Private-jet demand is on the rise amid government shutdown
A FlexJet Gulfstream G450 aircraft approaches San Diego International Airport for landing in San Diego, California, on May 9, 2025.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Demand for private jet flights has increased as shortages in commercial air travel worsened during the U.S. government shutdown, the CEO of private jet charter and fractional ownership company Flexjet told CNBC.
More than 17,000 U.S. commercial flights were delayed over the weekend, in part due to major staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities from coast to coast, according to FlightAware. This comes on top of hundreds of previously planned cancellations after the Trump administration last week ordered U.S. commercial airlines to reduce their schedules at 40 major U.S. airports by an initial 4 percent; that rate has the potential to rise by as much as 10 percent by the end of the week, blaming pressure on air traffic controllers.
The Senate made progress toward a possible deal to end the shutdown over the weekend and into Monday, but a deal still must be approved by Congress.
Air traffic controllers are required to work during the shutdown, but like other essential workers, they have been working without regular wages since October 1.
The outages have left travelers across the country looking for alternatives. car rental company Hertz reported an increase in one-way rentals late last week.
Demand for private jets was already higher than last year, but bookings have increased in recent weeks, according to Flexjet.
In the first seven days of November, Flexjet’s fractional ownership and jet charter business saw a 42% increase in revenue hours compared to the same period last year, compared to a nearly 20% increase so far this year, the company said.
“That means our owners and leaseholders are using their aircraft more. It’s up in October and it’s continuing to go up,” Flexjet global CEO Andrew Collins said in an interview on Saturday. The company said flight hours last month increased by 23% compared to last year.
Other major private jet providers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Flexjet’s charter business, FXAIR, recorded a 56% increase in revenue hours last month compared to October 2024, while the year-to-date is up 17% compared to last month.
Flexjet’s Sentient Jet unit, which sells passes starting at $174,375 for 25 hours on light business jets, booked 24% more hourly revenue for the rest of November compared to the same point last year.
Collins cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about the spike caused by the shutdown, but said the company was seeing fractional charter holders making more last-minute bookings within 10-hour windows.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to restrict private jet traffic at 12 major U.S. airports on Monday, the National Business Aviation Association said late Sunday.
FAA original order Last week did not require the private aviation industry to specifically reduce flights as commercial airlines were ordered.
NBAA noted that business jets typically use airports other than the nation’s busiest airports.
“Because the business aviation route is not fixed, it makes it possible to take advantage of relaxing airports to avoid burdening major commercial hubs and get people where they want to go from points that are still close to their origin and destination,” Flexjet said in a statement. he said.
