The private jets division of aviation services provider Air Partner has seen year-over-year double-digit increases in the sales and renewal of jet cards in the UK and U.S. while also noting gains in new customers during the February to March period. It attributed the increases to leisure travelers preparing for an easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions while seeking alternatives to commercial lift.
In the two-month period, the number of jet cards Air Partner sold and renewed in the U.S. increased 54 percent from a year ago, while deposits from new customers jumped approximately 450 percent to £300,000 ($416,521). In the UK, jet cards sold and renewed in the same span rose 15 percent. Also during the period, jet card deposits from new customers totaled £750,000 ($1.04 million).
“The U.S. private jet market is one vast, domestic market so it has not been subject to the types of restrictions and national lockdowns that we have seen in the UK and Europe,” said Air Partner CEO Mark Briffa. “As a result, we have seen sustained private leisure flying from high-net-worth individuals in the region. It is no surprise to see this demand continue. In an encouraging sign, this has also been the case in the UK as confidence returns to this market ahead of the anticipated easing of restrictions.”