Private aviation plays an important role in supporting UK business, investment, and international connectivity. According to recent data, worldwide private jet flights reached 3,878,836 in 2025, a 4.6% increase over 2024 – the highest on record – surpassing the previous peak in 2022. Flight numbers are 34% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. The demand is clearly there, but you have to know how to sell to the top 1%…
Enter – Daniele Deiana – Vista’s Executive Vice President, UK & Ireland. Drawing on Vista’s long-standing presence in the UK and across Europe, Deiana offers a grounded, market-wide perspective on how private aviation is evolving to meet the needs of business leaders, investors, family offices, and entrepreneurs operating in an increasingly global and time-sensitive environment.
We spoke to him exclusively at Curated Luxury.
Curated Luxury: What was your career path, and what drew you to aviation?
Daniele Deiana: I joined Vista in 2020 to lead UK Sales — a defining opportunity in a strategically important market. Building and growing the business here has been immensely rewarding. Prior to this, I began my career at NetJets nearly 20 years ago in finance, with little idea of what private aviation truly involved. I quickly discovered it’s a rare industry where operations, finance and luxury service intersect, and progressed within the business into sales leadership across South Europe.
CL: Is selling to UHNW clients very different from mid-level sales?
DD: Private aviation is built on trust, discretion and certainty. Our clients operate at extraordinary levels, and the relationship is always long-term and deeply personal. Rather than a transactional sale, we become advisors — understanding how they travel, why they travel and what certainty means to them.
CL: Is private aviation booming in the UK or mainly in the Middle East?
DD: The Middle East continues to grow strongly, but our latest results show expansion across all regions, including the UK. Demand here is being driven by finance, technology and international investors. Since the pandemic, private aviation in the UK has shifted from being viewed as a luxury to a strategic business tool.
A key part of our UK strategy has been segmenting clients by industry — finance, technology, energy — allowing our teams to develop deep sector expertise and act as advisors rather than generalists. We secured several major corporate clients in 2025 and expect even stronger momentum in 2026. Growth is also closely tied to major corporate hubs outside London, including Manchester, Cambridge and Liverpool.
CL: Is London still the key hub, or is activity shifting elsewhere in the UK?
DD: London remains one of the world’s most important private aviation hubs. However, we are increasingly focused on the North of England and other regional cities where we see significant untapped potential and growing corporate demand.
CL: How does private aviation support international trade?
DD: Private aviation fundamentally buys time. Leaders can visit multiple cities in a single day, access destinations not served by commercial airlines and fly direct routes that dramatically increase efficiency. It transforms travel from a logistical constraint into a strategic advantage.
Vista (across its market-leading brands VistaJet and XO) has been leading global business aviation for over 20 years, with a presence across all major markets. As more travellers move away from aircraft ownership, the Group caters to growing demand for asset-free solutions — offering the benefits of private aviation without the financial or operational burden of owning an aircraft. Covering 96% of the world and over 2,400 airports in more than 200 countries and territories, Vista connects clients anywhere, anytime — an agility unmatched by regionally focused operators. Within the Vista ecosystem, VistaJet and XO offer two distinct ways to fly privately.
VistaJet’s Program membership provides a bespoke, service-led experience for frequent flyers (typically 50+ hours per year). Members enjoy guaranteed access to a consistent fleet of Bombardier Global and Challenger aircraft, with uniform cabin design and exceptional service standards — the feeling of ownership without the complexity, depreciation or management obligations.
XO is a digital marketplace giving clients the ability to search, compare and book private flights instantly at dynamic, transparent rates. It appeals to those who fly less frequently or value the flexibility and control of booking as needed, anywhere in the world. XO also offer fully-refundable deposit memberships offering preferred access to the Vista Members’ fleet.
This flexibility — from VistaJet’s structured memberships for frequent flyers to XO’s on-demand solutions — has broadened the appeal of private aviation. Vista serves a range of travellers: from business leaders to entrepreneurs, private individuals and second-generation wealth, all seeking choice, efficiency, and freedom.
For some, flying privately 20–40 hours a year, XO provides the ideal solution. As travel needs expand, many transition to VistaJet’s Program membership for the reliability, service and guaranteed global reach of a dedicated fleet. This “commitment-light” approach reflects a wider shift in modern luxury — valuing access over ownership and experience over exclusivity — making private aviation more relevant and attainable than ever before.
CL: How are client expectations evolving?
DD: Client expectations have shifted from luxury alone to performance, flexibility and responsibility. Today’s travellers expect an environment that adapts to how they need to operate — whether that means uninterrupted productivity, deep rest, or both within the same journey.
