More well-to-do travelers are choosing to fly in private aircraft when visiting the Magic City, and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department expects to welcome more jetsetters than last year for Art Basel.
Art Basel attendees tend to fly to Miami International Airport General Aviation Center, steps away from Miami International. Given their proximity to the ongoing events in December. It’s a convenience for travelers arriving from all over the world. The site see an increase in arrivals flying in private aircraft and expect the number to inch higher this week.
Opa Locka Executive has seen an increase by 17% of private jets since last year. The location saw 136,556 flights from October 2016 to October 2017, with 60% being private jets.
The General Aviation Center counts on fewer general aviation flights than its counterpart, with 18,049 private and corporate jets clocking in for the past year.
The Miami-Dade Aviation Department expects numbers for this year to increase at both locations for Art Basel attendees.
The outlooks for Opa Locka and the General Aviation Center are positive but expectations are higher for the former. “Traffic is up 17% so far this year at OPF, so we expect above-average numbers during Art Basel,” Aviation Department Communications and Digital Marketing Director Greg Chin said by email.
Opa Locka typically experiences the most movement during the first two days of Art Basel. The aviation department sees on average 70 to 100 arrivals per day.
Traffic picks up midweek at the General Aviation Center for Art Basel guests, with 50 flights arriving per day.