Flexjet and PrivateFly saw increasing September demand in Europe during what traditionally marks a seasonal slowdown for the respective fractional operator and on-demand charter provider, both of which are owned by Directional Aviation. At Flexjet, an already busy summer season was followed by the operations of 53 percent more flights in September than August and rapidly rising October bookings. Likewise, PrivateFly has continued to see bookings and inquiries continue “very strongly” in September.
“Our industry in Europe traditionally sees a significant peak in July and August, followed by a tailing off in September, but not this year,” said Flexjet and PrivateFly European managing director Marine Eugène. “We are currently experiencing exceptionally strong demand, with the appetite for personal travel not yet sated after a later start to summer due to restrictions, and now business flying is also taking off alongside. We have senior executives and entrepreneurs in sectors such as finance and technology, booking multiple itineraries to see investment targets, or make site visits.”
Paris, Zurich, Munich, and Amsterdam have returned as the companies’ top 10 travel destinations in Europe. Eugène added that the easing of the UK’s travel restrictions beginning October 4 has driven more leisure flights in addition to business bookings. The U.S.’s relaxation of its ban on UK and European travelers beginning in November is anticipated to add to “the unusually high demand” in this year’s fourth quarter. “We are seeing a level of private aviation demand not seen for a long time and it is continuing to grow,” Eugène explained.