Whilst the majority of us were unable to travel further than our home office, elite athletes and professional sport continued behind closed doors in the past year, despite a series of lockdowns. To enable teams to do this in the safest and most efficient way, many have taken to the skies through private jet charters. Sports Tourism Media spoke to Clive Chalmers, VP Charter UK, at Air Partner to find out more about the rising demand in sports travel and overall trend pointing towards greater private jet travel from other industries too.
Private jets have largely been the preserve of royalty, high-net-worth individuals, CEOs and superstars – but are you seeing new clients and demand especially from the sports sector and first-time users?
Over our 60 years in aviation we have worked with a wider variety of sports clients, from teams travelling together commercially to individuals travelling privately. The sports sector as well as many other industries we work across have seen the benefit of travelling privately during the pandemic due to its speed, convenience and the personalised experience private jet travel can offer.
With strict government regulations around football travel, we have been working closely with a number of football teams globally for international and domestic travel on private commercial aircraft to competition matches. We have also seen a few new sports teams who have shown interest in flying together to international competitions, for example in the handball, basketball, and cricket sectors.
Why do you think there is growing demand and interest from the sports sector? Has the pandemic and questions of travelling in a ‘health and safety’ bubble been the biggest determining factor?
We are seeing growth from the sports sector, where several sporting bodies are insisting that teams have negative tests and put strict protocols in place before competition matches. Therefore, travelling as a team with private charter allows more control, quicker travel and ability to ensure these protocols are met. At Air Partner, we are able to assist with teams with testing as part of travel requirements. Those sports clients travelling by private jets, will see the same benefits.
Is there a trend towards more sports stars looking at upgrading from first class commercial flights to taking private jet during the pandemic?
Across multiple sectors and for individuals travelling for leisure, there is a growing trend toward private jet travel since the pandemic, and this is definitely reflected in the sport sector.
Are there any private jets designed specifically for athletes that allows on-board training facilities such as exercise bikes, massage tables and gadgetry built into seats to monitor players biomedical data?
We haven’t had many of these requests as our sports clients usually see travelling by private jet as a quick way to get to and from their destinations so that it doesn’t impact their day to day activities. However, we are seeing several more specific and personalised requests from teams who are travelling as a group commercially. Working with sports agents or teams directly, we can personalise the whole aircraft experience. Air Partner works closely with players’ nutritionists to meet specific catering requirements, including sourcing particular products in line with dietary guidelines.
Through our ServicePLUS programme, we can incorporate a team’s branding into the travel experience. We know that all important detail and a branded environment can make a significant difference to the psychology of sports teams on their way to important matches or championships. Arrangements can include branded water bottles, headrest covers, and neck pillows, as well as iPads configured to a team’s native language. When required, a branded aircraft exterior with club/team logo and colours can also be arranged.
On top of this, we also get a number of requests from sports teams to transport large amounts of sports equipment. We have even organised for Formula 1 cars to be chartered through our freight department.
VIP airliners are becoming more popular with sports teams, especially for long distance travel. Features include business class seats (either cradle or lie-flat depending on the aircraft) and VIP catering. Long range VIP airliners can accommodate up to 100 passengers and feature lie flat business class seats to ensure a comfortable journey. This is popular for elite competitions and pre-season tours around the globe. For a shorter flight, the Boeing 757-200 VIP offers business class cradle seats with 140 degree recline and 52-inch pitch.
Will football’s Uefa European Championship be a busy period for AP this summer and are you already getting requests for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar next year?
We are receiving a high number of enquiries and bookings to transport teams to compete in various global sporting events and Air Partner will continue to support the sector and the resumption of major sporting events by providing a bespoke service, not only for sports teams, but also individuals as and when sporting events can be attended by spectators.
See more at airpartner.com