Defying industry analysts’ pessimism about the upper end of the business aviation market, large-cabin-jet activity led the surge in North American business aircraft flying last month, according to TraqPak data released yesterday by Argus International. Overall activity soared 3.3 percent year-over-year, though this fell slightly short of the company’s projection for a 4.1-percent rise. Argus analysts remain optimistic about this month, estimating a 3.1-percent increase in flying.
once again, all operational categories saw gains last month, with fractional flying out front at a 5.7-percent gain. Part 135 activity was nipping at its heels, rising 5.2 percent, while the Part 91 segment logged a 1.5 percent advance.

For the third consecutive month, all aircraft categories recorded improvements last month. Large-cabin-jet flying jumped 10.3 percent year-over-year. This was followed by a 2.9-percent uptick in light jet activity, a 2.3-percent rise in turboprops and 1.9-percent gain in midsize jets.

Fractional and Part 135 large-cabin-jet flying achieved the only double-digit gains last month in individual categories, rising 27.3 percent and 16.8 percent, respectively, year-over-year. The only loss in an individual category was Part 91 midsize-jet activity, which fell 1.4 percent from a year ago.

Argus TraqPak data provides “flight-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.”