As film festivals, awards shows and coronavirus vaccinations continue, so do flights carrying Hollywood stars and insiders to their destinations. A record number of travelers have passed through TSA checkpoints in recent months, with 2.238 million people going through on Aug. 1 (the highest since March 2020), according to the U.S. agency.
Luxury airline Aero has seen business take flight since its U.S. launch in February, when it began offering private flights from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles to Aspen. (It launched in Europe in 2019 with flights between Ibiza and Mykonos.) It rolled out flights this summer from L.A. to Sun Valley, Jackson Hole and Napa Valley, and its European flights will expand with routes from London to Ibiza and Nice, Aero chief executive officer Uma Subramanian tells The Hollywood Reporter.
“We have seen demand continue to increase since Aero launched and throughout the pandemic,” says Subramanian. “[The coronavirus] has really illustrated that travel is essential to who we are as human beings, and so there is enormous pent-up demand for new travel experiences. At Aero, we are excited to welcome new and repeat guests on our routes in the U.S. and Europe.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that air travel is safe for those who are fully vaccinated. As of January, the CDC is requiring that all international travelers entering the U.S. to provide a negative COVID-19 test within three calendar days of their departure. All plane passengers (except for those ages 2 and younger) are required by federal law to wear a face mask in U.S. airports and on flights regardless of vaccination status.
Echoing reports of Hollywood’s favorite post-lockdown vacations (which included Aspen and wine country in the U.S. and abroad to Mexico), Aero’s luxury-loving clients are “clamoring for a seamless travel experience to visit destinations like Los Cabos,” adds Subramanian. “Aero’s guests are seeking a…