Private aviation has set new records and greeted new customers during the past 18 months. The pandemic set the stage for this industry to flourish, behind its unparalleled flexibility, comfort, and safety standards. Yet, there is one place that has registered a steady increase in demand well beyond the past three years, truly positioning as one of the top private jet hubs in the world – South Florida.

Welojets, a Miami-based air charter company, projects that South Florida’s strategic location, proximity to the Caribbean and Latin America, and established routes to New York, will continue playing a major role in driving demand. A mix of variables, as Martin Baldoma Jones says, CEO of Welojets, is the main reason behind South Florida’s ascent to one of the top business aviation hubs in the world. 

“Weather and beaches aside, South Florida has a handful of executive airports that constantly top national rankings in terms of movements. The number of private aircraft based in the region also helps, as well as the proximity to the Caribbean and the recent relocation of many cold-weather Canadians and Americans. South Florida is set to thrive for years to come.” 

Private jet airports

According to 2021 data from Argus TraqPak, five of the top 25 executive airports in the U.S. were based in South Florida: Palm Beach, Miami-Opa Locka, Naples, Fort Lauderdale Executive, and Fort Lauderdale International. 

Additionally, 2022 data from WingX positions Palm Beach as the main terminal with almost 34,000 movements to date in the region, followed by Miami-Opa Locka with almost 23,000, Miami International Airport (11,000) and Miami Executive Airport close to the downtown with roughly 5,000 movements. The same data shows that South Florida has increased 11% versus last year in number of flights (73,000) and 13% in flight hours. 

Private jet routes and aircraft

In terms of routes, it is widely known that the South Florida – New York connection is one of the main in the country throughout the year. In fact, Palm Beach – New York leads the list of all departing flights from South Florida with almost 4,400 movements during 2022, while Miami – New York comes in close at second place with nearly 4,100. 

The Bahamas is the main international destination from South Florida, with almost 5,000 movements in 2022, followed by Mexico and Canada.

In terms of types of aircraft in the South Florida sky, the super midsize jet segment leads the way with more than 18,000 operations in 2022, while heavy jets and light jets have roughly 11,700 movements apiece. 

Although Teterboro is probably the world’s most coveted private aviation airport, which also has a good connection to Europe, South Florida’s demand diversity, short and long range, has been the perfect foundation to establish as one of the top private jet hubs in the world, with the Caribbean also playing an important role as a demand driver. The global business aviation market, from aircraft manufacturers to operators and brokers, should continue expecting big things from South Florida during the foreseeable future.

About Welojets

WELOJETS is a global air mobility company, with offices in Miami, Buenos Aires, and Madrid. We have a great team, focused on offering the best charter flights anywhere in the world including private jets, cargo, airliners, helicopters, and medical flights. We work with competitive pricing and maximum safety standards and provide a tailor-made concierge experience to each one of our customers.