The year-to-year drop in business flight activity in November in North America outpaced the drop in global flight activity, according to the latest numbers from ARGUS International’s TRAQPak. However, the number of flights remains significantly higher than before the pandemic.
Year-to-year flight activity in November dipped 5.8% globally, 6.5% in North America and 20.7% in Europe.
“Continued uncertainty in the market seems to be weighing on business jet activity when compared to the record levels in 2021,” said Travis Kuhn, VP of market intelligence for ARGUS. “However, when we look at where we were three years ago we’re still 15% better overall in the North American market and operating at a more sustainable level.”
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The results by operational category were all down. Part 135 was down 7.5% year to year, followed by a 7.3% dip in Part 91 flights. Fractional activity had the best month after posting a slight decline, down 0.9% year over year.
Mid-size aircraft in November were down 8.3% from last November; small-cabin flights declined 7.7%, while the large-jet market slid 4.5%.
Turboprops and mid-size jets in the fractional category were the only segments to grow from November 2021.
Flight activity in November also finished below October numbers. However, it is worth noting that October is typically the strongest month of the year for bizjet flights.
North American flights dropped 6.2% month to month. The only upswing in operational categories was among Part 135 flights, up 0.3% from October thanks to strong demand from large cabin jets. Part 91 activity slipped 11.3% from October, while fractionals fell 6.3%.
All 8 of the U.S. regions reported monthly declines, with more significant drops in northern states, a trend that is seasonal. After a 14.6% drop in October, flights in New England slid another 20.7% in November.
European flight activity declined significantly from November 2021, finishing down 20.6% year over year. Large cabin jets, which had been an area of strength for many months, reported the largest yearly decline, down 39.4%, year to year.
For December, ARGUS TRAQPak analysts forecast a 1.4% decrease in North American flight activity, with European activity estimated to decrease 24.8% year over year.
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