Private Jet Operators Are Stealing Passengers from U.S. Airlines

When most air travel in the United States effectively stopped in March, some private jet operators feared the worst, expecting coronavirus, along with the recession to come, would decimate their businesses. Instead, for many, the summer of 2020 has held up surprisingly well.

“Business is very good, better than expected,” said Gregg Slow, president of FXAir, a charter company owned by Directional Aviation, one of the biggest brands in private aviation. “We had our best month in company history in June followed by second best in July, for revenue. What would normally be 8 to 10 percent new business is now 50 to 60 percent new business.”