For decades, private aircraft ownership was treated as one of the ultimate symbols of wealth. Ameerh Naran sees it differently. To the founder of Vimana Jets, an aircraft is not simply a
luxury purchase. It is a business tool capable of giving entrepreneurs, executives and internationally mobile families something they cannot otherwise acquire: more time.
“I have never really viewed a private aircraft as a luxury item,” Naran says. “I view it as a time machine.”
“The market today is strong, but much more considered than it was immediately after Covid,” he said. “The frenzy has gone, which is healthy, but the fundamental demand for private aviation hasn’t.”
According to Ameerh Naran, global business jet departures increased 3.4 percent during the first half of 2026, while aircraft manufacturer backlogs exceeded $50 billion. At Vimana Jets, he is also seeing first time owners emerge from markets around the world.
Many of these buyers are entrepreneurs and younger wealth creators who do not associate aircraft ownership with the traditional displays of status that once defined the industry. Instead, they are evaluating aviation through the lens of productivity, privacy, flexibility and personal efficiency.
“If I can leave London in the morning, have meetings in two or three European cities and be home that evening, I’ve effectively created time that didn’t previously exist,” Naran explained. “For an entrepreneur, CEO or family operating internationally, that can be extraordinarily valuable.”
A More Disciplined Buyer
Inflation, higher interest rates, rising operating expenses and supply constraints have not eliminated demand. Instead, Naran believes those pressures have created a more informed and disciplined customer.
A few years ago, limited availability meant that some buyers were primarily concerned with whether they could locate an aircraft at all. Today, the questions have become more sophisticated.
“They’ve made buyers more intelligent about what they’re buying,” Naran said.
Some clients may be considering more than the acquisition price, including maintenance needs, engine programs, financing, depreciation, operating costs and potential resale value.
For entrepreneurs, that approach should sound familiar. A private aircraft, like any major business asset, cannot be judged solely by its initial price. Its value may depend in part on how well it serves its intended purpose over the course of ownership.
Naran describes modern buyers as value conscious rather than simply price conscious. The least expensive option is not necessarily the most economical if it creates operational limitations.
“If somebody offers you a cheaper aircraft that requires a technical stop on the journeys you fly every week, or an aircraft that isn’t available for another nine months, is it actually cheaper?” he asked.
That question captures the central principle behind Vimana Jets’ advisory model. Every purchasing decision must be measured against the client’s actual needs, not merely the advertised cost of the aircraft.
Begin With the Client, Not the Aircraft
As international transactions become more complicated, the role of an aviation adviser has expanded. Geopolitical tensions, regulatory changes, tariffs and economic uncertainty can influence everything from financing and registration to taxation and where an aircraft should be based.
For Naran, the advisory process must begin before a specific aircraft is ever discussed.
“The first question we ask isn’t necessarily, ‘Which aircraft are you considering?’” he said. “It’s, ‘Should you be buying an aircraft?’”
Depending on a client’s travel patterns, chartering or leasing may make more financial sense than ownership. Vimana Jets begins by examining how the client travels, where they need to go, how frequently they fly, how many passengers typically travel and whether those requirements are likely to change.
“We begin with the client’s life rather than with an aircraft catalogue,” Naran said. “Once you understand that, you can identify what the aircraft actually needs to achieve.”
If ownership is the right decision, the firm assists with aircraft selection, financing, registration, tax considerations, maintenance planning, operational structure, location strategy and the eventual exit.
The objective is not simply to complete a transaction. It is to create an ownership structure that remains practical throughout the life of the asset.
This is where Naran believes clients can gain a meaningful competitive advantage. When an adviser understands the buyer’s complete travel profile, the search becomes more precise. The client can enter the market with greater confidence and avoid paying for capabilities that do not improve the way they actually travel.
The Globalization of Wealth
North America remains the largest center of private aviation activity, but Naran believes the more significant long term development is the globalization of wealth.
Naran has observed interest from prospective buyers beyond traditional markets and believes the first-time owners he encounters may be getting younger.
“That mirrors what we see at Vimana,” Naran said. “First time owners are not appearing in one isolated market. They’re geographically dispersed and consistently getting younger.”
This generation of buyers is building companies, managing investments and maintaining family connections across multiple countries. As their professional and personal lives span more locations, some may place greater value on having flexibility and control over their travel.
For business leaders, an aircraft can reduce the friction created by commercial schedules, indirect routes and limited connectivity. It can allow an executive to visit several markets within a compressed period while preserving privacy and control over the working environment.
In that context, some travelers may view private aviation less as a luxury and more as a practical way to meet their travel needs.
Why Naran Remains Bullish
Naran does not expect the industry’s growth to follow a perfectly straight path. Private aviation remains vulnerable to economic contractions, geopolitical instability, regulatory intervention, changes in taxation, manufacturing disruptions and restrictions on international movement.
Still, he believes the larger forces supporting the market are durable.
“There are more wealthy people globally,” he said. “Their businesses are more international. Their families are more international. And the premium they place on privacy, flexibility and time continues to increase.”
Aircraft technology may continue to improve, while ownership structures could evolve. New models may offer greater efficiency, and some buyers may take a more analytical approach to how and when they fly. Still, Naran believes one consideration is unlikely to change.
“I don’t think the value of time is going backwards,” he said. “That’s ultimately why I remain bullish on private aviation.”
