NETJETS RESTRICTS JET CARD SALES AS PRIVATE AVIATION DEMAND CONTINUES TO RISE

NetJets has placed renewed limits on sales of its jet card and lease products, marking the second time in five years that the private aviation company has taken steps to control access to these programmes. The decision comes as demand across the private aviation sector remains strong and operators continue to contend with constraints involving aircraft, crews, maintenance capacity and infrastructure.

The company’s latest position reflects a deliberate emphasis on its existing fractional-ownership customers. NetJets has said that record retention among its owners, together with increased demand from its fractional-owner base and the wider market, has prompted a disciplined approach to new sales. The company maintains that its priority is to preserve the level of service provided to existing owners rather than pursue growth at the expense of operational capacity.

The move is notable because jet cards occupy an important place within private aviation. Unlike whole-aircraft ownership or fractional ownership, a jet card allows customers to pre-purchase a set number of flight hours without taking an ownership stake in a particular aircraft. Net Jets currently offers its card in 25-hour increments, with access to several aircraft types and guaranteed availability subject to programme terms.

For customers, the appeal lies largely in flexibility. A jet card can provide access to private aviation without the capital commitment and longer-term structure associated with aircraft ownership. Net Jets positions its card as a solution for occasional travellers, those new to private aviation and customers who prefer shorter commitments. Its current programme provides up to 320 days of annual access, with guaranteed travel available with as little as 48 hours’ notice under stated conditions.

The latest restrictions therefore have significance beyond one company’s product strategy. They illustrate the pressure created when demand for private flying grows faster than the physical and operational resources required to support it.

Recent industry data points to continued activity. Aviation Week reported that NetJets and Flexjet both recorded an 11 per cent year-on-year increase in flight hours during the second quarter of 2026. Net Jets accumulated almost 210,000 flight hours during the quarter, underlining the scale of activity being handled by the operator.

The company is also continuing to expand its fleet. NNetJetssays it expects to take delivery of more than 80 new aircraft during 2026, with additions selected across different jet classes according to owner requirements and operational considerations. Its global fleet is supported by a substantial network of personnel and infrastructure, with the company continuing to invest in facilities, training and maintenance.

Yet adding aircraft does not immediately eliminate capacity constraints. Private aviation depends on a network of highly trained pilots, cabin crew, maintenance specialists, hangar facilities, airport slots and ground infrastructure. Expanding one element without the others can create bottlenecks elsewhere. For a provider operating at NetJets’ scale, managing that balance becomes particularly important when demand rises quickly.

The company’s decision also recalls an earlier period of exceptional demand. In 2021, during the surge in private aviation that accompanied the pandemic, Net Jets suspended sales of its jet card programme. The programme was subsequently reintroduced, and the company has continued to develop its range of private-flight solutions.

Net Jets’ heritage helps explain why its approach attracts attention across the sector. The company traces its origins to 1964, when it was established in Columbus, Ohio, as Executive Jet Airways, one of the earliest private jet charter and aircraft management companies. In 1986, Richard Santulli introduced the shared-aircraft ownership model that became NNetJets changing the structure of private aircraft access by allowing customers to purchase shares based on their expected usage. Berkshire Hathaway acquired the company in 1998.

Today, NeNetJetsescribes itself as the world’s longest-standing private aviation provider and maintains its headquarters in Columbus. Its operations extend across the United States, Europe an,d other international markets, with a European headquarters in Lisbon.

The company’s scale makes the current shift particularly relevant to competitors. When a major provider limits new card or lease sales, prospective customers do not necessarily disappear from the market. Instead, some may consider alternative charter brokers, jet card operators or fractional programmes.

Several competing companies have reported strong demand offorheir own. The wider market includes providers with different operating models, from traditional jet card brokers using third-party aircraft to operators with owned fleets and fractional ownership programmes. That diversity gives travellers more choice, but it also means the definition of a private aviation membership has become increasingly varied.

The changing competitive landscape is particularly visible among companies positioning themselves around flexibility. Wheels Up, for example, has highlighted demand from customers seeking private access without the financial commitment, asset exposure and longer-term obligations associated with fractional ownership. Other providers are emphasising aircraft availability, membership flexibility or specific aircraft categories as ways of attracting customers who might otherwise have considered Net Jets.

The jet card itself has a relatively recent history within the private aviation industry. Sentient Jet is widely credited with introducing the concept in 1999, while Marquis Jet, launched in 2001 using access to the NNetJetsfleet, helped establish the product as a recognised entry point into private aviation. NetJets later acquired Marquis Jet in 2010. The structure has since become a standard offering across a wide range of private aviation providers.

The appeal of the model is straightforward: customers pay in advance for access to a defined amount of private flying, while the provider manages aircraft operations, crew, maintenance and repositioning. It occupies a middle ground between ad-hoc charter and aircraft ownership, making it particularly relevant to travellers whose flying patterns are substantial but not necessarily predictable enough to justify a fractional share.

At the higher end of the market, however, the distinction between products is becoming more pronounced. Some new entrants are concentrating on fractional ownership rather than jet cards, while established operators are refining their programmes according to aircraft availability and customer demand. Net Jets itself continues to offer several routes into private aviation, including its Share and Card programmes. Its current ownership structure provides up to 365 days of annual access, while its card is designed around shorter-term usage.

The current environment suggests that private aviation is no longer simply a question of how many aircraft are available. The more significant consideration is how effectively operators can align fleet growth, infrastructure, staffing, and customer commitments.NetJets’’ decision to moderate jet card and lease sales illustrates that distinction clearly.

For competitors, the opening is obvious, but the challenge is equally clear: attracting new customers is only valuable if capacity can expand at the same pace. As private aviation continues to operate at elevated levels, the industry’s next phase may be defined less by the sheer number of people seeking private flights and more by which providers can scale without diluting the reliability and service that customers expect.

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