It may have been a turbulent year for private equity, but it’s been blue skies for private jet providers.
Despite a market downturn, demand for business jets continues to climb, with WingX reporting a 3.3% increase in private jet departures in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024. Industry insiders say it’s because those flying on private jets are insulated against short-term fluctuations. But it also signals a broader shift — private aviation is drifting away from business towards leisure travel.
Data gathered by WingX confirms the theory with significant spikes in traffic occurring around the holidays and major events. New Orleans saw a 500% increase in business jet average daily departures on the Monday after the Super Bowl. In April, Augusta airports absorbed 2,063 business jet arrivals during the Masters Tournament weekend — a 34% increase on 2019. Memorial Day also set a new record for business flights with a 16% year-on-year increase in departures.
In response to demand, leading private jet providers compete not only on callout times and fleet age, but also on the doors they can open for their members. From private dinners with Formula 1 drivers to front-row seats at Palio di Siena, flying private is fast becoming a backstage pass to the world’s most exclusive moments.
Flexjet
A leader in fractional ownership, Flexjet has been investing heavily in creating an end-to-end ecosystem for its owners. In 2023, it added a dedicated helicopter division and expanded rapidly into jet maintenance, remaining the only private aviation firm with fully integrated services in both.
It’s also building out its network of private terminals, with five underway, including its first in Europe at London’s Farnborough Airport. Add to that a recent order for 182 Embraer jets valued at $7bn, and you would say Flexjet’s focus is on its core offering — yet it still found time to launch FXLUXE Travel Guides, a travel concierge service, earlier this year.
Spearheaded by chairman Kenn Ricci, who has traveled extensively over the decades and is deeply passionate about it, FXLUXE makes use of Flexjet’s (read: Ricci’s) extensive contacts across the globe. Book a return fare on a Flexjet aircraft to any one of the eight destinations (Anguilla, British West Indies; Florence and Tuscany, Italy; Galápagos Islands, Ecuador; Lake Como, Italy; Machu Picchu, Peru; Marrakech, Morocco; Orient-Express, France and Italy; Queenstown, New Zealand) from the US, and a dedicated travel concierge will secure the finest suites, restaurants and private excursions — all at no additional cost.
More destinations will be added in due course, but only when Ricci finds the time to verify any and everything before it goes into an owner’s itinerary. For a man leading the multibillion-dollar Directional Aviation Capital (Flexjet’s parent company), you wonder how he will fit it all in.
“I have this fantasy that someday there’ll be a new chairman at Flexjet, and my job will be to travel and find curated destinations,” he told Elite Traveler with a wry smile (read the full interview here). “And that’s what I will do in my retirement, because I’m not going to put a destination in there that I haven’t experienced myself.” It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.
VistaJet
First launched in 2016 as Private Office, VistaJet’s Private World division is a pioneer of bespoke travel experiences in business aviation.
It began as an ad-hoc concierge service for existing members before evolving to offer tailored itineraries on seven continents, all with point-to-point travel on VistaJet’s expansive global fleet. Most of these voyages are executed by select travel partners, such as Cookson Adventures and The Luminaire.
What sets VistaJet apart isn’t just access to rare destinations — it’s the doors it opens along the way. Through strategic sponsorships, members are offered insider access to headline events like the Cannes Film Festival and Formula 1 Grand Prix. While others might secure a guest pass, VistaJet places its clients on the red carpet and the F1 grid, shoulder to shoulder with film stars and race drivers.
Leona Qi, president of VistaJet US, told Elite Traveler: “Private World evolved from the requests and passions of our members, so the range of experiences we offer is incredibly diverse — everything from intimate opera performances to exotic expeditions and exclusive adventures with award-winning film directors. That said, sports travel, particularly for F1, Super Bowl, The Masters and World Polo, tends to be among them. Members can witness the action of F1 races worldwide thanks to our exclusive partnership with Ferrari, including private dinners with drivers like Charles Leclerc.”
In April, VistaJet debuted Vista House at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia. The temporary retreat brought the brand’s in-flight service to the ground, offering fine dining, a quiet escape from the crowds and appearances by VistaJet-sponsored golfers. The company also hosted once-in-a-lifetime experiences for its members, including a round of golf with three-time Masters champion Gary Player.
The next stop was the Monaco Grand Prix, where VistaJet’s founder and chairman was seen swapping anecdotes with fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos. Tapping into its long-standing relationship with Ferrari, VistaJet provided members with rare behind-the-scenes access. Couldn’t make it? Members get a preferred rate in the Ferrari Paddock Club at every Grand Prix on the calendar.
