The super-rich are hopping on private jets to head off to their Christmas holiday destinations as news of a fast-spreading Covid-19 strain emerged in the UK and fresh restrictions were rolled out across the country.

Alain Leboursier, managing director of private-jet broker LunaJets, told Financial News that enquiries about flying private jets out of the country have soared since London and the South-east were put under Tier 4 restrictions and more than 50 countries banned flights from the UK.