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Fort Lauderdale, Florida BizAv trends by Monarch Air Group: Top routes and destinations for 2022Alina Gavrushenko, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Monarch Air Group, private jet provider based in Fort Lauderdale, shares her vision for 2022 while also projecting the top routes and destinations for the industry based on company insights |
2021 was an impressive year for the global private aviation industry. It demonstrated its resilience and unparalleled flexibility during the pandemic, registering record numbers in operations in the US market, especially for short and mid-haul routes, while also evidencing an increase in first-time private jet flyers, who opted for this option as a result of the industry’s reliability in times of worldwide uncertainty and the inefficiencies of commercial aviation.
2022 projects to be even better. Travel restrictions are expected to decrease worldwide while opening the door for global face-to-face interaction. This trend will be instrumental for a new push in numbers by the private aviation industry, as businesses are eager for quality engagement with their scattered workforce and diverse stakeholders. Along with that trend, a rise in leisure travel is also expected after more than two years of lockdown, with tourists worldwide in desperate need of normality. Travel is therefore set to deliver a much anticipated disconnect from the recent uncertainty.
Private jet trends for 2022
The proximity of South Florida to the Caribbean has historically influenced our bookings during the holiday season, especially on the pre-Covid era. Our bookings in late 2021 evidence that trend and illustrate how private aviation is getting back to normal, especially the short to mid-range international routes. It also shows how the Caribbean is always considered as a top location no matter the season, thanks to the perfect combination of weather, hospitality options and connectivity.
On the same line, and a as global charter company, long-haul international charters are starting to pick up, and it is safe to expect this trend will increase throughout the year with a more controlled pandemic, from a vaccination and border control perspective.
Cities like London, Caracas, Dubai, Cancun, and Panama City have started to appear on our top destinations deck, while other international routes like Buenos Aires in Argentina to Montevideo in Uruguay, or Manila in the Philippines to Tokyo in Japan, are nice surprises considering both regions were slow in demand during 2021.
In the domestic realm, Teterboro airport in New Jersey, Fort Lauderdale and Miami continue leading the way as a starting point for private flights, with Las Vegas, New York, Miami, Orlando, and Los Angeles remaining as the top local destinations for the first half of 2022. These locations serve a dual purpose, business, and leisure, and we expect that the continued rise in domestic private flights will maintain these cities in the top spots throughout the year.
Top private jet destinations and routes during holidays
Just around the corner, the first holiday of the year in January (17th), Martin Luther King Jr. Day, warm weather destinations are the top preferences of passengers. Las Vegas, Miami, Cancun, and Nassau are the top locations, while the top routes are Teterboro to Georgetown and New York to Orlando. Although only two weeks separate us from the holiday, there is still time to accommodate to a flight during that weekend.
Valentine’s Day weekend is usually marked well in advance in the calendars of passengers and private jet companies, as a spike in movements is expected. An interesting mix of domestic and short and long-haul international destinations have been requested for 2022. Aruba, Taos in New Mexico, and London are three of the top preferences, with each location offering a very different set of qualities; sun and beaches, snow and skiing, and the cosmopolitan vibe of Britain’s capital.
If you have travel plans for this upcoming Spring season, you may want to book in advance if you plan to travel to Miami, Orlando or Los Angeles, the top booked cities for 2022. We predict a surge of traffic from people traveling from the East Coast such as New York City and Miami, as well as the always coveted Caribbean, with Nassau to Eleuthera and Miami to Aspen as one of the top routes.
Finally, in the midst of summer, Memorial Day and Independence Day are also two holiday weekend that increase the private jet demand. For the holiday in May, domestic itineraries are trending at the moment, with Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta and Denver all in the top hot spots, while for July, the top routes are mostly from South Florida to the Caribbean.
In summary
A strong close of 2021 allows to project a solid 2022 in terms of demand and movements. The domestic surge of 2021 will continue, while we project that the international realm will gain some ground, delivering a diversity in operations that dates to a pre-Covid state, more than two years ago. Private aviation proved to be very reliable and safe, while garnering the attention of many first-time flyers, a trend that should only increase during the upcoming months.
BlueSky Business Aviation News | 6th January 2022 | Issue #635
