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VistaJet, the private aviation company founded by Swiss entrepreneur Thomas Flohr, has expanded Private World, its travel and lifestyle network for members, to more than 600 partners worldwide, up from about 50 when it started in 2020.
The network covers hotels, private residences, islands, yachts and one-off experiences, and sits on top of the company's core business of flying members around the world. Recent offerings have ranged from a place on Italy's Mille Miglia classic car race to a trek to the South Pole. Members can also be booked into invitation-only events, private viewings and meetings with the people behind brands they follow.
"Luxury today is increasingly about time, freedom and access, rather than simply what you own," said Francesca Swan, VistaJet's chief strategy officer.
Flights without ownership
Flohr set up VistaJet in 2004 on the view that owning a jet did not give wealthy travelers the freedom they wanted, because of the cost of buying and managing an aircraft and the expense of flying it empty to pick up its owner. VistaJet owns all of its aircraft and sells members a subscription for flight hours through its Program membership. The company manages the planes, and members choose where they go. Its fleet is deployed around demand rather than tied to individual owners.
Private World grew out of that model. Swan said members "would land somewhere and call us to find the perfect residence or yacht." VistaJet first set up Private Office, a dedicated team that arranges services and trips for members, in 2016. Private World followed four years later as a broader network of travel partners that the team can draw on when it plans a member's journey.
Swan said VistaJet remains an aviation company first and wants the experience on board its jets to match the way its members live on the ground.
Ferrari and Monaco
Motor racing is one of the network's draws. VistaJet has been a partner of Ferrari's Formula One team since 2019, and that tie gives members access to events such as the Ferrari GP Yacht Club during race weekends.
In June, ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, VistaJet flew guests from London to Monaco on a private jet for a Private World program. It included dinner at Mirazur, the three-Michelin-star restaurant in Menton, a question-and-answer session with Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc aboard a superyacht in the Port de Fontvieille marina, and access to the Ferrari GP Yacht Club during practice.
A bigger fleet
The expansion of Private World comes as VistaJet adds aircraft. The company has said it expects to have 18 Bombardier Global 8000 jets flying for its subscription members by the end of 2026, which it says will be the largest fleet of the model available through a membership. The Global 8000 has a range of 8,000 nautical miles and can fly nonstop from New York to Singapore. In February, VistaJet placed a firm order for 40 Bombardier Challenger 3500 jets, with options for 120 more.
The company has also strengthened its finances. In May 2025, VistaJet raised $1.3 billion, made up of $600 million in equity and a $700 million debt offering, which it used to cut its borrowings.
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