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Private jet leisure travel expected to increase to warm weather destinations

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#aviation #jet #airplane #aircraft
Published
12/24/2021 by

Fort Lauderdale-based air charter solutions company Mercury Jets is registering a spike in bookings to top summer locations during the northern hemisphere’s winter, as travel restrictions are lifted after more than two years of uncertainty due to the pandemic.

Private jet flexibility

Although the pandemic is not over, the overall perception is that after more than two years of nonstop pandemic and lockdowns, travel is slowly gaining space in the agenda. Even partial normality is a privilege in today’s travel ecosystem, and private aviation is the sole means of transportation that allows passengers to experience a safe and comfortable leisure flight how they deserve it. Where are private jet travelers planning to fly next?

It is no secret that Thanksgiving jumpstarted the travel season in the U.S., with some private jet providers like Mercury Jets reporting more than twice the number of requests and bookings throughout the country just days before the recent holiday weekend. Snowbirds will continue flying down south to Florida from New York and Canada well beyond New Year’s Eve, running away from the frigid northern weather. They will boost the demand in South Florida during the upcoming months, adding to the already record figures for domestic private jet travel in the states.

Furthermore, international leisure travel will also contribute to the increase in demand, as Ryan DeBruyne, Director of Charter Sales for Mercury Jets, predicts. “Numbers are starting to show that the Caribbean will be a strong destination during the winter. The proximity to South Florida, the perfect weather, and beaches, as well as the flexibility to charter any kind of private aircraft, makes it a very special leisure spot. We not only anticipate an important growth compared to last year’s season, but the start of a recovery of short-haul international charter travel”.

Caribbean as the go-to destination

In fact, as reported by WingX’s latest business aviation analytics report, almost all growth in international private jet travel comes in shorter routes of two to three hours, which is, in fact, the distance from South Florida to almost the entire Caribbean. In contrast, scheduled passenger traffic has more than a 30% deficit versus pre-Covid figures, while private flight is up 5% globally and 20% in the U.S. when compared to November 2019.

Now that the Caribbean has been chosen as the go-to destination this winter, what are the main routes from the U.S. for top private jet providers in the region? For Mercury Jets, located in the center of South Florida’s private jet hub, Bahamas has been the top Caribbean route from the United States, followed by Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Dominican Republic. All these destinations are conveniently located and can be reach by a wide array of aircraft.

Private jet aircraft

Private aviation allows each passenger to choose the aircraft that will take them, their family, and friends to the desired leisure location. Everyone has a budget, a number of seats needed and a destination, and gladly there is an aircraft that will suit every need. Especially for shorter routes of under three hours, where the array of possible options increases exponentially.

In fact, DeBruyne, has seen how light and midsize jets are heavily favored compared to other larger jets. “Efficiency is paramount in private aviation. Light jets as the Citation CJ4 or Learjet 60 are great options for a swift, safe, and reliable flight to the Caribbean. They can also land in shorter runways and at different terminals in the islands. The passenger experience will be maximized by the unique capabilities of these aircraft”, concludes DeBruyne.

This light jet trend started with the rise in domestic private aviation in the U.S. during the pandemic, when shorter flights were the norm due to a huge lack of scheduled commercial movements. With the start of the holiday season and travel restrictions being lifted, international private jet travel will soon regain its shape, even possibly as early as 2022, with warmer weather locations leading the way as the top destinations.

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