It is not just superstars, royal families or oligarchs skipping long security lines and sitting in the cushy leather seats anymore. 

Today, there are more options than ever to take to the skies in a private jet without being head of state, CEO or owning a plane outright.

Private jet deliveries are up

Since the COVID-19 pandemic travel slump, planemakers have made a steady recovery driven by strong customer demand.

Currently, there are around 23,500 private jets in service globally, according to Denesz Thiyagarajan, head of the general aviation team at IBA Insight, an aviation advisory company.

North America accounts for roughly 60% to 70% of the world's total business jet fleet, while a lot of demand is now coming from the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, particularly India.

In 2020, there were 644 business-jet deliveries. By 2024, this jumped to 764. For this year, Thiyagarajan and his team forecast another 820 deliveries, which is a 7.3% year-on-year increase. There are waiting lists for some of the most in-demand jets.

JetNet, another aviation analyst, expects nearly 9,700 new business jets to be delivered globally through 2034.

Who is the typical private jet buyer?

Private jet buyers are typically high-net-worth individuals, governments, corporations or charter operators like NetJets or FlexJets. The market remains dominated by wholly owned aircraft, Thiyagarajan told DW, though so-called fractional ownership is increasing.

Daniel Riefer, a Munich-based partner at McKinsey's travel, logistics and infrastructure practice, says from a business model perspective, fractional ownership operators have seen "the strongest expansion over the past five years."

Besides fractional ownership, subscriptions or membership programs, which provide cardholders access to an operator's entire fleet for a certain number of flight hours, are also becoming more popular. These branded charter operators usually own and operate their fleets directly. 

Aircraft owned by individuals or companies are often managed by service providers, who may additionally charter them to others when not in use, Riefer, who is also a former commercial airline pilot, told DW.

Who is the typical private jet user?

The profile of the average private jet user has changed — and expanded — since the pandemic. Today, it is no longer just the ultra-rich and corporate executives who step onboard.

The market now includes "families, entrepreneurs and first-time flyers seeking safety, flexibility, reliability and luxury that commercial airlines couldn't guarantee during the crisis," said Thiyagarajan.

The aviation expert thinks this shift was caused by a big wealth transfer, high liquidity and changing priorities after the pandemic. At the same time, the increase in charter and membership options makes access to private jets easier.

Not only are more jets being sold, they are flying more, too. Hours flown on private jets are around 115% to 120% above 2019 levels, according to Riefer, though usage varies by region and is influenced by things like the availability of commercial airlines and transport infrastructure.

What is a private jet exactly?

Private jets, also referred to as business or corporate jets, come in seven different categories based on size and range, explains Thiyagarajan.

The smallest business jet is a 4-seat, single-pilot plane with a short range. After that comes mid-range jets for 6-10 passengers. Then there are longer-range jets for 10-19 passengers and finally executive airliners with room for 20 to 50 or more passengers.

At the top rung of the executive airliner ladder are jets for premium long-haul travel. Boeing Business Jets recently announced a new full-service program to turn commercial Boeing 747-8s into such executive airliners.

The commercial version of these Boeings holds about 600 passengers. The updated 747-8 VIP will be the largest private jet in the air and have space for around 75 passengers, according to the company.

Not everyone is looking for the biggest and best. But there is more demand for larger jets "particularly in the super-midsize and long-range categories," said Riefer, "while midsize and light jets have declined as a share of the total fleet over the past decade."

The sky-high cost(s) of owning a jet

For Boeing and Airbus turning their commercial jets into tailored private aircraft is a side business. Other companies focus on it like US-based Gulfstream, Honda Aircraft and Textron, Canada's Bombardier, Brazil's Embraer, France's Dassault, and Pilatus in Switzerland.

List price for a  brand-new private jet can cost anywhere from a few million dollars to over $75 million (€64.9 million) for a Gulfstream G700 or $78 million for a Bombardier Global 8000 — and that is before any customization.

The Boeing 747-8 VIP is expected to cost a few hundred million dollars. And those are just the costs of buying a jet.

Actually flying it costs even more. Fixed and operating expenses like fuel, maintenance, insurance, landing, parking, crew and catering can add up to another few million a year depending on size and use. 

Time is the new ultimate luxury

Private jets produce more emissions per passenger than commercial planes, and climate activists have targeted them because they represent elite excess and unnecessary emissions. But for most frequent flyers, it will take more than protesters to keep them off the tarmac.

For manufacturers, geopolitical uncertainty and tariffs are having some impact on supply chains and their ability to churn out aircraft, which is leading to backlogs. Yet, a broader economic downturn seems far off.

Denesz Thiyagarajan expects to see sustained growth in the next few years driven by rising global wealth, more corporate use and increased accessibility through charter programs and fractional ownership.

Daniel Riefer agrees but points out regional differences. "The US will remain the largest market in absolute terms, while the fastest growth is projected in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America," he said.

"The fractional ownership model is likely to gain further share, enhancing utilization and making private aviation more accessible and flexible."

Edited by: Uwe Hessler