SAFE AND SWIFT: CHARTER FLIGHTS WOO TRAVELLERS
Of comfort and luxury Minimal touchpoints, freedom to set your own schedule along with a blend have made private air charters popular in the post-pandemic world
Covid-19 has changed the way we travel, thanks to the heightened safety concerns amid the fear of getting infected with the virus. Hence, as more and more people execute their long-pending vacation plans, chartering a private flight seems just the perfect idea for those who can afford it. Not only do private air charters minimise touch-points and allow passengers to bypass busy airport terminals but also offer plethora of other benefits.
A private air passenger encounters only about 40 people from home to hotel check-in while for commercial flights, the average rises to about 700 encounters. “There has been a paradigm shift in the consumer’s behaviour and the private aviation sector has witnessed sustained growth. We’ve witnessed a nine-fold increase in booking requests since the pandemic hit, of which 70% guests are new flyers,” says Kanika Tekriwal, CEO and founder, JetSetGo Aviation.
Tackling a major surge in demand, aviation companies are realigning their services to suit the need of an emerging client base. “Charters especially like ours that are vertical in nature allow travellers to access locations that are otherwise difficult to connect because of no airports,” says Karanpal Singh, founder, BLADE India and Hunch Ventures, that provides helicopter flights between Mumbai, Shirdi, and Pune. Moreover, when it comes to health and hygiene factors, private charter operators are able to woo clients by promoting Covid-safe practices such as regular tests of flight crew, sanitised interiors, among others. “Our overall client safety SOPs have been derived on the basis of the ongoing inputs we receive from our guests, as well as some of the country’s best medical practitioners,” says Tekriwal.
Charter costs depend on the number of passengers, distance, duration, as well as the kind of aircraft. “Typically our charter costs starts as low as
₹80, 000 per hour. Short trips are in the range of ₹80,000 to 1.90 lakh per flight. Duration differs on the basis of departure and arrival location,” adds Singh. Offering a blend of luxury and comfort remains the USP of this mode of travel. “Every flier is assigned a dedicated relationship manager who takes care of all fliers’ travel needs, from customised on-board cuisine, pick-up and drop-off and partner benefits from the most distinguished brands,” says Singh.
No wonder, travellers who are using such services, are becoming a fan of it. Sharing his experience Nikhil Thakurdas, CEO Odyssey Tours and Travels, says, “I had to attend a half-day conference and chose to fly on a chartered flight as it was a super convenient option for a day trip... The journey itself was an experience with great views of the Western Ghats, the Bandra-Worli sea link to name a few.”
So, if you too, are planning your next dream vacation, maybe it’s the time to fly safely, swiftly and without interruption.
COVID-SAFE PRACTICES SUCH AS REGULAR TESTING OF ENTIRE FLIGHT CREW, SOCIALLY DISTANCED SEATING AND SANITISED INTERIORS ARE MAKING MANY FLIERS OPT FOR CHARTERED SERVICES