A tale of two markets: The U.S. continues to boost worldwide private jet flight activity overall and in the charter/fractional segment.
Global private jet flight activity (70,981) dipped 1% week-to-week in Week 18, according to WingX.
Still, it was just 2% below 2023 for the same week and only 1% down during the trailing wind.
The world’s biggest private aviation market, the U.S., helped drive those numbers with 50,323 segments, a 4% week-to-week gain, just 1% under last year.
What’s more, flying stayed flat over the past month.
On the other hand, Europe saw an 8% week-to-week decline on its 8,944 segments, 9% below 2023.
Europe was down 3% over the past four weeks.
Smaller markets were doing less well.
Only South America saw year-over-year gains during the past month.
However, those 8,238 segments equate to about a week’s European activity.
| Market | Week 18 | %Change vs. prior week | %Change vs W18 2023 | 52-week high | Week | 52-week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks | %Change vs YOY |
| Global | 70,981 | -1% | -2% | 76,521 | W26 2023 | 58,018 | W52 2023 | 282,795 | -1% |
| North America | 51,856 | -1% | -1% | 60,279 | W46 2023 | 41,108 | W27 2023 | 203,205 | 0% |
| USA | 50,323 | 4% | -1% | 55,178 | W46 2023 | 37,073 | W27 2023 | 197,302 | 0% |
| Florida | 7,223 | 0% | 2% | 8,740 | W8 2024 | 3,628 | W35 2023 | 28,716 | -1% |
| California | 4,643 | -1% | -7% | 5,658 | W46 2023 | 3,463 | W27 2023 | 18,841 | -4% |
| Texas | 4,828 | -3% | -2% | 6,036 | W46 2023 | 3,335 | W27 2023 | 19,717 | -2% |
| Europe | 8,944 | -8% | -9% | 16,289 | W26 2023 | 6,446 | W52 2023 | 37,819 | -3% |
| UK | 1,302 | -4% | -7% | 2,014 | W28 2023 | 876 | W52 2023 | 5,269 | -3% |
| Germany | 1,050 | -22% | -14% | 1,623 | W24 2023 | 550 | W52 2023 | 4,866 | -5% |
| France | 1,369 | -3% | -10% | 2,653 | W26 2023 | 918 | W52 2023 | 5,611 | -6% |
| Switzerland | 556 | -7% | -11% | 1,030 | W3 2024 | 539 | W44 2023 | 2,472 | -4% |
| Italy | 1,004 | 1% | -5% | 2,264 | W28 2023 | 483 | W52 2023 | 4,606 | 12% |
| Middle East | 1,405 | -5% | -3% | 2,247 | W25 2023 | 1,038 | W14 2024 | 5,233 | -10% |
| Africa | 830 | 1% | -13% | 991 | W50 2023 | 661 | W11 2024 | 3,181 | -16% |
| Asia | 2,002 | -9% | -2% | 2,483 | W3 2024 | 1,794 | W52 2023 | 8,394 | -9% |
| South America | 1,927 | -9% | 2% | 2,212 | W12 2024 | 1,239 | W29 2023 | 8,238 | 9% |
Source: WingX for Private Jet Card Comparisons. Includes Jets and VIP Airliners.
There was a 3% week-to-week bump worldwide for fractional and charter operators with 35,404 segments.
That was 3% less than in 2023 for Week 18.
Over the past four weeks, charter and fractional segments were down 2%.
However, the U.S. (26,410 segments) provided a 7% week-to-week bump, putting charter and fractional flights 1% above last year.
| Market (Part 91K & Part135) | Week 18 | %Change vs. prior wk | %Change vs. W18 2023 | 52-week high | Week | 52-week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks | %Change vs YOY |
| Global | 35,404 | 3% | -3% | 40,375 | W26 2023 | 29,868 | W2 2024 | 139,630 | -2% |
| North America | 26,959 | 5% | 1% | 30,954 | W46 2023 | 21,649 | W27 2023 | 104,403 | 1% |
| USA | 26,410 | 7% | 1% | 28,235 | W46 2023 | 20,505 | W27 2023 | 102,339 | 2% |
| Florida | 4,095 | 3% | 2% | 5,792 | W52 2023 | 1,958 | W35 2023 | 16,291 | -1% |
| California | 2,875 | 0% | -5% | 3,480 | W46 2023 | 2,253 | W27 2023 | 11,688 | -3% |
| Texas | 1,989 | -5% | 4% | 2,496 | W46 2023 | 1,404 | W27 2023 | 8,391 | 6% |
| Europe | 6,319 | -5% | -15% | 12,171 | W27 2023 | 5,313 | W52 2023 | 26,264 | -11% |
| UK | 933 | 1% | -11% | 1,516 | W28 2023 | 731 | W2 2024 | 3,760 | -11% |
| Germany | 736 | -12% | -16% | 1,179 | W24 2023 | 432 | W52 2023 | 3,157 | -14% |
| France | 952 | -4% | -19% | 1,943 | W48 2023 | 716 | W52 2023 | 3,910 | -14% |
| Switzerland | 414 | -5% | -12% | 923 | W7 2024 | 411 | W47 2023 | 1,818 | -8% |
| Italy | 759 | 1% | -13% | 1,847 | W28 2023 | 422 | W52 2023 | 3,430 | 0% |
| Middle East | 689 | -11% | -19% | 1,057 | W35 2023 | 567 | W13 2024 | 2,699 | -18% |
| Africa | 227 | 9% | -33% | 380 | W41 2023 | 192 | W16 2024 | 824 | -39% |
| Asia | 245 | -19% | -20% | 733 | W11 2023 | 245 | W18 2024 | 1,179 | -21% |
| South America | 21 | -56% | -60% | 91 | W1 2024 | 18 | W22 2023 | 158 | -26% |
Source: WingX for Private Jet Card Comparisons. Includes Jets and VIP Airliners.
Europe, on the other hand, was in the red.
Its 6,319 segments represented a 5% week-to-week drop, 15% below 2023 for the week.
Over the past month, charter and fractional segments in Europe were down 11%.
However, the double-digit dip looked outright stellar compared to the Middle East (-18%), Asia (-21%), South America (-26%), and Africa (-39%).
What’s next?
Despite being bullish, analyst Richard Aboulafia told the International Aircraft Dealers Association this is “one of the more confusing market cycles I’ve seen.”
