Vimana Jets Founder Ameerh Naran: Private Aviation's Core Value Is Time, Not Luxury

Ameerh Naran, founder of Vimana Jets, said global business jet departures rose 3.4 percent in the first half of 2026, with aircraft manufacturer order backlogs exceeding $50 billion. He described current market conditions as strong but more considered compared with the immediate post-pandemic period, stating: "The frenzy has gone, which is healthy, but the fundamental demand for private aviation hasn't."

Naran said Vimana Jets is seeing first-time buyers emerge from markets around the world, many of them younger entrepreneurs who evaluate aircraft ownership through productivity, privacy, flexibility and personal efficiency. He described a scenario in which leaving London in the morning, holding meetings in two or three European cities, and returning home the same evening effectively creates time that didn't previously exist. He said economic pressures including inflation, higher interest rates, rising operating costs and supply constraints have not eliminated demand but have produced more informed buyers, who now weigh maintenance, engine programs, financing, depreciation, operating costs and resale value alongside acquisition price. He called this generation of buyers value-conscious instead of simply price-conscious.

Naran said the advisory process at Vimana Jets begins with an analysis of a client's travel patterns, destinations, flight frequency, passenger numbers and likely future requirements, with chartering or leasing sometimes recommended over outright ownership depending on those factors. When purchase is appropriate, the firm assists with aircraft selection, financing, registration, tax planning, maintenance, operational structure and eventual exit. He said North America remains the largest centre of private aviation activity, but pointed to the globalisation of wealth as the more significant long-term development, noting that first-time owners are increasingly dispersed geographically and getting younger. Despite risks from economic downturns, geopolitical instability, regulatory changes and manufacturing disruptions, Naran said he remains bullish on the industry, stating: "I don't think the value of time is going backwards. That's ultimately why I remain bullish on private aviation."

This account describes a buyer base maturing past the post-pandemic surge into a phase where demand persists but purchasing has slowed down and sharpened. The 3.4 percent rise in departures alongside backlogs above $50 billion points to steady underlying activity even as the emotional buying frenzy recedes.

Advisory-led acquisition, starting from travel patterns and total cost of ownership before any aircraft catalogue is opened, reflects how the segment increasingly screens buyers toward chartering, leasing or fractional structures when frequency and passenger counts don't justify outright purchase. Naran's framing of younger, more geographically dispersed first-time owners suggests the client base funding new deliveries and backlog growth is shifting away from its traditional North American and older-demographic core.

What happens to backlogs and departure volumes as interest rates, operating costs and supply constraints continue to filter through will show whether value-conscious buying sustains order books at their current scale or simply redistributes demand toward leasing and charter alternatives.