The aviation industry data intelligence company reported that in week 30—July 22-28—bizjet activity in France was up 17 percent compared to the same time last year. Europe has seen a 4 percent increase overall. Paris saw a 58 percent jump in bizjet arrivals compared to last year. 

“As predicted, the Olympics venues have attracted business jet arrivals from all over the world as dignitaries, heads of corporations, and celebrities flocked to the opening ceremony and sporting events,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe in the announcement. “The Olympics appear to be very popular with U.S. visitors, many coming via the UK. The Olympics bounce is helping the market recover from a relatively weak H124, with year-to-date trends now flat compared to last year.”

• READ MORE: Canada’s Olympic Soccer Team Busted After Spying on Rivals With Drone 

Paris Le Bourget recorded 713 bizjet arrivals last week, up 53 percent over last year. New York saw a 200 percent increase in bizjet flights to Paris airports year over year. Vista Jet and NetJets lead flights from the United States to France, WingX found. 

On July 26, the day of the Olympics opening ceremony, 382 bizjet arrivals were recorded into French airports.

North America 

Florida, California, and Texas had the most bizjet departures in the U.S. Florida and California were each up 2 percent over last year, and Texas was up 1 percent. 

Bizjet departures were on par in week 30 compared to the same period last year in North America, with most activity originating in the U.S. 

Europe 

The United Kingdom saw a 10 percent increase in bizjet flights. 

Activity lags behind in popular European summer destinations. Bizjets to Mykonos, Greece, have fallen compared to five years ago, only ahead of 2020. Olbia, Italy, has been busier than any July in the last five years, while Ibiza and Mallorca, Spain, are behind the last three years.

Rest of World 

Bizjet activity declined outside of North America and Europe. Activity fell 16 percent in the Middle East in week 30 compared to last year, with notable declines in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Africa saw a 23 percent drop in bizjet activity, with declines in South Africa cities Johannesburg and Cape Town, and Lagos, Nigeria. 

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The aviation data company reported that 72,223 business jets were flown around the globe in Week 11, ending March 17, a 1 percent drop compared to the previous week. Business jet and turboprop activity has risen 38 percent this year compared to 2019. 

WingX reported from January 1 through March 17: 

• 5.9 million scheduled operations flights, up 15.6 percent from last year. 
• 1.1 million business aviation flights, a jump of 2.1 percent from last year. 
• 225,170 cargo flights, down 2.2 percent from last year.

In the U.S., 49,406 business jets were flown in Week 11, a 2 percent increase from Week 11 in 2023. Business jet departures from the U.S. are 1 percent ahead of March last year and 31 percent ahead of 2019. 

• READ MORE: Jets: Reaching the Service Ceiling

Florida has seen 20,353 business jet departures this month, up 4 percent over March last year. Texas is seeing 4 percent more departures over last March, while California has seen a small dip of less than 1 percent. 

Airports near popular spring break destinations in Florida are seeing growth, such as Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (KFLL), Miami International Airport (KMIA), Ocean Reef Club Airport (07FA), and Pompano Beach Airpark (KPMP). 

WingX reported from March 1 through March 17:

• Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (KOPF) saw 1,612 business jet arrivals, down 2.3 percent from last year but up 91.4 percent from 2019.
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had 1,187 business jet arrivals, up 16 percent  from last year and up 62.8 percent from 2019.
• Miami International Airport saw 919 business jet arrivals, up 8.5 percent from last year and a gain of 59.8 percent from 2019. 
• Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) had 845 business jet arrivals, down 1.9 percent from last year but an increase of 48.8 percent from 2019. 
• Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (KECP) saw 429 business jet arrivals, down 7.3 percent from last year but up 88.2 percent from 2019. 

European business jet activity was down 4 percent in Week 11 compared to this time last year. Activity in France fell 11 percent year over year, while departures in Italy are up 16 percent. 

