January 3, 2025
‘Positive business sentiment in the core U.S. market’ should bolster global private jet flight activity in Q1 per WingX’s Richard Koe.
Data from WingX shows that worldwide private jet flight activity in Week 1 (62,390 segments) started up 1% week-to-week but down 4% year-over-year.
Week 1 covered private jet flights from Dec. 30, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025, and moved the industry from its third-best year ever based on departures to what’s next.
For perspective, 2022 was the best year pushed by a Covid-led rush of newcomers.
2023 was second best.
Looking back, global private jet departures (271,484) were up 5% over the past four weeks, part of a strong finish.
While the U.S.’s 42,819 departures in Week 1 were down 2% year over year, they were still 6% up for the trailing four weeks, with 187,584 departures.
Florida (8,579 departures) saw a 6% year-over-year and 10% sequential surge, likely driven by visitors heading back home and to the office.
WingX Managing Director Richard Koe says, “U.S. bizjet demand continues to trend upwards, as it has since the November elections.”
He adds, “Leisure activity clearly spiked in the holiday season, with U.S-Caribbean flight hours up 25% year-over-year.”
The Bahamas topped the list with 617 departures, followed by Turks & Caicos (151), St. Maarten (145), Puerto Rico (113), and the Cayman Islands (101).
Puerto Rico had the most significant growth (+39.5%), followed by the Cayman Islands (+32.9%).
Departures across Europe (6,291) were down 8% year over year, even though they were 2% up during the trailing four weeks.
Koe notes, “European activity has dipped in the last week but is up over the last few weeks; bizjet activity from the Middle East is on the up, whereas trends in Africa and South America are down as we enter 2025.”
Koe says, “We would expect the positive business sentiment in the core U.S. market to move global activity several points up in Q1 2025 compared to last year.”
| Market | Week 1 | %Change vs. prior week | %Change vs W1 2024 | 52-week high | Week | 52-week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs YOY |
| Global | 62,390 | 1% | -4% | 76,527 | 2024-26 | 59,355 | 2024-02 | 271,484 | 5% |
| North America | 43,814 | 2% | -2% | 55,963 | 2024-42 | 39,430 | 2024-27 | 192,936 | 6% |
| USA | 42,819 | 2% | -2% | 54,305 | 2024-42 | 37,852 | 2024-27 | 187,584 | 6% |
| Florida | 8,579 | 10% | 6% | 8,741 | 2024-08 | 4,030 | 2024-32 | 30,500 | 6% |
| California | 4,326 | 7% | 0% | 5,214 | 2024-43 | 3,472 | 2024-27 | 17,729 | 5% |
| Texas | 3,893 | -9% | -13% | 5,846 | 2024-42 | 3,554 | 2024-27 | 19,529 | 8% |
| Europe | 6,291 | -3% | -8% | 15,188 | 2024-26 | 6,291 | 2025-01 | 30,880 | 2% |
| UK | 1,006 | 0% | 0% | 2,105 | 2024-28 | 1,003 | 2024-52 | 4,827 | 8% |
| Germany | 548 | -7% | -16% | 1,736 | 2024-25 | 548 | 2025-01 | 3,454 | 4% |
| France | 1,042 | 1% | -3% | 2,638 | 2024-30 | 1,033 | 2024-52 | 4,935 | 4% |
| Switzerland | 702 | 1% | -13% | 997 | 2024-03 | 526 | 2024-47 | 2,982 | -2% |
| Italy | 514 | -10% | 0% | 2,167 | 2024-29 | 514 | 2025-01 | 2,762 | 7% |
| Middle East | 1,205 | 2% | -7% | 1,663 | 2024-24 | 1,013 | 2024-14 | 5,489 | 8% |
| Africa | 733 | -14% | -22% | 930 | 2024-02 | 588 | 2024-36 | 3,300 | -18% |
| Asia | 2,132 | -2% | -3% | 2,443 | 2024-46 | 1,820 | 2024-25 | 9,010 | 7% |
| South America | 1,717 | -23% | -19% | 2,573 | 2024-51 | 1,649 | 2024-07 | 8,962 | 0% |
Source: WingX for Private Jet Card Comparisons. Includes Jets and VIP Airliners.
Fractional and charter operators (35,833 segments) were up 5% year-over-year.
U.S. charter and fractional operators (26,504 flights) were up 7% year-over-year in Week 1.
Over the trailing four weeks, they were 10% ahead year-over-year.
European charter and fractional flying (4,747) was down 6% year-over-year in the first week of 2025.
| Market (Part 91K & Part135) | Week 1 | %Change vs. prior wk | %Change vs W1 2024 | 52-week high | Week | 52-week low | Week | Last 4 Weeks (Flights) | %Change vs YOY |
| Global | 35,833 | -1% | 5% | 41,434 | 2024-29 | 28,995 | 2024-02 | 145,892 | 8% |
| North America | 26,915 | -3% | 7% | 30,594 | 2024-42 | 21,895 | 2024-02 | 110,709 | 10% |
| USA | 26,504 | -3% | 7% | 29,954 | 2024-42 | 21,525 | 2024-02 | 108,645 | 10% |
| Florida | 5,436 | 1% | 13% | 5,436 | 2025-01 | 2,148 | 2024-35 | 19,290 | 9% |
| California | 3,104 | 7% | 11% | 3,432 | 2024-43 | 2,397 | 2024-27 | 11,894 | 9% |
| Texas | 1,999 | -10% | 0% | 2,813 | 2024-42 | 1,627 | 2024-27 | 9,351 | 14% |
| Europe | 4,747 | -5% | -6% | 11,097 | 2024-26 | 4,675 | 2024-02 | 22,559 | 3% |
| UK | 813 | 0% | 4% | 1,612 | 2024-28 | 700 | 2024-02 | 3,668 | 8% |
| Germany | 413 | -10% | -13% | 1,258 | 2024-25 | 413 | 2025-01 | 2,429 | 3% |
| France | 800 | 5% | -3% | 1,937 | 2024-30 | 670 | 2024-02 | 3,544 | 2% |
| Switzerland | 583 | 4% | -10% | 778 | 2024-07 | 379 | 2024-47 | 2,376 | 0% |
| Italy | 375 | -15% | -4% | 1,717 | 2024-29 | 375 | 2025-01 | 2,078 | 5% |
| Middle East | 660 | 4% | 1% | 1,043 | 2024-31 | 567 | 2024-13 | 2,793 | 12% |
| Africa | 290 | -5% | 24% | 305 | 2024-52 | 163 | 2024-12 | 1,167 | 12% |
| Asia | 376 | 23% | -5% | 392 | 2024-46 | 230 | 2024-25 | 1,249 | -3% |
| South America | 55 | 25% | -39% | 68 | 2024-02 | 18 | 2024-20 | 191 | -27% |
Source: WingX for Private Jet Card Comparisons. Includes Jets and VIP Airliners.
Regarding further breakouts, WingX says U.S. fractional operators opened in 2025 strongly.
For the Jan. 1-5 period, fractional activity was up 12.8% compared to 2024, with flight hours growing 18.4%.
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