Private jet charter flights set a record high in March

Part 135 private jet charter operators recorded 104,000 flights in March, a record high, according to Argus Traqpak

March came in like a lion and left with a roar for North American private jet charter operators.

Argus TRAQPak’s review of year-over-year flight activity (March 2021 vs. March 2020) indicates that last month saw substantial gains, up 46.2%.

The month recorded 266,585 private aviation flights, which was 33 more than March 2019 and 84,259 more than March 2020.

The operational category results were all positive, with fractional operator activity posting the strongest results, up 55.9% year over year.

Part 91 activity posted its largest month since December 2019 to finish up 44.9%.

The Part 135 charter market was up 44.5%. It also set a record for monthly flights in the Argus Traqpak database with just over 104,000.

The aircraft categories were also positive for the month, with midsize jets posting the largest yearly gain, up 53.3%. Light jets followed with an increase of 52.0%. Large jets finally saw strong activity numbers in March, up 43.8%. The turboprop market reported an activity gain of 35.8%. The fractional light jet segment recorded the largest individual increase, up 63.6% from March 2020.

The Traqpak analysts estimate there will be a 241% increase in overall flight activity year over year in April 2021. Traffic is estimated to still be down 2.5% from April 2019.