How will private jet travel be like in autumn?

What will private jet travel be like in the next few months?

Why flying privately will still be one of the safest way to travel in the future

With the end of one of the most unpredictable summers for aviation and the travel industry, we are forecasting the development of very light jets operators’ travel, taking into account the industry’s seasonality and COVID-19.

Summer 2020 has been one of the busiest times in the history of GlobeAir. For several reasons, July and August have had the common denominator of turning more and more business-class travellers to private jet chartering. 27% of GlobeAir’s newly-acquired passengers blame it on the unavailability of commercial airlines and biosecurity measures which – for reasons of size and travel conditions – are sometimes better followed by business aviation’s players.

On top of this, business class travellers have understood the convenience of paying for an entire private jet instead of risking a commercial flight. “Private jet” does not always mean luxury.

The cost of a GlobeAir flight is very close to a business class ticket if we imagine that a day-return business class flight from Zurich to Munich costs € 4,500 and the respective GlobeAir price is € 5,200. Those willing to pay the difference benefit from a high level of flexibility, stronger focus on biosecurity, no crowds as well as being able to save approximately three hours of their travel time.

How did the summer go?

August saw GlobeAir working day and night to counteract the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while simultaneously helping business aviation get back on track.

With 1,248 performed flights and a YoY increase of 11.9% in passengers on board, we have been busy recovering net sales which were lost during the lockdown months. Despite travel restrictions, we have mostly flown our passengers to the Côte d’Azur, Corsica and Sardinia, as well as registering Nice-Zurich as the most popular city pair.

What will autumn be like?

As the summer ends, business aviation typically experiences a seasonal down period with leisure travels diminishing and the hottest summer hotspots hosting closing parties in the French and Spanish Riviera and islands. This year, however, things have gone differently, and we can confidently predict that the end of summer will come later as business travellers want to make up for some lost holiday opportunities.

On the other hand, governments all over Europe are doing all but loosening up travel restrictions. On the contrary, many European countries are on their way to intensifying safety measures by issuing more and more travel bans for specific risk countries. Because of all the sudden changes of heart which are continually occurring in politics these days, we are keeping our COVID-19 Travel Regulation Map updated. The map in question is the tool we have built for you to always be able to check if your journey will or won’t be performed according to the latest government announcements.

Due to the uncertainties of travel policies, GlobeAir is offering free cancellation insurance which prevents you from incurring losses as a result of massive travel disruptions. The insurance can be purchased seamlessly at the time of your flight booking for € 500.

How will the next months go?

As previously mentioned, the demand for private jet charters is linked to commercial airlines’ fate and performances. According to EUROCONTROL’ s predictions for 2020 and 2021, commercial airlines will see staggering flight demand variations (see picture below) reaching -60% of forecasted flight volume performed in January 2021. Very light jet operators like GlobeAir will therefore have the chance to be available for those travellers who see their desired routes cancelled or won’t feel secure encountering more than 700 touchpoints compared to the 20 which are typical of business aviation.