Life cannot stop due to COVID, but it can be adjusted. Private jets are proving to be essential for travel as they maximize safety during this pandemic.
Private Jets Prove to Be Essential for Travel as They Maximize Safety
As the COVID-19 pandemic invaded our lives, many things started to change. A country that once never feared walking around in public quickly closed its doors and stayed inside. Toilet paper became the most sought-after item and stocking up on disinfectant and hand soap was just as popular.
Grocery store clerks who showed up for work were being applauded and cheered as essential workers. Drive-thru parades at hospitals became common to show support for healthcare workers – and kids’ birthday parties became a drive-thru event, too. Not to mention that many people who had never heard of zoom found themselves in daily zoom meetings while working remotely. Businesses and schools shut down, events and concerts were canceled.
Life changed, thanks to the coronavirus.
While it is debatable as to whether this change has been for the good, there is one thing that no one may have saw coming — private jets being viewed as essential for travel.
For many people, traveling via a private jet was always a pipe dream. It was never something that could actually happen. Until it did. Let’s dig deeper to see how – and why – this happened.
Pandemic Traveling
Initially, when the pandemic started, we were all discouraged from traveling. And, at one point or another, borders around the globe were closed. Some still are – with some allowing travel but requiring strict quarantining procedures.
Though, while we understood the need to halt travel, it is hard to keep everyone down. Those with adventurous spirits want to get out and go. Those with business that needs to be taken care of must travel for work. The reasons we travel are plenty, but it all boils down to one thing: Pandemic or not, we cannot move forward with life living stagnant without travel.
So, what must we do? We find alternate ways to travel.
Private vs. Commercial Air Travel
Commercial air travel is second nature for many people. When you live in Wyoming, for instance, and know you need to get to El Paso, Texas – you can either spend hours and hours in the car driving (or riding a train or bus) or you can book a commercial plane ticket and find yourself there in a matter of hours.
Air travel is the fastest way to travel – there is no argument there. So, what is the problem? Germs.
When you are dealing with a worldwide pandemic that can be spread by contact and through the air, then why in the world would anyone want to step onboard a commercial aircraft? Stop right there and take a moment to remember your last commercial flight. What did the terminal look like? How about the security line? How many people did you come in close contact with?
The idea behind most commercial air travel companies is to maximize profits by fitting as many people as possible in an aircraft. The more seats they can fit, the more tickets they can sell, and the more money they make with every flight. When the air is a cesspool of potentially deadly, highly contagious germs, you have got a sticky situation.
Private jets are different. They work for the person booking the flight. The one person, couple, family, etc. will travel alone – well, including the small crew – and no additional strangers. This cuts down greatly on the close contact with strangers. Smaller FBOs with minimal security lines and no packed waiting areas make it even a smarter option.
But is Private Travel Really Essential?
No matter what we encounter, travel is going to continue. It must. Life keeps going regardless of a pandemic. Sure, it may have alterations, but it is still moving forward. And as long as it does, we need the ability to travel.
Business needs to be conducted. Family members need to reunite. Medical procedures need to take place. This can be done safely with private jet charters, and this is what makes it essential for travel. Think about it for a moment –
- How would we continue to move forward with important matters during the pandemic if we had no option but to fly commercial?
- How likely would everyone be to travel then?
- How many things would halt because of the inability to fly?
While some younger, healthier individuals may see flying commercial as no big deal, many others are more vulnerable. These individuals know that flying commercial could be too great a risk and would rather seek safer options, such as private travel.
Measures Taken for Health Safety
When traveling via commercial airplanes, you are required to show up at the busy airport. Immediately you are met with thousands of other travelers. You have to check-in, use the bathroom, go through security, get a cup of coffee or bottle of water, etc. Everything you do before you board that plane increases your risk. And there are a lot of opportunities to encounter the virus – and this doesn’t even include being on board the airplane itself! Things are different with private travel.
In fact, private jets are offering safe travel by taking a few additional precautions, including:
- Sanitizing all surface areas onboard the jet before boarding, including soft, porous surfaces such as seats and seatbelts.
- Reducing the size of the crew to ensure flight safety but maintain healthy distancing.
- Less crowded private airports and FBOs.
- Wearing PPE, such as masks and/or face shields and such as recommended by the CDC.
- Disposing of items (such as pillows) that cannot be cleaned between passengers.
For the safety of everyone, passengers must always wear masks while in the FBO and on the jet, as well.
Conclusion
To keep the world moving, we have had to make accommodations to provide safer solutions to everyday needs. Notice how your local grocery store may have put up plexiglass barricades around checkout clerks or how doctor offices have moved to appointments via video chat. Life cannot stop due to a deadly virus, but it can be adjusted. And private jets are proving to be essential for travel and safety.
