Private air travel can represent a major expense. The Bombardier Global 6000 represents the height of luxury and speed, but it comes at a price.

In many cases, the cost is justified. If the work you’re doing is high-value, then it’s vital that you arrive at your destination promptly – and well-rested. The world’s c-suite high-flyers don’t prefer to fly private simply because they have deep pockets. In many cases, they rightly view this form of aviation as an investment in themselves.

Could your business benefit from using private jets?

Private jets tend to disproportionately benefit companies of a certain type. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s smaller businesses that account for the lion’s share of private passenger miles. According to research from the National Business Aviation Association, companies with less than 500 employees account for 70% of US private charters.

The businesses that tend to really benefit are those whose time is precious and needs to be carefully managed. Fly private, and you’ll be able to dictate the pace, and access airports that mainstream commercial airliners can’t touch. If you are paying your c-suite executives thousands of dollars per hour, then the economic case for private air travel becomes compelling. Plus, private air travel is a luxury, and a great way to reward high-value employees.

Things you didn’t know about travelling on private jets

Businesses that succeed tend to invest in private jets. Around 98% of the World’s Most Admired Companies (according to Fortune) use private aviation to some extent. Those that do use private aviation, moreover, tend to outperform those that don’t.

Private aviation, in itself, is big business. Around 100,000 workers are involved in manufacturing these aircraft, and aviation in general is worth around $125 billion to the US economy.

Private aviation also plays a huge role when disaster strikes. Around 38% of pilots claim to have flown humanitarian missions in the last year, according to Forbes. It’s easy to see why this might be so: private aircraft can be mobilised much more quickly.

What are the benefits of flying by private jet?

So, why might we fly private in the first place? There are a few reasons.

You’ll be able to fly at your convenience, and you won’t have the stress of crowds and delays at the airport. You’ll get a degree of comfort and luxury onboard, too – of the kind that can’t be rivalled by traditional airlines.

Private planes can travel faster, and they can sometimes land at smaller airports. Finally, they tend to convey a certain amount of prestige. If you can tell a client that you’ve flown privately to meet them, then you’ll command their attention – or, at least, you won’t lose it!