Summer is here, bringing a sense of excitement and opportunities for travel. After being cooped up during the colder months, the warmer days invite new vacation trips and various sightseeing opportunities, wherever your desired destination may be.
However, as travel restrictions ease, flight delays and a slew of other flight disruptions can ruin a vacation experience for anyone.
So, how do you avoid flight disruption and make the most of the summer season? If you want to skip the never-ending queues and the hassles of commercial airlines, chartering private jet flights provides a punctual and luxurious escape.
Common Causes Of Flight Disruptions In Summer
Whether for leisure or business purposes, booking private charter flights allows you to avoid air travel disruptions and inconvenience.
It’s natural to want to make the most of your time off, but often, travel delays and other hurdles can often put a damper on your trip.
Flight disruptions in commercial travel can happen at any time, and a number of factors can cause these inconveniences:
1. Understaffing
CNN reports many airlines and airports are understaffed as a result of borders opening in many countries. The COVID-19 pandemic and the great resignation impacted many key industry players, leaving them understaffed.
With a reduction in staff, many in the air travel industry have struggled to cope with the unprecedented demand, leading to canceled and delayed flights.
Fortunately, understaffing isn’t a significant issue faced by private jet charter flights since they operate with smaller crews and airports.
2. Inclement Weather
The weather can have an apparent effect on flight availability for commercial airlines. In summer, thunderstorms abruptly forming over the airspace can cause delays. Some areas experiencing heavy fog slow down landing and departure times in airports.
In addition, air traffic controllers (ATC) may deviate flight routes or delay landings to keep everyone safe during severe weather.
3. Aircraft Rotation
An increase in demand for air travel occurs during summer, with more extra flights taking place as the season reaches its peak. As a result, scheduling and rotating flights become more difficult for airport staff.
Any delay can cause a cascading effect that can disrupt your flight schedule. Some flights can run late for a few days due to rescheduling and rotation. Private charter flights rarely have rotation issues, with plenty of aircraft available to accommodate passengers.
4. Bird Strikes
It’s not only people who take to the air during summer. Bird strikes can cause flight delays and cancellations too. Some might think that such occurrences are rare, but statistics show that over 13,000 bird strikes occur in the U.S. each year.
Many air collisions happen during landing and takeoff and are more common for commercial airlines than private jet charter flights. Even though these incidents usually cause minor damage to commercial aircraft, air traffic authorities still consider them a threat.
The ATC may delay the incoming or outgoing of an airplane due to having airborne animals along the runway. Luckily, those embarking on private jet flights won’t be disrupted by this issue.
5. Airline Strikes
It’s not uncommon for airline staff to go on strike. Just like in most industries, commercial airline staff can opt to strike to leverage labor power while negotiating deals with their employers.
The BBC has reported thousands of workers walking out and shutting down airports. In some instances, these strikes may not completely disrupt an airline or airport, but they can still cause delays and inconvenience for travelers.
6. Crew Hours
Jet lag, irregular working hours, early starts and long nights can toll a commercial airline’s crew members. As a result, the working hours of pilots and cabin crews are closely monitored. In addition, they’re allotted a maximum flight duty period (FDP), which ensures they’re not too tired while performing duties.
Flight crews aren’t allowed to operate an aircraft beyond their allotted FDP. In such cases, commercial airlines need to source a new crew first before the flight can be legally operated, which can cause flight rescheduling and delays in some cases.
7. Technical Issues
Airport authorities report that some long-haul commercial aircraft tend to fly 22 hours a day during summer. This is because airlines want to maximize their assets during the peak season to improve their bottom line. However, with longer operating hours, commercial jets and planes can experience technical issues, which can result in flight disruptions.
Technical issues can prolong routine maintenance checks. However, severe technical problems can ground an aircraft when authorities deem it unsafe to fly. In such cases, for their own safety, customers will have to rebook flights or get refunds and purchase tickets from another airline service.
8. Security Clearances
Getting a security clearance can be complicated in a busy commercial airport, which is another potential cause for delays. Pilots need to prepare for takeoff or landing. Next, the ATC needs to clear taxiways and runways. Pushbacks and startups occur, and then finally, the ATC can clear an aircraft to take off or land.
Enjoy Your Summer Trip With Private Jet Flights
You can avoid flight disruptions this summer season by booking private jet charter flights. With private jet charter flights, you don’t need to arrive early at the airport, deal with check-in hassles, load your baggage and face other challenges associated with commercial travel.
At Hera Flight, we have a team of licensed pilots offering the most convenient means of air travel. Our cabin crews are discreet and professional, serving guests with the utmost care and professionalism. In addition, we provide you with excellent charter solutions, taking care of your flight needs so you can enjoy your summer trips the right way.
Contact us today and choose from the best air travel options to accommodate your needs.