Luxaviation UK was expecting to be very busy around the time of football's annual transfer deadline day on 31 August, as clubs attempt to facilitate last-minute deals. The company is tasked with flying players swiftly and comfortably to their destination while working closely with agents. “It is vitally important that every request is met and carried out efficiently, as even the slightest delay could sabotage a potential deal," states MD George Galanopoulos. "Seeing as they are world-class athletes, the passengers are not interested in the champagne and five-course meals many associate with luxury private jet travel. We typically receive requests from athletes and their management staff for freshly pressed juices, superfood salads and lean meats or fish. This is especially the case if we are flying a footballer to attend a medical with their new club.

“Given the nature of the transfer window, adhering to last-minute requests is a common occurrence. For example, as a result of some major issues with a scheduled commercial flight, we flew a club's scouting department to sound out a potential new recruit. The staff contacted us a few hours before they were due to attend a match the player was competing in and we were able to fix them up with a suitable aircraft and get them to the match on time. This would not have been possible with a commercial airline.”

The aircraft most commonly used to ferry footballers are Luxaviation's Cessna Citation II and Citation XL. The Citation II has space for up to seven passengers and is able to cover more than 1,600 nm, while the nine-seat XL has a range of up to 1,900 nm. From London airports, the most popular destinations on transfer deadline day tend to be Barcelona, Madrid, Milan and Munich.