Trends: Europe private jet flights spike alongside U.S. private flying

photo of santorini greece

With Europe reopening, private jet flights are now joining the U.S. trend with dramatic gains compared to pre-pandemic 2019 activity

European private jet flights are bouncing back, in some cases exceeding 2019 levels, according to WingX’s latest weekly report. There were 2,634 business jet and turboprop sectors flown in Europe on June 21st, 2021, 95% more than the summer solstice last year and almost exactly matching 2019.

Florida private jet flights in May 19% ahead of 2019

sea landscape beach vacation

Year-to-date 2.5 million private aviation sectors account for 23% of all fixed-wing activity, trailing the comparable period of 2019 by less than 5%

While global scheduled airline operations last month lagged May 2019 by 43%, private aviation activity in May 2021 was less than 1% off May 2019. For the year, almost 2.5 million business jet and prop sectors account for 23% of all fixed-wing activity, this activity trailing the comparable five-month period of 2019 by less than 5%, according to WingX. In contrast, global airline sectors are still almost 50% behind compared to 2019. In the business aviation sector, branded charter and fractional operations are now moving ahead of comparable 2019 volumes.

Business aviation flights continue to fall in Europe

WingX private jet travel trends

Year-to-date business aviation activity is down by 1.7% after a 3% drop in May, according to WINGX

Private aviation analyst WINGX is reporting the headwinds are remaining strong in Europe with 77,189 business aviation departures in May, a second successive year-over-year (YOY) monthly decline of 3%. Year to date, European business aviation activity is now down by 1.7% with 5,500 fewer flights than in 2018. The trend over the past 12 months is flat, the company said.

“A second consecutive drop of 3% in YOY business aviation activity confirms an increasing slowdown in the European market in 2019, reflecting the somewhat downbeat sentiment at EBACE,” said Richard Koe, managing director of WINGX.

%d bloggers like this: