Despite the economic downturn the world is still digging out of, a record number of private planes have touched down on St. Thomas over the past couple of weeks, with passengers eager to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve in paradise.
"In terms of the number of flights, this year is probably the best we’ve seen since 2003," said Michael Hancock, owner of St. Thomas Jet Center, located next to the Cyril E. King Airport. Hancock said about 80 planes – including Air Force II, carrying Vice President Joe Biden and his family – have flown into the center since Dec. 23.
Most left Sunday, keeping the air filled with the noise of planes buzzing by.
The Jet Center provides its clients with a range of services, organizing everything from catering to car rentals to concierge service. Some passengers came to park up, but many were met by captains of the mega yachts docking around the island, Hancock said.
"The planes have been coming in from everywhere," he added. "Usually, we see many of them from the mainland, but this year, we’ve been getting more European and Russian flights."
Asked to talk about some of his elite clientele, Hancock smiled and said planes flying into the Jet Center also expect to have a certain amount of privacy.
"Everything is discretely handled," he said. "Everyone wants as much privacy as possible. But in terms of passengers, it’s definitely been a good few weeks, between us and the airport."
The combination of high winds, rain and presence of volcanic ash over Puerto Rico and the territory did stir things up a bit, causing a few cancellations and delays, but it was nothing the Jet Center couldn’t handle, Hancock added.
"It was bad for like a day, but everything worked out fine," he said. "Now we just have to get ready for next year."
