In the writing of this article, Air Journey has eight voyages crossing and visiting Europe. Two of them are beyond Europe’s boundaries, with a journey to the Indian Ocean and another to the continent of Africa.
During the summer, many pilots flying many different types of airplanes visited the countries of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, and beyond. The pent-up demand is in full swing, and many countries report traveler levels above the peak of 2019.
So as private pilots, what have we seen on the ground, and what have we seen in the flying world? First, regarding organization, bureaucratic Europe has not rescinded many of its constraints, and it’s not unusual to receive automatic slot updates while flying inside the continent. In one case, flying from Milan to Catania, both places in Italy, for five airplanes we received more than 70 slot updates from the system.
What are we supposed to do with the slot updates? We’re supposed to keep a tab on time and ensure we are airborne by the assigned time. The Germans and the Swiss keep a close eye on the time. Some other countries, France for example, could not care less; there is no impact. So, for us travelers and pilots, it is essential to know the rules but also to know how these rules are applied and what the consequences are. Most Nordic countries will be pretty strict on the time for your handler to refile the flight plan.
There are other challenges. Because Brussels controls most of the airspace through Europe and sets the local rules, you’re faced with some instances where common sense seems to be gone, mainly regarding the request for parking and handling.
Most of these situations in France are at airports controlled by the local towns rather than being in the hands of a private operator; there are only a few FBOs throughout France. You’re dealing with a Chamber of Commerce employee who doesn’t understand much of what’s happening in the world of aviation but also has no power to make life easier. It is not uncommon, especially in the southwest of France, to see a parking area that is capable of parking more than 20 or 30 airplanes limited to nine spots. The regulation from Brussels regarding the risk of fire among parked airplanes requires a distance of at least 10 feet. Of those nine spaces, four or five are reserved for transit aircraft, which leaves four for overnight parking. Most of the time, two nights is the most you can get.
It is different from what we have in the United States, but with the correct handler and the right people helping who understand the rules and regulations, flying from Europe is a fantastic experience. The different cultures and history in such a small area is vivacious.
Now on to the pent-up travel demand because of rather strict Covid-19 rules throughout Europe imposed by the different governments. We have had to deal with an excess of demand for hotels, bringing prices to a level unseen before. Several places in Paris that in 2019 had an average nightly rate of around 1,200 euros boosted that rate this past summer to more than 2,000 euros. On top of that, their occupancy rate for the summer months went from an average of 45 to 50 percent pre-Covid to nearly 100 percent post-Covid.
During two recent tours to different places in Europe last June, I was on Italy’s Amalfi coast and Capri. The number of tourists, and people in restaurants. shops, and art galleries was excellent. Many local people mention that they’ve never seen so many people in June and, hopefully, the same thing has happened in July and August and maybe through September, which shows that travel is very much in demand.
The Amalfi coast offered the Le Siranuse, a beautiful hotel, for more than 3,000 euros a night. The same happened in Sardinia. The Cala de Volpe was similar. The price went through the roof! Some in our groups also had family or friends joining them for part of the journey, flying commercial. The same thing happened with airfare—unrealistic prices requested for business or first-class tickets.
Will this last? That’s the big question. Since Air Journey needs to organize and program journeys 18 months into the future, we watch these trends closely and we are witnessing prices level off and return more to normal. I think the pent-up demand will not last forever, as people’s travel budgets have been capped after two years of not moving, and for the years to come travelers will become more discretionary.
One of the things we’ve also seen is high occupancy rates in hotels, which has impacted service. You can’t call yourself a five-star hotel if you don’t provide the appropriate assistance for your guests. Unfortunately, this has been happening in Europe, but it is changing.
All of that said, it has been an enjoyable summer. If you are planning to travel to Europe, I would highly recommend researching nearby airports that are less busy with commercial traffic, provide the ambiance of a flying club, and give you a unique service.
If you look at Belgium, for example, stay away from Brussels, a very dynamic platform, and use the airport on the channel side of Oostende, which just opened a brand-new FBO to the likes of what we have in the US.
Suppose you go to Italy and Greece; that starts to be a little more complicated because of the high demand and bureaucratic action of the different areas. They will confirm parking only two weeks before you plan to go there, which could be a problem for hotel reservations.
In Spain, Barcelona has the same situation. Greece is even worse, with overnight parking not allowed on the islands of Santorini and Mykonos. They allow only a 20-minute turnaround to drop off passengers, etc.
We will monitor the situation. Air Journey offers several new programs for 2023. One of them, called the Nordic Countries of Europe, will take us to the north of the polar circle into the Arctic Sea. We have other stops in the northern part of Morocco, turning to the Med with quiet places, and we are looking at airports offset from Barcelona like Girona, etc.
If you have any questions, we are full of information and first-hand experience, and we’ll be happy to answer all your needs. Give us a call and keep an eye on Air Journey’s website to see the latest destinations we offer.
