WINGX Global Market Tracker:

US bizjet activity down 4% year-to-date, but transatlantic up

Year to date (1st January-4th February), business jet activity in the United States has fallen 4% compared to last year, according to WINGX`s weekly Global Market Tracker published today.

Combining business jets and turboprops, sectors are 7% below last year. Florida has seen almost 35,000 bizjet departures this year, making it the busiest US State, activity is 4% behind last year.

New Jersey is the only US State in the busiest five to see activity ahead of last year. 10th busiest ranked US State Tennessee is also seeing activity ahead of last year.

With just under 5,000 departures this year, Palm Beach is the busiest departure airport in Florida for bizjets. Activity is trending 5% below last year. Teterboro and Westchester County are the top two arrival airports from Palm Beach International, although flights between the two airport pairs are respectively 3% and 18% behind last year.

So far this year, Corporate Flight Departments are flying the most bizjet sectors in the US, but more than 10% down compared to last year. Contrast Fractional fleets, flying 5% more sectors compared to early 2023.

Comparing the busiest fleet operators in the US, business jet departures are trending ahead of last year for NetJets, Flexjet, Vista Global & flyExclusive out of US airports. Bizjet sectors in Wheels Up fleet have fallen 35% compared to January last year.

Bizjet sectors flown by 5 largest US operators 1st Jan-4th Feb 2024.
(Note includes flights flown under subsidiaries).

[click image to enlarge]

Europe

Year to date (1st January-4th February), business jet activity in Europe has fallen 3% below last year. France is the top European bizjet market this year, followed by the United Kingdom and Germany, all three markets less busy than last year. Spain and Italy are seeing an increase in their domestic bizjet markets compared to last year.

Barcelona El Prat to Madrid–Barajas is the busiest domestic bizjet airport pair in Spain so far this year, flights on the route up by 16% this year. Heavy jets are the most popular aircraft segment for this route. Elsewhere the busiest bizjet airport pair in Europe so far this year is Paris Le Bourget-Geneva.

Bizjet departure trends from busiest European countries, Jan 1st-4th Feb 2024 vs 2023.

[click image to enlarge]

So far this year there have been almost 1,000 transatlantic flights from the US to Europe, 3% more than comparable last year. Just over 300 flights have been flown from US airports into the United Kingdom, up 26% compared to last year, making it the top transtlantic country flow.
Flights from US into France are up 22%, contrast Switzerland and Germany where flights are down 5% and 24% respectively.

The Bombardier Global Express / 6000 series is the busiest aircraft type on transatlantic flights so far this year. Gulfstream G600/650 sectors have fallen 6% below comparable last year on trans-Atlantic routes.

Top 5 European Trans-Atlantic (US to Europe) bizjet destinations, Year-to-date 2024.

[click image to enlarge]

Managing Director Richard Koe comments: “The year has got off to a slow start compared to the beginning of 2023, although it needs to be noted that the market was still seeing unprecedented peaks in activity 12 months ago.

"And there are still parts of the market seeing very strong activity, such as transatlantic, also US domestic fractional flying.”

WINGX GmbH
Lilienstraße 11
20095 Hamburg
Germany.

+49 40 23 96 85 05

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 8th February 2024 | Issue #734