Gulf private jet operators report doubling of prices

• Sharp increase in enquiries
• Route out of region via Muscat
• $100,000 per flight to Turkey

Private jet operators are reporting a sharp rise in enquiries as commercial flights remain disrupted across the GCC.

People seeking to flee drone and missile strikes on Gulf cities in the wake of US-Israeli attacks on Iran are now paying higher rates for private jets, driven by soaring demand and rising insurance costs. 

Hadi Abdel Hadi, CEO of Dubai-based Universal Jets, said a flight from Oman now costs “no less than $100,000” – nearly double the usual rate.

“We’ve had a lot of requests,” he said.

While much of the airspace across the Gulf remains closed, some flights on commercial airlines did leave the UAE on Monday night.

“We have had a lot of people calling up,” said Asmae Zahir, an account manager at Pristine Jet Charter in Dubai, which operates aircraft from four-seater light jets to 100-seat Airbus A340s.

The company has only had permission to fly out of Dubai as of Tuesday afternoon and was turning away potential customers before then.

A number of people have reportedly made the journey overland from the UAE to neighbouring Oman and Saudi Arabia where airports are still open.

Further reading:

• Middle East airspace closure cancels 13,000 flights
• UAE hospitality businesses brace for impact of war
• ‘Business as usual’ as Saudi Arabia braces for further attacks

“We have received over 20 requests for flights to exit the Middle East over this period,” said Dan Hurley, the founder of private jet brokerage Global Charter

“For private aviation, Muscat is offering the best route out of the region,” he said. “Prices are considerably higher than usual, due to demand and supply constraints and insurance requirements.”

One-way flights from Muscat to London or Paris on an eight-seater Cessna Citation cost about €180,000 ($210,000), he said.

“A lot of calls are from people who don’t have the means to fly,” said a representative from Malta-based jet charter VistaJet. “They think it’s cheap but it’s nothing close to cheap.”

The company flew passengers from Riyadh and Oman to Turkey over the weekend – at a cost of $100,000 per flight – from where they were able to take commercial flights.

Since then, demand has increased.
“People are just now realising that we can fly from Muscat,” the VistaJet rep said. “These aren’t people who normally fly on private jets, just people trying to escape.”
A spokeswoman for private airport terminal Jet Aviation, which is based in Riyadh, said it was business as usual.

“We’re still operating and will continue to do so depending on the situation,” she said. “Things are not as grave in Riyadh as they are in the UAE.”

Online forums have seen an increase in enquiries about driving from the UAE to Oman, with users sharing experiences on how to cross the border.

A quarter of commercial flights out of Muscat were cancelled on Monday, according to industry data.
Some people have even looked to brave the four-day sail from the UAE to Oman, but to no avail.

“In the current situation we are not able to go to Oman,” said a representative from Royal Blue Coast Yachts Rental.

Iranian forces have radioed shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which boats from Dubai and Abu Dhabi must pass to reach the open sea, warning them against entering.