Business Aviation Monitor – July 2017

Summer 2017 is all about the Charter market, especially in the Mediterranean region, with leisure resorts seeing double-digit growth. The connections are largely from Northern Europe and particularly UK and Germany. Biggin Hill is clearly one of the airports feeding this growth. From the rest of the world, there’s some robust recovery in Russia, modest increase in transatlantic connections, and a drop off in Middle East and Africa demand this month.

July was the peak month so far in 2017, with 87,826 departures, up 2.5% YOY, taking the YTD trend to 3.0%, an additional 13,950 flights compared to 2016. Activity in July 2017 was also only 1% down from pre-crisis July-2008.

The anniversary of the Euro Football Championships last summer meant that activity was well down in France, also in Benelux and Switzerland. 54% of flights from France were Private, these declining by 5% YOY.

Germany had a strong month, flights up by 5% YOY. Most of the increase came in AOC flights, up by 14%. The UK also maintained some growth, flights up by 2%. Both countries have YTD growth trends approaching 4%. Vs 2016.

Strongest growth in flight activity this month, as throughout the summer, was in the Mediterranean, with business aviation activity in Spain up by 7%, and double-digit growth in flights from Turkey and Greece.

Europe’s business jet connections with Russia were up 6%, and transatlantic arrivals from North America gained 2%, but inbound traffic from Middle East and North Africa fell by 5%. Flights from Europe to Asia-Pac fell 15%, but trend up by 9% YTD.

Cessna fleet activity was well up this month, reflecting big gains in Super Mid, Midsize and Light Jet segments. Dassault ULR jet sectors gained by 18%. Gulfstream activity declined overall, whereas Embraer aircraft sectors were up by 27% YOY.

YOY declines came primarily from less active MSJ and ELJ segments, with MSJ declines mainly due to less AOC activity, ELJ declines due to fewer Private flights. The strongest and most consistent growth this year is coming from SMJ, SLJ and LJ segments.

Private flight activity was flat YOY overall, with a big drop in France offset by gains in other top markets. AOC activity has grown in every month of 2017, up by 5% overall this month. Bombardier AOC sectors increased by 11% YOY.

Busiest airport this month was Nice, with modest growth due to rising AOC demand. Le Bourget saw a sizeable YOY decline, with small declines at Luton & Zurich. Fastest YOY growth this month came at Vnukovo, Biggin Hill and Athens.