April 18, 2024
World Cup sends Middle East private jet flight activity up 64% year-over-year as global flying increases 6% week-to-week.
While global private jet flight activity in Week 50 increased 6% from last week with 71,455 flights, a second straight week-to-week increase, don’t get too excited.
“The last few months have seen the post-covid bounce in business jet demand fall away, and in Europe this winter, we are starting to see lower activity levels than in 2019. The recessionary outlook for the economy is likely to bake this decline into 2023. The U.S. market looks more resilient, with modest declines compared to last year, edging the market towards a trajectory of 5%-10% gains over 2019 during 2023,” says Richard Koe to those looking ahead.
For the moment, the week ending Dec. 18 was 3% below 2021.
For the trailing four weeks, activity was down 4% off last year’s record pace.
In the critical U.S. market, the 50,456 departures were a 3% week-to-week increase. That was 4% down from last year and the same decline over the past month.
Despite a 13% week-to-week gain in Europe, its 10,078 departures were 7% below last year.
Over the past four weeks, Europe’s private jet activity has been 11% down.
The Middle East, powered by the World Cup (congratulations to Argentina and France), was 64% ahead of 2021.
Still, those 2,173 flights represent less than a third of what Florida saw in the same week.
It’s the same where reopening powered Asia to a 47% year-over-year increase for the week with 3,269 flights.
| Market | Week 50 | %Change vs. prior week | %Change vs. 2021 | 52- week high | Week | 52- week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs. 2021 |
| Global | 71,455 | 6% | -3% | 78,503 | W25 2022 | 59,582 | W02 2022 | 270,549 | -4% |
| North America | 55,321 | 4% | -4% | 62,573 | W14 2022 | 46,660 | W27 2022 | 212,113 | -4% |
| USA | 50,456 | 3% | -4% | 57,147 | W14 2022 | 42,243 | W27 2022 | 193,278 | -4% |
| Florida | 6,987 | 6% | -9% | 10,603 | W8 2022 | 3,744 | W39 2022 | 28,141 | -8% |
| California | 4,803 | 5% | -10% | 6,392 | W7 2022 | 4,212 | W27 2022 | 18,598 | -10% |
| Texas | 5,644 | 3% | 2% | 6,176 | W10 2022 | 3,850 | W27 2022 | 20,822 | 0% |
| Europe | 10,078 | 13% | -7% | 17,608 | W26 2022 | 7,591 | W52 2021 | 36,456 | -11% |
| UK | 1,490 | 11% | -3% | 2,336 | W26 2022 | 894 | W52 2021 | 5,265 | -6% |
| Germany | 1,364 | 9% | 1% | 1,915 | W26 2022 | 704 | W52 2021 | 5,199 | -2% |
| France | 1,453 | 17% | -12% | 3,032 | W21 2022 | 1,052 | W52 2021 | 5,079 | -18% |
| Switzerland | 837 | 18% | 1% | 1,209 | W21 2022 | 549 | W47 2022 | 2,719 | -5% |
| Italy | 805 | 8% | 3% | 2,357 | W28 2022 | 456 | W1 2022 | 3,072 | 0% |
| Middle East | 2,173 | 34% | 64% | 2,173 | W50 2022 | 926 | W4 2022 | 6,879 | 33% |
| Africa | 692 | -11% | 1% | 876 | W19 2022 | 508 | W52 2021 | 3,057 | 16% |
| Asia | 3,269 | 24% | 47% | 3,269 | W50 2022 | 1,589 | W52 2021 | 11,191 | 32% |
| South America | 1,490 | 11% | 0% | 1,490 | W50 2022 | 848 | W52 2021 | 5,238 | -5% |
The charter and fractional market saw a 9% week-to-week uptick, with 35,841 flights.
That was still down 8% compared to last year for Week 50.
Over the past month, charter and fractional flying dropped 11% compared to 2021’s record pace.
| Market (Part 91K & Part135) | Week 50 | %Change vs. prior wk | %Change vs. 2021 | 52-week high | Week | 52- week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs. 2021 |
| Global | 35,841 | 9% | -8% | 41,811 | W8 2022 | 31,911 | W2 2022 | 136,673 | -11% |
| North America | 27,437 | 7% | -8% | 32,702 | W8 2022 | 22,967 | W35 2022 | 106,631 | -11% |
| USA | 25,703 | 6% | -9% | 30,705 | W8 2022 | 21,948 | W35 2022 | 100,065 | -11% |
| Florida | 3,959 | 11% | -11% | 6,327 | W52 2021 | 2,024 | W39 2022 | 16,212 | -13% |
| California | 2,931 | 5% | -14% | 4,095 | W7 2022 | 2,638 | W27 2022 | 11,550 | -15% |
| Texas | 2,432 | 6% | -1% | 2,734 | W10 2022 | 1,644 | W27 2022 | 8,981 | -4% |
| Europe | 7,089 | 13% | -14% | 12,962 | W27 2022 | 6,071 | W47 2022 | 25,571 | -17% |
| UK | 1062 | 9% | -13% | 1,772 | W26 2022 | 748 | W51 2021 | 3,757 | -13% |
| Germany | 946 | 9% | -3% | 1,295 | W25 2022 | 572 | W52 2021 | 3,543 | -7% |
| France | 964 | 16% | -23% | 2,401 | W21 2022 | 781 | W48 2022 | 3,443 | -24% |
| Switzerland | 624 | 15% | -3% | 868 | W21 2022 | 415 | W47 2022 | 2,021 | -11% |
| Italy | 622 | 9% | -2% | 1,855 | W28 2022 | 376 | W1 2022 | 2,335 | -4% |
| Middle East | 1,075 | 30% | 53% | 1,075 | W50 2022 | 481 | W4 2022 | 3,426 | 27% |
| Africa | 230 | -12% | -3% | 321 | W13 2022 | 160 | W35 2022 | 1,001 | 3% |
| Asia | 1,015 | 37% | 72% | 1015 | W50 2022 | 365 | W4 2022 | 3,221 | 45% |
| South America | 57 | 46% | 4% | 83 | W45 2022 | 13 | W24 2022 | 173 | -26% |
Fractional and charter operators were busy in the Middle East (up 53% year-over-year) and Asia (72% up).
“For the almost-complete year of 2022, global business aviation activity is up 10% compared to 2021, up 54% in 2020, and up 14% on 2019,” Koe notes.
