The author of this article pens a defence of private aviation in terms of its convenience to those who use it. He gives a set of pointers to those considering this mode of travel, including warning of risks for those who don't undertake the necessary research required.

In these days of “net zero” and concerns about fossil fuel emissions, a sector that is regularly criticised is private aviation. The sight of wealthy individuals flying on a jet without the hassles and grind of long queues and tedious security suffered by most of us can raise hackles. But are attacks on private aviation fair, or more about ideology rather than concerns for the environment? Someone who is unafraid to talk about these topics is Tim Barber, of Duncan Aviation Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions. He has been published before in these pages. The usual editorial disclaimers apply to views of guest contributors. Enter into debate if you want to do so. Write to tom.burroughes@wealthbriefing.com if you wish to comment on these or other topics.

Business these days is fast moving and gone are the days when, “it’s in the post” was reluctantly accepted as an answer, at least for a day or two. I remember the excitement of the first fax machines which offered a more readily available solution than the telex machine. The arrival of the mobile phone meant that business executives were available wherever they were, no more “he’ll be back in the office on Thursday.” Everything became here and now, and we’ve all been doing business as we drive down the motorways for more than 30 or 40 years. Add to this the impact of time zones across the world and many of us are pretty much online and on call 24/7. The purpose of this piece isn’t to question whether any of these evolutions to the working day are right or wrong but merely to illustrate the pressures we all face in business.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just have a little more time, whether for business or leisure? Well, there is one way that you can buy time and that’s by smartening up your business travel.

Post-pandemic the number of routes covered by commercial airlines remains considerably lower than were available back in 2019. Conseuqently, we are seeing a need for more connecting flights or longer ground transfers, all of which eat into the working day. 

What’s more, all too often the scheduled flights are just at the wrong time of day, whether for the outbound or return trip. In contrast, with a business jet you are free to choose where you fly from and to and at what time – literally from your chosen A to the most efficient B. You’ve just saved, perhaps half a day or more.

What’s more, business jets fly into and out of considerably more airports across the globe than commercial schedules allow, with some 900 more being covered in Europe alone. Such a wider choice enhances the experience of flying on an aircraft not limited to commercial schedules.

Many readers will have experienced the situation where a meeting is overrunning and you’ve booked the last scheduled flight of the day. When this happens there are generally two options, either miss the flight but finish the meeting, or leave unfinished business but stick with the schedule. The former invariably means an unplanned night in a hotel and consequential disruption the following day, whilst the latter most likely means a return trip to deal with the outstanding items. Whichever way you choose to proceed, you’ve lost a decent chunk of time.

If you were flying privately you’d merely make one call to delay the flight for as long as you needed, finish the business and still get to your next destination, albeit later than planned. There are no unplanned hotel nights and no need to return to deal with what was left over from the previous meeting, perhaps saving anywhere between half a day and perhaps a whole day.

Whether it’s returning home for family commitments or dealing with other pressing business, once you have experienced the benefits of flying in your own aircraft, whether by charter or ownership, you’ll not want to fly any other way.

That’s without mentioning the absence of queueing when boarding and alighting; the knowledge of who else you are flying with; the confidentiality of on-board discussions; enhanced security and so on.

There are countless charter brokers available to speak to throughout the world but do make sure that you are dealing with a reputable organisation because there are manifold risks in getting involved in an illegal charter.

Once your level of chartering increases it may reach a level where you choose to take the plunge to purchase your own aircraft. Typically, around 150 hours, perhaps 200 hours, will justify the acquisition and then you have the ultimate freedom. Duncan Aviation, and many other leading aircraft brokers are always willing to guide you through the purchase process.

Finally, there are many stories in the press about the impact of business aviation on the environment, although it is always referred to as “private” aviation in such articles. These appear to be designed to shame people into not flying on corporate aircraft and largely focus on the odd celebrity who is flying for just a few minutes, which is of course a country mile away from the reality. The majority of flights are mid-level executives on business trips, but why let the truth spoil a good story? Business aviation contributes only 0.04 per cent to global emissions, so there are 99.96 per cent of other issues that might just be a bigger concern. My advice is to enhance the quality of your travel, benefit from increased hours in the day, enhance your ability to make more money for your business and employ more people. Everybody gains!