4AIR
Executive travel Back down to earth
For decades, corporate leaders have taken executive travel for granted – the exclusive lounges, the private jets, the cocktails at 20,000ft. But with environmentalism the watchword in boardrooms and government ministries the world over, shouldn’t CEOs be taking the train?
Lizzie Waymouth talks to Patrick Gallagher, president of sales, marketing and service at NetJets, and Kennedy Ricci, president at 4Air, which encourages aviation sustainability, to learn about the past impact of executive air travel on the environment, how industry insiders are working to make things cleaner – and whether the age of private jets will ever pass into history.
aving taken my first post-lockdown flight this summer, I am not particularly surprised that many commercial airlines are still struggling to get back to full capacity. Being told to arrive at the airport three hours early for a 7:30am departure, shuffling through long queues at security and extra checks at the gate, and despairing when there is only a limited menu available on-board, it’s easy to understand why passengers who have the money are so attracted to private jets. And perhaps that’s why, despite interminable travel restrictions, and many companies choosing to do business from home, the executive jet industry has soared in popularity. According to the global TRAQPak report, published by Argus International earlier this year, June was the busiest month for
H
private aviation since October 2007. The company also reported that 1 July 2021 saw 12,345 business flights take off in North America, making it the sixth busiest day in the past 14 years. Indeed, Argus forecasts that the business aviation market will emerge from the pandemic 5–10% larger than it was before. The business travel segment was quick to see green shoots of recovery after travel reopened. In the US, the largest market for executive travel, recovery has been even faster. NetJets, based in Colombus, Ohio, is just one of the companies taking advantage of the growing demand for private jets. Founded in 1964, the company pioneered the concept of shared aircraft ownership and has grown to cover a fleet of more than 760 aircraft, with plans for further expansion.
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Chief Executive Offi cer /
www.the-chiefexecutive.com
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