Flexjet Opens Its First European Private Terminal as Luxury Private Jet Travel Enters a New Era
The experience surrounding a luxury private jet is becoming as important as the journey in the air.
For Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, private aviation increasingly encompasses an entire ecosystem of private terminals, dedicated lounges, helicopters, hospitality, personalised service and seamless connections between major centres of global wealth.
Flexjet is embracing this evolution with the opening of its first private terminal in Europe at Farnborough Airport outside London. The approximately $34 million facility spans nearly 22,600 square feet and combines private aviation operations with hospitality, business facilities and highly curated design.
The investment establishes London as an important European gateway for Flexjet and provides another indication of how private aviation companies are creating experiences designed specifically around the lifestyles of The 1%.
Flexjet Brings Its Private Terminal Concept to Europe
Farnborough Airport has long played an important role within London’s private aviation ecosystem. Flexjet’s new facility introduces a dedicated environment for its clients travelling through the British capital.
The terminal operates separately from Farnborough’s principal passenger facility and serves travellers accessing Flexjet’s international fleet of approximately 350 private jets and helicopters.
Its role extends across several areas of the company’s European operations. The building houses Flexjet’s European headquarters, a tactical control centre and an expanded training facility for its Red Label Academy.
For passengers, the environment has been designed around the idea that the luxury private jet experience begins from the moment they arrive at the airport.
Private Aviation Meets Luxury Hospitality
The interior of the new terminal illustrates the increasing convergence between private aviation and luxury hospitality.
Warm timber flooring, rich interior tones and views across the airfield create an atmosphere conceived around comfort and privacy. A central bar offers fine wines including selections from Cheval Blanc alongside cocktails, while private meeting spaces provide environments for business and conversation.
Flexjet also worked with Maybourne, the hospitality group associated with London properties including Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley, for the launch of the terminal.
This relationship between private aviation and five star hospitality reflects the expectations of an audience accustomed to personalised experiences across every part of their lifestyle.
The Gulfstream G700 Takes Centre Stage
One of the centrepieces of the Farnborough terminal is a full size representation of the Gulfstream G700 cabin, giving Flexjet clients the opportunity to experience the aircraft environment while on the ground.
The G700 has become an important aircraft within Flexjet’s international expansion strategy. With an approximate value of $85 million, the ultra long range aircraft accommodates up to 15 passengers and provides an interior designed around extended international journeys.
Its cabin can incorporate dedicated areas for dining, working, relaxing and sleeping, allowing the aircraft to function as a private environment throughout an intercontinental journey.
Cabin altitude is another important aspect of the passenger experience. The G700 can maintain cabin pressure equivalent to approximately 2,840 feet while cruising at altitude, creating an environment designed to support passenger comfort throughout long journeys.
For Ultra High Net Worth travellers moving between New York, London, Dubai and other international centres, aircraft of this category provide a sophisticated combination of range, space and privacy.
More Than 510,000 UHNW Individuals Are Reshaping Luxury Mobility
Flexjet’s investment arrives during an important period for global private wealth.
By mid 2025, the worldwide Ultra High Net Worth population had surpassed 510,000 individuals, with their combined wealth approaching $60 trillion. Forecasts indicate that this population could expand by over one third by 2030.
This expanding community represents an influential audience for private aviation. UHNW individuals frequently maintain businesses, investments, residences and family interests across multiple countries, creating highly international patterns of mobility.
Private aviation provides the flexibility to organise those movements around personal schedules and individual destinations.
The relationship between global wealth and the luxury private jet industry therefore extends throughout a much broader lifestyle encompassing luxury real estate, hospitality, yachting, automotive, fashion and private banking.
Private Jet Activity Reflects the Scale of Global Demand
Global aviation statistics provide further context for Flexjet’s investment.
Approximately 3.88 million private jet flights were recorded worldwide during 2025, representing annual growth of around 4.6 percent. The global business jet fleet encompasses approximately 22,000 to 23,000 aircraft, creating an extensive international network connecting established financial centres with leisure destinations and regional airports.
Private charter is also developing into a significant global industry. The market was estimated at approximately $17.4 billion in 2025, with projections reaching approximately $33.38 billion by 2030.
This level of activity creates opportunities throughout the aviation ecosystem, from aircraft manufacturers and operators to airports, FBOs, private terminals and hospitality partners.
Flexjet’s Farnborough facility represents investment in the experience surrounding this expanding market.
London Becomes Flexjet's Gateway to Europe
The location of the new terminal carries strategic importance.
