Private flights are the safest transport alternative during COVID-19

In the case of safety measures and lockdown related to the coronavirus pandemic, private flights are the best solution of how to protect your health and not stay trapped at home. You travel by yourself or with your relatives in a private jet cabin. You will avoid overcrowded airport terminals and other restrictions at airports. Our personnel strictly adhere to all hygiene regulations and current official orders.

Benefits of private flights

Not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but in general, private flights are safer and minimise the risk of contracting any infectious disease. The private airline will collect you from the selected location and will transport you to a private airport terminal, so you will not come into contact with other passengers of other flights on the way. You will fly by yourself or with people you have chosen to accompany you. The airport personnel and the flight crew members are required to follow very strict requirements for complying with hygiene principles and are bound by strict rules in terms of contact with persons showing possible signs of disease. They are required to use disposable rubber gloves, masks or respirators and comply with other internal regulations in line with the official regulation of the Civil Aviation Authority. 

JetBee pays great attention to ensuring the perfect condition of the aircraft in order to make sure the passengers on board are safe also in terms of health. The flight crew always has a disinfecting set at hand that is available to all clients at any time. We guarantee that the aircraft cabin is properly cleaned and disinfected after each flight in line with the issued checklists. This is another advantage of private flights compared to commercial ones. The size of our jets enables us to pay attention to even the smallest details.

Private operators bring a solution

A number of commercial flights were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Passengers lost money paid for the flight and often for the booked accommodation at their chosen destinations. As a result, large airlines faced huge financial losses from day to day and were not often able to refund the costs to their clients. Private operators do not need to face most of these problems, quite the contrary.

Private air cargo transport was paralysed, as well. Huge numbers of goods and consignments did not get to their destination. In the case of a postcard from holiday, delayed delivery is just a minor inconvenience. However, it is more critical when it concerns medical materials and goods required for providing basic services. And this is where the most important advantages of private air transport became evident, as it managed to flexibly respond to the current situation and comply with  governmental regulations.

Another inconvenience was that a number of travellers, tourists and people on business trips literally remained trapped abroad without the chance to return quickly to their home country. This was associated with other money losses or new costs. This also revealed the advantages of private operators which could to a certain extent substitute for commercial transport. 

In the air in a few hours

The respective government and other restrictions avoiding free movement of persons had a global impact on the air transport segment. Transport was allowed only after complying with a number of criteria and special conditions. Due to these measures, the offer of regular air connections operated by traditional airlines rapidly decreased and the demand for individual flights by private operators increased.

JetBee can get the aircraft ready for departure within a few hours of placement of the order for a private person or a company and help with transport of vital products and goods. Private flights offer a unique opportunity to get to the destination as fast as possible without unnecessary delays. 

In addition, a number of private operators, including JetBee, offer the service of outsourcing of flight planning. Both private persons and corporations thus have several options of utilising their aircraft or fleet during the restricting regulations. You can arrange for a private flight to transport passengers or for commercial use of the aircraft, for instance, for cargo transport.

How can a private air transport operator help during COVID-19:

• Repatriation flights (sick or healthy persons)
• Business flights for corporations, politicians and diplomats
• Ambulance flights
• Transport of medical personnel, material and equipment
• Transport of essential goods required for providing services

Complex care on the ground and in the air

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, travelling with large airlines was a matter of course. It was not a problem to get to the airport using public transport, wait for the aircraft at the terminal and board along with the other passengers. The global outbreak of COVID-19 caused not only a partial collapse of the air transport, but travelling got complicated and many people became afraid to travel. Private flights offer solutions with a number of advantages.

Travelling restrictions and control

The current situation has seen a dynamic development during coronavirus and each country deals with it in its own way. Specific regulations aimed at stopping the virus spreading differ country by country. When you need to travel by air, you have to track the current travel restrictions and controls and this takes time. When you book a private flight, this information will be investigated by the private air transport operator for you when planning the flight. Thanks to this, you will rid yourself of the worries related to travel preparations.

Safety measures

When you travel by commercial aircraft, you are much more exposed to the infection while waiting at the terminal or on board, because you are surrounded by a large number of people. Regarding the fact that each country has different safety measures, you will have to wear a mask for the entire duration of the flight. On a private flight, however, you travel only with a few persons who you have selected yourself. You board the aircraft at a private terminal where there are only the personnel required to ensure your flight. Thus, you need to wear a mask only when boarding or leaving the aircraft. 

Travel insurance

People travelling abroad usually take out travel insurance to cover cases of injury, sickness or theft. However, insurance of flight cancellation is not that common and is not included in the airfare, and commercial companies do not offer to refund the whole amount. You will get only a partial refund, substitute air ticket or voucher, and  communication with the commercial operator is often time-consuming. For a private flight cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, JetBee refunded the flight due to “force majeure” and everything was settled based on discussions with the  particular client. In other cases, general cancellation conditions apply. 

Tips to travel safely

Travelling during coronavirus requires certain rules to be respected, including  private flights. This includes several simple principles which you should obey. This will help you protect not only your own health, but also the health of the other passengers, the airport staff and the crew.

(A) Cover your mouth and nose with a mask or a piece of fabric and keep the recommended distance. 

(B) Regularly disinfect your hands using hand sanitiser based on alcohol or wash your hands with soap and warm water.

(C) Wash your hands before eating and try not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth.

(D) If you start feeling any symptoms during the journey, immediately inform the crew.

(E) Do not travel if you have a high temperature, cough, cold, breathing problems or other symptoms of influenza.

(F) Avoid close contact with people showing the symptoms described in the previous point. 

Private flights after COVID-19

Restrictions and controls will be lifted once the number of positive cases decreases. However, this will not occur at the same pace in every country and lifting of  travel restrictions will also increase the probability of another wave of pandemic. If you are going to travel to European Union countries, you will find an easy tool on the internet to immediately find out what the situation is in the given country and whether it is safe to travel there. It is the internet project RE-open EU.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that a lot of changes would have to be made in air transport. This concerns especially private flights, which can expect several new trends. Taking into account the extreme interest in private jets during the corona crisis,  private air transport appears to be less and less seen as a way of travelling affordable only by the richest. We expect the client portfolio to expand and the number of passengers flying by  private jet for the first time to increase. 

A number of leading airlines have been greatly affected by the crisis and some of them have even gone bankrupt. Interest in private flights is expected to significantly increase in the future as a result of the lower number of commercial flights. Besides the lower frequency of commercial flights, another important aspect is that some airlines have had to reduce the number of destinations they fly to. This is another advantage for private airlines, which have a chance to fly not only to international airports, but also to the small ones or to non-traditional destinations.