Inside the Mega-High-End — And Ultra Expensive — World of Private Jets for Artists

On a balmy day successful the summertime of 2023, 20,000 radical were preparing to spot a celebrated popular prima execute astatine a Denver arena. The lone problem: the prima was 1,800 miles distant successful New York and, having overslept, had conscionable missed their formation to Colorado.

No different commercialized flights could get them to Denver successful clip for the show. But a fewer calls were made, and wrong an hr a backstage pitchy was waiting connected an airdrome runway. A abbreviated clip later, the creator walked onstage to a roaring assemblage that ne'er knew the show astir didn’t happen. The four-hour formation came with a $60,000 terms tag, a bargain compared to the outgo of a canceled show.

Private planes person been a fabled constituent of the superstar instrumentalist starter battalion for anyone who erstwhile had a chamber partition poster of Led Zeppelin peacocking successful beforehand of their Boeing 720 successful the 1970s. Since then, they person since ascended into wider consciousness via societal media, wherever fans tin gawk astatine immoderate fixed philharmonic A-lister inclined to station portion bathing successful athleisure and cruising done clip and abstraction successful the brushed cloister of their “pee-jay.”  

But flying the uncommon aerial of the backstage skies is little communal among musicians than it mightiness seem. Most artists, whether connected circuit oregon successful their idiosyncratic lives, alert commercial, though not successful the benignant immoderate plebeian successful enactment astatine TSA would recognize. Private jets tin besides beryllium utilized little arsenic a flex and much arsenic a necessity arsenic they shuttle artists to much shows than it’s imaginable to play with immoderate different mode of transportation.  

Yet determination are perks for those who tin spend them, with onboard amenities ranging from backstage chefs to elite nannies to simply having the privateness to prosecute successful behaviour good extracurricular FAA regulations.  

“It tin beryllium things similar exotic dancers oregon radical flying their canine crossed the country,” says Rob DelliBovi, the laminitis and CEO of RDB Hospitality, which coordinates question for clients including each types of musicians.  

Musicians and their teams typically charter jets for 1 of 2 reasons. First, arsenic with the sleeping popular star, thing has gone wrong, and a last-minute formation is needed to debar missing an appearance. Second, creator teams publication one-off jets erstwhile traveling determination that would different necessitate aggregate layovers and galore annoying airdrome hours. 

“Instead,” DelliBovi says, “they tin conscionable walk $65,000 and spell from present to determination connected their ain clip from quiet, small airports.”

A fistful of artists question by backstage pitchy for full tours, but it’s uncommon. DelliBovi estimates that conscionable 3% of musicians bash it this way, “and present you’re talking astir artists connected a truly precocious level.” 

Elevate Aviation Group works with specified superstars. Headquartered successful Miami, the institution flies statesmanlike candidates, CEOs and celebrities of each flavors, with astir 15% of its gross coming from the euphony business. Founded successful 1995 and aboriginal named aft the 2000 Elevation Tour by its archetypal philharmonic client, U2, Elevate controls a sprawling fleet ranging from two-seat prop jets to Boeing 757s large capable to transport artists and their full touring teams.

“We person groups that cognize if they charter a level with archetypal people and concern people sections, a clump of system seats and an full cargo area, it tin really beryllium truly outgo competitory to enactment everyone connected 1 large level alternatively than flying commercialized and buying each those seats successful hard markets wherever determination aren’t nonstop flights,” says Elevate Aviation Group CEO Greg Raiff.

But immoderate artists similar having the full level to themselves. Raiff cites an A-lister arsenic idiosyncratic who likes sleeping successful their ain furniture aft performing, truthful Elevate conscionable flies this idiosyncratic backmost and distant from their location metropolis to concerts crossed the country.

Another lawsuit prefers to “spend the time connected the formation successful the prima with the family, spell to the airdrome successful a brace of shorts and a t-shirt astatine 4 the afternoon, get disconnected the level successful afloat wardrobe, perform, past alert home,” says Raiff. When the artist’s young children aftermath up successful the morning, they hardly cognize their genitor was gone.

This mode of question is costly and creates an excessive c footprint, but Raiff says it tin assistance support an creator connected the roadworthy longer than if they were conscionable flying archetypal class. Planes tin beryllium outfitted with beds and bedrooms, systems that emulate the sunlight of the destination metropolis to mitigate pitchy lag and man...