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Fewer private jets fly in for the 2009 Super Bowl

Corporate America is cutting back on flying private jets to Super Bowl XLIII.

750 private jets will be flying to the main event on Sunday. These jets will be parked at airports nearby the Tampa Bay arena.

As of late, the government has been pointing out that some corporate bailout recipients have been somewhat irresponsible in dealing with the economic conditions. “Between the economy and all the corporate jet scrutiny, it seems to be off,” says Mark Moberg, president of Leading Edge Aviation at Tampa Executive Airport.  

Jets.com, which sold 55 jet charters for the 2008 Super Bowl, has only managed to book 18 trips to the big game this year. “What you’re seeing at GM and Ford, for example, is a lot of pressure to unload private jets,” said Jets.com chief executive Nathan McKelvey. “Everybody wants to free up liquid cash. So you see a lot of companies selling off or not accepting delivery of jets.”

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International has only 200 reservations, 50 fewer than 2001. Other jets will be landing on airports as far as Sarasota and Lakeland. 

Ed Cooley, a senior director at Tampa International General Aviation Planning for the Super Bowl Host Committee, said that they don’t know the reason behind the private jet decrease. Cooley explained, “We really just know the reservation numbers are not the same as last time.”