April 25, 2024
Lessons from Goldilocks: Private jet flight activity continues its fall for last year’s record levels but stays well ahead of pre-Covid highs.
The global private jet activity was down 5% in Week 14 from last week to 65,681 segments, according to WingX. That’s 16% below the same week in 2022.
Worldwide private jet flying trails last year’s levels by 10% over the trailing four weeks.
Except for the Middle East (up 8% with 1,152 departures), every segment we track showed a week-to-week decline.
The Easter holidays helped drive Europe lower week-to-week by 8% with 8,880 segments. That’s 15% below last year.
Over the past month, Europe private flights are down 7%.
In the U.S., there were 47,299 flights for the week ending April 9. That’s 19% down from 2022 and 12% off, looking back at the past four-week period.
| Market | Week 14 | %Change vs. prior week | %Change vs. 2022 (dates) | 52-week low | Week | 52- week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs. 2022 |
| Global | 65,681 | -5% | -16% | 78,503 | W25 2022 | 57,233 | W51 2022 | 274,055 | -10% |
| North America | 51,772 | -5% | -18% | 62,573 | W14 2022 | 43,691 | W51 2022 | 214,553 | -12% |
| USA | 47,299 | -4% | -19% | 57,147 | W14 2022 | 38,832 | W51 2022 | 194,864 | -12% |
| Florida | 7,727 | -7% | -18% | 9,344 | W14 2022 | 3,744 | W39 2022 | 32,337 | -14% |
| California | 4,403 | -6% | -19% | 5,817 | W16 2022 | 4,066 | W51 2022 | 18,852 | -16% |
| Texas | 4,638 | -14% | -19% | 5,797 | W43 2022 | 3,730 | W5 2023 | 19,797 | -10% |
| Europe | 8,880 | -8% | -15% | 17,608 | W26 2022 | 6,648 | W52 2022 | 38,259 | -7% |
| UK | 1,178 | -13% | -21% | 2,336 | W26 2022 | 982 | W52 2022 | 5,234 | -13% |
| Germany | 968 | -27% | -30% | 1,915 | W26 2022 | 651 | W52 2022 | 4,914 | -9% |
| France | 1,358 | -1% | -14% | 3,032 | W21 2022 | 1,011 | W52 2022 | 5,705 | -10% |
| Switzerland | 681 | -9% | -12% | 1,209 | W21 2022 | 549 | W47 2022 | 2,948 | -11% |
| Italy | 842 | -9% | -3% | 2,357 | W28 2022 | 511 | W52 2022 | 3,419 | 6% |
| Middle East | 1,152 | 8% | 5% | 2,173 | W50 2022 | 984 | W52 2022 | 4,927 | -7% |
| Africa | 729 | -5% | -9% | 876 | W19 2022 | 622 | W2 2023 | 3,141 | -2% |
| Asia | 2,351 | -3% | 19% | 3,269 | W50 2022 | 1,786 | W32 2022 | 9,893 | 11% |
| South America | 1,374 | -9% | -3% | 1,490 | W6 2023 | 1006 | W29 2022 | 5,837 | 11% |
In the world of charter and fractional operators, flying increased by 1% week-to-week with 34,306 flights.
That was still 17% down from 2022 for the same week. Over the past month, charter and fractional flights were down 15%.
In the U.S., charter and fractional operators saw a 2% week-to-week gain with 25,303 segments, 18% off 2022 for the week, and 16% down for the trailing four weeks.
| Market (Part 91K & Part135) | Week 14 | %Change vs. prior wk | %Change vs. 2022 | 52-week high | Week | 52-week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs. 2022 |
| Global | 34,306 | 1% | -17% | 41,552 | W25 2022 | 31,174 | W51 2022 | 136,281 | -15% |
| North America | 26,957 | 1% | -18% | 32,327 | W14 2022 | 22,967 | W35 2022 | 106,326 | -16% |
| USA | 25,303 | 2% | -18% | 30,511 | W14 2022 | 21,948 | W35 2022 | 99,589 | -16% |
| Florida | 4,532 | 0% | -16% | 5,792 | W52 2022 | 2,024 | W39 2022 | 17,945 | -17% |
| California | 2,752 | -3% | -20% | 3,678 | W16 2022 | 2,635 | W51 2022 | 11,351 | -20% |
| Texas | 1,962 | -12% | -21% | 2,494 | W42 2022 | 1,644 | W27 2022 | 8,263 | -14% |
| Europe | 6,468 | -3% | -18% | 12,962 | W27 2022 | 4,995 | W52 2022 | 26,241 | -14% |
| UK | 905 | -9% | -23% | 1,772 | W26 2022 | 735 | W2 2023 | 3,715 | -18% |
| Germany | 681 | -21% | -31% | 1,295 | W25 2022 | 516 | W52 2022 | 3,155 | -18% |
| France | 982 | 6% | -17% | 2,401 | W21 2022 | 764 | W52 2022 | 3,924 | -16% |
| Switzerland | 516 | -3% | -12% | 868 | W21 2022 | 415 | W47 2022 | 2,154 | -18% |
| Italy | 660 | -6% | -6% | 1,855 | W28 2022 | 389 | W52 2022 | 2,596 | 1% |
| Middle East | 554 | 8% | 3% | 1,075 | W50 2022 | 512 | W52 2022 | 2,274 | -18% |
| Africa | 223 | 13% | -10% | 321 | W13 2022 | 160 | W35 2022 | 971 | -13% |
| Asia | 595 | 3% | 18% | 1015 | W50 2022 | 407 | W30 2022 | 2,460 | 1% |
| South America | 38 | -27% | 27% | 83 | W45 2022 | 13 | W24 2022 | 173 | -4% |
However, WingX Richard Koe tells us not to be sad or worried.
He says, “In the last four weeks, worldwide charter and fractional activity is trending 15% behind the same dates in 2022, but still up 24% versus comparable 2019.”
He adds, “Scheduled airline activity continues to recover but still trends 16% below April 2019.”
While Goldilocks may consider current demand “just right,” fasten your seatbelts.
Koe notes, “The deficits compared to 2022 are widening as we move into Q2-2023. This reflects a weakening economic environment and sensitivity to the cost of flying private.”
Luckily for flyers, costs seem to be pulling back. Jet card rates dropped 5.2% in Q1.
