June global private jet flight trend increases 6% compared to 2019

While airline flights lag 40% behind pre-pandemic levels, WingX reports European football championships helped boost global private jet travel in June ahead of 2019 levels

Global private aviation traffic has increased by 6% in June 2021 compared to 2019, effectively setting record levels of activity, according to the most recent Tracker update from WingX.

The strong private jet travel numbers compare to the commercial airlines, still flying 40% less than pre-pandemic. That trend has only modestly recovered on the year-to-date deficit of 45%. Business aviation traffic is just 3% off the comparable activity levels in the first half of 2019 and 41% above 2020.

“We have seen a significant milestone this month with business jet activity in the U.S., year-to-date, surpassing comparable 2019 levels. The rebound rate is gathering pace in the U.S., and Europe may be picking up the same growth trend. The UEFA EURO host cities have seen big spikes in business jet arrivals, and the summer season has opened up for the first time in two years, with a surge of high-end tourists heading to the Med’s most famous resorts,” said Richard Koe, WingX managing director.

U.S. private jet flights in June were up by 11% compared to June 2019, and 54% up on last year. Year-to-date private flights are 2% ahead of 2019.

Europe was also seeing gains with 6% more flights in the last two weeks than in the same two weeks back in 2019. For example, business jet and prop departures from airports in Germany are up 9% compared to the same span in June 2019. Spain’s traffic has soared 18% above June 2019, Portugal is 42% ahead, and Greece has an additional 55% in private aviation traffic. Belgium and Netherlands have almost 20% more private jet and prop flights this month than in June 2019.