| In the 1950s airline travel was deemed a luxury as | | | | jobs and wealth created from pilots and flight |
| very few people traveled overseas. Travel by aircraft | | | | attendants through to airport staff, engineers, insurers, |
| was expensive and the operations set up to service | | | | cleaners and catering suppliers. There are private jet |
| the needs of those that did utilize this new method of | | | | travelers who may spend £20k a year on flying |
| transport, didn't enjoy the economies of scale the likes | | | | private charter, and there are those who spend millions. |
| of British Airways and Lufthansa enjoy today. Aircraft | | | | What we have to consider is that all of this money |
| were subject to weight limitations and thus in many | | | | goes back into the economy which is more that can |
| cases, luggage was sent independently on another | | | | be said for the £billions used in taxpayer bailouts |
| aircraft, ahead of the passengers. Waiting staff were | | | | of the banks. |
| included on these early airline flights to ensure that the | | | | Then there are the environmental factors. Of course |
| service was similar to that experienced on the luxury | | | | this is a huge concern because of the irreversible |
| liners of the day. Some aircraft even carried | | | | nature of these effects. Many firms however, have |
| projectors to show in flight entertainment. | | | | embarked on initiatives to offset their carbon impact. I |
| These days technology has opened up this business | | | | am personally not a great fan of the schemes that |
| to the masses and much of the developed world | | | | donate a percentage to a fund that doesn't appear to |
| would consider air travel as the primary solution in | | | | do much environmental work, but there are some that |
| traveling overseas. These increased volumes have | | | | plant trees for every X amount of air miles flown. We |
| reached the stage whereby the business has become | | | | also have to consider the massive increase in fuel |
| a victim of its own success. Airports are full to | | | | efficiencies that aero engine designers now make a |
| capacity, security queues are lengthy and tedious and | | | | priority in all of their research work. Private Jets are |
| competition is such that airlines no longer look at setting | | | | subject to much less delay than their airline |
| themselves apart on service. They are setting | | | | counterparts and so, generally speaking, contribute |
| themselves apart on cost, and in doing so are reducing | | | | significantly less environmental impact. |
| the level of service. This has almost certainly fueled | | | | Essentially this is a market that is set to grow as the |
| increased demand in the air charter market. Those | | | | mainstream airline services continue to chase cost |
| travelers lucky enough to have the resource to travel | | | | cuts and deal with passenger numbers increasing at a |
| by private jet do so for one or all of the following | | | | faster rate than the infrastructure can cope with. |
| reasons: | | | | Bombardier in collaboration with GAMA (General |
| 1. They don't waste precious time checking in 2 to 3 | | | | Aviation Manufacturers Association) forecast that |
| hours before a flight departs. | | | | over the next 10 years there will be demand for 9950 |
| 2. Departure time is dictated by the passenger, not by | | | | aircraft at a total revenue of $228 billion. This is up |
| the aircraft operator. | | | | from $104 billion in the previous 10 years. Bombardier's |
| 3. Smaller airports can be used by Private Jets, thus | | | | closest rival Gulfstream had an unprecedented |
| there is less congestion at these facilities. | | | | response to its G650 launch with 100 firm orders |
| 4. Travelers can take an aircraft from airports closer | | | | received within three months. |
| to home, and arrive at airports closer to their intended | | | | These firm orders to date now stand at 200. In |
| destination. | | | | addition to the firm orders, JP Morgan analysts confirm |
| 5. The on board service is tailored to the needs of the | | | | that Gulfstream have a further 400 letters of intent to |
| passengers. | | | | date. Such success has led Bombardier CEO, Pierre |
| 6. Business passengers are often subjected to strict | | | | Beaudoin, to announce their intentions to develop a |
| meeting timetables. Private jets can exercise more | | | | flagship aircraft with 7000 nautical mile range. Even in |
| flexibility in terms of timings and destinations, thus a 3 | | | | the midst of the downturn, it is evident from aircraft |
| day trip on a scheduled airline could be squeezed into | | | | shipment data that the Private Jet market is displaying |
| a one day trip on business jet. | | | | resilience. In the first 3 quarters of 2009, 615 business |
| 7. Celebrity passengers can retain an element of | | | | jets have been shipped globally with Bombardier |
| privacy away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. | | | | leading the revenue figures at $3.95 billion. |
| 8. Many private jets now have Wi-Fi facility on board | | | | Whilst there are movie stars who need to attend a |
| as well as telephone equipment. Thus even time in the | | | | film launch tour, pop stars with concerts in different |
| air can be productive which is useful if embarking on a | | | | cities every night, and business men that need to |
| 7 hour flight from London to New York. | | | | undertake meetings in the same day, thousands of |
| In essence the majority find it obscene that individuals | | | | miles apart, then there will always be demand for |
| can justify so much expense by flying on Private Jets | | | | Private air charter. Maybe the increase in numbers |
| or helicopters. There is no doubting that it is expensive | | | | utilizing private jets will give rise to more opportunity, |
| but where there is a market for such a service, should | | | | greater accessibility and increased competition for |
| it be mocked? If we take a step back to look at the | | | | future private travelers. |