Canadian on-demand service Eclipse Air Charter is opening a new international headquarters in Mayfair, London this autumn. By leveraging a network of aircraft worldwide, Eclipse offers access to a wide range of private jet charter options, backed by a pay-as-you-go service with no long-term commitment. The expansion, which will double Eclipse's team of professionals, follows the brand's launch in Toronto in 2016 and growth to New York City in 2018.

“What sets us apart is the client service,” says Yasmin Alam, who founded the business in 2016 and has made it a priority as managing director to employ rising female talent. “Many of the private jet companies that have come onto the market over the course of the last few years are app-based, but we're finding that our clients prefer the more personal touch, the more human interaction, especially in uncertain times when travel regulations and entry requirements to countries are constantly changing.”

Eclipse was able to adapt amid the COVID-19 pandemic, pivoting to temporarily offer cargo transportation instead of passenger flights and helping bring PPE and ventilators into Canada and the US during the height of the outbreak. Today, private charters are on the uptick once more as clients retake to the skies. “A lot of countries are still on lockdown or restricting tourism travellers, but it's actually led to a boom in internal tourism,” Alam reveals. “Canadians are not going down to Miami or Vegas anymore, but what they are doing is going to Vancouver, Halifax or Banff.”

Travel patterns in the UK tell a similar story, with clients choosing to visit Edinburgh and Lake District as well as travel corridor countries like Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey while European air bridges are in place. Safety is another major concern drawing clients into the private travel industry.

“Many people who were on the fence about chartering before the COVID-19 pandemic struck are now actually booking private travel,” adds Lily Karapetyan, director of charter sales.