Private-jet demand is on the rise amid government shutdown

Demand for flights on private jets has been on the rise during the U.S. government shutdown as commercial air travel headaches have worsened, the CEO of private jet charter and fractional ownership company Flexjet told CNBC.

More than 17,000 U.S. commercial flights were delayed over the weekend, partly due to major staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities coast to coast, according to FlightAware. That was on top of several hundred preplanned cancellations after the Trump administration last week ordered U.S. commercial airlines to cut their schedules in 40 major U.S. airports by an initial 4%, with the potential to increase to as much as 10% by the end of the week, blaming strains on air traffic controllers.

The Senate made progress toward a potential deal to end the shutdown over the weekend and into Monday, but an agreement would still need approval by Congress.

Air traffic controllers are required to work during a shutdown, but like other essential employees have been working without their regular paychecks since it began on Oct. 1.

The disruptions sent travelers around the country scrambling for alternatives. Car rental company Hertz reported an increase in one-way rentals late last week.

Private-jet demand was already up over last year, but bookings have spiked in recent weeks, according to Flexjet.

In the first seven days of November, Flexjet’s fractional ownership and jet-leasing business posted a 42% increase in revenue hours over the same period last year, compared with an increase of about 20% so far this year, the company said.

“That means that our aircraft owners and lease holders are using their aircraft more. It spiked in October, and it’s continued to spike,” Flexjet co-CEO Andrew Collins said in an interview Saturday. Flight hours last month were up 23% over last year, the company said.

Other major private jet providers didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Flexjet’s charter business, FXAIR, saw a 56% jump in revenue hours last month compared with October 2024, while year-to-date they’re up 17% from last year.

Flexjet’s Sentient Jet unit, which sells cards starting at $174,375 for 25 hours on light business jets, has 24% more revenue hours booked for the rest of November compared with the same point last year.

Collins cautioned that it’s too early to draw a conclusion on the spike from the shutdown, but said he’s seen the company’s fractional aircraft leaseholders booking more last-minute, within 10-hour windows.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday plans to curb private-jet traffic at 12 major U.S. airports, the National Business Aviation Association said late Sunday.

The FAA’s original order last week didn’t require the private aviation sector to specifically cut flights the way commercial airlines were ordered to.