• READ MORE: New Airplanes, from Business Jets to Experimentals

WingX reported from March 1 through March 17:

• France saw 14,098 business jet departures, down 4.9 percent from last year and 2.6 percent from 2019.
• The U.K. had 13,033 business jet departures, down 1.2 percent from last year but up 2.7 percent from 2019.
• Germany saw 11,770 business jet departures, down 5.2 percent from last year and 9.8 percent from 2019.
• Switzerland had 9,003 business jet departures, down 3 percent from last year but up 7 percent from 2019.
• Italy saw 8,076 business jet departures, up 6.6 percent from last year and 27.5 percent from 2019. 

Business jet activity in the Middle East fell 32 percent in Week 11 compared to 2023. Activity in China is 44 percent ahead of last year. Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore are the top connections outside of mainland China, WingX reported. 

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According to WingX’s weekly analysis, global business jet activity is down by 9 percent compared to the same dates in May 2022.  The drop  is now at 5 percent compared to last year but still up 17 percent from 2019. When it comes to global scheduled airline activity, the sector is trending up 10 percent from last year but still 14 percent behind 2019 levels.

In its report, WingX found that much of the decline coincided with a challenging charter environment, citing negative optics on sustainability. While the business jet sector is no stranger to criticism regarding sustainability, climate activists continue to grow louder. Just last week, more than 100 protestors disrupted one of the industry’s biggest events of the year—the European Business Aviation Convention (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. The demonstration, which called to ban private jets, led to a temporary shutdown of the airport.

• READ MORE: The ‘Last Mile’ for SAF Presents an Achievable Challenge

Executives at EBACE responded, noting the industry is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and has already cut carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past 40 years while working to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

“We need to work a little bit more here in Europe because European bodies are not totally convinced…It is really a little bit against business aviation,” said Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation.

In North America, WingX statistics show business jet sectors fell 8 percent compared to the previous week, 10 percent behind the same dates in 2022. Data also reveals 59 percent of business jet flights in North America in May have been less than 90 minutes in duration—down 5 percent compared to last year but 11 percent ahead of 2019. Meanwhile, flights sitting between 1.5 to 3 hours have seen the largest increase since pre-pandemic May and are up 28 percent, while long-haul flights (clocked in at more than 12 hours) have declined the most compared to May 2022—down 31 percent.

Compared to 2019, business jet activity was up 14 percent during the Memorial Day weekend but still down when compared to last year. Conversely, scheduled airline service saw a decrease when compared to 2019 levels.

“Charter bookings for summer 2023 are reportedly strong but may suffer from a generally deteriorating macroeconomic environment,” WingX’s report stated.

• READ MORE: Why Jet It Failed 

The report also mentioned charter operator Jet It, noting its U.S. departures have slumped a whopping 41 percent compared to May 2022. However, that statistic may not be surprising considering the controversy surrounding the company after it suddenly grounded its fleet on May 27, terminated employees, and told owners to find a new home for their aircraft.

Research also shows European business jet activity declined 11 percent compared to the same dates last year. The trend in the past four weeks is 10 percent below the same dates in 2022 but 7 percent above 2019. France has seen departures drop 8 percent from last year while there’s been double-digit declines in the United Kingdom and Germany. Conversely, departures in Portugal are up 21 percent compared to May 2022. 

Business jet departures outside of North America and Europe are trending 10 percent ahead of last year. The report shows the busiest markets have seen a decline compared to May of last year with Australia  and  the United Arab Emirates both down 6 percent, and Saudi Arabia down 2 percent.

The post WingX Reports Bizjet Activity Continues To Decline appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In North America, flight activity during the 15th week of the year totaled 56,798 sectors flown by business jets, which is down 5 percent compared with the same period in 2022. During the last four weeks, activity has been 11 percent below last year’s level. Also during week 15, operations under Parts 135 and 91K declined 9 percent from a year earlier, the WingX report said.

