MarketIndicators.qxp_Layout 1 27/10/2021 10:55 Page 3
MARKET INDICATORS
AVBUYER.com
Global Business Aviation Flight Activity Update Business jet activity finished September 2021 up compared to September 2019, with 14% more flights for the full month. North American activity was up by 6% (while the US domestic market was up by 5%), and Europe enjoyed a consistently strong month, up 27% compared to September 2019. As of the end of September, the worldwide business jet market remained on track to post a record year of utilization, with a strong summer rebound taking the full-year trend 2% above 2019.
North American BizAv Flying Activity
The core Business Aviation market in North America had a very strong September for Part 135 and Part 91K operations, the latter seeing 25% increase compared to September 2019. The US market also saw a tentative recovery in Private operations during September, including both individual and corporate flight departments. Flights were up 1% compared to September 2019. Shuttle operations, including corporate shuttles, remained down 6% versus pre-pandemic activity levels. The busiest business jet in the US market in September was the Cessna Citation Excel, with flights up 14% (versus September 2019), but the jets with the biggest rebound during latesummer were the Embraer Phenom 300 and Cessna Citation Latitude, 20 Vol 25 Issue 11 2021 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
trending up 50% over the smaller fleet that was flying two years ago. Florida, California and Colorado were the hub spots for these two aircraft types. At the other end of the spectrum, Ultra-Long-Range business jets were experiencing a more modest recovery. Though flights were back in line with 2019, flying hours lagged some way behind.
European BizAv Flying Trends
The European market continued to post its strongest ever Business Aviation utilization beyond the summer season, but this was clearly helped by the re-opening of lifestyle events such as Art Basel and the Monaco Yacht Show. Across the European Union, flight activity rocketed 24% above September 2019 levels, with the biggest spike coming in international flights. This is undoubtedly connected with the pervasive deficit in scheduled airline capacity. The Scandinavian markets saw the smallest recovery, up ~5% compared to September 2019. By comparison, France, Germany, The Netherlands, and Poland saw at least 20% increases over two years ago, and Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal were seeing much larger gains.
Rest of the World
Flight activity outside Europe and the United States remained a mixed bag – including record activity, modest rebound, and enduring declines. The
aggregate trend was much weaker than for Europe and the US in September, with 4% fewer flights, and 8% fewer hours flown, compared with September 2019. •
Both Canada and Mexico have had very weak recoveries throughout the recovery, and September didn’t alter anything. • China’s activity fell-off in August and September, with sectors down 6% on 2020. • Australia was among the top five markets, with September activity still shading 2019 levels, despite ongoing lockdowns. • The fastest growing business jet markets were Brazil, Colombia, UAE, India, and South Africa. The UAE has seen tremendous growth in activity this year, and was up 70% on 2019. “The recovery in flight activity is entering an uncertain phase as the global backdrop for Business Aviation gets more complicated,” reflected Richard Koe, Managing Director of WingX Advance. “The pace of the economic recovery is slowing, with inflationary risks increasing as postpandemic supply-line disruption becomes more apparent. Ongoing virus concerns are keeping a lid on international travel, although the softening restrictions in Europe have clearly prompted a big rebound, particularly around re-opened calendar events.” page 24 MI www.wingx-advance.com
www.AVBUYER.com
