Gone are the days of commercial flying. After all, many airlines are increasingly forced to ground their fleet—often due to financial strains, regulatory challenges, or even market competition. The Indian aviation sector, too, is no stranger to headlines signalling these downfalls. But amid this descent, a new form of flying is taking flight, particularly among the affluent: the rise of private jets.
The Rise of Private Jets in India
India’s private aviation journey began in 1910, reportedly when Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala acquired the country’s first private aircraft—a fleet including Henry Farman biplanes and a Blériot XI monoplane. Soon after, these private journeys became a status symbol among Indian royalty, with many princely families copping personal fleets and joining flying clubs.
Come Independence, and private aviation spread its wings to industrial giants, politicians, and celebrities—albeit among a select few. As liberalisation swept the nation, regulatory changes made it easier to purchase and charter private jets. By the early 2000s, India’s wealth boom and infrastructure growth expanded the market, with dedicated terminals for private jet users opening in major cities like Delhi and Mumbai from 2020 onward, offering faster, more discreet services.
Today, this segment is booming at supersonic speeds. In fact, the Private Jet Industry Report by SBS Aviation notes that the sector has grown from USD 187 million in FY19 to USD 274 million in FY24, at a steady 8 per cent CAGR—with forecasts of 13–15 per cent annual growth over the next five years. This trajectory is echoed by the India Air Charter Services Market report from Market Research Future, which projects the broader charter segment to expand from USD 2.99 billion in 2023 to over USD 9.2 billion by 2035, driven by India’s swelling ultra–high-net-worth individuals, the rise of agile enterprises, and a growing appetite for time-efficient, point-to-point travel.
According to the Asian Sky Group, India closed 2024 with the largest business jet fleet in South Asia and the third-largest in the Asia-Pacific, operating 168 aircraft and accounting for 14.5 per cent of the regional fleet. In that year alone, India added a net 18 new jets—the highest growth in the region.
Between 2021 and 2024, the nation’s fleet expanded by almost 25 per cent, while China, by contrast, saw its numbers contract by nearly one-third. The momentum is underpinned by strong macroeconomic fundamentals: as the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) notes, rising GDP, a swelling base of high-net-worth individuals, and expanding aviation infrastructure are propelling business aviation to new heights. Complementing this, Statista projects India’s business jet revenues to touch USD 193 million in 2025, setting the stage for a decade of sustained expansion.
Elevated Lifestyle of Private Aviation in India
Beyond market metrics and fleet numbers, the true allure of private aviation lies in the experience. Leading charter firms like Hunch Mobility emphasise personalised service at every touchpoint. Travellers are paired with dedicated relationship managers, offered customised menus, on-demand entertainment, limousine transfers, and exclusive meet-and-greets. WiFi is standard, and aircraft choices—from nimble turboprops to executive jets—are matched to passenger needs and route requirements.
Dedicated terminals in cities like Delhi and Mumbai now amplify this privilege, offering private lounges, fast-track immigration, and chauffeur-to-cabin transfers designed for seamless movement. On board, the details reflect the sensibilities of their owners—cabins styled by European ateliers, seating crafted in fine leathers, and dining programmes that rival Michelin tables. In the charter space, operators are responding with curated experiences: think champagne tastings at 40,000 feet, customised menus featuring regional delicacies, or wellness-focused cabins with air purification and circadian lighting systems.
Increasingly, private jets are also reshaping the way India travels domestically. Religious pilgrimages, destination weddings, and multi-city celebrations are all fuelling demand. Leisure travellers, too, are leaning into this trend, chartering aircraft for ski breaks in Gulmarg or quick getaways to the Maldives.
As India cements its position as Asia’s fastest-growing private aviation market, one truth becomes evident: private jets have become a definitive marker of how India’s most powerful choose to move.
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