According to WingX, 91 percent of business jet departures in North America take place in the United States, where sectors are down 11 percent since last year. Departures in Mexico were down 1 percent and Canada saw a decline of 23 percent.

The downward trend is similar across the most popular business aviation airports, with Teterboro, New Jersey (KTEB), the busiest in the region for business jets, saw an 11 percent decline compared with last year. Activity at Palm Beach (KPBR) fell 6 percent, Dallas Love Field (KDAL) is down 8 percent and Miami-Opa Locka Executive (KOPF) is down 12 percent, WingX said.

Among aircraft types, the Bombardier Challenger 300 and 350 so far have completed the most flights this month, but its total departures have declined by 7 percent compared with the same period last year, WingX said. The Embraer Phenom 300 is the only aircraft in the top three that flew more sectors this year than last, according to the report.

Worldwide, business jets flew 70,657 sectors during week 15, which is a decrease of 4 percent from the same week a year earlier. In the last four weeks the global trend for business jet activity fell 9 percent compared with the same period in 2022, WingX said.

The post Business Jet Activity Declines in April Compared With Last Year appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to the report released Thursday, global business jet activity decreased by 8 percent in the last four weeks compared to the same time period a year ago.

Additionally, there have been double-digit declines in charter activity each week since mid-February, with the week of March 13, 2023 seeing 16 percent year-on-year dip in the U.S. 

Research also shows that by the week of March 13, there was a 14 percent global decline in Part 135 charters and Part 91 Subpart K fractional business jet activity compared to the same dates last year, according to WingX.

Overall for year-to-date from January through March 19, 2023, business jet and turboprop activity is two percent behind last year, but 12 percent ahead of 2019 levels.

• READ MORE: Super Bowl Charter Traffic Plunged 25 Percent

During the week of March 13, 2023, almost 55,000 business jets departed North American airports—10 percent fewer than the same dates last year. In the last month, North American departures were down about 9 percent behind last year. Teterboro Airport (KTEB), the busiest departure airport for Part 135 and Part 91 operations, has seen a 16 percent decline in activity compared to last year, WingX said.

In Europe, business jet sectors were down 11 percent over the last four weeks compared to the same time frames as 2022.

“The Embraer Phenom 300 is the busiest aircraft type this month, and the Cessna Citation Latitude is the only top aircraft with activity ahead of last year,” WingX said.

The WingX report reflects trends and data from the FAA’s Business Jet Report, which the agency says bankers and other economic analysts use as one indicator of overall economic conditions.

“March 2022 was the record peak in business aviation activity, reflecting the pent-up demand as the pandemic faded and lockdowns were released, so it’s not a great surprise to see lower [year-over-year] activity,” noted WingX managing director Richard Koe. “However, with emerging concerns of another global financial crisis, we may well see further softening in business jet usage in the next few months.”

The post Business Jet Activity on the Decline, Report Shows appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

WingX, a data company that tracks business aviation flights, said arrivals for the event declined by 25 percent compared with the 2022 game in Los Angeles, reflecting a decrease in Part 135 operations in the U.S. 

• READ MORE: Super Bowl LVII: Navy Fighters Flyover Details

The company reported that 2.5 hours before kickoff, 228 business jets were parked at nearby airports including Glendale Municipal Airport (KGEU), Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX), Phoenix Deer Valley (KDVT), and Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR). The number of parked aircraft fell to 67 19.5 hours after kickoff, WingX said.

According to the WingX report, arrivals totaled 562 for Super Bowl LVII, making it the fourth busiest for air traffic in the past five years. There were 752 arrivals for the previous year’s event in Los Angeles, and 356 in Tampa during 2021 when travel was more heavily limited by the pandemic.

The 2020 Super Bowl in Miami holds the record for business jet arrivals at 833. There were 569 arrivals for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta in 2019.  

WingX has not responded to requests for additional information and analysis, nor have the National Business Aviation Association or the Corporate Aviation Association.

