The national capital has emerged as the leading Asian hub for private aviation in 2021, according to an analysis by consulting firm Knight Frank.
Of the 2,267 routes paired with New Delhi airport by charter flight operators in 2021, the New Delhi-Dubai route emerged as the most popular in Asia, while New Delhi to Jaipur was the fastest growing in the region, according to the study.
“Business aviation activity saw a sharp recovery in 2021, with a spectacular rebound in business jet demand in the second half of the year, as Covid-19 restrictions were lightened in the US and Europe,” said Shishir Baijal, chairman and managing director at Knight Frank India. “Demand was especially evident for leisure travel, with surges during weekends and public holidays as well as around popular sports and lifestyle events.”
Globally, private aviation witnessed a growth of 47%, with 2021 recording 3,320,471 charter flights compared with 2,258,407 in 2020. The increase was 7% when compared with 2019 (3,102,437 flights).
Based on several parameters, New Delhi emerged as Asia’s leading aviation hub with 2,548 private jet flights in 2021 compared with 1,514 in 2020, an increase of 68%. New York was cited as the key market for business jet activity, with its charter and fractional fleets flying at a maximum capacity of 135,648 in 2021, recording an increase of 51% YoY.
Globally, New York topped the chart in total number of charter flights in 2021. New Delhi was at the 321st spot and was adjudged the leading Asian hub for charter flights.
“Leading operators undertook a flurry of fleet acquisitions in order to meet significant demand from their growing customer base,” said Baijal.
The Knight Frank study said 5,321,024 routes were paired globally in 2021, with flights operating between San Francisco and Los Angeles being the most popular pair, and flights between Los Angeles and Las Vegas being the fastest growing.
The main metro hubs saw modest recovery, losing much of their pre-pandemic activity due to stringent Covid travel restrictions, reintroduced during the winter wave of early 2021. Across the airports in London and New York, business jet traffic was down by 26% and 16%, respectively, compared with pre-pandemic 2019.
