2020 has been a truly disastrous year for humanity. Although the real scale of the consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak are not yet known, we all know that the impact will be large and very serious, especially in terms of the huge and growing number of deaths worldwide. 

The economic impact, too, has yet to be verified in detail, but we already know that some sectors will be particularly hard-hit, with closures and job losses. The outlook as of today is probably the bleakest and most disheartening in post-war times and does not show many reasons for hope. 

Among the hardest hit sectors is the air transport industry, which is showing some truly shocking figures. These include deep declines in passenger numbers, the disappearance of air connections and a generally unbearable situation for many air operators and other important players in the value chain of the tourism sector. 

This narrative is unquestionable and can be applied at a global level, as it has affected every country in the world, albeit with different timings and varying levels of intensity.  At Europair we have been negatively affected by the sudden disappearance of most of the lines of business that we developed over more than 25 years of activity. The one notable exception has been private aviation, also known as business aviation, which remained active and gives us some small hints of optimism for the future. 

Despite recording lower figures than in 2019, this sub-sector of the airline industry has seen a decline that is not even remotely close to the reduction that commercial aviation has unfortunately gone through and is still facing. There are even surprising signs of growth in some areas, which generate unusual optimism during these times, when positive data have become a rare sight. 

The fact that private aviation has not been so negatively impacted could be dismissively explained by the idea that "the rich don't suffer in a crisis, they take advantage of it". There may indeed be some truth in this mantra, but it is also an overly basic and unsubstantiated statement. In my opinion, the strength and degree of development of the business fabric of each market has prevented this mode of transport from declining so markedly, despite the many intermittent restrictions on mobility imposed by most countries. In short, it has been due to the market’s economic development, strength and consistency, based on the need to travel and overcome travel barriers to maintain economic activity. That is, in other words, to invest to continue interacting and producing. 

In view of the current circumstances, we have decided to look in detail at the trends affecting this mode of transport and share the results of our study. The result is “PRIVATE AVIATION IN 2020”, the publication that shows the most relevant data for the sector in the past year.  

We will do this in several chapters that will be published on a regular basis. We aim to show the information in a friendly and accessible way, regardless of the reader's level of involvement in an industry that we consider absolutely and unjustifiably forgotten. A mode of transport that is unjustly identified solely with exclusivity and luxury, while its core value has always been meeting tight schedules and making the best use of time. It is a mode of transport that has proven invaluable in times of pandemic, as it offers unparalleled health safety during the journey, being the only transport model where the space is totally controlled by the user. 

In the different chapters that will be published, we will start by showing data on the activity of this sector in the world. We will then concentrate on the information related to the European continent and finish off with a more extensive and in-depth analysis of what private aviation represents in our country, Spain. 

We hope you will find it interesting and that it will serve to dismantle unfounded prejudices and demonstrate that "mobility, in any of its formulas, is intimately linked to the strength and robustness of the economy of the users who travel and, therefore, to their capacity to generate wealth".

Articles in this series: 

Private Aviation in 2020. Introduction

Worldwide Private Aviation in 2020. Part 1

Worldwide Private Aviation in 2020. Part 2

Private Aviation in 2020 in Europe. Part 1

Private Aviation in 2020 in Europe. Part 2

Private Aviation in 2020 in Europe. Part 3

Private Aviation in 2020 in Spain. Part 1

Private Aviation in 2020 in Spain. Part 2

Coming soon:

Private Aviation in 2020 in Spain. Part 3

Private Aviation in 2020 in Spain. Part 4

Private Aviation in 2020 in Spain. Part 5

Private Aviation in 2020 in Spain. Part 6

Private Aviation in 2020 in Spain. Part 7