WingX said global business jet activity is essentially flat now compared with a year ago but 12 percent higher than the same period in 2021. 

“Charter is the relative weak spot, coming off huge highs in the last 12 months,” the report said, noting that branded charter operations are down 17 percent compared to this time last year, though still 13 percent higher than in 2019.

The post Super Bowl Charter Traffic Plunged 25 Percent appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Although business and private jet travel remains 20 percent higher than where it was last year, WingX suggests that things might taper off soon. “The big question is whether flight demand can weather the start of autumn and [a] swiftly deteriorating economic outlook in the next few months,” the bulletin said.

WingX said that during August, private jet operators in North America traveled just 1 percent more than they did in 2021. This August’s activity was 13 percent higher than previous highs in 2019, which is a good indication that the overall business jet market has grown as travelers have shifted from commercial airlines to private operators during the pandemic. 

But things might turn. 

In late August, business jet departures were “down 4 percent compared to the previous week,” WingX said. Going further, August fractional and charter flight activities decreased by 8 percent, according to the report.

North America in Focus

The FAA’s business jet report provides a snapshot of trends in business turbine activity up through the previous month and a ranking of the top 10 airports and aircraft used for business jet operations over the past year. 

Bankers and other economic analysts use business jet activities as one indicator of overall economic conditions, according to the FAA. Its August report showed 2,425 fewer departures from the top three domestic business aviation airports of Teterboro, New Jersey (KTEB); West Palm Beach, Florida (KPBI); and Van Nuys, California (KVNY), for the period. This makes August the second consecutive month of declining business travel after setting records last year. 

Amid talks of a broad economic slowdown, WingX said that this year, “the overall region of North America has notched up record flight activity, with almost 2 million business jet sectors flown.” That would be 18 percent higher than the same period in 2021. 

Moreover, the U.S. market grew by 23 percent during 2019, but Canada and Mexico still haven’t managed to top their pre-pandemic activity, according to the WingX data. 

Meanwhile, summer destination favorites, like Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have experienced 30 percent more business travel from January to August this year compared to 2019.

Mid-Size Jets Lead the Way

As for what equipment operators seem to prefer, WingX said that this year, in North America, the Bombardier Challenger 300/350 has dominated and is being flown by operators 17 percent more than it was prior to the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, the Embraer Phenom 300 and Cessna Citation Latitude have seen the largest increase in fleet size. 

Domestically, Cessna’s Citation Excel is still the workhorse of the business aviation industry. 

Regarding domestic travel, the FAA’s data shows that among the top 10 aircraft for business jet operations, the Excel, Phenom, and Latitude represent just over 40 percent of all activity. 

Interestingly, it wasn’t until June that more operators began using the Latitude slightly more than the popular Hawker 800 jet. 

The post August Bizjet Activity Robust, but Decreasing appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Business jet travel has seen a resurgence across the board globally in the past two years, but it’s in the U.S. where growth has been strongest, particularly when it comes to owned and managed aircraft, according to WingX, which provides aviation business intelligence.

Telling January Numbers

In January, bizjet traffic was up 26 percent in the U.S. compared to the same time last year and up 19 percent on business travel reported in January 2019 before the pandemic hit. 

The increase also shows how travel has shifted, according to the report.

“There is clear evidence of a shift in the recovery toward owned and managed aircraft, with these operators flying respectively 24 percent and 32 percent more than two years ago,” WingX said.

Internationally, business travel has also seen similar double-digit growth in demand, with traffic up 25 percent this month in comparison to January 2021, and 16 percent more than reported in January 2020.

“The impetus now appears to be coming from aircraft owners, with private and corporate flight departments flying 21 percent more than January two years ago,” WingX said. “Charter and fractional operators are still flying at record highs, but with growth moderating compared to the end of last year.”

