This is changing. With most companies that implement hybrid or full-time office tasks, business travel has resumed, so business planes are back on business. So far this year, private jet activity worldwide has grown year-on-year in the wingx data over the past 24 weeks. According to Qi, Vistajet received three times (request for proposals) from companies looking for private aviation solutions in the first six months of 2025, while the first six months of 2024 are the first six months of 2024.
But business travelers aren’t the only customers driving demand surges. Private operators have long been a popular choice for reaching leisure destinations that lack commercial connections. Hard-to-reach destinations like the Hebrides in Scotland, as well as Corsica and Ischia in France and Italy, tend toward Hamptons and Ibiza this summer, according to aircraft charter expert Chapman Freeborn. The biggest spike in private jet events around the world in recent months coincides with major sporting events and holidays. On Memorial Day weekend, private flights in the United States set historical records compared to previous years.
There is still room for growth – according to 2021 data, most of our families with the ability to fly privately are not. One reason is that private aviation requires a relatively manual booking process. From calling brokers and comparing jet card memberships to purchasing a score ownership model, it is often much easier to buy a $10,000 business class ticket than to follow a motion to keep a private charter.
The industry is now starting to use new products and technologies to address these pain points. A handful of startups are competing for “Uber for private jet travel,” such as Kinectair, which offers real-time pricing and route search capabilities without the need for membership fees. This summer, Uber itself launched a helicopter reservation feature on the Amalfi coast.
The intersection between commercial and private aviation is continuing to grow. In an industry first, Delta Airlines now connects its international business class passengers to charter flights throughout Europe.
Meanwhile, “semi-private” operators such as JSX, XO and Aero offer bookings on private jets where travelers can book in seats, a model proved to have been hit among premium travelers. TradeWind Aviation (provides booked flights and private charter in the United States and the Caribbean), which booking services on its routes increased by approximately 33% year-on-year. However, the private charter saw “less than more” this summer compared to the previous spokesperson.
Such operators are expanding their roadmap as demand for booking services increases. In May, the airline launched a double-sided Los Angeles flight to New York (featuring on-board dining and Starlink Wi-Fi). The company said the new route was “built for business travelers, flying from Los Angeles to New York on Monday morning and returning to Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.”
Mattson, who has risen wheels, believes more travelers will fly from business class to business jets in the coming years. Most importantly, the core appeal of private aviation (whether for corporate or leisure travel) says: “You can save a lot of time – ultimately, time is money.”
