Semi-private jets explained

A semi-private jet flight sells individual seats on a small private aircraft, flying set routes from private terminals. You get the short walk to the aircraft, the small cabin and the quick check-in, but you share the jet with other paying passengers and fly to the company's timetable.

It sits between an airline and a charter. An airline sells seats on large aircraft from the main terminal. A charter hires you the whole aircraft, so you choose the time, the airports and who flies with you.

Per-seat private flights from the UK are rare, and services come and go. The clearest recent example is flytta, which sells seats between London Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire and Nice. It flies an eight-seat Pilatus PC-24 jet, and its website lists fares from £2,950 one way. The site names 247 Aviation, Platoon Aviation and Oriens Flight Operations as the operators, two of which hold UK AOCs: 247 Aviation in Belfast and Oriens Aviation at Biggin Hill.

flytta's published rules give a feel for how these services run. Passengers arrive 20 minutes before departure and boarding closes 15 minutes before. Each passenger can check in up to 20kg, with only a handbag or laptop bag in the cabin. Changes within 14 days of departure cost £500, and cancellations within 14 days lose the full fare. Its website says 2026 ticket sales will be announced, so check the schedule before you plan around it.

Bigger names have tried and stopped. Aero, the US semi-private carrier, flew from London Farnborough to Nice and Geneva from December 2021, but had ceased all flight operations by October 2023. Before you book any per-seat service, check that the route is running on your dates.

Under UK law, any flight where passengers pay is commercial air transport. The CAA says such flights must be flown by an operator with the correct certificate, insurance and licences, and that you must be told the name of the operator, which may differ from the company selling the ticket.

So a per-seat flight must be flown by an Air Operator Certificate holder. UK carriers selling passenger flights also need a CAA operating licence: Type A for aircraft with 20 or more seats or weighing more than 10 tonnes, and Type B for smaller aircraft with 19 or fewer seats. The operating licence covers the business side; safety is assessed under the AOC.

Consumer protection is a separate question. The CAA's ATOL rules say direct flight-only sales to consumers generally need an ATOL, unless the seller is an airline selling its own services or another exemption applies. Ask the seller whether your seat is ATOL protected, and who the operator is.

Do not confuse per-seat private flights with cost-sharing flights advertised by private pilots. The CAA allows a private pilot to share the direct costs of a flight, such as fuel and landing fees, with passengers. No more than six people can be on board, including the pilot, and the pilot must pay at least an equal share. The flight must be advertised by the pilot who will fly it, it cannot be part of a business activity, and there can be no profit.

Cost-sharing flights are private arrangements. The CAA requires adverts to say these flights are not necessarily conducted at a level of safety equivalent to commercial air transport. If someone sells you a seat at a profit on an aircraft without an AOC, the flight is illegal. See Is my flight legal? for the warning signs.

A per-seat fare is good value for one or two people on a route the service already flies. Once you are four or more, a whole-aircraft charter often costs about the same per person, with your own timing and airports.

As a guide, a light jet charter typically costs £3,500 to £5,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, before Air Passenger Duty, VAT where it applies, and airport fees. Divide that by the number of travellers and compare it with the seat fare. A one-way empty leg can close the gap further when your dates are flexible.

Charter also wins on flexibility. The aircraft waits for you, you pick any airport the jet can use, and you can bring the luggage, pets and passengers you want. Our private jet price guide explains what each size costs.