ARGUS: Fractional activity on the rise, all other segments down
Fractional ownership was the only business jet category that saw an increase in activity in March in North America, according to Argus’ TRAQPak Aircraft Activity Report.
Year-over-year (YoY), fractional activity climbed 6.4% overall in March compared with 2022. Small cabin jets experienced the biggest rise in fractional activity, up 12.7% in the period, followed by turboprop (5.2%), mid-size jets (4.5%) and large jets (2.8%).
Meanwhile, Part 91 and Part 135 activity was down YoY across all aircraft types. The Part 91 market fell by 4.3% in total, with mid-size jets feeling the drop the most (-8.8%) and turboprops remaining relatively flat (-0.2%).
The Part 135 segment took the biggest hit YoY, down 12% overall since March 2022. Small cabin jets in this category dropped the most, down 18.2%, and were closely followed by mid-size jets which were down 17.2% in activity since last year. Large cabin jets felt the impact the least, down 4.8% in Part 135 activity.
Regional flight activity in March was up compared with February 2023, with the biggest rise in the New England region (22.1%). The Central region reported growth of more than 20% in the month, while Canada and the Caribbean combined increased 20.5%.
In Europe, flight activity “remained sluggish” but has climbed month over month since the beginning of 2023, particularly the small cabin jet type which rose 18.4% since February. While all aircraft types increased since February, all were down YoY (-13.6%), with large cabin jets taking the brunt of the decline (-32.7%).
Africa, Asia, Australia and South America had the most positive results, with all aircraft types increasing both monthly (17.1%) and YoY (17.7%) in the region. Large cabin jets saw the biggest increase YoY (27.9%) while mid-size jet activity remained flat (2.3%).
Argus TRAQPak estimates an 8.9% decrease in overall North American flight activity YoY for April, while European activity is estimated to fall by 16.9% compared with April 2022.
