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Chadi Saade Matthias Knab, Opalesque:

U.S.-based hedge funds and private equity firms are set to make greater professional use of business aviation and utilize their aircraft more to support philanthropic causes, according to a new survey (1) commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ).

Supporting good causes

ACJ's study with U.S. hedge funds and private equity firms who collectively manage $636.5 billion in assets, reveals that these firms increasingly leverage their aircraft for both business operations and charitable/humanitarian efforts. Some 96% of the firms surveyed are open to using their private jets for philanthropic purposes, with 85% expecting this to increase over the next three years. Notably, 8% anticipate a significant rise in their commitment to these causes.

Among those hedge funds and private equity firms interviewed that currently do not use their aircraft for charitable causes, all indicated they plan to start considering doing so within the next three years.

Reasons for increased use of business aviation

ACJ's study reveals several key reasons why U.S. hedge funds and private equity firms anticipate increased use of business aviation.

A vital business tool

Nearly all (98%) hedge funds and private equity firms interviewed say they see business aviation as a vital business tool. More than nine out of ten (94%) surveyed believe they can close more deals because of the many benefits of using business aviation.

ACJ's study found that 96% of hedge funds and private equity firms surveyed say clients demand more face-to-face meetings, and 85% believe this trend will increase over the next three years. Overall, 97% of those surveyed say they can work more effectively onboard a business jet than in their office.

ACJ offers a range of large business aircraft. The recently launched ACJ TwoTwenty is carving out a whole new market segment -- 'The Xtra Large Bizjet.'

The ACJ TwoTwenty offers twice the cabin real estate compared to similarly priced ULR business jets, combined with market-leading fuel efficiency and unrivaled reliability. It occupies the same parking footprint as competitive ULR jets and can take off from the same airports, but the ACJ TwoTwenty operating costs are one-third less.

With a range of up to 5,650 nm (more than 12 flight hours), the ACJ TwoTwenty can meet the requirements of 99.9% of all U.S. departures (2), connecting city pairs including Los Angeles to London, Miami to Buenos Aires, and New York to Istanbul.

As with all ACJ aircraft, the ACJ TwoTwenty is capable of flying with up to a 50% blend of kerosene and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) while keeping to the technical specifications of Jet A. All Airbus commercial aircraft and helicopters will be capable of operating with 100% SAF by 2030. This capability will play an essential role in the sector's decarbonization journey.

Over 200 Airbus corporate jets are in service worldwide.

Meet Chadi Saade - President, Airbus Corporate Jets

To explore these trends further, Airbus Corporate Jets is hosting an exclusive interactive webinar on the intersection of business efficiency, global philanthropy, and environmental stewardship in private aviation.

Featured Speaker: Chadi Saade - President, Airbus Corporate Jets
Date: Tuesday, November 5th, 11 am ET (4 pm GMT, 5 pm CET, 6 pm Riyadh, 7 pm Dubai)
Registration: https://www.opalesque.com/webinar

The session is LIVE & INTERACTIVE: your questions will be answered. All registered participants will also receive a REPLAY link.

Notes:
(1) Airbus Corporate Jets commissioned the independent research company Pureprofile to survey 100 senior executives at U.S.-based hedge funds and 100 senior executives at U.S.-based private equity firms that collectively manage $636.5 billion in assets. The research was conducted in July 2024.

(2) Airbus Corporate Jets analysis of WingX data, January 2024.