Zagreb-based Jung Sky is looking towards the next couple of months with a great deal of optimism – not just for itself it says, but for the business aviation industry as well.

“We're really happy to see the growing number of countries whose health situation is getting better by the day. We hope it continues that way. As far as business is concerned, we like what we're seeing so far in the month of May,” says COO Kresimir Vlasic. “April was difficult; our sales and ops teams worked really hard but it was almost impossible to finalise deals and carry out flights because the restrictions were massive. In comparison to April 2019, the number of flights operated by Jung Sky dropped by 86 per cent. But things are improving and, so far, May is looking good. It probably won't be on the same level as in 2019, but we're happy with the signs of improvement.”

Despite the crisis and the uncertainty, Jung Sky's management succeeded in fighting off the necessity for layoffs and its employees' salaries also remained untouched. Vlasic is confident the worst is behind us and the industry will slowly get back on track. But, besides the usual business aviation clientele, the team expects more people could explore this type of travelling in the near future, primarily due to business aviation's lower health risks and more personalised service.

“It's no secret business aviation is specific in regard to minimising the epidemiological risk. It's something the BA community has talked about from the beginning of this crisis and now, seeing how countries have started to ease off restrictions, we think it's an important factor that should be emphasised as much as possible. Tourist communities all over the world are expecting a big hit on their incomes, so the focus must be on the type of experiences tourists will seek this year, as well as the profile of tourists the countries should expect. Here we see a connection between business aviation and nautical tourism or, for example, private and isolated accommodation such as isolated luxury villas and so on.”

Jung Sky's base country Croatia has been cited as a nation that has dealt with COVID-19 well, as was recently recognised by Bild, a daily newspaper with the highest circulation in Germany, stirring rumours that German tourists might prefer Croatia for summer vacations.

“It's up to the governments to decide what's best for their countries, but nautical tourism and isolated luxury accommodation have great economic potential that can be fully utilised during these harsh times. There is no doubt tourist destinations are preparing themselves for a smaller number of tourists this year, but among them high-paying guests will probably be the dominant group. But how are we going to ensure these people get to their desired destinations? Air travel is one of the most affected industries in this crisis and it is highly questionable which commercial routes tourists will be able to rely on. Organising a trip from point A to point B will be a great challenge. People will certainly take into consideration the alternatives to large gatherings at airports and closed spaces, as well as taking the roadways packed with vehicles and traffic. The demand for BA operators could be much stronger than usual,” Vlasic concludes.