PrivateFly: what Europe can learn from the USA – a parallel of two private jet industries | Press Release

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Press Release

Issued by FXAir.

May 21, 2014

PrivateFly: what Europe can learn from the USA – a parallel of two private jet industries

Together the US and Europe share over 90 per cent of the global business aviation market. Online private charter network, PrivateFly, has produced analysis* and an infographic comparing these two regions - in terms of market size versus GDP, growth, routes, airports, aircraft and other key insights and indicators.

The findings include:

• Despite a similar GDP ($16.7 for the USA, $15.8 for Europe), in 2013 there were over three times as many private jet movements in the more mature US market giving it a 73 per cent global share, than in the whole of Europe (20 per cent).

• The USA saw a small year-on-year growth of 1 per cent in flight volumes in 2013, versus a contraction of -2.4 per cent in Europe. It also took four times as many new aircraft deliveries than Europe in 2013.

• There are key differences in seasonality demand in each market - a big summer peak in Europe, versus a more even year-round pattern in the US.

• 4,211 USA airports were used by private jets in 2013, versus 2,145 in Europe. The busiest private jet airport in the US is Teterboro in New York, with the busiest in Europe Paris Le Bourget.

Adam Twidell, ceo of PrivateFly, comments: "It's fascinating to compare these two biggest regions in our industry. The USA dominates of course in global terms - it is a more mature and developed market for private jet travel. What's interesting to consider though is that both regions have similar size economies, but private jet flight activity in the USA is 3.5 times higher than Europe.

“There are many reasons for this. The USA differs to Europe in terms of geography and airline connectivity as well as in cultural attitudes to business aviation. But Europe is returning to modest growth this year, and given its advancement pre-recession (growing at 10 per cent each year in 2006 and 2007), I see more growing room for Europe to take a larger portion of the global market. Europe's private aviation industry is innovating fast, adapting to a changing profile of private jet customer, and I think we'll see a steeper growth curve than the USA in the next decade.

PrivateFly has produced a report and infographic to illustrate the results of its analysis. This is available at: http://www.privatefly.com/inspirational-jet-flights/private-jet-market-in-eu rope-vs-usa-infographic.html