Private-jet operator unveils short-term deals

Brother, can you spare a jet?

More companies are asking that question as they face the need to move employees around the country or world at a time when a deadly pandemic has limited flights and raised the risks of public travel.

VistaJet is responding to the new wave of demand by offering short-term leases so that its charter-plane customers can have exclusive access to private aircraft to help meet their travel needs.

“We’re seeing more and more requests coming in from people about taking an aircraft full time, for a period of time,” said Ian Moore, chief commercial officer of the Malta-based private flight provider.

“So we wanted to design something particularly over these next couple of months that fixates on that demand.”

Among charter companies, VistaJet is in a unique position to offer short-term plane leases during the pandemic because the company owns its fleet.

Most charter companies don’t own planes and arrange on-demand flights from idle aircraft enrolled in their charter program.

For leases of one to three months, VistaJet will provide companies with crew and maintenance to go with one of its 115 jets, which include the 8-passenger Cessna Citation X and 14-passenger Bombardier Global 6000s, Moore said in an interview.

For business in the time of coronavirus, many companies need an extra plane to shuttle between cities as more countries impose travel restrictions, he said.

Private flights have jumped as commercial flights have decreased sharply.

Bloomberg