April saw a 7.3 decrease in business aviation
activity, a bigger drop than anticipated.
According to recent figures released by flight data resource ARG/US, business air traffic in the United States was down by 7.3 percent in April compared to March of this year.
With decreases of 8.1 percent, large cabin and turboprop aircraft saw the biggest declines in flight hours. Mid-size cabin aircraft activity dropped 7.1 percent, and small cabin aircraft also lost 5.6 percent in flight hours compared to March. Despite these sizeable declines, flight activity was down only 0.4% compared to April 2010.
While April is usually a slower month for aviation, this year’s traffic levels dipped more than anticipated. Researchers said part of the blame could lie with the severe weather and rising gas prices that swept through the country during the past month.
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