Business jet departures in Week 6 (3rd–9th February) were 2% ahead of the same period last year, with 66,398 flights recorded, according to WingX. Aircraft flying under commercial certificates accounted for half of all operations, up 3% year-on-year. Since the start of 2024, worldwide business jet departures and flight hours are 3% higher than last year, while global turboprop activity has declined by 1%.

Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans drove a sharp increase in business jet traffic. New Orleans airports saw 611 arrivals between Friday and Sunday, compared to 109 in the previous weekend. Fractional operators handled a third of all Super Bowl arrivals, with NetJets leading at 160 flights, followed by Flexjet with 43. Departures from New Orleans on the Monday after the game surged to 577, five times the daily average for February.

Across the US, business jet departures were up 3% in Week 6. Florida recorded an 11% rise, influenced by traffic to the Super Bowl, with 123 flights departing for New Orleans, up from 44 the week prior. Colorado’s ski season also attracted private flights, with 7,113 arrivals at the state’s four major ski airports since December.

In contrast, European business jet activity dropped 8% in Week 6, with the UK seeing the sharpest decline at 21%. The decrease primarily came from corporate, private and managed aircraft, while commercial operators saw a 4% drop. The number of business jets on the UK registry is now 12% lower than last year and nearly 50% below 2019 levels. Meanwhile, France, Europe’s busiest business jet market, faces upcoming tax hikes on business aviation flights from 1st March, likely affecting domestic charter operations.

Elsewhere, business jet departures from airports outside North America and Europe accounted for 13% of global traffic, increasing by 2% compared to last year. In the Middle East, activity fell 2% in Week 6 but remains 1% higher year-to-date. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) plans to open its domestic private aviation market to foreign operators from 1st March, which could boost activity. Over the last four weeks, business jet traffic has trended up in Africa (+3%) and South America (+7%) but declined in Asia (-2%).

WingX managing director Richard Koe says: “The Super Bowl saw the biggest surge in business jets since 2018, with departures on the day after the event five times higher than the average daily departures this month so far. This reflects a general buoyancy in the US market since November. In contrast, the European market is subdued, particularly in the UK, with an alarming 20% drop in business jet flights this week. There will also be concerns over the impact of new business jet taxes in France, the busiest European market. In the Middle East, where business jet traffic year to date is up 77% since 2019, demand in Saudi Arabia should get a boost from GACA announcing an opening-up to foreign operators from March this year.”