A FlexJet Gulfstream G450 aircraft approaches San Diego International Airport for a landing May 9, 2025 in San Diego, California.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Demand for private jet flights increased during the U.S. government shutdown as problems with commercial air travel worsened, 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 because of a major staffing shortage at air traffic control facilities from coast to coast, according to FlightAware. That’s on top of several hundred planned cancellations after the Trump administration last week ordered U.S. commercial airlines to cut schedules at 40 major U.S. airports by an initial 4%, with the possibility of increasing up to 10% by the end of the week, blaming the tensions 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 would still need to be approved by Congress.
Air traffic controllers are required to work during a shutdown, but like other essential employees, they have been working without their regular pay since the shutdown began on October 1.
The disruptions 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 up compared to last year, but bookings have increased in recent weeks, according to Flexjet.
Through the first seven days of November, Flexjet’s fractional ownership and aircraft rental businesses saw a 42% increase in paid hours compared to the same period last year, compared to an increase of about 20% so far this year, the company said.
“That means our aircraft owners and our lease holders are using their aircraft more. That peaked in October, and it continues to grow,” Andrew Collins, global CEO of Flexjet, said in an interview Saturday. Flight hours last month increased 23% from last year, the company said.
Other major private jet providers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Flexjet’s charter business, FXAIR, saw a 56% increase in revenue hours last month compared to October 2024, while year-to-date they are up 17% compared to last year.
Flexjet’s Sentient Jet unit, which sells cards starting at $174,375 for 25 hours on light business jets, is seeing 24% more revenue hours booked for the rest of November compared to the same time last year.
Collins cautioned that it was too early to draw a conclusion on the surge due to the shutdown, but said he had seen the company’s fractional aircraft lease holders booking more at the last minute, in 10-hour windows.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans Monday to reduce private jet traffic at 12 major American airports, the National Business Aviation Association announced Sunday evening.
The FAA’s initial order last week did not require the private aviation sector to specifically reduce flights as commercial airlines did.
NBAA noted that business jets often use airports other than the nation’s busiest.
“As business aviation routes are not fixed, this allows for the use of backup airports to avoid overloading major commercial hubs and to get people where they want to go from points still close to their origin and destination points,” Flexjet said in a statement.