its global market share between 2019 and 2021, when it stood at 12 percent.
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