January 14, 2024
More good news for the private jet industry. An online poll during a recent webinar hosted by Aviation International News reveals a “healthy variety of flying taking place,” according to the moderator.
Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief of Aviation International News Publications said the results show respondents are “are primed to fly more as conditions warrant.”
The survey asked, “Is your flight operation back to flying trips for clients or company executives and not just for pilot recurrency?
Results were evenly split across four answer choices, with 29% saying, “We are flying, but mostly for passengers’ leisure purposes.”
Close behind were the 27% who said, “We are flying business-focused trips.” Just under a quarter (24%) checked, “We still aren’t flying much.” One-fifth (20%) responded about their flying, “Most is for pilot recurrency and aircraft maintenance benefits.”
Thurber said just over one-third of attendees responded to the survey.
He tells Private Jet Card Comparisons, “To me, the results show that there is a healthy variety of flying taking place. While most people are saying that a lot of flying, especially charter and fractional, is for leisure purposes, the survey shows that people are also taking business trips.”
Thurber went onto say, “While not everyone is able to use their business aircraft, fractional share, or charter block time as much as they used to, I think the survey supports the fact that they are flying at a relatively healthy level and that they are primed to fly more as conditions warrant.”
Data from Argus and WingX show that private flights have rebounded to about 85% of pre-COVID levels. Jet card brokers and charter operators have credited the rebound to an influx of affluent newcomers seeking to minimize exposure to COVID-19 or can’t find airline schedules that meet their needs.
