A FlexJet Gulfstream G450 aircraft approaches San Diego International Airport for landing on May 9, 2025 in San Diego, California.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Demand for private jet flights has increased during the U.S. government shutdown as commercial air travel woes worsen, 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 widespread staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities, according to FlightAware. This was in addition to hundreds of pre-planned cancellations after the Trump administration last week ordered U.S. commercial airlines to cut their schedules at 40 major U.S. airports by 4% initially, and by as much as 10% by the end of the week, citing strain on air traffic controllers.
The Senate made progress over the weekend and into Monday on a deal to lift the shutdown, but the deal still needs parliamentary approval.
Air traffic controllers are required to work during the shutdown, but like other essential employees, they have been working without regular pay since the shutdown began on October 1.
The disruption has left travelers across the country scrambling for alternatives. rental car company hertz reported an increase in one-way rentals late last week.
Flexjet said demand for private jets had already increased from last year, but bookings have soared in recent weeks.
In the first seven days of November, FlexJet’s fractional ownership and jet leasing business increased revenue hours by 42% year over year, compared with an increase of about 20% so far this year, the company said.
“This means our aircraft owners and leaseholders are using more of their aircraft. We saw a spike in October and have continued to spike since then,” FlexJet co-CEO Andrew Collins said in an interview on Saturday. Flight hours last month increased 23% from a year earlier, the company said.
Other major private jet providers did not respond to requests for comment.
FlexJet’s charter business, FXAIR, saw a 56% increase in revenue hours last month compared to October 2024, and year-to-date revenue is up 17% compared to last year.
FlexJet’s Sentient Jets division sells cards starting at $174,375 for 25 hours on small business jets, and revenue hours booked for the remainder of November are up 24% compared to the same time last year.
Collins cautioned that it was too early to draw any conclusions about the surge due to the shutdown, but said he had seen some of the company’s aircraft leasers increase last-minute bookings within 10 hours.
The National Business Aviation Association announced late Sunday that the Federal Aviation Administration plans to curb private jet traffic at 12 major U.S. airports on Monday.
The FAA’s original order last week did not require the commercial airline industry to make specific flight reductions, as had been ordered to commercial airlines.
