After it was reported that a stream of celebrities were hopping on and off private jets for journeys taking less than 15 minutes, there has been much controversy around the impact of business jets on the environment. While utilising jets in this way is undoubtedly extravagant, business jets are also being used as a crucial contributor for many worthy causes. Here, Deborah Scott, finance director of component supply specialist Artemis Aerospace, reveals four times that private jets were put to good use.
Delivering essential medical equipment
During the pandemic, many countries lacked the medical resources and critical means to care for COVID-19 patients. Global air cargo carriers were under mounting pressure, with IATA estimating that they were oversubscribed by 30%.
To alleviate this pressure, a number of private jet companies turned their attention to supporting international COVID-19 response efforts by transporting tonnes of medical equipment, including face masks, PPE and medicines, to destinations in need of assistance.
One such company was Vimana Private Jets, which delivered more than 300 tonnes of medical resources between March and July 2020.
Sending supplies to Ukraine
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, private charter airlines aided with support efforts by delivering essential supplies to refugees, including food, clothing, toys, baby milk and nappies. Alongside this, aircraft were used to transport refugees out of war zones and away from danger to safety.
Helping patients access life-saving treatments
When patients are bedridden and need to access urgent support overseas or be repatriated, a conventional aircraft may not be suitable for their transfer. In these cases, renting a business jet is a necessity.
Unlike commercial aircraft, business jets offer the flexibility and space required for accommodating essential life-support machines and other medical equipment when transporting patients. When patients are immunocompromised, then using a private jet also helps to limit their exposure to other people and passengers, either on the ground or during the flight.
Delivering transplant organs
While transplant organs are often transported by conventional cargo planes, private jets are crucial to the transplant process when an organ’s viability outside the body is only a matter of hours long or when it needs to be delivered to a difficult-to-reach destination.
Business jets offer the flexibility of quick turnaround times and are small enough to land in remote areas – essential for saving lives.
