Travelling the private jets
For high-flying Russians used to spending summer holidays at Mediterranean resorts or in London penthouses, coronavirus restrictions that closed borders and grounded flights have made international travel a distant dream. Yet many of Russia’s super-rich who hold second passports or residence permits abroad have discovered an elegant way of bypassing anti-virus measures to reach second homes in London, Cyprus, Monaco or Nice: private jets
Private flights doubled
Privately-operated flights from Moscow’s airports more than doubled between April and mid-June, the RBK business news portal reported in late June citing sources at two of Moscow’s airports. Soaring from 400 to 850 per month, a majority of the flights were bound for overseas, RBK reported. Russians skirting the restrictions have to provide evidence that the journey is a necessary work trip or is essential for health reasons, as part of a multi-layered approval process with aviation authorities.
Rent a jet
For unlucky Russians who do not own a jet, a handful of companies that rent planes also offer to cut through the red tape of getting permission to fly from the nation’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia. At the Moscow branch of jet rental agency Leading Charter Technologies (LTC), director Lev Shalayev dressed from head to toe in Gucci, is delighted at the increase in requests to “more than 50” per day. “Many people who used to fly business class are now our customers,” he told AFP.
Happy travels
He said popular destinations include luxury spots like Nice, Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona. Many clients are flocking to Cyprus, a favourite among Russians for business and leisure. In planes that seat up to 13, the price of a ticket can start at 4,000 euros ($4,575), he said. With borders closed, the only way to fly out of Russia is on board flagship carrier Aeroflot, which sells seats on irregular outbound flights returning stranded Russians from abroad.
The costing
Fears of falling ill have also fuelled helicopter travel for short trips. Twenty kilometres (12 miles) north of Moscow, the HeliTech company meets and greets clients in a cozy lounge near helicopter hangars. Director Viktor Martinov says sales have jumped 30 percent since the beginning of the year. Helicopters were already popular among businessmen eager to avoid rush-hour traffic during their morning commutes, he says. But new clients are also looking for safe ways to travel for pleasure. The company offers models ranging from $50,000 to $1.2 million. Would-be international travellers can also fly to Minsk, the capital of neighbouring Belarus, or Belgrade in Serbia, where they can venture onwards to countries that accept Russian citizens.
