Flight activity up 3.6% in April as large cabin jets weaken: ARGUS
Looking ahead, ARGUS TRAQPak analysts forecast North American activity to grow 2.1%YoY in May 2026, while European activity is expected to decline 1.3%.
Global business aviation flight activity grew 3.6% year-over-year in April 2026, according to ARGUS TRAQPak data, with North America and Europe both posting gains despite a notable softening in the large cabin jet segment and continued uncertainty in the Middle East.
North America led the way with a 3.5%YoY increase. Fractional activity was the standout performer, up 13% from April 2025, while Part 135 charter gained 4.5%. Part 91 owner-operator activity was the only category to slip, declining 1.5% for the month.
By aircraft size, small cabin jets posted the strongest gain at 7.9%YoY, followed by turboprops at 5.2% and mid-size jets at 2.7%. On the flipside, large cabin jets bucked the trend, finishing down 5.8% as both Part 91 and Part 135 activity declined in the segment.
Nine of 12 individual segments were positive for the month, with light jet fractional activity recording the largest individual gain at 16.1%, the third consecutive month it topped the table.
On a month-over-month basis, North American activity fell 3.8% from March, largely due to calendar variance, with flights per day declining a more modest 0.6%. The Pacific Northwest saw the sharpest regional monthly drop at 23.3%, attributed to the end of ski season, while New England recorded the largest gain at 10.4%.
Europe stayed positive, with overall activity up 1.9%YoY and 2.2%MoM, though ARGUS noted concerns about the outlook moving forward. Large cabin jets were the only European category in negative territory, down 0.5%YoY.
The Middle East was the sharpest point of weakness globally, with activity collapsing 49.3%YoY in April. Despite that, the broader rest-of-world grouping covering Africa, Asia, Australia and South America still managed a 3.1% yearly gain, though monthly activity fell 7.9% from March.
Looking ahead, ARGUS TRAQPak analysts forecast North American activity to grow 2.1%YoY in May 2026, while European activity is expected to decline 1.3%.
