Private jet demand soars even as commercial flights return, says Vista Global chief

Private jet demand soars even as commercial flights return, says Vista Global chief

Dubai: One might think that the return of commercial flights will lead to fewer takers for private flying – but that does not seem to be the case with Dubai-based operator Vista Global. The COVID-19 crisis created a new market opportunity for the private aviation industry as it was able to reach first-time flyers, while emerging as the only means of transport for passengers affected by travel restrictions. Encouraged by falling cases and milder variants of the virus, countries have now opened up their borders once again. Vistajet’s Middle East business has seen a 50 per cent growth in subscriptions in the last 12 months. “It is mind boggling,” said founder and chairman Thomas Flohr. Flohr said the region, which enjoys geographical proximity to India, Europe and Africa, is ‘super important’ for the company. Dubai, which opened itself to visitors as early as July 2020, quickly became a tourist hotspot as most countries enforced travel and strict lockdowns at home. Private jet movements at Dubai South soared 336 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. It is not just the Gulf that is doing well. Since the reopening of borders last year,