India’s rich are not the only ones fleeing the Covid crisis on private jets, says CEO

India’s rich are not the only ones fleeing the Covid crisis on private jets, says CEO

Tycoons and Bollywood stars may be among the most high profile residents fleeing India's shores on private jets as the coronavirus crisis escalates — but they are by no means the only ones, according to private jet charter company JetSetGo.The situation in India has become so dire that even upper-middle class families are pooling their resources to make an escape, its co-founder and CEO Kanika Tekriwal told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia."The South Asian country, battling a devastating surge in the virus, recorded 412,262 new cases on Thursday, taking its total caseload to more than 28 million."To say that only wealthy Indians are leaving India on private jets would be wrong," Tekriwal said Thursday from Maldives."In the last 10 days, what we have really seen is anyone who can put together the resources and the means to pool in money for a private jet, or to pool in money just to get out of the country, getting out."

Tekriwal said JetSetGo has seen a 900% surge in bookings in recent weeks — with some 70% to 80% coming from the upper middle class, instead of their regular ultra high net worth customers. The majority of them are fleeing to Maldives, which currently