WINGX Global Market Tracker:

Bizjet demand strong despite tariff concerns

In Week 13 (24th-30th March), global business jet sectors grew 8% compared to the same week 13 in 2024, well ahead of the last four-week trend of +3% growth, and the highest week-on-week increase this year.

According to WINGX`s weekly Global Market Tracker published today, The biggest contributor this week is bizjet activity growth out of Texas and California, and overall private and corporate flight departments grew activity more than charter and fractional.

As Q1 2024 comes to a close, 900,221 business jet departures have been recorded globally, 3% more than in Q1 2024 and 34% more than in Q1 of 2019. The active bizjet fleet has also grown, active tails were up 1% in Q1 compared to last year, up 24% compared to 2019.

Globally, NetJets and Flexjet have recorded good growth in Q1, sectors up 10% and 17% respectively. In contrast, Vista Global sectors have fallen 10% this year compared to last year.

Global bizjet departures by country, Q1 2025.

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North America

In Week 13, there were 50,530 bizjet departures in North America, 8% more than last year, ahead of the last four-week trend of +4%. Part 135 & 91K operated sectors were 8% ahead of last year, ahead of the last four-week trend of +7%. Looking back 5 years ago, the pandemic
lockdowns had reduced flight activity to just 12,016 bizjet departures across airports in North merica.

In Q1 2024, business jet departures in the United States are trending 4% ahead of last year, flight hours 3% ahead. Busiest State Florida recorded 105,204 bizjet departures, 5% more than last year and 29% more than in 2019. Tennessee has seen a 46% increase in bizjet flight activity over 5 years, up 6% in Q1 YOY. Arizona was the only top-10 US State to record a decline compared to last year. Elsewhere, almost 18,000 bizjet sectors flown from airports in Canada in Q1 this year, 4% more than last year. There has also been growth in bizjet activity across the Caribbean this year, notably the Cayman Islands where departures are up 16% compared to Q1 last year.

US States, outbound bizjet departures and active aircraft in Q1 2025 compared to previous years.

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Tariff watch

During Q1 of this year, bizjet connections from the US to Mexico are up 1% in Q1, though since tariffs have been imposed, flight activity has fallen by 6% compared to March last year. In Week 13 there were 735 bizjet flights from the US to Mexico, down from 889 in the previous week (Week 12). Bizjet connections from the US to Canada are 2% ahead of Q1 last year, flat in March, trending down from week to week.

Reviewing the bizjet fleet homebased at airports in the US, there are 15,318 active bizjets, up 6% from last year. Almost 2,000 of those aircraft are manufactured by Bombardier (Canada), 1,399 by Dassault (France) and 1,214 by Embraer (Brazil). Out of all US based bizjets, light jets and super midsize jets were the busiest segments in terms of departures in Q1. There were 6,759 active light and super midsize jets active in the US in Q1, of which 1,750 were manufactured by Bombardier, Dassault and Embraer.

Top 10 business jet OEMs, active aircraft based in United States Q1 2025.

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European Region

In Week 13 (24th-30th March), European bizjet activity grew 5% compared to Week 13 last year, well ahead of the four-week trend which stands at -2%. During the week, 8,589 bizjets sectors were flown, 200% more than locked-down Week 13 in 2020.

Bizjets flying under commercial certificates (Part 135&91K) flew less in the most recent week, sectors down 2% YOY, the last fourweek trend 7% behind last year. Week 13 saw a big rebound in bizjet sectors flown in Germany, up 24% YOY, belying a Q1 downwards trend of 7%. The rebound came principally in domestic travel, especially for airports in the Berlin area, and mainly on large cabin long range aircraft.

Business jet departures by European country, Q1 2025.

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European business jet activity in terms of departures and flight hours in Q1 ended 1% below last year. There were small gains in activity in France and the United Kingdom, largely offset by downward trends in Germany and Switzerland.

Light jets were the busiest segment last quarter, recording a 1% increase in departures. Ultra-Long-Range jet activity grew 5% compared to last year, in contrast the Very Light and Entry Level Jet fleets flying 10% and 28% fewer departures compared to last year.

Rest of the World

In Week 13, business jet activity outside of North America and Europe was up 11% compared to Week 13 last year. Asia recorded a modest gain of 2%, Africa and South America were up 11% and the bizjet flights from airports in the Middle East recorded an impressive 27% gain on last year.

In Week 13 Saudi Arabia’s domestic bizjet market was very strong, mainly concentrated on connections between Jeddah and Riyadh in time for the Eid al-Fitr festival. There were 136 Arrivals in Jeddah in Week 13, up from 108 in Week 12.

Manmaging Director Richard Koe comments: “Liberation Day does not yet appear to have made a dent in demand for bizjet travel, although the concerns raised around the economic impact of a global trade war are likely to slow the market in subsequent quarters.

"For Q1 2025, modest gains in Year-on-Year bizjet activity is an improvement on last year and underlines the enduring resilience of the US market, as well as strong emerging markets in the Middle East and Asia.”

WINGX GmbH
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Germany.

+49 40 23 96 85 05

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 3rd April 2025 | Issue #790

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