Report: Run-Up to U.S. Election Showed Increase in Business Jet Departures

WingX reported that the run-up to the U.S. election had a positive impact on bizjet activity, though demand has weakened in the few days postelection. From September 30 to November 10, activity in key swing states steadily rose as election week neared. The report said that this momentum peaked in weeks 42 and 43, two to three weeks out from Election Day.

“Corporate fleets were busiest in the key swing states, with just over 11,000 bizjet departures,” the emailed WingX report stated. “In these states, private flight departments saw the largest comparable year-on-year increase in flight activity, departures up 17 [percent] year on year.”

Georgia topped states with the most departures at 11,491 during the six-week period from September 30 to November 10, an increase of 5 percent from a year ago. North Carolina followed with 9,619 departures, down 2 percent from last year.

The WingX report also stated that fractional flying is still moving ahead with almost 25 percent of all sectors flown so far this month. The charter market bumped up by three points with 11,312 departures in November, and private flight department activity is trending up 5 percent with 10,932 departures for the month.

Globally, there were 70,269 business departures during week 45 from November 4-10, on par with the same week from last year. Year-on-year growth over the past four weeks is trending 3 percent ahead of last year.  For 2024 to date, global business jet activity is down by 1 percent.

Europe saw activity fall 1 percent compared to week 45 in 2023, ending three weeks of modest year-on-year growth, according to the report.

The report also highlighted Switzerland and Germany, which saw significant volatility in their business jet departures. Switzerland had an activity jump of 13 percent compared to week 45 last year, while Germany fell 12 percent compared to the same point in 2023.

“Germany’s declines are even worse at the start of November, [with] bizjet departures falling 17 [percent] compared to the start of November last year,” the report stated. “Germany’s bizjet market has been in free fall most of the year, with pockets of growth centered around the hosting of the [UEFA Euro 2024] football [tournament] in the summer. The bleak outlook is consistent across all operator types in Germany [and] worth noting that corporate flight department activity has fallen by almost a third compared to November last year.”

In the Middle East, business jet activity fell 14 percent compared to week 45 last year. The report stated that Africa continues to drop off, down 22 percent compared to the same week last year.

South America is up 8 percent, and Central Asia this week saw peak business jet arrivals ahead of the COP29 climate conference (November 11-22) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“On the day before the conference started, 18 bizjet arrivals were recorded, more than double the previous day,” the report stated. “Most arrivals came from the United Arab Emirates, [with] five recorded arrivals. Out of all the arrivals on the 10th [of November], 78 percent were aircraft management and branded charter.”