XO reported on Thursday a 33 percent year-over-year (YoY) increase in membership, along with a 93 percent jump in shared charter flights, leading what the Part 135 access program called “record growth across core offerings” during the first half of 2022.
XO chief commercial officer Rajat Khurana attributed the increase in shared charter to a shift in consumer travel preferences over the past six months, while noting that they “save clients up to 10 times the cost by booking a seat versus a traditional charter.” These flights’ growing popularity may also reflect greater comfort with cabin mingling as concern about Covid recedes.
XO also cited a higher volume of flight requests from new-to-business aviation flyers as contributing to its YoY growth, while younger travelers (age 18 to 44) comprised 33 percent of all passengers during the first half of the year. (XO provided no underlying figures for its percentage comparisons.)
With South Florida reigning as the top aviation market in the U.S., according to XO, Florida is also the number one destination and departure point for the Fort Lauderdale-based company’s flights, accounting for one-third of all charters arranged in the first half of the year.
Khurana also credited XO’s mobile app for adding to the strong first half results by “delivering a seamless booking experience” and “elevating the overall travel experience with fewer touchpoints.”