Private jet set ownership soars as Covid-19 keeps airlines in check

A Brisbane-based arms dealer is among the cashed-up jet set crowd who have bought private planes to use during the pandemic.

Robert Nioa took delivery of Embraer Phenom 100s which cost just under $5m in the past year.

The Covid crisis may have caused havoc for airlines but private jet ownership continues to climb in Australia.

Since the pandemic struck, at least seven executive jets have been delivered to Australian owners, including two Global Express jets to Andrew Forrest, a new $78m Gulfstream 600 for Gina Rinehart, and a Global 6000 for Kerry Stokes worth about $60m.

Joining the “jet set”, were ­Brisbane-based arms dealer Robert Nioa and mining industry supplier Sean Dyson, who both took delivery of Embraer Phenom 100s which cost just under $5m in the past year.

Spotlight Group owners Zac Fried and Morry Fraid picked up new Gulfstream 650s worth $65m, in addition to their five-year-old Bombardier Global Express, and transport company owner Matthew Malec registered a second-hand Cessna Citation 650 in August which would have cost about $2m.

Robert Nioa.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority register showed James Packer maintained the largest private fleet in the country with three Global Express jets registered to Crown Melbourne.

Other executive jet operators ranged from business owners and accountants to doctors and property developers, some of whom had deals with charter companies to use their aircraft.

The thriving private jet market in Australia was at odds with the lack of flying activity, which had almost ground to a halt as a result of lockdowns and border closures.

The Australian Business Aviation Association, which has the motto “no plane, no gain”, had not lost any members in the pandemic and CEO David Bell said the private jet fleet was very healthy.

“The pandemic hasn’t stopped people trading up to more fuel-­efficient, longer range aircraft,” Mr Bell said.

“Our members haven’t given up, they haven’t thrown in the towel. We haven’t seen any reduction in the fleet.

“They’re just waiting patiently so they can operate again.”

He said many jet owners had used the downtime to get maintenance or cabin refurbishments done, until they were able to resume national and international operations.

And a couple of “leaders of ­industry” had even bought new Global 7500s at a cost of $100m.

“They can’t really take much advantage of those at the ­moment, but they’re ultra long range jets ideal for international flying,” Mr Bell said.

Adding to the frustration of private jet owners was a “ridiculous” rule excluding them from the trans-Tasman bubble.

Mr Bell said under current rules, the bubble applied only to commercial airlines, with anyone arriving via private jet expected to go into mandatory 14-day ­quarantine.

“We’re working with our counterparts in New Zealand but the government there is being very difficult to deal with,” he said.

“It’s taken a long time and we haven’t made a lot of progress, which is very disappointing.”

Universal Aviation managing director Derek O’Reilly said they were seeing no shortage of requests for international private jet charters but restrictions made flights almost impossible.

He was hopeful that once borders reopened, bookings would pour in, with demand for private jet travel in the US and Europe currently skyrocketing.

“I don’t think Covid is going to disappear anytime soon so if ­people are in the position to fly private rather than take a ­commercial flight, I think that will be their preference,” Mr O’Reilly said.

“I expect Australia will be a very in-demand destination because we’ve had Covid under control for a lot of the time. It’s seen as a good place to be.”