December Sees Bump in Global Business Jet Departures

Furthermore, WingX reported a four-week trend of 5 percent growth compared to 2023. Both Part 135 commercial and Part 91K private aircraft activity were up 1 percent versus last year, with the last four-week trend up 7 percent.

WingX stated there have been just over 3.5 million bizjet departures year to date, 1 percent fewer than last year. 

In North America, bizjet activity rose 3 percent compared to the same week in 2023 with a four-week trend up 7 percent compared to last year. Part 135 and Part 91, Subpart K activity in the U.S. grew 3 percent, and the four-week trend was up 9 percent.

Postelection bizjet activity is trending 3 percent ahead compared to last year. Transatlantic flying is up 5 percent compared to last year with the U.S.-to-U.K. route being the busiest, accounting for 41 percent of all bizjet transatlantic flights since the presidential election.

Florida and Texas saw 6 percent and 5 percent gains compared to Week 50 last year. Texas hot spots of activity included Dallas, Houston, and Fort Worth, with small declines in San Antonio. Part 91 operators accounted for over half of bizjet departures in Texas with 58 percent in Week 50.

“Texas, California, and Florida are seeing trends of close to 10 [percent] in terms of year-on-year growth in bizjet departures in the last four weeks, testament to solid improvements in consumer and business confidence in the wake of [Donald] Trump’s [presidential] win,” said Richard Koe, managing director at WingX, in the news release.

In Europe, bizjet activity fell 3 percent compared to Week 50 in 2023. 

Outside of Europe and the U.S., bizjet activity was 4 percent higher than Week 50 in 2023. WingX stated that most of this growth came from the Middle East, where bizjet departures were 18 percent higher than last year. Asia saw activity up 15 percent year over year, Africa was 22 percent behind last year, and South America was down 2 percent from a year ago.

The WingX report said the Middle East benefited from the afterglow of hosting Formula 1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 8 and Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) conference in Dubai on December 10-12.

“More than usual numbers of U.S. tourists have flown to Europe in the last week, notably more to the U.K. and Italy than to France and Germany,” Koe said. “The Middle East saw a strong bump in [year-over-year] bizjet flights coinciding with the MEBAA show in Dubai.”