November 2023 set a new record for global business jet and turboprop activity, with sectors two per cent up on last year and 20 per cent ahead of 2019 according to WingX's weekly Global Market Tracker. The record is due to increased turboprop flying, with these aircraft operating 146,069 sectors last month, a seven per cent increase over the previous highpoint in November 2021. Business jet activity was also up on last year, three per cent short of the November 2021 high but still 23 per cent clear of pre-pandemic November 2019.

In Europe business jet activity in November fell six per cent compared to last year, with some key markets like Germany, France and Austria seeing less activity than four years ago. Germany appears to have experienced the worst of the decline, although notably both fractional and private flight departments are flying more than any point in the last four years; the charter and corporate flight departments are taking the brunt of the decline.

There were 235,719 business jet departures from the North America region including Mexico in November 2023, which is one per cent more than last year and 23 per cent more than four years ago. Activity in Canada, as well as several Caribbean countries, was ahead of every November in the last four years. Business jet activity out of Puerto Rico is up 68 per cent compared to four years ago.

Within the US, there was steady growth in Florida, the busiest of states, with departures inching up one per cent on last year. Texas was next busiest in the US, also seeing increased activity vs last year. November saw a significant upswing in activity between California and Nevada, at 23 per cent more than last year. Across aircraft segments, it ́s notable that US activity in the super-mid and ultra-long business jet categories set new records for the month of November.

In November, business jet activity in Asia finished five per cent below the same month last year but 42 per cent ahead of November 2019. Aircraft management fleets were the busiest operator types in November, although with eight per cent fewer sectors compared to last November and 25 per cent ahead of 2019. Just over half of business jet flights departing from the region last month were international connections, while domestic flights trended 57 per cent above November 2019.

In the Middle East business jet activity in November fell 13 per cent below last year but was 44 per cent ahead of 2019. Saudi Arabia bucked the regional trend; here business jets operated more flights this November than any other November in the last four years. The declines in November YOY are most obvious in Israel and UAE.

Richard Koe, WingX managing director, comments: "Once the holiday fluctuations are accounted for, November was a flat month for business jet activity, though fractional flying is still at record pace, particularly in large cabin sector, with Florida and Texas the business jet hubs in the US. In Europe, November saw a slump in demand, with the full month seeing lower activity in France and Germany than back in November 2019."