The global aviation company saw worldwide growth of 21% in its Program membership – the Vistajet equivalent of a jet card program. The company has introduced stringent procedures to screen aircraft and crew for the coronavirus.
The Vistajet Program membership in the U.S. continued to grow, registering a 24% increase. There were particularly strong results in the Middle East with Program Members up 26%, flight hours up 24% and passengers up 35%. The program offers guaranteed availability with as little as 24 hours notice, globally, on a fleet of over 70 VistaJet owned jets, all at a fixed hourly rate.
The opening of a dedicated Middle East office drove the region to record the largest growth for the Company across number of flights, passengers and new clients joining the VistaJet Program. The UAE registered the majority of flights in the region and saw a 21% increase in flights, trailed only by Saudi Arabia for regional flights, which experienced a 41% growth.
Program memberships grew by 6% in Asia’s membership, with China, India and Singapore leading the charge. Europe recorded an 11% growth in flight hours against 2018 figures and increased its Members in the market by 23%. The UK alone accounted for 24% of VistaJet’s flights in the region, proving that despite political uncertainties, the country continues to be a focus for global and European business.
The company recorded a strong start during first 10 weeks of 2020, even with the global challenges posed by the coronavirus. Early figures from January 2020 show that VistaJet’s total number of flights increased by a further 16% YOY and they initially continued to see strong demand across all regions. The U.S. registered the greatest number of flights during the first two months of the year, making up 23% of global flights.
Thomas Flohr, VistaJet’s and Vista Global’s Founder and Chairman, said “As the events of the last few months show, 2020 is not set to be business as usual. I have no doubt that the strong increase recorded over the past 10 weeks includes fliers looking for safer and cleaner alternatives to commercial flying. The agility and flexibility at the foundation of VistaJet ensure we are well-prepared to address the impact that the spread of coronavirus is having on the world."
With the worldwide spread of Covid-19, Vistajet procedures include all crew are checked for signs of the virus twice a day and each VistaJet aircraft is sanitized after every flight. As a precautionary measure, should authorities determine that a Covid-19 carrier traveled on a VistaJet aircraft, that tail and crew will be temporarily withdrawn from use. For upcoming bookings, passengers may be required to complete additional travel documents and health certificates, and those who have recently traveled to high risk locations may have their temperature tested prior to boarding.
Flohr added “Above all else, the maximum safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is my utmost priority. The ever-changing developments associated with the coronavirus have guided us to find intelligent and innovative ways to step up to the challenge. We have been monitoring and adapting to the outbreak since the first cases were reported in late 2019, and we are working daily with experts and authorities to update our standards as the situation evolves.”