O P E R A T I O N S
want a bed made up so they can sleep.”
There is of course the occasional bad
behavior, but this is clearly not tolerated, as
Young points out.
“It’s ‘one-and-done’ should a rock star
trash a jet or become nasty to a crew
member,” he says. “The artists that stick
around long enough to become our repeat
customers are typically over their partying
stage. Touring is their business and the
private jet is one of their ultimate business
tools, so there’s mutual respect.
“That said, early in my career I had a
group of celebrities exhibit awful behavior,
which damaged the jet and made the
crew feel very uncomfortable. When I got
the satellite phone call from the pilot in
command, we decided to just cut the flight
short and landed in Atlanta at around 3am.
We told them to essentially ‘Hit the road,
Jack’ and find their own way to Miami. We
quickly de-escalated the situation and they
ended up paying US$10K in damages.”
For the acts wanting to stay on top of
their game it’s more detox from the day than
party all night says Young, and their needs
are more practical than outrageous. They’re
after serenity, comfort and familiarity with
their crew members to create a sense of
consistency and a home away from home.
Everyone wants a piece of the artists, so by
the time they get to the jet they just want to
chill out in an intimate and quiet setting.
“We do everything in our power to deliver
this by selecting the best-in-comfort aircraft
options and, equally as important, crew with
a good ‘bedside manner’ who know how
to behave around celebrities. Many of our
bigger acts have their own cabin attendant
they bring or suggest we use to deliver this
desired familiarity and consistency,”
he notes.
But diva demands are few and far
between it would seem and actually, if
anything, artists’ trips are not that luxurious
or glamorous when compared to
clients travelling for leisure.
“Sometimes its just a case
of looking for the most
cost effective way of
getting a performer
somewhere,” says
44 | BU S INE S S A I R P O RT INT E RNAT I ONA L O C TO B E R 2 0 1 9
Hesar. “They may need to be at Reading Festival in the
morning and then be at Leeds Festival the same night.
They’re not looking for the fanciest champagne, they’re just
looking to get from A to B.”
Into the unknown
In truth the biggest challenges come not from the talent but
from unknowns such as bad weather, NOTAMS, delays
and cancellations and private aviation firms always need
to be prepared for the worst and become experts at
contingency planning.
“Because music tours involve strict schedules, careful
planning and often span significant periods of time, they
can create challenges for pilots and crew. There are several
factors that can lead to schedule changes – cancellations,
delays, bad weather, security – so it is essential that we are
able to present a solution as soon as possible if an issue
arises,” says Margetson-Rushmore.
And you still have to be prepared for absolutely
anything, as Young points out.
“The ‘friends of the band’-
type passengers added to an
international itinerary who show
up unannounced, exotic pets
that are better classified as
zoo animals – we’ve seen
it all.
“You have to be an
expert in contingency
planning and be
prepared to go into every
movement with a plan B
and C,” he concludes.
“Music tours involve
strict schedules, careful
planning and often span
significant periods of time”
Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, chief executive
of Luxaviation UK
Below: Bombardier’s
Challenger 350 offers bands
space and speed to move
between gigs