London remains one of the world’s principal centres for finance, luxury real estate, hospitality, fashion, art and wealth management. It also serves as a natural connection point for UHNW travellers moving between North America, Europe, the Middle East and other international markets.
Flexjet intends to use Farnborough as its European gateway while expanding its network of branded private terminals internationally.
The company ultimately plans approximately 12 to 15 branded FBO locations worldwide, with additional facilities already under development or consideration. Existing locations in the United States include markets such as Dallas and White Plains.
Each terminal is expected to reflect its destination through architecture and interior design while maintaining a consistent Flexjet service experience.
This approach brings a hospitality philosophy into the luxury private jet sector, allowing each location to develop its own character within a global brand ecosystem.
Helicopters Create Seamless Connections to Private Jets
Flexjet’s wider mobility strategy also extends to helicopters.
A journey between Manhattan and London illustrates how this ecosystem can function. A passenger can depart Manhattan aboard a Sikorsky S 76 helicopter, reach Teterboro Airport in approximately 15 minutes and continue across the Atlantic aboard a Gulfstream G700.
At Farnborough, the passenger arrives directly into an environment created specifically for Flexjet clients.
This model demonstrates how private aviation is evolving from individual flights into connected mobility.
For The 1%, the value lies in the complete journey. Helicopters can provide connections between city centres and airports, luxury private jets provide international transportation and dedicated terminals create private environments at each stage.
Flexjet Connects Private Aviation With the Luxury Industry
Flexjet is also building relationships across industries that already serve UHNW consumers.
The company received an approximately $800 million investment led by L Catterton, with participation associated with the LVMH ecosystem, providing capital for its continued international expansion.
Its partnerships extend into several dimensions of luxury lifestyle. Flexjet has collaborated with Italian yacht builder Riva on aircraft interiors inspired by nautical design and established a multiyear relationship with Formula 1.
The company is also exploring aircraft interior concepts with luxury specialists and developing an exclusive luggage experience with Louis Vuitton for Flexjet owners.
These collaborations illustrate how private aviation increasingly participates in the wider luxury economy.
For an UHNW consumer, the same lifestyle can encompass a luxury private jet, superyacht, collectible automobile, private residence, haute couture and exceptional hospitality. Brands serving this audience increasingly have opportunities to connect these experiences.
Personalisation Defines the Luxury Private Jet Experience
The Farnborough terminal also demonstrates the role of design in private aviation.
Flexjet executives have taken an active role in selecting woods, fabrics, trims and colours for aircraft interiors, creating environments with a strong visual identity. This philosophy extends into the company’s private terminals.
The London facility combines lounge environments, artwork, hospitality and aviation design within a space specifically created for Flexjet clients.
Future locations will interpret the character of their destinations while maintaining a recognisable service philosophy.
This level of personalisation aligns naturally with the expectations of The 1%, where luxury increasingly centres on experiences shaped around individual preferences.
The Private Terminal Becomes Part of the Destination
Private aviation has traditionally focused much of its attention on aircraft performance, range and cabin design. The expansion of branded terminals introduces another important dimension to the luxury private jet experience.
A terminal can become a private hospitality environment, a business lounge, a concierge point and a transition between the city and the aircraft.
Flexjet’s $34 million investment at Farnborough illustrates the potential of this approach.
As the company works towards a global network of approximately 12 to 15 branded terminals, the experience surrounding private aviation could become increasingly consistent throughout an international itinerary while retaining the cultural character of individual destinations.
For The 1%, this creates an aviation ecosystem aligned with the standards already established across private clubs, luxury hotels and residences.
The Future of Luxury Private Jet Travel Is a Complete Experience
Flexjet’s first European private terminal represents another stage in the evolution of international private aviation.
The company is bringing together Gulfstream G700 aircraft, helicopters, dedicated terminals, luxury hospitality and partnerships with globally recognised brands to create a broader mobility experience for its clients.
The timing aligns with powerful developments across global wealth. More than 510,000 Ultra High Net Worth Individuals collectively control close to $60 trillion, while approximately 3.88 million private jet flights took place globally during 2025.
For The 1%, these trends are creating an increasingly sophisticated infrastructure around private travel.
The future of the luxury private jet experience extends from the residence to the helicopter, from the private terminal to the aircraft and from the arrival lounge to the final destination. Flexjet’s Farnborough investment provides a glimpse of an aviation world where every stage of that journey becomes part of the luxury experience.
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