Always-on productivity, anywhere. Seamless, high-speed connectivity is now considered essential. Vista’s rollout of Gogo Galileo global broadband reflects a broader shift: clients expect the aircraft to function as a fully capable workspace, supporting video conferencing, secure data transfer and real-time decision-making in flight. Connectivity is no longer a premium feature — it is infrastructure.
Equally, the value of true disconnection. At the same time, many clients increasingly view the cabin as one of the few environments where meaningful rest is possible. The VistaJet Sleep programme responds to this need by optimising the cabin environment to support recovery, focus and long-term performance. The modern expectation is not simply comfort, but physiological readiness on arrival.
Personalisation as standard. Clients now expect the experience to anticipate their needs rather than respond to them. This includes tailored cabin environments, curated catering aligned with health or performance goals, consistent global service standards, and the ability to switch seamlessly between work and rest modes mid-flight.
Time efficiency and reliability. For corporate clients in particular, private aviation is increasingly viewed as a strategic business tool. Expectations centre on schedule precision, operational resilience, global coverage and seamless ground-to-air coordination that protects time and reduces friction at every stage of travel.
Responsible travel without compromise. Sustainability has become a decisive factor in travel choices, especially for corporate Members with defined environmental commitments. Clients increasingly expect measurable action, transparent reporting and credible pathways to reduce aviation impact — all without sacrificing efficiency or experience.
Vista’s sustainability strategy is embedded across operations and guided by a dedicated in-house team driving measurable outcomes across fleet operations, fuel sourcing, partnerships and reporting. Key initiatives include:
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): To date, VistaJet has contracted over 43 million litres of SAF — equivalent to 25 Olympic-sized swimming pools or 23.5 flights to the moon (based on a 25% blend).
- Carbon Offsetting: On behalf of clients, VistaJet has offset over 3 million in emissions to date.
CL: Where are clients flying this summer?
DD: Our clients often return to familiar destinations — the South of France, Sardinia, the Greek Islands and Ibiza. This year, we’re also seeing increased demand for Scandinavia, reflecting a growing interest in cooler, less crowded destinations.
CL: Any UK-specific developments to share?
DD: UK specific: In May 2025, VistaJet brought the popular Cessna Citation XLS aircraft in the iconic VistaJet silver and red livery to the UK market, operated by partner Saxon Air, a leading provider of non-scheduled aviation services in the UK. This milestone marks VistaJet’s response to a surge in demand for domestic UK flights, and reinforces its commitment to offering clients reliable, flexible and trusted flying solutions through its global and regional infrastructure. VistaJet’s second UK-registered Citation XLS, operated by Saxon Air, is now operational, strengthening domestic connectivity across the country.
We are also seeing stronger demand for long-haul travel from UK corporates, particularly to the Middle East, Asia and the United States — and the flagship Global 7500 aircraft is the perfect aircraft for these flight missions.
Global: September 2025 saw an industry first. After seven years of development, VistaJet became the first business aviation operator worldwide to achieve Baseline Evidence-Based Training (EBT) certification — the highest benchmark in flight crew training and safety. Demanding and resource-intensive, the programme goes far beyond regulatory compliance, embedding safety as the foundation of daily operations rather than a headline commitment.
In October 2025, VistaJet unveiled its new Sleep programme, developed with guidance and insights from multiple experts, including the VistaJet Cabin team and other medical and technical partners. Grounded in rigorous science, the programme integrates circadian rhythm management, light control and tailored nutrition into every stage of the journey. The goal is simple but ambitious: to ensure passengers arrive rested, balanced and ready to perform — transforming time in the air into a meaningful extension of personal wellbeing.
Across Vista’s on-demand platform XO, innovation focused on speed and accessibility. In October, the number of instantly bookable flights increased by 55%, responding directly to client demand for rapid, frictionless access between the world’s most in-demand city pairs.
In November 2025, XO launched its Corporate Membership, created for organisations seeking flexibility at scale. The membership offers multi-user accounts, simultaneous flying, priority access to a global fleet and enhanced loyalty benefits — reflecting a broader shift in corporate travel away from ownership and towards agility.
In February 2026, Vista announced a major fleet agreement with Bombardier, comprising 40 firm orders for the industry-leading Challenger 3500 aircraft and 120 additional purchase options. The agreement secures long-term capacity for Vista’s ever-growing Member base as global demand for premium private aviation continues to expand. Deliveries will begin immediately in 2026 and be phased over the next 10 years, aligning fleet growth with utilization and regional demand for Vista’s unique global network of silver with a red stripe aircraft. The structure provides Vista with significant flexibility while ensuring readiness to serve Members around the world as travel patterns evolve.
CL: What does luxury mean to you personally?
DD: True luxury is invisible. It’s when every element works seamlessly, exactly as expected, without friction or effort. When an experience feels completely natural — that is the highest standard of service.