Buisness aviation news
Bizjet demand has wobbled in September, significantly behind September last year, the slowdown mainly in the US, with bizjet cycles in California down 15% YOY. In Europe, both France and Germany saw big drops in demand this month.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) published the Second Quarter 2024 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report. The general aviation aircraft manufacturing industry’s results for the first six months of 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, show increased deliveries across the piston airplane, business jet and piston helicopter segments along with an increase in the overall value of aircraft shipments.
The European market is slowing sharply in September compared to the Olympics-boosted August, also now trailing September 2023, especially in the Charter market, and especially in Germany, Italy also faring less well. In the US, the year-on-year Labor Day bizjet activity was slightly adrift, although it spiked in Florida, flights up 12% YOY, 9% gain in Part 135 and 91K flights.
Part 135 and 91K flights out of Texas and Florida were up more than 10% in the latest week and are trending up 5% in August, contrast the 1% decline in bizjet activity in the US, 8 months into 2024. The late summer surge in the US compares to a post-Olympics slowdown in Europe, although Nice is still seeing strong growth, and there are record breaking levels of flight activity at Tivat in Montenegro.
The US market is trending just a fraction below last year, with weakness in corporate flight departments, whilst fractional operations continue to hit peaks. The popularity of fractional programs is particularly evident in transatlantic visits to Europe this summer, catalysed by the Olympics. Within Europe, US visitors have driven spikes in activity since the start of the Olympics, demand starting to taper off in France this week but still very strong in the UK.
The importance of the leisure market in Europe is conspicuous this month as the Olympics sees a surge in high-end European tourists. The US market has had a weak start in August, also true of the main business jet destinations in Asia and Africa.
The bizjet market´s bright spot this summer is Europe, with the Olympics drawing record numbers of private jet movements to France, the UK also enjoying the influx of sports fans into the region. Bizjet demand in the US seems to have hit the brakes in the last couple of weeks, having had a relatively strong July.
As predicted, the Olympics venues have attracted business jet arrivals from all over the world as dignitaries, heads of corporations and celebrities flocked to the opening ceremony and sporting events. The Olympics appears to be very popular with US visitors, many coming via the UK. The Olympics bounce is helping the market recover from a relatively weak H124, with year-to-date trends now flat compared to last year.
International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) members reported a balanced market for preowned business aircraft in the second quarter of 2024. Sales are steady and values of late model aircraft remain strong, according to IADA’s Second Quarter 2024 Market Report.
In Week 28 (8th – 14th July), total global business jet departures were down 2% compared to Week 28 in 2023, equal to the last 4-week trend of 2% decline. Global Part135 & 91K activity on par with W28 in 2023, the 4-week trend 1% ahead of last year. So far this year the global bizjet fleet has flown just under 3.2 million flight hours, 2% fewer than last year. Across the 15,600 active operators there have 25,000 active business jets flying from January 1st through to July 14th. The global bizjet fleet has had a fair start to July, departures flown just -0.5% behind comparable July last year.
Week 27 2024 almost exactly matched Week 27 2023, with variable geographic trends, the US seeing a bump up, in contrast to declines in June, and was especially strong in Part 135 and 91K operations, most notably in Texas. Europe saw a 3% slide, mainly in private and corporate activity. Germany and the UK are seeing stronger YOY activity, tied directly to the draw of major sporting events.
The new sanctions package approved by the European Union on June 24 for the first time specifically targets Russia’s business aviation sector, but the industry seems to have adapted to the wartime restrictions since 2022.
The first half of 2024 shows bizjet utilisation tapering slightly on 2023 but still well up on 2019. The US market is just 1% weaker than last year, with Florida, super midsize jets, and Fractional ops looking robust. European bizjet demand is strengthening this summer, notably in Germany. The Middle East is seeing weaker bizjet usage this year, especially in Saudi.
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.