Business aircraft ‘used more for humanitarian causes’
Business aircraft are increasingly being used for charitable and humanitarian purposes, according to a survey of US family offices commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ). More than 75% of respondents expect their business aircraft to be used more to support good causes over the next three years.
The survey of US-based family offices which own or lease business aircraft reveals that 87% are open to using them for charitable and humanitarian purposes.
More than three-quarters (77%) report supporting local or national charities by providing them with some access to their aircraft. Nearly half (44%) support the US cancer charity Corporate Angel Network (CAN). This often takes the form of providing free travel on corporate aircraft to attend remote treatment.
Some family offices also provide access to their aircraft during crises such as humanitarian relief or emergency evacuations.
Of those family offices which do not currently make their aircraft available for charitable and humanitarian causes, 39% planned to start doing this within the next two years. More than half (54%) hoped to do so in the next two to three years. The main reason for not flying such missions, cited by more than half of respondents, was that no one was appointed to manage such operations. Nearly one third (30%) said it is because they do not have enough spare capacity to use their aircraft for this purpose.
Over the next three years, 9% of US family offices surveyed say they expect the use of their business aircraft for good causes to increase significantly. A further 67% say they expect it to rise slightly. The main reason for flying humanitarian missions is family offices’ growing focus on philanthropy. Over the next two years, 86% plan to increase their budget for philanthropy, with 12% predicting a significant rise in humanitarian flights.
During the past three years, 16% of respondents say their budgets for philanthropic causes increased significantly and 47% report that they have risen slightly. A further 21% say humanitarian budgets have stayed the same, and 15% report that they have fallen.
Of those who have boosted their philanthropic budgets since 2021, 59% say it has risen by between 20% and 30%. And 19% say it has increased by between 30% and 40%.
ACJ commissioned the independent research company Pureprofile to survey 100 senior executives at large US family offices whose organisation has on average $3.35b of assets under management. The research was conducted in March 2024.
Meanwhile, more than 200 Airbus corporate jets are in service worldwide.
US family offices spending on philanthropy – at a glance
Percentage increase in their budget for philanthropy over the past three years | Percentage of US family offices interviewed who said their budget for philanthropy had increased over the past three years, and that it had risen by this much |
Between 5% and 10% | 1% |
Between 10% and 20% | 16% |
Between 20% and 30% | 59% |
Between 30% and 40% | 19% |
Between 40% and 50% | 5% |
Source: Pureprofile.