Holiday Season: Private Jet Operators See Increase in Diwali Bookings; Russia, Turkey, Ukraine the new hotspots

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The spark – and the sparklers – this Diwali is in the way out. And business leaders are not allowing the pandemic to be a wet firecracker in their celebration plans. One of those ways is to take family, friends, even pets, book a private jet, and fly overseas to desired destinations.

Private jet operators have seen an increase in bookings for the months of October and November, when Durga Puja and Diwali are celebrated.

Shanil Desai, director of Jetfleet Aviation, said it saw growth of 24% this year compared to last year during the holiday season. “There is a surge seen in the charter segment for leisure or vacation charter travelers this year as more and more domestic and international travel destinations have opened up for Indian citizens,” he said. said, adding that they anticipate strong demand for leisure / vacation charter destinations. also in December 2021.

Simi Kuriakose, Airborne Private Jet’s Asia-Pacific Emergency Mission Controller, says 60% of their customers seek international destinations such as Moscow, Maldives, Dubai, Thailand and Bali. “The majority of these domestic bookings are for vacations to Diwali and Durga Puja. The preferred flight is a single charter flight with six to eight passengers with their pets,” Kuriakose said.

The remaining 35-40% of travelers to Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata book private jets to return to their hometowns during the festive months.

“With the coming holiday season and the government’s gradual lifting of travel restrictions for domestic and international destinations, we are seeing a drastic increase in charter booking requests,” said Kanika Tekriwal, CEO and Founder of JetSetGo Aviation.

High level of security

Nisha Sharma, MD, Aloft Aviation, said that while this season has always been a popular travel time, the demand for private jets has been higher than that for commercial airliners. The reason many turn to private jets is the high level of safety they offer. “This is where a private jet comes in with a completely different work process from booking to landing at your destination,” she says.

Discover destinations

It is not just the mode of transportation that has seen a change. Travelers are also looking for newer and more offbeat places to celebrate the holiday season.

“Usually popular areas for traveling amid the festivities are Goa, Jaipur, Kolkata, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Maldives, Dubai, Kathmandu, Koh Samui, Phuket, Singapore, Bangkok and Mauritius. International travel, we are currently witnessing travel booking requests for selected countries like Maldives, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Russia and some European countries, ”Tekriwal said.

A business leader, who prefers anonymity, says he chose Russia to bring Diwali along with 15 of his close friends and family – all of whom are doubly vaccinated. He says the fact that the country is open to tourists is the main reason he booked a vacation two months ago. The group will fly to Moscow but plan to visit other regions for a much needed recharge.

Another CEO, who asked that his identity not be revealed, also chose Ukraine as a vacation spot during Navratri. “My friends and I have taken both doses of the vaccine and we are all looking forward to the break as we missed out on spending time together,” he said.

Talk about plane

Tapish Khivensra, director of Enthrall Aviation, said that while the Maldives remains a popular destination, travelers are also very interested in Russia and Turkey. “Since these countries have relaxed their entry requirements, people are traveling with family and friends who also have seniors. 10 to 13 places, ”he says.

Comfort calls

With the relaxation of travel restrictions in various international destinations, more and more travelers are feeling comfortable booking flights 30 to 45 days in advance of travel date. Tekriwal observes: “… We expect an increase in demand for international pleasure travel this year as Indian travelers wish to spend more after being denied travel for almost a year and a half. ”

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