[À l’heure où le gouvernement songe à réguler l’aviation privée, nous republions notre enquête du 18 mars 2021.]
The creation of Aéropostale in the wake of World War I gave France the status of a nation of aviators. Its pilots, Saint-Exupery, Guillaume or Mermose, became heroes recognized by literature and cinema, from Joseph Kessel to Howard Hawks. But over the years, the French aversion to ostentation made private aviation a symbol of the whims of the wealthy, a privilege of an ultra-privileged elite.
Although 8% of all flights in Europe in 2019 were private flights, the health crisis has once again moved the lines. “We saw an explosion in demand right before the shutdown in March 2020. In September, with the interruption of commercial flights, we set records. Businessmen always needed to work, people needed to travel.”, welcomes Thomas Flory, founder and president of VistaJet, the world leader in private jet charter. Launched in 2004, this company with strong European roots (46% of its flights) now has a fleet of 160 aircraft. “Covid is convinced of the efficiency of private aviation, far from the Hollywood image of the plane, associated with luxury and champagne. Our service, in addition to saving time for our customers, provides unerring health security.” declares the leader of Switzerland.
More families and new types of travelers
It must be said that the advantages are many: respected social distance from departure to arrival, avoiding moments of waiting in crowds, elimination of stops that increase the risk of pollution, access to inaccessible destinations through suspended regular lines… strengths that VistaJet has in 2020 , saw a 29% increase in new members, while its sister brand XO tripled its membership. “These new customers have subscribed to packages, which means they won’t be one-shots.”emphasizes Thomas Flohr.
Another big winner of the crisis is PrivateFly, a private jet charter and charter booking portal that bills itself as Skyscanner, or “jet expedition.” According to its Q3 2020 report, the number of new travelers will increase by 44% compared to the same period in 2019. Among them, almost half of the customers took a private plane for the first time. “The composition of our customer base is changing significantly, with many more families and new travelers than before.”, says Adam Tweedle, general manager of the company, which allows you to order a device in a few clicks on a mobile app. The percentage of transported children increased from 14% last year to 20% in 2020, and pets from 3% to 7%. Most of the bookings were made at the last minute. 55% of customers traveled during the week they booked.
For the English leader, remote work also has implications for routes. “Our customers spend more time usually in summer destinations like Ibiza or Faro because they work from their second home. In France, Nice has been more popular than Paris in recent months, and this kind of change is likely to be even more important in 2021.”he analyzes.
Cheap and plane exchange
If Covid has encouraged the boom of the sector, the landscape has been constantly updated for ten years. Again business models, inspired by the sharing economy, launched the private jet on the road to democratization. The ultra-luxury low-cost figure is Wijet, a jet taxi company founded by two Frenchmen, Corentin Denow and Alexandre Azoulay. With its unique pricing system, this SME offers its customers the opportunity to board four flights at €2,400 per flight hour (round-trip) within a radius of 2,000 kilometers. In-flight services are not sacrificed for all that. the satellite phone, the champagne is on the water, and the Pierre Hermé macaroons…
Almost two-thirds of private flights are on non-scheduled routes.
In 2014, Wijet entered into an exclusive partnership with La Première d’Air France to offer continuity after a long flight departing (or arriving) from Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Because that’s where one of the other strengths of this type of aviation lies: customization. Almost two-thirds of private flights are routes not offered by scheduled airlines. If there is limited interest in doing a trip from Paris to Chicago for €120,000, when the first seat offers a direct departure and arrival, a trip from Paris to Inverness (Scotland) in only 1 hour 30, when on a commercial flight it will take five, because of the mandatory change in Rotterdam about can be very interesting.
Wijet’s true spin-off, startup Cojetage, is trying to democratize private jet travel using what the Anglo-Saxons call “ empty feet “. Because around 40% of private jet flights today are… empty. These are so-called “positioning” flights, which allow companies to return the plane to its base, and the immobilization costs more than the race. It is these empty legs that the company has decided to market, even at very low prices to make them profitable. Randomly found on the Cojetage website Paris – Nice for €260 or Valence – Geneva for €240. Big deal.
” Air BlaBlaCar»
“All these initiatives are based on common sense, both economic and environmental, but this does not create a market.” points out Olivier Manot, president of the National Union of French Airlines (Uncaf), which brings together thirty secret carriers such as Amelia and Twin Jet.“The essence of private aviation is flexibility. We take a jet when we want to leave a specific place at a certain time, not fill empty seats on a whim… This model, while virtuous, is unfortunately not compatible with the type of service offered. »
The union president also wants to warn about the security aspect of these few startups that flourish, change their name, and then disappear.“Technical standards and maintenance conditions in France are huge, so some small aircraft distribution facilities prefer to skirt legality to avoid regulations.” alert Olivier Mano. A good reflex to travel safely. request a copy of the Air Carrier’s Certificate (AOC) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation before boarding the aircraft.
Sharing flights is Wingly’s specialty, “Air BlaBlaCar “, was founded in 2016 by the French polytechnic Emerick de Vazier. On this platform, designed exclusively for leisure customers, private pilots offer seats in their light aviation aircraft (twin and single engine) based on cost. Prices start at €42 per person for a 50-minute air ride over Saint-Marne. From the most booked itineraries by 40,000 users, a Parisian getaway to Deauville, discovering the Isle of Wissan or a trip to Saint-Tropez… A delightful gift for small and big occasions.
“Private aviation gives off such an elitist image that people don’t realize that if they dare ask the price, they might be in for a nice surprise. When traveling with a group of friends or family, some trips cost more or less the same as a plane for one person, especially during the summer season.”confirms Olivier Mano. The observation is also valid for some very short flights where the taxi bill can sometimes be higher… than the helicopter bill. Proof that extreme luxury is possible, even when you “less rich than very rich“. Are you ready to fly?
Source: Le Figaro
