Chief Executive Discusses Post-Pandemic Jet Travel Trends With Timothy Lynes

Washington, DC office managing partner and Aviation chair Timothy Lynes shared his projections for the corporate-aviation market in 2021. Tim notes that interest in returning to the office and travel are inevitable. He stated, "For many people, it'll be more compelling to travel on a private jet to London for an in-person meeting than to take a Zoom call at 2 a.m." He adds that, even in the face of potential corporate tax increases, the plane market will continue to be driven by "phenomenally inexpensive money" to finance deals. One significant challenge is that a shortage of pilots is likely to affect the private-aviation industry for years. Tim indicated that it could cost an operator upwards of $100,000 to train and obtain "type ratings" for particular business jets. "It's not like switching from a Chevy Suburban to a Ford Excursion." ("Smooth Skies Ahead," February 8, 2021)