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Swine flu gives Private Jet companies a boost in Saudi Arabia

The International Air Charter (IAC), a leading private jet operator, is anticipating a 50 percent increase in demand for private jet flights in Saudi Arabia come Ramadan.

In a press statement, the company said that it is confident that its clients will see the strategic advantages of private jet travel in the regions. Apart from the religious observance, some are even saying that the increase in private jet travel is connected to the swine flu outbreak.

Some reports claim that passengers are choosing private jet flights over commercial flights for health reasons.

“Whenever there is a global health scare there is a short-term boost to private-jet usage amongst the ‘well-heeled’ and their families, and this is the case at the moment,” said Big Pond Aviation analyst David J. Bentley to The Media Line.
Currently, four Saudi nationals have died due to swine flu and cases of the illness have been increasing.

Conversely, the commercial flight industry has taken a blow from the swine flu outbreak. Last August 10, Iran Air—the national airline—announced a flight cancellation due to swine flu. The decision affected around 300,000 passengers, which represented a bulk of the people who travel using the commercial airline.

However, facts suggest that the increase is only limited to Saudi Arabia, because charter operators from the United Arab Emirates said that they are not expecting increases in demand.

Source: The Jerusalem Post