Demand for private jets surges due to coronavirus scare

A drop in airline flights from China and Hong Kong due to the coronavirus is increasing demand for private jets as wealthy passengers try to get out, executives say, but travel bans and nervous crew have kept that from translating to more business.

Australia-based Darin Voyles, of Paramount Business Jets, said the firm had seen a ''considerable uptick'' in requests, but the majority can't be filled as they can't get the crew or planes.

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"Many simply do not want to send their aircraft and crews into mainland China. Aside from the risk of exposure for the crews, the operational and business concern is that when they return from mainland China they will essentially be unable to work for two weeks as they will have to go into quarantine immediately.''

Singapore-based MyJet Asia said it has seen an increase of 80 per cent -90 per cent in the last month.

"A lot of people went away for Chinese New Year and are now struggling to get back to China," said Logan Ravishkansar, chief executive of MyJet Asia. Many have asked to be flown back to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

"But we are massively restricted on where we can fly to, while the airlines are not letting us charter their planes despite the money," he added.

Other travellers are desperate to get out of China.

A government client from South America asked PrivateFly, a global booking service for charter flights, ''to set up four flights out of Wuhan for hundreds of passengers,'' according to its chief executive Adam Twidell.

The UK-based firm said it has had plenty of other inquiries from private individuals and groups.

The COVID-19 outbreak, which has killed more than 1,850 people in China, has led premium Asian airlines like Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd to drastically cuts their flight schedules.

UK-based consultancy Ascend by Cirium said the number of flights scheduled to operate to, from and within China had dropped by 34 per centfrom January 23 through February 11.

Those cuts have left stranded passengers to rely on government-led evacuations.

For those who can afford it, there are private jet charters carrying smaller groups and promising less risk of exposure to the virus.

Strict quarantine requirements, travel bans on Chinese citizens and concerns for crew safety have left only a limited pool of private jet operators willing to fly to China.