WINGX Global Market Tracker:

Bizjet activity record for Memorial Day

In the most recent week (19th-25th May), global business jet sectors grew 10% compared to Week 21 last year, with the core US market recording 16% year on year growth.

According to WINGX`s weekly Global Market Tracker published today, the Charter and Fractional markets were strong last week, global sectors 8% ahead of W21 last year, up 15% in the US.

As May draws to a close, the global bizjet fleet is flying 3% more sectors than May last year. Only three weeks this year have seen negative YOY trends.

In the seven weeks since the announcement of Trump’s tariffs in April, global business jet activity is up 3.3%, almost identical to the 3.4% YOY trend in the 7 weeks preceding the tariffs. The trend for US domestic bizjet sectors has accelerated from 3.4% to 4.1%. There have been discernible slowdowns in YOY trends in Europe (slight), the global part-135 fleet activity (modest) and in flights from Germany and Canada (substantial).

Global bizjet departures by week in the last 12 months.

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North America

Bizjet departures from airports in California, Florida and Texas powered US activity in Week 21, sectors in these US States up 15%, 14% and 17% compared to W21 last year. The last 4-week trend for bizjet traffic in California and Texas is 5%. So far this year, US metro areas with the largest bizjet traffic from associated airports are New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas. Of the busiest 10 metro areas, Atlanta has the strongest growth in departures YTD, up by 4.7% compared to 2024.

Memorial Day celebrations in the US saw the usual surge in flight demand, with 17,000 departures across the Friday – Sunday period prior to the Monday Holiday. This year’s holiday period was the busiest since 2019, up by 130 departures compared to the previous peak in 2022. Part 135 and 91K bizjet departures during Memorial Day were up by 43% compared to the same holiday period in 2019. There were 72,214 scheduled airline sectors flown during this year’s holiday, 12% more than in 2024.

US Bizjet departures, Memorial Day Holiday 2019 - 2025.

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Europe

European bizjet activity grew 2.1% compared to Week 21 last year, strengthening on the last four-week trend of 0.7% YOY growth. Trends were variable by country, with Germany seeing a substantial growth in YOY sectors, up by 16%, after five consecutive weeks of decline and only the fourth week this year with growth compared to last year. More than half the bizjet departures in Germany were either private or corporate, with these operators seeing much stronger growth than the charter market, which still has a last 4-week declining trend of -10%. Week 21 saw a substantial drop in flight activity from Switzerland, down 7% YOY, but slight growth in the UK, France and Italy.

Switzerland was notably weak, departures falling 7% compared to last year, declines most apparent out of Zurich, Lugano and Sion airports. Activity out of the UK, France and Italy was modest, departures up just 1% compared to Week 21 last year. In Germany, most German cities recorded year on year growth, large increases in Corporate Flight departments and Fractional programmes.

There were 355 bizjet arrivals into Nice (LFMN) airport during the Monaco F1 Grand Prix weekend (23rd-25th May), up from 316 during the same Friday – Sunday period of the 2024 event. Airports in London, Paris, Milan and Turin saw the strongest demand for visitors.

Bizjet arrivals into LFMN during Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

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Busiest bizjet departure airports into Nice (LFMN) during 2025 F1 Monaco Grand prix weekend (23rd – 25th May 2025).

Rest of the World

Flights originating outside North America and Europe comprised 10% of the global volume with activity in Week 21 (19th – 25th May) up 4% compared to Week 21 last year. One quarter of that activity originated in Latin America, with bizjet flights up by 9% YOY. Asia had a similar share of global flights, activity dipping 1% this week and trending down 4% in the last 4 weeks. The Middle East maintained a solid growth trend, flights down by 14% compared to Week 20 activity spurred by the Trump visit, but up 6% YOY, with the region’s bizjet volumes trending up 11% this month, Saudi seeing more than 30% YOY growth in May.

Business jet departures from rest of world, May 2025.

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Managing Director Richard Koe comments: “Business jet activity continues to trend upwards and without discernible impact from economic uncertainty, with the exception of a few countries.

"Leisure travel is evidently strong with record bizjet activity during Memorial Day weekend and at the Europe’s blue riband bizjet sports event, the Monaco Grand Prix. The Middle East continues to see strong bizjet demand, especially Saudi Arabia.”

WINGX GmbH
Lilienstraße 11
20095 Hamburg
Germany.

+49 40 23 96 85 05

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 29th May 2025 | Issue #797

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