• READ MORE: Business Jet Flight Demand Starts 2022 With a Bang

WingX’s findings echo similar predictions from the industry and Wall Street for the new year. In November, for example, a Morgan Stanley global corporate travel survey projected that private jet use among corporate operators would increase in 2022. 

Bizjet recovery is also being clocked at the fuel pump. “Business aviation is seeing a strong demand for fuel in response to the pandemic as many rediscover the value of private aviation as an essential mode of transportation and a key business tool,” National Air Transportation Association senior vice president Ryan Waguespack told FLYING last month.

• READ MORE: Report: Demand For Oil Is Up Everywhere, Except Aviation

The growth in business travel stands in contrast to fluctuations in recovery in the global commercial and cargo sectors, WingX said. Scheduled airline network capacity is down 33 percent this month compared to that reported in January 2020 before the onset of the pandemic. Cargo activity, which saw increases during the pandemic, has stalled out with activity in January 2022 reported at similar levels compared to January 2021 and January 2020.

Overall, the growth in the business aviation sector is “at a record high, and well ahead of January 2021,” WingX said, offering cautious optimism. “Stronger growth may resume as Omicron dissipates, although there are increasing risks in the macroeconomic and geopolitical environment which could easily undermine flight demand in the next few months.”

The post Business Aviation Growth At a ‘Record High,’ Report Says appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The report released Thursday by WingX, a data research and consulting company that tracks the business aviation industry, says 3.3 million business jet flights took place in 2021. That’s a 7 percent increase over 2019, the year the report used as the most recent “normal” benchmark. 

WingX says the tide began to turn in the second quarter of 2021 as people returned to leisure travel amid vaccine rollouts and shrinking travel restrictions. The report also suggests that while airline travel has experienced a bit of a comeback, worries over hygiene and exposure to new COVID variants encouraged people to switch to business travel.

Happy Holidays

December saw the largest gain over 2019 in global business jet activity—a 23 percent increase. In fact, for the holiday period from December 20 to January 2, WingX says 127,000 business jet flights took off around the world, a 41 percent jump over the holiday season two years ago.

For perspective, global airline passenger traffic in December was down 28 percent during the same time period.

In North America, the U.S. leads the way

In North America, the U.S. remained the leader of business jet activity in 2021, recording 10 percent more traffic than all of 2019. Meanwhile, Canada’s private aviation traffic shrank by nearly a quarter. The report explains that the adoption of fractional and charter flights drove the U.S. expansion. Fractional traffic grew by 20 percent and charter operations by 18 percent compared to 2019.

Not surprisingly, the holiday period saw the most activity in the U.S., reflecting the global increase noted previously. While airline traffic was 16 percent shy of its 2019 numbers, business jets flew 46 percent more trips compared to the same period.

How are people flying?

•  Light jets made 662,000 flights in 2021, 15 percent more than in 2019.
• Super midsize jets made 179,000 flights last year, which was 18 percent more than two years before.
• Bombardier’s Challenger 300 was the most used bizjet model in 2021, making 179,000 trips, 12 percent more than in 2019.
• Ultra-long-range trips saw a 7 percent dip from 2019, while heavy jets flew 43 percent fewer trips.

Very Light Jets Shine in Europe

Despite Europe’s slower economic rebound, the WingX report says operators flew their business jets 5 percent more in 2021 than they did two years ago. As it was in the U.S., travel also peaked during the holiday season, with a 30 percent uptick over the same period in 2019. 

Spain and Italy recorded the strongest rebound, which WingX attributes to leisure traffic. Countries with fewer travel restrictions—such as Russia and Turkey—saw their domestic flights grow nearly 25 percent. 

The equipment driving the rebound was in the very light jet sector, which saw 22 percent more usage than 2019.

UAE Also Sees Strong Growth

Outside of North America and Europe—where there’s typically less business travel—200,000 business jet trips took place. While that’s only 6 percent of the worldwide market, the number represents a 30 percent increase more than 2019. Nearly 1 in 3 trips were taken using pre-owned business jets. 

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