Victor reports on European business jet trends

A new report from online charter specialist Victor has revealed some key trends on business jet movements in Europe.

The report, in conjunction with German based aviation consultancy WINGX Advance, looks at all business aircraft flights in Europe for the first six months of 2015. Victor then mixed in some of its own booking data to complete the overall picture.

The company found that business aviation movements are on the rise, despite the continuing decline in movements to and from Russia and the CIS.

“With private charter flights continuing to increase across Europe, particularly over the summer months, it is clear that more travelers – both in and outside of the traditional high and ultra-high net worth jet-setter demographic – are saving time and maximizing value by tailoring the private jet experience that totally suits their needs.” said Clive Jackson, founder and CEO of Victor.

As part of the report, Victor split Europe into geographical regions. Western Europe saw the largest increase in movement with a 2.8% gain. As expected, Russia and the CIS saw the biggest decline, dropping by a further 25%.

France, Germany and the UK are the biggest three markets, with all three combined accounting for almost half of all European movements. During the summer months Nice was the busiest airport, seeing twice as much traffic as the second busiest airport, Olbia in Italy.

When looking at movements by aircraft class, Victor found that there was a huge difference in the ways that people fly, with light jets being the most utilized aircraft class, followed by large jets. However, the King Air 200 turboprop was the most popular aircraft type.

Jackson says that overall, growth is coming back “The private jet industry is experiencing tremendous change. In terms of charter, technological innovation is turning the traditional global framework of brokers and operators on its head, and therefore the manner in which travelers fly privately.”

Victor were one of the original entrants into the online charter market, officially launching from London in 2011.

Since then, the market has seen many new entrants. It’s a situation that Jackson believes is causing an oversupply and could well lead to consolidation. “2016 will be a watershed in the industry” says Jackson.

“The kind of tech-driven, on-demand charter service Victor offers has made private jet travel vastly more transparent and convenient. With Victor, the flier is in total control. Whether they book by app, web or phone they have full disclosure of pricing and aircraft details across more than 130 trusted partner operators. Supported by an experienced, 24-7 customer service team, travelers can enjoy a truly flexible, high quality alternative to fixed ownership and other methods of charter.”