What will be top private jet trends and destinations for 2022

The year 2022 is ready for take-off. We are glad to share some inside information regarding expectations for next year  - Ryan DeBruyne, Director of Charter Sales for Fort Lauderdale-based air charter solutions company Mercury Jets. This outlook is based on company quoting and bookings trends.

Business and leisure private jet travel

An historic year is coming to an end. Impacted by a global pandemic, the entire travel industry had to adapt and remain flexible to withstand the impact. Private aviation passed the test like no other segment thanks to its resiliency and diversification, registering record numbers in the US market and most lately in Europe and Middle East.

That trend should continue well into 2022, the year where we project the in-person business shall regain its shape. Perhaps not the pre-Covid state, but companies and executives are starting to discover that remote work can only take you so far, with the long-term trust building relationships being possible only in old face-to-face fashion. Gladly, private aviation is here to help.

Leisure travel has also been trending upwards in late 2021 with less restrictions, more vaccinations and not surprisingly the continued uncertainty of commercial aviation. Thanksgiving jumpstarted the increase in quotes and bookings, especially for flights to warmer weather destinations, and that fact should carry well into the 2022 summer after more than two years of lockdown and uncertainty.

Quotes and bookings for 2022 holidays

Mercury Jets has received increased bookings for next year, starting with Martin Luther King Jr. Day in mid-January, with Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami and New York as the top domestic destinations, and Cancun, Nassau, and Exuma Island as the top international destinations. The Caribbean, only a couple of hours away from South Florida, will continue to be a driver of international charter demand.

A mix of domestic and international bookings have been registered for Valentine’s Day, with Aruba, Caracas, Taos, London, and Orlando in the top 10. This speaks volumes of a change on consumer behavior regarding international travel, when throughout 2021 short haul routes of no more than three hours led all quotes and booking. This will also change the type of aircraft chartered, with larger jets being used for transatlantic flights. In 2021 light and midsized jets were the kings of the sky.

Spring comes after the celebration of love, while also welcoming a rise in quotes and booking for domestic warm weather locations. Top projected destinations are Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando Los Angeles, and Fort Lauderdale, while the international realm is led by Nassau, Cancun and Eleuthera. In fact, the top routes and cities pairs for spring are Nassau to Eleuthera and Exuma, Fort Lauderdale to Eleuthera and Exuma.

Memorial Day in late May will mark another important date for increased private jet demand in the U.S. market. Mercury Jets already has a hefty list of bookings led by Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, and New York, while also receiving a diversified pool of bookings that showcase the increased overall demand not only to usual leisure or business locations, like Denver, Nashville, and Austin.

Past the halfway point of 2022 is the Independence Day, marking the more diverse routes chartered yet. Top booked connections are Fort Lauderdale to Turks and Caicos, Charlotte to Exuma Island, Miami to Dominican Republic, and Houston to Aspen. Still more than six months away, these trends might slightly change when the date approaches.

In conclusion

It is never too early to project the outlook of the private jet demand, especially when a healthy year has just gone by. We think that the perception of private aviation has changed for good, shifting toward a necessity instead than a luxury, after demonstrating that a reliable service with a controlled and safe travel experience is possible thanks to executive aviation. 

Finally, although the exposed destinations and routes might slightly change in the next months, it is a good indicator that passengers are willing to proactively organize their domestic and international private jet travel. Increased demand and shortage of aircraft affected some companies in late 2021, therefore planning ahead helps us, private jet providers, accommodate the best possible option while securing the date and desired aircraft. 2022 is here and we expect the global BizAv industry to rise to new heights.