Global private jet flight activity dipped 7% week-to-week and was 4% below Week 39 levels in 2021. Overall, there were 70,261 private jet flights.
However, the big news was in the United States where Hurricane Ian sent Florida’s private jet flights down 25% week-to-week and 24% below Week 39 in 2021.
The result was a 52-week low.
Overall, private jet flight activity in the U.S. dropped 9% from last week, and the week ending Oct. 2, 2022 was 5% below last year’s levels with 48,313 flights.
“Hurricane Ian was one of the most powerful storms in history so it’s little wonder that business jet traffic, particularly in Florida, was significantly down in the last week,” WingX Managing Director Richard Koe tells Private Jet Card Comparisons.
Still, U.S. private jet flights were up 5% over the past month compared to 2021 numbers.
Europe private jet flight activity in Week 39 also saw lots of red, down 2% week-to-week and 10% compared to 2021 with 13,474 departures.
Market | Week 39 | %Change vs. prior week | %Change vs 2021 | 52- week high | Week | 52- week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs. 2021 |
Global | 70,261 | -7% | -4% | 78,406 | W25 2022 | 59,546 | W02 2022 | 294,741 | 3% |
North America | 52,130 | -9% | -4% | 62,572 | W14 2022 | 46,656 | W27 2022 | 221,200 | 5% |
USA | 48,313 | -9% | -5% | 57,147 | W14 2022 | 42,240 | W27 2022 | 205,134 | 5% |
Florida | 3,742 | -25% | -24% | 10,600 | W8 2022 | 3,742 | W39 2022 | 18,021 | -2% |
California | 4,829 | -2% | -6% | 6,391 | W7 2022 | 4,211 | W27 2022 | 19,699 | 1% |
Texas | 5,315 | -4% | 7% | 6,176 | W10 2022 | 3,850 | W27 2022 | 21,351 | 14% |
Europe | 13,474 | -2% | -10% | 17,559 | W26 2022 | 7,583 | W52 2021 | 55,762 | -9% |
UK | 1,872 | -0.2% | 7% | 2,334 | W26 2022 | 894 | W52 2021 | 7,523 | 3% |
Germany | 1,708 | -7% | -10% | 1,913 | W26 2022 | 704 | W52 2021 | 6,905 | -6% |
France | 2,209 | 14% | -7% | 3,028 | W21 2022 | 1,045 | W52 2021 | 8,376 | -14% |
Switzerland | 742 | -12% | -14% | 1,209 | W21 2022 | 637 | W48 2021 | 3,301 | -13% |
Italy | 1,446 | -7% | -5% | 2,352 | W28 2022 | 456 | W1 2022 | 6,587 | -2% |
Middle East | 1,462 | 3% | 19% | 1,577 | W34 2022 | 918 | W4 2022 | 5,745 | 21% |
Africa | 680 | 9% | 3% | 857 | W19 2022 | 495 | W52 2021 | 2,728 | 2% |
Asia | 2,248 | 17% | 33% | 2,286 | W12 2022 | 1,560 | W52 2021 | 8,008 | 28% |
South America | 1,147 | -5% | 3% | 1,433 | W50 2021 | 844 | W52 2021 | 4,763 | 9% |
Hurricane Ian had its greatest impact on the charter and fractional market.
WingX data shows 52-week lows for private jet charter and fractional flights in North America, the U.S., Florida, California, and Texas.
U.S. charter and fractional flights plummeted 35% to 16,941, 39% below Week 39 in 2021.
Florida charter and fractional flights fell 48% from Week 38 and were 52% below 2021 levels.
The week’s 1,342 charter and fractional flights in the Sunshine State were below the previous 52-week low of 2,150 flights and the high of 6,065 flights.
Market (Part 91K & Part135) | Week 39 | %Change vs. prior week | %Change vs 2021 | 52- week high | Week | 52- week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs. 2021 |
Global | 26,887 | -26% | -31% | 39,663 | W41 2021 | 29,588 | W02 2022 | 136,308 | -10% |
North America | 17,323 | -35% | -39% | 31,369 | W8 2022 | 17,323 | W39 2022 | 96,803 | -10% |
USA | 16,941 | -35% | -39% | 29,890 | W8 2022 | 16,941 | W39 2022 | 94,557 | -11% |
Florida | 1,342 | -48% | -52% | 6,065 | W52 2021 | 1,342 | W39 2022 | 8,806 | -16% |
California | 1,965 | -33% | -42% | 3,970 | W7 2022 | 1,965 | W39 2022 | 11,112 | -12% |
Texas | 1,544 | -32% | -33% | 2,671 | W10 2022 | 1,544 | W39 2022 | 7,879 | -6% |
Europe | 9,130 | -1% | -10% | 12,441 | W27 2022 | 5,530 | W52 2021 | 37,865 | -10% |
UK | 1,258 | -1% | -1% | 1,681 | W26 2022 | 685 | W2 2022 | 5,162 | -3% |
Germany | 1,157 | -1% | -5% | 1,241 | W26 2022 | 508 | W52 2021 | 4,569 | -5% |
France | 1,477 | 12% | -10% | 2,233 | W21 2022 | 703 | W2 2022 | 5,714 | -15% |
Switzerland | 539 | -7% | -11% | 819 | W21 2022 | 427 | W17 2022 | 2,330 | -14% |
Italy | 1,059 | -11% | -9% | 1,802 | W28 2022 | 336 | W1 2022 | 4,914 | -4% |
Middle East | 642 | 6% | 8% | 882 | W34 2022 | 319 | W3 2022 | 2,508 | 11% |
Africa | 133 | 14% | -8% | 180 | W13 2022 | 92 | W5 2022 | 525 | 3% |
Asia | 284 | 17% | 54% | 309 | W43 2021 | 156 | W4 2022 | 1,025 | 48% |
South America | 13 | 30% | 8% | 35 | W50 2021 | 8 | W47 2021 | 71 | 37% |
In a bright note, Asia continued its upswing with 284 charter and fractional private jet flights last week, a 17% week-to-week gain and 54% ahead of 2021 numbers.
Overall, Koe remains bullish. He says, “Meanwhile business jet demand in Europe is well off 2021 highs, although these were one-off spikes. Year-to-date, after nine months of 2022, flight activity is still up more than 10% on 2019, but is probably now trending towards a full year par with 2021.”