Madrid-based private jet company Welojets shares the main executive terminals and city pairs for private aircraft in Spain, a rising market in the European realm, which registered in 2021 an impressive 65% growth in flights compared to 2020.
Private aviation has demonstrated during the past year that it’s a strong ally for the entire travel industry. Nevertheless, it is also affected from the uncertainties that the pandemic brings to the table, most recently, for instance, the postponement of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The global leaders’ event is usually in January, which means an important spike in flights for a series of private jet airports in the vicinities of the host city, most notably Zurich, Samedan, Dubendorf, Friedrichshafen, Basel, and Geneva. With the postponement, as reported by WingX, Zurich has witnessed a drop of 40% in activity compared to the last week of January in 2019 and 2020. The event was cancelled in 2021.
And while activity is down for business and government private jet charters, the leisure market is booming. This is great news for Spain, a country with an established hospitality market and top-notch holiday destinations. Which are specifically the top routes and airports in the country? Based on data provided by Avinode, Welojets, a private jet company based in Madrid, shares the main executive city pairs in the country. You might be surprised where Madrid ranks on the list!
Top private jet routes in Spain
The top departure airports in Spain are Malaga, with a total of 10,312 movements in 2021, followed by Ibiza, the country’s top arrival airport, Palma de Mallorca, Madrid, and Barcelona. While the cities on the list might not be too shocking, Madrid’s position is quite a surprise considering it has a vastly superior population compared to the other locations and number of private jets.
Now, a close view of the top routes in Spain, with its main cities as departing points. Also, Welojets has recommended a specific aircraft for each route, with approximate prices in Euros.
Malaga – Nice (France)
A flight from Malaga Airport to Nice Cote d'Azur Airport is just over 3.30 hours. The beautiful destinations can be connected comfortably by any mid-sized jet, like the Citation Ultra for 8 passengers. The cost of chartering that specific jet for the route is around EUR 14,700.
Malaga – Biggin Hill (England)
Again, the southern city of Malaga. Connecting to London Biggin Hill Airport will take around 2.30 hours on a lighter jet, as the versatile and reliable Citation CJ1+ for 5 passengers. Light aircraft serve as the perfect entry level jets for first-time flyers, which explains its popularity in short haul routes. The price of chartering that jet for the route is approximately EUR 13,450.
Ibiza – Nice (France)
As you can witness, Nice is a private jet magnet. The average direct flight time between both cities is just under 2 hours. When traveling with the family, Welojets recommends chartering a Learjet 45XR for 9 passengers, for maximum comfort. The cost to charter that aircraft for the rout is EUR 15,550.
Ibiza – Biggin Hill (England)
The country has well-established city pairs, with England and France as top destinations from Spain. The flight time between sunny Ibiza and London Biggin Hill Airport will take around 2.30 hours on a Hawker 400XP, a modern mid-sized jet that comfortably sits 7 passengers. The price? EUR 11,000.
Malaga – Moscow (Russia)
Another international route. The flight time between Malaga to Vnukovo International Airport, one of four major airports that serve the city, takes roughly five hours. Considered a long flight for European standards, it is advised to charter a larger private jet aircraft or one with increased range, like the Citation XLS for 8 passengers. The price of chartering that jet for this specific route is EUR 27,000.
Madrid – Mallorca
The first domestic route on the list highlights Spain’s capital and the busy Palma de Mallorca Airport, the gateway to the beautiful Balearic Islands. The flight time is 1.30 hours on a midsized jet as the Citation Excel, one of the bestselling private jets of all time, for up to 7 passengers. The price for such flight is approximately EUR 11,200.
Making the case for leisure private jet travel in Spain
The previous ranking has evidenced that Spain is a leisure-centric private jet market. Also, the international routes lead all movements, which is no surprise as 62% of all flights in 2021 where international, as reported by WingX. Furthermore, worth highlighting are the other airports with high amount of departing private jet flights: Alicante, Girona, Valencia, Sevilla, and Tenerife.
In conclusion, Spain, as other advanced private jet markets in Europe, has quality executive aviation infrastructure, from private terminals, experienced operators to modern aircraft, the exact equation for a solid ecosystem to respond to the continued growth in demand expected throughout 2022.
