After record year for private aviation, will demand continue upward trend in 2022?

Credit: Monarch Air Group

Private aviation reached new heights in 2021. Worldwide, 3.3 million flights were operated in 2021, seven per cent higher than pre-COVID-19 according to recent WingX data. There are two main reasons for the previous surge: hygiene concerns around the pandemic and a prolonged slump for commercial aviation.

In fact, those numbers were even greater in late 2021 compared to the previous high point in 2019, with a global increase of 23 per cent. For the domestic market in the U.S. those numbers were even more astonishing, with 46 per cent additional movements than two years ago fuelled by the Christmas and new year period.

Will the demand continue its upward trend in 2022? It’s safe to say it will, although there will be other aspects in place moving the needle this year, In 2021, availability during uncertainty was the main aspect and added value especially for first-time flyers. In 2022, when other players, not just those with global reach, have understood the importance of the availability component, consistency to deliver a seamless experience will be the difference.

Consistency in the private aviation experience

“Availability is the best ability”, as the saying goes, is a nice start for private aviation providers but will not suffice the savvy business travellers, who position availability as only one within a large list of tangible traits offered by the industry. Consistency is a much more complex notion that encompasses the overall experience, from start to finish.

2021 served as the year that private aviation demonstrated its true value to a new audience – once removed from the market due to opportunity or lack of incentives – who has now realised that private aviation is a powerful tool that enables more time for business or leisure thanks to an efficient travel process. There is said to be no going back after you have experienced private aviation.

Consistency as a safety net

That consistency in the private aviation supply chain comes with years of experience, which is why only a few players in the industry are well positioned to succeed. Furthermore, with the emergence of new COVID-19 variants worldwide, fluctuating fuel prices and the shortage of new aircraft in the market due to delays from the global manufacturers, consistency, acts as a safety net for external uncertainties.

It is not how big you are what determines if you are prepared to weather the storm, but how much can you plan to maintain operations under uncertainty. 2021 served as the perfect example on why companies should expect the unexpected, and only those taking pointers and applying improvements will be in good position for what is ahead on the runway.

In essence, in just one year, the expectations for private aviation have risen to a new level due to its worldwide popularity and access. No longer perceived as a luxury, flying private these days is a necessity in many regions where commercial aviation is still lacking proper itineraries. Consistency, as it has been exposed in this piece, is the main intangible that will allow sustained success for the industry moving forward, an umbrella concept that includes all the series of known traits in private aviation, from time-efficiency and safety to comfort.