ACE 2026 - September 8th
The bimonthly news publication for aviation professionals.
Global business jet activity rose by 10% in the week of 19th to 25th May compared to the same week last year, with the US market growing by 16% year on year, according to WingX. Charter and fractional sectors were up 15% in the US and 8% worldwide.
In May so far, global activity is 3% higher than last year, with only three weeks of year-on-year declines in 2025. Since the announcement of Trump’s tariffs in April, global activity has grown 3.3%, similar to the 3.4% growth in the previous seven weeks. US domestic growth accelerated slightly from 3.4% to 4.1%.
Texas, California, and Florida led US activity in Week 21 with double-digit increases. New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas remained the busiest hubs, with Atlanta seeing the highest year-to-date growth at 4.7%.
Memorial Day weekend saw 17,000 business jet departures between Friday and Sunday, the busiest since 2019. Part 135 and 91K activity during the holiday was up 43% from 2019, and scheduled airline sectors were up 12% from 2024.
European business jet activity grew by 2.1% compared to the same week last year. Germany reversed recent declines with a 16% jump, especially among private and corporate operators. Charter flights in Germany remained down 10% on a four-week basis. Switzerland saw a 7% fall in departures, while France, Italy and the UK posted slight gains of around 1%.
The Monaco F1 Grand Prix attracted 355 business jet arrivals into Nice, up from 316 last year. London, Paris, Milan and Turin were key points of origin for visitors.
Flights from outside North America and Europe made up 10% of global traffic. Latin America rose 9% year on year, while Asia dropped by 1%. The Middle East was up 6% year on year and 11% month to date, with Saudi Arabia up more than 30%.
WingX managing director Richard Koe says: “Business jet activity continues to trend upwards and without discernible impact from economic uncertainty, with the exception of a few countries. Leisure travel is evidently strong with record business jet activity during Memorial Day weekend and at the Europe's blue riband business jet sports event, the Monaco Grand Prix. The Middle East continues to see strong business jet demand, especially in Saudi Arabia.”
