- Private jet travel is on the rise, and new routes underline the behavior of the wealthy.
- These popular routes highlight new financial centers and how the rich split time between multiple homes.
- Private jet traffic soared along these 11 routes last year.
A surge in private jet travel along key routes last year points to a new map of global wealth.
Eleven routes saw at least a 65% increase in private jet traffic last year, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank's annual wealth report that included data from private aviation company VistaJet.
While established routes, like those between New York and London or New York and Miami, continue to dominate overall traffic, these growing routes offer a glimpse into the behavior of the ultra-high-net-worth set and where capital is moving.
Some destinations, like Nantucket, New England, have long been popular among the wealthy, and the uptick in private jet travel can be attributed to the overall increase in private jet travel. There were 3.9 million private jet flights last year, a 4.6% increase over 2024, according to data from aviation intelligence firm WingX published earlier this year.
Other routes, like that between Abu Dhabi and London, reflect current market conditions and real estate shifts.
"We see global wealth becoming increasingly mobile, with clients living across multiple cities and continents," Ian Moore, the chief commercial officer at VistaJet, said in a statement.
Looking ahead to 2026, one important caveat that could change the private jet map is the war in Iran, which has slowed down travel to Middle Eastern hubs.
Here are the 11 private jet routes with soaring traffic in 2025.
Jeddah and Riyadh: up 269%
The triple-digit increase in this domestic route, between the Saudi capital of Riyadh and the port city of Jeddah, reflects Saudi Arabia's transformation into a global wealth capital.
The country's billionaire population is projected to nearly triple over the next five years, and luxury real estate prices in Riyadh increased 78% price between 2020 and 2025, according to the Knight Frank report.
Abu Dhabi and London: up 238%
Investments in Abu Dhabi have boomed over the past five years, with private equity firm KKR and hedge fund titan Ray Dalio opening new offices in the city.
With wealthy Londoners, in particular, looking to move capital out of the city due to more stringent tax codes, Abu Dhabi has come to rival Dubai as a financial hub of the UAE.
Nantucket and New York: up 192%
Nantucket has always been a popular vacation destination for the uberrich, with billionaires like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Charles Schwab.
The increase in flights between New York and Nantucket "underlines the rise of dual-location lifestyles in the US," the report says. Rather than spending a week or two on Nantucket in the summer, the wealthy are flying back and forth between their primary and secondary residences more frequently.
Nice and Palma: up 137%
This Mediterranean route between Nice, France, and Palma, on the Spanish island of Mallorca, points to popular summer vacation destinations of the wealthy — and their superyachts.
Last summer, David Geffen's yacht floated off the coast of Mallorca, hosting Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, and Kris Jenner, while Jeff Bezos' superyacht Koru traveled through the French Riviera.
London and Samedan: up 137%
Private jet travel between Farnborough Airport, near London, and Samedan Airport in Switzerland, near luxury ski resort St. Moritz, has seen an uptick as multi-location living grows.
It's about more than vacationing, though. With a harsher tax regime affecting the wealthy in the UK, some are moving their capital to Switzerland, a more tax-friendly destination.
Washington, DC, and White Plains: up 107%
The route between D.C. and White Plains, a suburb of New York City, makes up the "government-finance corridor," the report says.
Cannes and Paris: 100%
Global festivals and events, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Cannes Lions, bring celebrities and businesspeople to the city in southern France every year. Cannes also sees a surge of jet travel in the summer, with the wealthy traveling to the luxury resorts and superyachts that dot its coast.
Boca Raton and New York: 70%
Boca Raton, like many other South Florida destinations, has experienced an influx of wealth. As the "dual-location lifestyle" becomes more popular, the number of flights to the Palm Beach County city has increased.
Mumbai and New Delhi: up 66%
As in Saudi Arabia, India's growing economic power has led to more domestic flights between its major hubs.
Along with the US and China, India was a major engine of global wealth creation growth over the past five years, and that isn't expected to slow down. The country is expected to see its billionaire population increase 51% over the next five years, with Mumbai, in particular, becoming a wealth hub, according to the report.
Milan to Paris: up 66%
Flights between Milan and Paris, the world's fashion capitals, increased due to the industry's ties to wealth.
Rich Europeans are also flocking to Milan as a tax haven, due to Italy's flat tax structure.
Hong Kong and Tokyo
Private air traffic increased along the route between Hong Kong and Tokyo, two of Asia's wealth hubs.
Tokyo, in particular, has experienced a boost in demand among the rich, reflected in a 58.5% price increase for luxury residential real estate between 2024 and 2025, according to the report.
