PRIVATE AVIATION LIFTS ASH CLOUD UNCERTAINTY -As ash cloud travel chaos hits the UK once more, one mode of transport is keeping passengers moving–

Leading online private jet network, PrivateFly.com has reported a surge in online enquiries in the last 24 hours from both leisure and business passengers, left stranded by Scottish air travel restrictions imposed as a result of the ash cloud from the Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland.

Many airlines have cancelled flights to and from Scotland and, with other UK and European airspace on alert, travelers are looking at alternative options in order to return home or make crucial meetings.

Adam Twidell, PrivateFly’s CEO comments: "We've seen a significant increase in enquiries for flights to and from Scotland in the last 24 hours. As we saw so clearly during last year’s ash cloud travel chaos, the flexibility of private charter is a real boon to travelers during this type of uncertainty. Depending on the levels of ash concentration, many smaller aircraft may be able to fly in affected airspace, including piston-engine and turbo-propeller aircraft and low altitude jets.

“The situation is very fluid and changing by the hour and, while many private flights are also affected, the flexibility of private aviation means that schedules can be adapted at very short notice to change destinations when ‘gaps’ in the ash cloud emerge, including the ability to land or depart from many more airports. For example there are 33 Scottish airports which can be accessed by private charter flights as opposed to only five used by airlines for external routes.

“In addition when restrictions are lifted, private flights can be operational again in minutes, whereas airlines can take days to recover with so many aircraft out of position and huge passenger backlogs to clear”.

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About PrivateFly.com:

PrivateFly is an online booking network that makes it quicker, easier and more cost effective to arrange private jet charter.

With over 2700 operators registered worldwide, PrivateFly is the only online aggregator for private jet charter in Europe.

PrivateFly combines online efficiency and transparency with offline expertise to offer a full-service VIP charter service to direct customers and partners. The bespoke software has been created in-house specifically to meet the needs of charter customers and operators. In 2010 PrivateFly launched the world’s first iPhone application to provide instant private jet pricing on a mobile phone.

PrivateFly.com was recently awarded Website of The Year in Flight International’s ‘Webbies’ awards which recognise online excellence across the whole of the aviation industry - the judges describing it as “the iTunes” of aviation. It was also announced as one of the Smarta 100 companies 2010, by a judging panel including Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden and other leading entrepreneurs, such as Bebo founder Michael Birch.

Founded in 2007, PrivateFly is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire and in 2010 secured first round investment funding to expand the business within the UK and selected international markets.

For further information, interviews or imagery, please contact:

Katrina Suppiah / Kathryn Hughes
Publicité Ltd
T: +44 (0)20 8543 6582 / +44 (0)20 8547 4022
E: k.suppiah@publicite.co.uk / kathryn@kayakpr.co.uk

PrivateFly,
Censeo House,
6 St Peters St,
St Albans,
AL1 3LF, UK.

This release was published on openPR.