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Victor

London (Luton) Airport

Online Booking Platforms

Charter Brokers

Press Release

Issued by Victor.

May 9, 2017

Victor reveals Luton to be top UK private jet airport as UK jet charter market booms

Victor, the world's leading on-demand private jet charter marketplace, has released Q1 2017 flight data revealing Luton as the most popular UK airport for private jet charter. Luton is over twice as popular as runner-up Biggin Hill on Victor's list of the most popular UK airports for private jet charter, so far in 2017. Farnborough comes in third, and RAF Northolt is at fourth.

Luton, which was also the busiest UK airport for private jet charter in 2016, is widely known as the official terminal for EasyJet, but is growing in popularity as the UK's leading private jet airport. It benefits from one of the longest runways, allowing a wider range of private jets to fly from and to it and, apart from Stansted, is the only other airport which caters for private jet charter services on a 24-hour basis. Signature has also recently opened a brand new private terminal there, including liveried doormen, VIP lounge, bar and other luxury facilities. The airport's popularity is further solidified by A-list celebrities who regularly fly privately at the airport; Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Taylor Swift and Matt Damon have all flown out of Luton in recent months.

Wealthy families, such as Bernie Ecclestone's, are more often found flying from Biggin Hill, the second most popular airport for jet charter. And Farnborough airport, third on Victor's list, regularly services UHNW (ultra high net worth) Russians and major global sport stars, not least several of Chelsea FC's first team regulars.

RAF Northolt, fourth on Victor's list, is the Queen's preferred airport. With heavy security and Gurkhas on the gate, anyone for whom security is a priority flies from here, including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sir Philip Green.

Victor's Q1 2017 data also shows a growing trend for private charter via airports further afield from London. Manchester and Exeter, which come in at fifth and eighth respectively, have seen both arrivals and departures more than double year-on-year. Taylor Swift and Manchester United stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic have flown through Manchester over the past year. Exeter, on the other hand, is proving especially popular for business, and confirms the flexibility that on-demand charter provides to UK company heads who need oversee regional operations quickly and at a moment's notice.

In terms of the bigger picture, Victor's latest research shows that the UK is the busiest European country for charter specifically, with 9,814 departures between January and March this year. France follows in second with 9,262 departures, Germany comes third with 8,160 departures and Switzerland is fourth with 6,153 departures.

UK private jet charter movements in Q1 2017 are up 12.7% year-on-year. And across Europe, charter activity has risen (year-on-year) in nine of the 10 busiest countries for private aviation, with over 10% growth in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. So far in 2017, 59.5% of all UK jet movements have been chartered, versus just 39% attributed to owned private aircraft. This seemingly reinforces the fact that private jet sales are currently sluggish; business owners increasingly turning to charter for quicker, more cost-effective travel to the meetings and commitments of critical importance to their companies. For some, the costs of managing and maintaining their own jets, and the potential inefficiency of having to reposition them for flights, are starting to prove too much.

“Our data reflects a strong start to the year for UK private jet charter. The economic climate remains unstable. As a result, Victor is seeing the shift away from jet ownership, which is costly and inflexible, towards transparent, on-demand, pay-as-you-go charter, which allows customers to fly when and how they want,” states Clive Jackson, CEO and founder, Victor. “Luton Airport's popularity with Victor's high-profile leisure and business customers is testament to the high-quality service it offers 24 hours a day, seven days a week; it perfectly complements flexible on-demand jet charter. Other regional hubs are also growing quickly; we are seeing an increased number of HNWIs travelling from more local, convenient departure points for both business and pleasure.”

Victor's top 15 most popular UK-related airports for private jet charter in Q1 2017:

- Luton (LTN)

- Biggin Hill (BQH)

- Farnborough (FAB)

- RAF Northolt (NHT

- Manchester (MAN)

- Southampton (SOU)

- Oxford (OXF)

- Exeter (EXT)

- Cambridge International (CBG)

- Stansted (STN)

- East Midlands (EMA)

- Doncaster Sheffield (DSA)

- Durham Tees Valley (MME)

- Liverpool (LPL)

- Edinburgh (EDI)