According to WingX's weekly Global Market Tracker, in Week 45 (4-10 November) there were 70,269 business jet departures globally, on a par with Week 45 last year, ending the previous three-week streak of year-on-year growth. Despite the tapering off in Week 45, the four-week trend is solid, trending three per cent ahead of last year. The recent upwards trend contrasts with a marked slowdown after the summer. For 2024 to-date, global business jet activity is down by one per cent.

The run up to the US election had a positive impact on business jet activity in North America, but in the few days post-election, demand has weakened, not yet reflecting any bounce from the Trump victory. Week 45 was the fourth week in a row that business jet activity held a lead over last year. Looking back at the last six weeks (30 September-10 November), business jet activity in key swing states steadily rose as the election week neared, peaking in weeks 42 and 43, two to three weeks out from election day. In the six-week run up to election day, corporate fleets were busiest in the key swing states, with just over 11,000 business jet departures. In these states, private flight departments saw the largest comparable year on year increase in flight activity, with departures up 17 per cent year on year.

For the first 10 days of November, business jet activity across the US is trending down. Corporate flight activity looks to have been put on hold until after the election result. Fractional flying is still forging ahead, with almost 25 per cent of all sectors flown so far this month. The charter market also bumped up by three points. Private flight department activity is trending up five over cent.

In Europe, business jet activity fell one per cent compared to Week 45 in 2023, ending three weeks of modest year-on-year growth. The four-week trend now stands at more than three per cent, while the year-to-date trend remains at less than one per cent. Switzerland saw activity jump 13 per cent compared to Week 45 last year, while the four-week trend is now over four per cent. Business jet activity in Germany fell 12 per cent compared to Week 45 in 2023, and the four-week trend is five per cent below last year. Germany's declines were even worse at the start of November, with business jet departures falling 17 per cent compared to the start of November last year. Germany's business jet market has been in freefall most of the year, with pockets of growth centred around the hosting of the Euros football in the summer. The bleak outlook is consistent across all operator types in Germany, and it is worth noting that corporate flight department activity has fallen by almost a third compared to November last year.

Elsewhere business jet activity in the Middle East fell 14 per cent compared to Week 45 last year, with the four-week trend four per cent below last year. Activity in Africa continues to drop off, dropping 22 per cent compared to Week 45 last year and down 14 per cent in the last four weeks. In South America, business jet demand was up eight per cent, though it is still trending down by four per cent over the last four weeks. In Central Asia this week Baku played host to the COP29 climate conference; ahead of the conference business jet arrivals are already peaking at Heydar Aliyev airport (UBBB). On the day before the conference started, 18 business jet arrivals were recorded, more than double the previous day. Most arrivals came from the United Arab Emirates, with five recorded arrivals. Out of all the arrivals on the 10th, 78 per cent were aircraft management and branded charter.

WingX MD Richard Koe comments: “With just a few days passed since the US election result, the effect on business jet utilisation is not obvious. In fact activity has calmed, following several weeks where there were more flights than last year. In Europe, the political and economic strife in Germany is reflected in substantial cutbacks in business aviation demand. Destabilisation and conflict in the Middle East has equally seen a big step back in flight activity.”