The World Cup has sparked a boom in the private aviation industry, with jets crisscrossing North America to carry wealthy fans to watch their teams.
This year's tournament is jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. With 48 teams playing a total of 104 matches across 16 host cities, it's the biggest World Cup yet.
Bookings to and from host cities were up 68% over last year, NetJets, the world's largest private aviation firm, told Business Insider earlier this month. The company expected reservations to increase as the tournament progresses.
Gianni Infantino, FIFA's president, is among them. Over the course of the tournament, he'll be traveling on a Gulfstream G650 operated by Qatar Airways to catch two matches a day, The Guardian reported.
"The big, big, big thing everybody's talking about and getting tickets for right now is the World Cup," Charlie Garcia, the founder of centimillionaire membership club R360, told Business Insider earlier this year.
At the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the US beat Paraguay 4-1 in its first game last Friday, several famous faces were in the crowd, including David Beckham, Tom Cruise, and Marco Rubio.
In the 24 hours leading up to the game, 250 private jets landed at Los Angeles area airports, according to data from JetSpy analyzed by Business Insider. That's up 45% from the same period the week prior.
76 of the jets were classified as ultra-long range, the most expensive type, like the $65 million Gulfstream G650. They included jets belonging to Nike, Disney, and Bill Gates.
Among the jets to land was one Gulfstream G800, the planemaker's newest model, which hit the market last year and costs about $70 million new.
In the first round, certain groups sparked particular interest. In the first stage of competition, Group I, which features frontrunner France, and Group L, with fan favorite England, were the most popular for NetJets customers, the company said.
And as the stakes — and ticket prices — increase through the knockout rounds, more high-flying billionaires may want to witness a piece of the action.
East Rutherford, New Jersey — the home of MetLife Stadium, where the finals will be held — was out-booking all other host cities just before the tournament began, according to NetJets.
With tickets to the July match starting at more than $8,000 on the resale market, why not avoid the NJ Transit mess and throw in a private jet, too?
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Pete Syme is an aviation reporter for Business Insider, based in London.He writes about all things related to the industry, such as flight diversions, aviation safety, airline updates, travel tips, plane tours, and aviation leaders.Pete has appeared on BBC News to discuss a Heathrow Airport closure and on Sky News to talk about Boeing.Before joining Business Insider in 2022, he graduated with an MA in Newspaper Journalism from City, University of London. While getting his BA in English from the University of Exeter, he was the award-winning deputy editor of the student newspaper, Exeposé.You can get in touch by emailing [email protected] or via Signal @syme.99.
Madeline Berg is a correspondent at Business Insider, where she covers the wealthy, famous, and powerful. Her stories include analyses of some of the most well known billionaires, from Mark Zuckerberg to MrBeast, investigations into celebrity brands, and deep dives into figures like Jeffrey Epstein and Leon Black.Her article on erosion in Nantucket won a National Association of Real Estate Editors award, and her story about Diddy's world falling apart was a finalist for an LA Press Club Award.Previously, she was at Forbes. Her work included cover stories on Tyler Perry and Shonda Rhimes, investigations into Kylie Jenner's beauty brand, and deep dives into Britney Spears' fortune. Madeline has also written for The New York Times, The New York Observer, and Racked. She regularly appears on panels, on television, and in documentaries discussing the entertainment industry and general business news.Contact her via email at [email protected] or by phone, Signal, or WhatsApp at 914-420-4721. https://www.businessinsider.com/secure-news-tips.
