November 6, 2024
2023 was the second-best year in history for overall private jet flight hours and charter/fractionals, according to Argus TraqPak.
According to Argus TraqPak data, private jet flight hours across all categories—Charter (Part 135), Fractional (Part 91k), and Full Ownership (Part 91)—dropped 3.7% in 2023.
Last year’s 5,298,445 flight hours in North America ranked as the second-most in history behind 2022.
However, it followed a 7.7% gain in 2022 and 46.3% in 2021.
That was after a 22.5% drop in 2020 when the Covid pandemic temporarily brought all flying—private and commercial—to a virtual standstill before the surge.
Still, 792,170 more flight hours were recorded in 2023 than in 2019, 17.6% more than the pre-Covid totals.
READ: 2023 busiest private jet flights by state
Fractional and Charter operators saw flight hours drop 4.6% in 2023, following 5.7% and 52.1% gains in 2022 and 2021.
The 2,812,849 Part 135/91k flight hours in 2023, also the second-best year in history, were 627,891 hours higher than in 2019, 28.7% higher than before Covid.
| Year | Total Industry Hours |
% Change |
Charter & Fractional Hours |
% Change |
% Share |
| 2023 | 5,298,445 | -3.7% | 2,812,849 | -4.6% | 53.09% |
| 2022 | 5,502,093 | 7.7% | 2,949,189 | 5.7% | 53.60% |
| 2021 | 5,109,420 | 46.3% | 2,789,520 | 52.1% | 54.60% |
| 2020 | 3,493,412 | -22.5% | 1,834,550 | -16.0% | 52.51% |
| 2019 | 4,506,275 | 1.3% | 2,184,958 | 1.1% | 48.49% |
| 2018 | 4,446,777 | 0.7% | 2,161,369 | 0.8% | 48.61% |
| 2017 | 4,415,602 | 5.5% | 2,144,685 | 10.1% | 48.57% |
| 2016 | 4,183,472 | 3.8% | 1,948,354 | 4.8% | 46.57% |
| 2015 | 4,030,915 | 2.7% | 1,858,952 | 2.6% | 46.12% |
| 2014 | 3,923,290 | 2.9% | 1,812,002 | 3.6% | 46.19% |
| 2013 | 3,812,905 | 0.3% | 1,749,005 | 5.2% | 45.87% |
| 2012 | 3,800,140 | 0.6% | 1,662,474 | 0.4% | 43.75% |
| 2011 | 3,776,004 | 0.3% | 1,655,788 | 0.0% | 43.85% |
| 2010 | 3,764,205 | 6.6% | 1,655,876 | 7.8% | 43.99% |
| 2009 | 3,531,151 | -17.5% | 1,536,486 | -18.9% | 43.51% |
| 2008 | 4,278,020 | -9.3% | 1,894,910 | -9.2% | 44.29% |
| 2007 | 4,717,848 | – | 2,086,487 | – | 44.23% |
| Aircraft | Total Hours | % Change | Charter & Fractional Hours | % Change |
| Turboprop | 1,221,186 | -5.5% | 455,366 | -14.6% |
| Light | 1,201,743 | -4.8% | 568,005 | -7.4% |
| Midsize | 1,711,119 | -4.0% | 1,162,542 | -1.8% |
| Large | 1,164,397 | -0.1% | 616,936 | -0.3% |
Source: Argus TraqPak
For charter and fractional operators, Large Cabin jets also did best.
Turboprop flight hours dropped 14.6%.
Part 91 reflects private flights for aircraft owners, 91k is fractional operators, including flights for their jet card programs and other charter flights, and 135 is charter flights, including jet cards.
We combine 135 and 91k as the tracking is operator-specific and doesn’t segment 91k from 135 flying.
It’s also important to note that 135 operations are aircraft-specific. That means some of the flight hours tracked under these aircraft could be for Part 91 flying.
That’s because an aircraft owner, when using his or her private jet, flies under Part 91. When it’s used for charter flights, it flies under the Part 135 rules. However, data to separate those Part 91 flights is not available, and they are all tracked under Part 135.
READ: 2023’s 30 Biggest Charter/Fractional Private Jet Companies Ranked
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