The Future of Private Jet Travel

Many have tried to foretell the future, but few have succeeded – and air travel is no exception. In 1901, Wilbur Wright told his brother, Orville, that “men would not fly for 50 years.” In 1903, The New York Times speculated that “flying machines” would take 1 to 10 million years to develop. In Arthur Hailey’s iconic 1968 novel Airport – the basis for four thriller movies and inspiration for the spoof Airplane! – characters predict that passengers will soon board airplanes in pods and jets will be stacked on top of one another, but not that airports will feature security lines and X-ray machines.

Antique illustration from 1890. Photo Credit: L Feddes, iStock / Getty Images Plus

In June 2019, few could have foreseen what the next half-decade would bring. Charter companies and jet card operators had seen a decline in activity each month in 2019 vs the prior year, though growth was expected by year-end. No one could project that, five years down the road, the aftereffects of a variant of a disease then little known by the public, coronavirus, would drive countless new customers toward private jet travel, with a 15% increase in business jet and turboprop flights in 2023 over 2019.

Predicting the future for private jet travel remains a tricky task at best. However, industry experts see some definitive trends and developments evolving that are likely to affect how business jet travel works over the long term – in relation to technology, operations, customer experience and much more. If you’re interested in getting a glimpse into the crystal ball, read on.

Higher, Better, Faster, Stronger

One safe assumption about air travel is that passengers are always interested in spending less time in the air, all other things being equal. “Speed solves a lot of problems for a lot of people,” says Janine Iannarelli, founder and president of international aircraft brokerage firm Par Avion Ltd. “It takes all of those issues related to long-haul travel and crunches it down.”

How to achieve that speed is the question. For a few decades, commercial travelers could cross the Atlantic quickly in the supersonic Concorde jet, but multiple factors combined to make the Concorde unworkable – high fuel requirements and restrictions on supersonic flight due to shockwaves were complications long before a crash in 2000 killed more than 100 people. The last flight of the Concorde was in 2003, now more than two decades ago.

Concorde at sunset. Photo Credit: Andrew Holt, The Image Bank / Getty Images

However, the end of the Concorde was not the end of interest in supersonic air travel – especially for private jet travelers. In 2019, market research firm JetNet iQ forecast a “sizable and growing market” for supersonic business jets, based on industry surveys. Companies currently developing smaller supersonic jets include Spike Aerospace and Boom Supersonic.

The timing as to when these exciting plans become reality is unclear. The COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide disruptions that likely slowed down progress at least somewhat. Making supersonic private jet travel an economically viable option will take time and investment.

“You need to follow the engine. That’s the key,” Iannarelli says. “When you have the engine technology, they’ll figure out the rest.”

Earth-Friendly

Even more complex than supersonic technology, however, may be environmental issues. Private jets currently have a higher carbon footprint per passenger than commercial aircraft (though they make up only a miniscule portion of carbon production worldwide). Social media accounts that track usage of private jets by celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Elon Musk justify their approach by focusing on environmental impacts of private jet travel. Environmental organizations such as Greenpeace have called for a ban on private jet travel altogether.

To date, these criticisms have found the most traction in Europe. Though the EU Transport Commission has ruled out a ban on business jet travel, France restricted short-haul flights in 2023 (with rail alternatives that take less than 2 ½ hours). Spain is looking to do the same. Amsterdam has announced a goal of eventually banning private jet flights into Schiphol Airport, the 14-busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic as of 2023 (though without any specific timetable).

Other regions, however, do not seem to be copying Europe’s approach. U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a tax increase for fuel for private jets in his 2024 budget – from 22 cents per gallon now to $1.06 in half a decade – but has not paired that with any calls to restrict private jet travel altogether. Business aviation travel more than doubled in South America and Asia in 2023 from 2019 levels and rose more than 50% in Asia, with no signs of governmental restrictions due to environmental (or other) concerns.

Future of flight with green innovation. Photo Credit: Fahroni, iStock / Getty Images Plus

New technology that limits carbon emissions from private jets could help make this debate moot, while also potentially reducing fuel costs through more efficient use. Newer aircraft such as the Dassault Falcon 8X bill themselves as being more eco-friendly. Charter company Jetex has made sustainable aviation fuel (made from substances such as used cooking oil) available at certain airports around the world, with the National Business Aviation Association supporting efforts to further sustainable fuel development.

Looking forward even further, the U.S. Air Force is testing electric aviation technology, which is also under development by large manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing and Embraer. For now, electric flights are only feasible for small planes going short distances – but that may well be more compatible with smaller business jets than larger commercial aircraft.

“The alternative to shutting down private jet flights is an integrated, well-thought-out transportation system in which all of it is environmentally friendly, not just one component,” Iannarelli says.

Comfort in the Sky

Looking within rather than without, the future of private jet travel likely involves a more comfortable experience for the traveler. While flying private typically provides a bespoke service now missing from commercial aviation, further improvements are still possible.

Iannarelli mentions that circadian rhythm-based lighting, such as that offered on the Bombardier Global 7500 and 8000 business jets, can make flying less tiring. Technology such as the “mood lighting” in some Virgin Atlantic flights can help body clocks adjust more quickly to new time zones. “Private jets have already improved the passenger experience via lower cabin altitudes and increased hydration methods, but there is more to come,” she says.

Woman resting on business class aircraft. Photo Credit: Povozniuk, iStock / Getty Images Plus

And, eventually, those passengers may be able to depart from many more locations than are possible today. While vertical liftoff currently is limited to helicopters and hummingbirds (plus a few other bird types), combining that option with airplane technology could be a game-changer, opening up private jet takeoffs and landings to sites outside of airports.

“As we advance, why not?” Iannarelli asks. “A vertical liftoff and landing concept would change the way people travel, especially if we get it down to a personal size.”

There’s an App for That

Innovation may also change the way that private jet travelers select flights in the first place. While commercial air travelers are now used to finding and booking flights on computers or smartphones, the customized nature of private jet trips has meant that that process has still relied more heavily on individual contacts.

Now, however, new developments are opening up more options to private jet travelers as well. Private aviation company FlyHouse is introducing an app that will allow would-be flyers to see multiple options for their preferred route and aircraft size. Type in where and when you want to go, and within minutes, you can see multiple options, including price points.

“You’re booking the full charter – it’s really fun,” says Jason Firestone, president of FlyHouse’s Private Client Group. “We’re doing a hard launch this fall. The challenge we have is not a technological issue, but getting clients used to something different.”

The Future’s So Bright…

Of course, the future is impossible to predict fully. True revolutionary technologies have a way of disrupting industries beyond recognition – just ask camera manufacturers and video rental companies. While teleportation machines a la “Star Trek” appear conceptually impossible at this point, air travel itself seemed the same a bit more than a century ago.

Businessman travelling in private jet airplane. Photo Credit: guvendemir, iStock / Getty Images Plus

For now, however, jet travel will continue to be the most convenient and rapid way to travel the globe – especially private jet travel. And the private jet industry is the segment with the most flexibility to test and promote new innovations that can eventually improve air travel overall.

“The key to the future of aviation is the ability to provide economical, environmentally friendly, performance-driven engines,” Iannarelli says. “Business aviation operators will be more than happy to embrace new technology.”