Terror alert boosts all-frills airlines business

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The phenomenon is not restricted to airlines operating out of London or the trans-Atlantic route.

AD Aviation, which runs a private air charter service out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the north of England, reported a 50 percent increase in British and European travel inquiries and bookings.

AD Aviation CEO Mike Newtown said that business travelers in particular were constrained by the security measures on a mainstream scheduled flight.

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Inflight meetings

“This contrasts with the situation on board our jets where they can work as normal in a stress-free, relaxed, environment where meetings can even be conducted in flight,” Newtown said.

Tida Allen, a charter coordinator for Executive Beechcraft, the main charter flight company at the Charles Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Missouri, said there had been a lot of interest in charter flights since the alert.

“Our phone calls have gone way up,” she said.

The high-end carriers and charter businesses are now hoping to translate the recent interest into long-term bookings — Eos moves to twice-daily London to New York flights on Sept. 9.

Eos’ Spurlock and AD Aviation’s Newtown said they expected the attraction of private air charters to continue even if restrictions on passengers are eased.

“Many who turn to private air charter to satisfy an immediate requirement will see it as a preferable, cost effective, long-term option to transport executives,” Newtown said.

However, Executive Beechcraft’s Allen wasn’t convinced, saying prospective new passengers were sometimes taken aback by the cost.

Charges for a full charter service vary depending on the size and style of the plane — Executive Beechcraft’s run from just under $1,000 an hour to $3,400 an hour.

“They’re learning a lesson in economics. When you buy a plane ticket, you’re paying for a part of the flight,” she said. “But when you charter a flight, you’re paying for all of it.”

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