So your flight’s canceled, but you need to get home or to that important business meeting ASAP. Perhaps you’re just nervous about transiting through a busy airport with other passengers.
Most of us are handling coronavirus-related disruption by staying put, but for those in a travel predicament with dollars to burn, there’s an increasingly popular alternative: private jets.
While much of the travel industry has been suffering as the infection spreads globally, the private jet industry has apparently been on a roll.
Those travelers turning towards the private jet market do so for a range of reasons, with one common denominator: they’re all able to spend thousands of dollars on the trip.
Operators say they’re now servicing customers who would usually take business or first-class options.
Private jet users seek solace in the fact that the aircraft’s exactly that — private. There’s no battling for armrests or ending up in close proximity to others. Plus, these flights operate out of small, private aviation terminals, not mass transport hubs.
While private jet companies might be more willing to fly in and out of lockdown zones, the aircraft still operate within the same framework, rules and regulations as commercial airplanes.
Flying into a lockdown zone involves a safety assessment and submitting a flight plan to airport authorities, who will send it to health authorities, who pass on a list of requirements.
Aircrew are given a full briefing on the route they’re flying, the level of risk and the government stance on the destination.
Source: CNN Travel
