The boom in the British private aviation sector

Private flight may still remain a practice solely for the rich and famous of society, however, the top end of the British aviation market is booming in uncertain times for the United Kingdom.

Amid the confusion of Brexit, it’d be easy to assume a border concerned industry like the private jet market would suffer, however, the industry appears to be alive and well in the UK – but what’s prompted the take off?

The new normal

Private aviation offers three things commercial airliners, no matter how luxurious, cannot – discretion, privacy and speed. These three qualities carry more weight than ever among the political and economic fracas of Brexit, and wealthy business owners are willing to pay the premium.

Seemingly, first class commercial travel is no longer a choice for many of the time-pressed super-rich looking to flitter between countries at a moment’s notice. Simply put, the concepts between private and commercial flight differ greatly. Commercial flight banks on passengers spending as much time, and money, in the airport as possible, while a private charter will ideally have you in the air within a few minutes of arrival.

It appears scheduled flight no longer meets the standard for the world’s top clientele.

A Brexit-proof industry?

While Brexit is busy hampering virtually every industry’s progress with an ongoing series of what ifs and maybes, the ultra-rich nature of private aviation seems immune to its effect. Borders may be becoming tighter on a general level, however with money comes some level of privilege, and British border control allows for “remote clearance” of certain private flights, which allows passengers to travel without any physical hindrance.

Of course, all passengers, no matter how prestigious, face rigorous screening of one form or another. However, most private flights will find their due diligence done in advance, meaning the journey goes ahead without even the slightest interruption.

UK airports want a slice of the action

If you weren’t sure of the impact of private jets in the UK market, all you’d need to do is head down to some of the smaller airports around the London area which are now tailoring themselves to the industry.

Airports such as Farnborough, Biggin Hill and Luton are taking on a new aesthetic, at a substantial cost, to meet the standard of its new wave of patrons. Keeping up appearances is part of the package – with the likes of Farnborough airport charging £200,000 a year for hangar rental, it’s important that it separates itself from more run-of-the-mill airfields.

Private jet charter is also spreading to a wider array of bases. The anywhere, anytime nature of the industry is dependent on the use of a comprehensive range of airports. Sheffield Doncaster, for example, is among many of the UK’s smaller airports that play its part in hosting private charters.

With UK airfields investing in their private offering, Brexit apparently taking no ill-effect and commercial flights seemingly just not cutting it anymore, the private aviation market, both UK and worldwide, is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.