A day after Sentient Jet reported quote requests had increased 241% from March lows, private jet charter broker Air Partner says it too is seeing a tidal wave of interest.
The publicly traded seller of jet cards and on-demand charter said in a press release issued this morning that year-over-year inquiries were up 210%.
“We expect that as the travel industry rebounds, private aviation will be extremely busy, including an influx of those who have never flown privately before due to the enhanced safeguarding measures in place. As that time comes, travelers can rest assured that they’re in safe and experienced hands with Air Partner,” said David McCown, Air Partner’s U.S. president.
In an Aviation Week webinar also held today, Adam Twidell, CEO of charter broker PrivateFly, said 70% of customers in May were new, compared to 65% in April and the pre-Covid norm of 25%.
While 76% of listeners believe small private jets will see the highest demand, Twidell said one first-time private jet user booked a charter flight from London, England, to Auckland, New Zealand. He said long-haul charters had surged to 34% from 18% prior to the pandemic.
Sentient, which like PrivateFly, is a unit of OneSky Flight (along with Flexjet), noted 50% of the more than 5,000 private jet flight hours it sold since the beginning of April were to first-time customers.
Private Jet Card Comparisons estimates that equates to around $15 million in purchases from new members.
Sentient’s programs start at 25 hours, and its CEO Andrew Collins, said the numbers show consumers are looking at private aviation as an ongoing alternative to commercial airline flights as opposed to a one-off.
One study shows the risk of exposure to the Coronavirus is 30 times lower when using private aviation.
In addition to on-demand charter, Air Partner said it is seeing increased interest in its jet card and corporate shuttle programs.
Air Partner said the surge in year-over-year requests comes from both business and leisure travelers.
McCown added, “When booking a flight with Air Partner, travelers work closely with a dedicated account manager who coordinates all aspects of the flight logistics. Available 24/7, Air Partner’s expert team is kept fully briefed on all COVID-19 developments, including the latest in local laws, health regulations, travel restrictions and airport openings.”
Air Partner also taps into its Redline Assured Security to offer travel advice using both human and AI-driven intelligence to assess and mitigate risk for clients flying amid Covid-19.
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