The new jet set - why private plane usage has soared

Rick Schirmer says that he and his family feel safer travelling on a private plane.

Flying private means our family is able to avoid the airport security experience, airport crowds, flight rage, and being surrounded by people who often won't mask properly, says the Los Angeles-based marketing boss.

Most of us have never been on a private plane, but it is easy to understand the appeal.

It is a world where you can avoid large airports. The sleek jet takes off when you are ready, and not the other way around, so there is no rush to meet your check-in time.

You don't have to go into a terminal building in many cases. The limousine goes out onto the tarmac. A member of the cabin crew gives you a glass of champagne while you sit in an armchair.

Private planes have an advantage over buying your own because they continued flying during the Pandemic.

The super rich and business leaders were still able to travel, even though airlines stopped services over the past two years.

The US and Europe led the growth, with this figure 7% higher than the previous high seen in 2019.

Will the use of private planes decline now that the world has put the Pandemic behind us? Is their use justified given their environmental impact?

Ian Moore, chief commercial officer of private plane business, VistaJet, says that more people are seeking out travel solutions that offer a controlled, flexible experience, which can't be provided by a commercial flight.

Mr Moore says that demand from customers increased by 26% in Europe and 21% in the rest of the world last year.

The number of passengers who were not previously regular users of private aviation has increased.

Jettly, a new online booking platform for private planes, is receiving 15,000 requests from around the world.

The co- founder of Jet It and JetClub says they need more airplanes, but their partners are not able to produce enough of them.

As a result of the conflict in Ukraine, the price of aviation fuel has gone up, which may cause a decrease in demand for private planes. The price of jet fuel is more than double what it was last year.

"Unfortunately, we don't yet know how high they will go, but we believe it will be quite impactful on the market."

Private jets have never been cheap. Users can put them on their company expenses rather than paying them out of their own pocket.

Exactly how much they cost to hire is like asking how long a piece of a string is. If you wanted a private jet to fly six people from London to Ibiza at the end of the month, it would cost you about $28,000.

John Grant expects that some people who started using private planes over the past two years will continue to do so.

The increasing range of scheduled flights and the ultra-competitive fares on offer with many airlines will ultimately lead to travellers reluctantly accepting a scheduled service for a cheaper price with less flexibility.

The benefits of using private jets for the first time will be viewed by a small number of people as sufficient value and they will continue to use them.

To make the world of private planes more affordable to us mere mortals, a number of providers now offer a halfway house known assemi private planes.

You have to share the larger planes with other passengers that you don't know, but they use private jets that seat between six and 20 people. Only a limited number of destinations are available.

The US firm is called JSX. Benjamin Kaufman claims that fares start from as little as $125 each way, and that the firm saw a gap in the airline market.

He says that the company gives travellers many of the perks of flying private, at a significant saving.

What about the impact of private planes on the environment? They are five to 14 times morepolluting than commercial airlines on a per passenger basis.

Some firms are experimenting with electric, hydrogen and hybrid powered aircraft, and the private plane industry is trying to encourage passengers to carbon offset.

Mr Moore says his company is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2025.

New Tech Economy explores how technological innovation will shape the new economic landscape.

Anna Hughes is not convinced. She encourages people to not use air travel for a year.

At a time when we need to be doing everything we can to reduce emissions, we have to question whether private jets are an appropriate form of transport.

No offsetting scheme can make up for the huge emissions of taking a private flight. Flight emissions are immediate when trees take a long time to grow. Fly less is the most reliable way to reduce emissions.

Being able to fly in a private jet is a huge privilege and we should use it to our advantage.

Will Smale is the editor of New Tech Economy.