Covid-19 lifts private aviation to new heights

• The chairman of Vista Global Holdings reports a considerable increase in new corporate memberships.
• We pioneered a completely new way to fly, with access to a global branded fleet, paying just for hours flown, assured availability, and no asset risk.

DUBAI: Long overlooked as an ultimate luxury by business-class tourists, private jet bookings hit new heights during the Covid-19 pandemic when commercial travel was banned. Those in need of urgent travel had no choice but to turn to private aviation to fill the hole.

“This led to a sudden and massive influx of business travelers flying private for the first time,” said Thomas Flohr, founder, and chairman of Dubai-based Vista Global Holding, a private aviation portfolio of companies, including VistaJet, the first and only worldwide business aviation company.

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According to WingX, a corporate aviation intelligence group located in Germany, 3.3 million private flights will be operating globally in 2021, a 7 percent increase over pre-COVID Covid 19 estimates.

The epidemic provided an opportunity for private aviation companies such as VistaJet to demonstrate to new consumers that flying private may be a financially viable travel option in the long run.

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“Overall, private aviation was well-insulated over the past couple of years,” said Flohr. “Ultimately, the pandemic showed that it does not necessarily work out more expensive. As a result, we have seen a significant surge in new corporate memberships due to organizations recognizing the many benefits we offer in terms of safety, security, and accessibility.”

By mid-2021, up to 71 percent of VistaJet’s new requests were from passengers who had never utilized business aviation before.