And fortunately for American's flying east, the EU's new decarbonizing fuel taxes exempt private and business jets.
From Barron's, July 26:
For all the luxuries and conveniences private jets offer to travelers in the air, these aircraft spend most of their lives on the ground. Currently, there’s a shortage of places to park them. Hangar deficits have been a recognized pain point in the industry and are growing increasingly acute. Compounding the problem is the fact that private jet travel is up due to the pandemic, with orders for private jets increasing.
According to JetNet data, the U.S. business jet fleet increased by 34%, with a physical footprint increase of 27.5 million square feet, between 2010 and 2020. That growth has accelerated dramatically over the past couple of years as pandemic-related factors have driven corporate, individual, and government fliers from commercial to private aviation.
Naples, Fla.-based Elite Jets is one of the many private jet charter companies around the U.S. that have seen a surge in demand driven by changing preferences when it comes to air travel.“Private aviation may be experiencing too much consumer demand. Aircraft manufacturers cannot just flip a switch to speed up production timelines; it takes a year or two from the time charter companies order an aircraft until the new jet is produced and delivered,” says Stephen Myers, executive vice president of Elite Jets.
Given the investment, with private jets ranging in price from US$2 million to upwards of US$100 million according to Myers, many first-time buyers fail to realize the importance of hangar space.
“You would not purchase a Ferrari or Corvette and leave it exposed to the elements or parked in the street overnight,” Myers says. “A hangar offers protection from the weather, but most importantly, a sense of security knowing the jet is safe and sound—and securely stored out of sight—while you are away.”
Proximity is also a key factor regarding hangar space, as jet owners and renters inherently want their aircraft nearby in case they have an urgent business meeting, doctor appointment, or family gathering they don’t want to miss.
David Gitman, president of Monarch Air Group, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based private jet provider, is acutely aware of the growing challenges the industry is facing.
“The pandemic created a wave of demand that the industry is struggling to accommodate,” Gitman says. “Everything suddenly became scarce and went up in price: aircraft available for charter, aircraft available for sale, spare parts, flight crews, maintenance teams, and, of course, hangar space.”
Gitman points out the issue is especially severe in South Florida, when there are 10 airports over a 75-mile stretch of I-95.
“Hangar space is a scarce commodity, from basic overnight hangars at popular FBOs [Fixed Base Operator, or a private jet terminal at an airport] to long-term rentals. This caused some owners to consider either sharing a hangar or parking their aircraft at a less desirable airport,” Gitman says. “Not all of these airports are located near the owner’s residence or business—some have shorter runways”—which affects the maximum range an aircraft can fly nonstop—“[and] some have fewer amenities than others.”....
....MUCH MORE
"fewer amenities", oh the humanity.
Completely unrelated: "EU to increase spending on private jets for top officials".
And should you prefer a slower pace, the EC has also kindly exempted all but the very, very largest yachts from the decarbonizing program:
Reducing emissions from the shipping sector - Climate Action
https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/transport-emissions/reducing-emissions-shipping-sector_en
To ensure that the maritime transport sector contributes to the EU's increased climate ambition, the Commission is proposing to extend the scope of the EU's Emissions Trading System to cover CO 2 emissions from large ships (above 5000 gross tonnage), regardless of the flag they fly...
