Private jets are not just for celebrities
Once the preserve of the ultra-rich and celebrities, a flight on a private jet is now available for as little as €550 (HK$5,800) an hour, with technology and competition helping to bring down prices.
Once the preserve of the ultra-rich and celebrities, a flight on a private jet is now available for as little as €550 (HK$5,800) an hour, with technology and competition helping to bring down prices.
Adam Twidell, chief executive and founder of PrivateFly, said there were more than 500 operators and 2,500 individual aircraft in the European charter market alone, yet "over 30 per cent of flights are flying empty, repositioning for their next charter".
His company has been seeking to reduce these empty flights by going online to match demand.
Beyond the usual service of offering chartered flights, PrivateFly lists on its website what is known as "empty legs", which are trips from a certain destination at a fixed date, but at a price that could be as much as 75 per cent lower than standard rates.
The price listed for an "empty leg" flight on a seven-seater from Bristol to Cannes is £3,630 (HK$47,350), less than half the regular price of €8,730, according to the website.