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Demand for private jet charters out of the Middle East has surged as the ongoing conflict between Iran and the U.S.–Israel coalition disrupts commercial air travel across the region.
While tens of thousands of people attempt to leave through limited repatriation flights, a smaller group of wealthy travelers has turned to private aircraft to bypass airport chaos and airspace closures.
The war, which began on Feb. 28, triggered the most significant disruption to Gulf aviation since the COVID-19 pandemic. Missile strikes, drone attacks, and temporary airport shutdowns forced airlines to cancel or reroute flights, leaving many passengers stranded.
Governments have begun organizing evacuations. On Monday, the U.S. State Department said it had facilitated more than two dozen charter flights and evacuated thousands of Americans from the region, while noting that commercial flight availability has slowly begun to improve.
Private charter companies say demand has risen sharply as commercial airline schedules remain uncertain.
“Demand for private charter has increased materially in recent days as commercial airline schedules across parts of the region have become limited or unreliable,” John Matthews, chairman and founder of private jet company AirX, told CNN.
Private aviation firms report a dramatic spike in requests from high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and large groups seeking to leave the Gulf quickly.
Bernardus Vorster, chief executive of charter firm SHY Aviation, said the number of daily private jet departures from cities such as Muscat, Dubai, and Riyadh surged from about 10–15 flights per day to nearly 100 on one day last week.
Prices have also risen sharply as demand outpaces the limited number of available aircraft.
A charter flight carrying 12 passengers and a dog from Muscat in Oman to Istanbul cost about $145,000, according to Vorster. Before the conflict, the same five-hour journey would typically cost around $60,000.
Several factors have pushed prices higher, including:
Longer flights to destinations such as London can cost roughly £190,000, according to reporting by The Sunday Times.
Despite the surge in bookings, the number of people able to leave the region by private jet remains relatively small.
Vorster said only about 30 business jets are currently available in the region for repatriation flights. With each aircraft carrying fewer than a dozen passengers, roughly 300 people per day have been able to depart Muscat on private jets during peak demand.
Istanbul has become the most popular destination for charter flights leaving the Gulf due to its proximity to the region and available flight routes.
Most private jet flights have departed from Muscat, where airspace conditions have remained more predictable, though Dubai has also seen rising departures as residents and visitors seek to leave the United Arab Emirates.
Some travelers have used Istanbul as a temporary stop before continuing on to destinations in Europe, including Greece and the south of France.
Private aviation companies emphasize that charter flights cannot replace commercial airline networks.
“Private charter cannot replace the scale of commercial airline networks, but it can provide controlled mobility for organisations and groups that need to move quickly when scheduled services become disrupted,” Matthews said.
The rush by wealthy travelers to leave the region has also renewed criticism from environmental and social justice advocates.
Tyrone Scott of the anti-poverty organization War on Want told Euronews that the surge in private jet use highlights what he described as “stark global inequality.”
“When crises hit, the world’s wealthiest can quite literally fly above the chaos, while millions of others are left trapped in conflict zones or facing closed and heavily secured borders,” he said.
Environmental groups also point to the climate impact of private aviation. Research cited by campaigners shows that private flights can be five to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial planes and far more carbon-intensive than rail travel.
As the conflict continues to disrupt air travel across the Middle East, private jets remain an option available only to a small group of travelers able to pay the soaring charter prices. Meanwhile, thousands of others continue to wait for commercial flights or government evacuation efforts to secure a way out of the region.
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