Where the rich go in private jets, from the Bahamas to Bali

New data finds flights taken on private planes climbed by almost 10 per cent last year

Heatwaves and protests this month in New York, London and Hong Kong may have left some urbanites dreaming of weekend breaks on isolated beaches.

The fastest route to fulfilling those fantasies is by private jet, an exclusive mode of transport growing increasingly popular among the super rich.

Private jet flights climbed almost 10 per cent last year, according to an analysis of 30 island destinations by real estate broker Knight Frank and aviation adviser WingX. Private jets flew to islands in the Americas almost 30,000 times, making them the world’s top hub for non-commercial aviation, led by the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands.

“Private jets are the path of least resistance” for travel, said Knight Frank partner Alasdair Pritchard, who advises billionaire clients. “If you can afford it and then experience it, you wouldn’t go back.”

The data offer insight into the jet-set lifestyles of the fabulously rich. In addition to superyachts, private jets are one of the ultimate trophy assets of the mega-wealthy, with purchase prices typically ranging from a few million dollars to more than $50 million (U.S.).

More than two-thirds of arrivals to the Bahamas originated in the U.S., Canada or internally. With Miami less than an hour away, the proximity of privateflight origins in the Bahamas highlights how rich individuals prefer to use jets for short hops. It’s the same in Europe, where aircraft landing in Mallorca, Ibiza and Sardinia — the continent’s three most popular islands for private plane arrivals — departed from nearby nations including Spain and Germany.

The Philippines, Maldives and Bali were the top destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, which saw private jet arrivals increase more than 80 per cent, reflecting a wealth boom in which China minted a new billionaire about every other day.