Premier League high flyers grounded by shortage of private jets

ALL ABOARD: Man City's Riyad Mahrez boards a team flight to Paris.

First-world problems and all that, but high-flying Premier League clubs are facing difficulties over a lack of private jets to ferry them from game to game.

The Athletic reports Monday that a shortage of private planes is causing a real headache for Premier League clubs.

Such is the crunch - some airlines went out of business post-Covid - that earlier this month a plane bringing Brighton back to Gatwick Airport after their 2-1 win at Man Utd had to head straight to Stansted Airport in Essex to pick up Manchester City, who had been playing at West Ham.

“Nobody saw it coming,” one Premier League executive told The Athletic. “It’s hit us all at the same time — a real conspiracy of circumstances that has caught everyone out.” 

Issues include a shortage of crew, higher fuel prices and a particular lack of bigger planes have exacerbated the problem. 

Clubs like to book for 50-60 staff but only smaller aircraft with a capacity of 25 or 30 people are available, meaning key individuals fly and the rest travel by coach. Before Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat at Leeds the weekend before last, Thomas Tuchel’s squad had to travel to Yorkshire using three 14-seater aircraft. The coaching staff followed by bus because there was a technical issue with the original aircraft that had been booked.

Many Premier League clubs do not like using propeller aircraft, preferring private jets because they look slicker and more professional.