January 25, 2025
Here’s how private jet travel patterns changed by day of the week before, during and after Covid shutdowns.
How have day-of-the-week flying trends changed from before Covid, during the pandemic, and through until today?
Using ARGUS TRAQPak data from 2019 through 2024, we asked ChatGPT to analyze how the share of departures by day of the week has changed.
We also asked if artificial intelligence could make any connections with the ARGUs data to the end of Covid shutdowns and the reopening of offices and schools.
Here’s what we found.
Here’s how share by day of the week changed from 2019 through 2024 (table below).
Monday: The share remained stable over the years, increasing slightly from 14.29% in 2020 to 14.34% in 2021, reaching 14.42% in 2022, and then dropping slightly to 14.24% in 2024.
Tuesday: The share decreased from 14.49% in 2020 to 14.11% in 2021. It recovered slightly to 14.47% in 2022 but dropped again to 14.09% in 2024.
Wednesday: The share decreased slightly from 15.34% in 2020 to 15.17% in 2021. It remained consistent at around 15.26%-15.27% for 2022 and 2024.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2024 | |
| Monday | 14.30% | 14.29% | 14.34% | 14.42% | 14.24% |
| Tuesday | 14.58% | 14.49% | 14.11% | 14.47% | 14.09% |
| Wednesday | 15.73% | 15.34% | 15.17% | 15.26% | 15.27% |
| Thursday | 16.73% | 16.06% | 16.14% | 16.12% | 16.10% |
| Friday | 15.92% | 15.72% | 15.38% | 15.52% | 15.57% |
| Saturday | 10.20% | 11.22% | 11.21% | 10.78% | 11.08% |
| Sunday | 12.54% | 12.88% | 13.66% | 13.55% | 13.67% |
Source: ARGUS TRAQPak
Thursday: The share increased slightly from 16.06% in 2020 to 16.14% in 2021 and remained relatively stable through 2022 and 2024.
Friday: The share decreased slightly from 15.72% in 2020 to 15.38% in 2021. It stabilized at 15.52% in 2022 and reached 15.57% in 2024.
Saturday: The share decreased slightly from 11.22% in 2020 to 11.21% in 2021. It then dropped to 10.78% in 2022 before rising to 11.08% in 2024.
Sunday: The share significantly increased from 12.88% in 2020 to 13.66% in 2021. It stabilized at 13.55% in 2022 and reached 13.67% in 2024.
We asked what the most significant changes were to day-of-the-week for private jets flying from 2020 to 2021.
Tuesday: A notable decline in the share from 14.49% to 14.11%.
Sunday: A significant increase in the share from 12.88% to 13.66% indicates a shift toward higher Sunday activity.
Friday: A minor decrease in share from 15.72% to 15.38%.
The weekend days (Saturday and Sunday) experienced increasing trends in activity over the years, particularly Sundays, showing a substantial increase in 2021.
We asked ChatGPT if any changes in share by day between 2020 and 2021 could be connected to offices and schools reopening after the Covid shutdowns.
ChatGPT said, “It’s highly plausible that the changes in the share of activity by day between 2020 and 2021 were influenced by the reopening of offices and schools after COVID-19 shutdowns.”
Here’s how these factors might have played a role:
Key Observations Linked to Reopenings: Decrease in Tuesday Activity (14.49% to 14.11%): As offices and schools reopened, structured weekday schedules may have reduced flexibility for remote work or other activities typically spread across weekdays during the pandemic.
This could explain the drop in Tuesday’s share.
Stability in Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday Activity: These days saw relatively minor changes, likely reflecting the return to more traditional work and school schedules, where these days often carry stable routines for meetings, work, and classes.
Increase in Sunday Activity (12.88% to 13.66%): The rise in Sunday activity could indicate a shift in recreational or social habits.
After Covid restrictions eased, people may have re-embraced weekend activities, including travel, social gatherings, and leisure outings.
Additionally, with many still adopting hybrid work models, weekends might have gained significance for errands and personal time.
Decrease in Friday Activity (15.72% to 15.38%): Friday activity could have decreased as many workplaces adopted hybrid or remote models that allowed for flexible Fridays.
Fewer people commuting or engaging in pre-weekend office activities might have caused this shift.
Stability in Saturday (11.22% to 11.21%): Saturday activity did not show a significant change, likely because weekend routines (e.g., shopping, errands, leisure) tend to be less tied to work and school schedules, maintaining consistency.
The overall changes align with broader trends seen during the recovery phase from COVID-19:
Weekday activity: Gradually normalizing as schools and offices reopened, though hybrid work schedules likely created slight deviations (e.g., lower Tuesday and Friday shares).
Weekend activity: Rising, particularly on Sundays, as people sought to balance the return to structured weekdays with leisure and social activities on weekends.
This suggests that the observed shifts reflect a mix of returning to pre-pandemic routines while also adapting to post-pandemic flexibility and lifestyle changes.
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