Buisness aviation news

In Week 25 (17th – 23rd June), total global business jet activity measured by number of sectors flown fell 4% compared to Week 25 in 2023, compared to the last 4-week trend of 2% decline. Part 135 & 91K bizjet activity in week 25 fell 3% compared to last year. Year to date 2024, bizjet sectors have fallen 1.4% compared to last year, with flight hours falling 1.9% behind. Respectively for sectors and hours flown, the market is 2.8% and 3.4% behind comparable 2022. The active bizjet fleet this year is 2.5% larger than in 2023, up 8% on 2022.

As the summer comes into view, especially with the Olympics in France, we would expect to see an uptick in international arrivals into Europe. Sure enough, total transatlantic bizjet flights from the US to Europe are up by 5% this month, and into France up by 26%. We’d expect the high-end tourist demand to be a strong stimulus for the European charter market, lifting a sector which has otherwise sagged this year.

Despite the slowest start to June in the last 2 years, US bizjet activity remains robust, with activity significantly ahead of comparable June 2019. In contrast, the European summer is looking weaker, with just a 3% foothold over June 5 years ago. The D-Day anniversary lifted business jet arrivals into airports in the Normandy region of France. At the start of the party season in Ibiza there is a noticeable absence of bizjets from France and the United Kingdom.

Global bizjet activity was flat in week 22, as it was for the month of May, and is trailing 2023 by just 1%, which very much reflects the mood at EBACE, tending towards normalisation after the turbulence of the post-Covid years. There is a good deal of underlying variability, with Europe a 7% above 2019, demand still hot in the Mediterranean, but tapering well below 2019 levels in Central Europe.

Business aircraft are spending less time for sale than ever before, according to the latest edition of the Pre-Owned Business Jet Market Forecast by Jetcraft, the global leader in business aircraft sales, acquisitions and trades.

This week saw a marked drop-in flight activity in some key geographies, notably California, Germany, Saudi Arabia, China and Morocco. It was notable that the blue riband event for European bizav, the Monaco Grand Prix, drew 15% fewer bizjet visits than in 2019.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) published the First Quarter 2024 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report. The results for the first three months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023, show deliveries were flat for piston airplanes and piston helicopters, decreased for turboprops and turbine helicopters, and increased for business jets. Total aircraft billings were up 3.2% at $4.7 billion.

The latest week shows stable activity compared to last year, with fractional activity still booming, in contrast to some weaker charter demand, particularly at the light end of the market. Various gala events will see peaks in traffic in Europe in the next few weeks, starting with the Champions League Finals bringing visitors to London airports next week.

Bizjet activity week 19 2024 is flat overall, with some significant regional divergence, noting significant weakness in Germany, Middle East, Africa and Asia, but strength in Texas, Switzerland and Brazil.

In the modern aviation market, personnel management is a rapidly developing field: approaches are changing, new search tools are appearing, and the functions of HR workers are transforming. Moreover, leading experts in the business aviation market are raising the problem of personnel and personnel management, along with the main brake on the market — supply chain disruption. This important challenge creates the need for conferences and summits all over the world, but local events are what produce the greatest effect and generate the right recommendations based on the economic and political characteristics of a particular region.

Business jet utilisation is fraying slightly on comparable 2023 flight volumes, which is itself some way below the post-pandemic peak. But the Super Mid and Ultra Long-Range fleet is racking up more activity than ever.

The outlook for business jet activity is softening in Europe as utilisation levels fall below 2019 levels, notably in Germany and France. The US market is relatively resilient, especially for large fleet operators in the charter and fractional space.

Compared to last year, April’s trends are stronger than March, with growth in most of the top markets. UK, France and Germany were exceptions in Europe, with the charter market notably weakening. Bizjet activity in the Middle East saw further erosion, markedly Saudi Arabia. In the US, large business jets are seeing strongest demand. US charter demand is tailing off this month, Part 135 flights down 6% in week 16.

The first quarter of 2024 ended on a buoyant note with an uptick in preowned business aircraft sales, according to the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA). IADA’s First Quarter 2024 Market Report also indicated an optimistic outlook for the next six months.

Geopolitical tensions are visibly impinging on bizjet demand, with flights in the Middle East dropping off 20% in Week 15. The European market has idled this year, stagnating around the same levels of demand 5 years ago. The US market is still growing, especially for the top operators. Bizjet visitors to airports hosting the Masters golf tournament were up by 15% compared to last year’s event.

At the start of April (1st – 7th), global bizjet sectors are 2% ahead of comparable last year, trailing 2022 by 4%, 37% ahead of 5 years ago. Over the same period, scheduled airline activity is 24% ahead year-on-year, 12% ahead of 2019. Dedicated cargo sectors start this month are 3% ahead of last year, 18% ahead of 2019.

Overall flight volumes are so far very similar to last year, but with considerable variance by region and operator type, with demand in Europe clearly ebbing, the US flat overall but at record highs in New Jersey, fractional operations powering ahead.

Business aviation activity is robust everywhere but Europe in March 2024. The core US market is normally busiest this time of year, and is slightly stronger than March last year when demand was affected by the regional banking crisis, but still some way off the peak in the post-Covid market back in March 2022.

Spring Break in the US has seen the usual surge in bizav in Florida, notably. Compared to same March period in 2019, Florida bizjet departures are up 56%.

Year on year, the latest week saw strong growth, keeping 2024 a little ahead of 2023. The US is providing the ballast, with strong growth in South America and Asia, offsetting a slide in European demand.