Bay Area Airports Process 3x the Normal Traffic as Seahawks Defeat Patriots

Open webinar invitation: Global Business Jet Charter Market.
2025 Recap. 2026 signals. Live panel.

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More than 1,000 Arrivals Over Four-Day Period
The 60th annual NFL Super Bowl on 8 February drew substantial business jet activity to Santa Clara, California, where the Seattle Seahawks routed the New England Patriots. WINGX analysis shows Bay Area airports recorded over 1,000 business jet arrivals during the four-day period leading up to and including game day, representing 2x more arrivals compared to normal February traffic levels.

Day-after departures reached nearly 600 on Monday 9 February, as corporate guests and attendees returned home following the championship game. This represents a surge ratio of 3x compared to the Bay Area’s typical February daily average business jet departures. Super Bowl LX still ranked only 7th amongst the last 10 Super Bowl events for day-after departures, well below the record set by Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix in 2023, which posted just over 950 day-after departures.

Chart 1: Day-after Super Bowl Bizjet Departures Surge


Chart 2: Day-after Super Bowl Bizjet Departures Surge Ratio*

Multi-Airport System Absorbs Traffic
The Bay Area’s multi-airport system proved critical in managing the influx of bizjet traffic, with Metropolitan Oakland International Airport processing 32% of Super Bowl arrivals, while San Francisco International and San Jose Mineta International airports served the overflow, with each taking 22% of total traffic.

Super Midsize Jets Lead Arrivals
Aircraft type analysis of the more than 1,000 bizjet arrivals into San Francisco Bay Area airports from 5-8 February reveals super-midsize jets dominated traffic, accounting for the largest share of arrivals. The Bombardier Challenger 300/350 led all aircraft types with 128 arrivals (12% of total traffic), followed by other super-midsize platforms including the Cessna Citation Latitude (64 arrivals, 6% share) and Cessna Citation Longitude (50 arrivals, 5% share).

Chart 3: 5-8 February San Francisco airport arrivals and share of arrivals

Historical Comparison: Super Bowl 50 vs Super Bowl 60
The Bay Area previously hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016 at the same Levi’s Stadium venue. That event also generated nearly 600 departures on the day after the Super Bowl but had a 5x surge ratio compared to typical February traffic in 2016, compared to the almost 3x surge ratio realized this year.The lower 2026 surge ratio despite similar overall departures volumes indicates that business jet activity in the Bay Area has increased substantially in the past decade. In other words, what once represented a 5x surge ratio above normal activity now registers as a 3x surge, not because the Super Bowl drew fewer jets, but because “normal” February bizjet traffic has grown significantly. This demonstrates how the Bay Area business aviation market has matured, with daily operations now at levels that would have been considered exceptional a decade ago.

Nick Koscinski, WINGX analyst comments, “Super Bowl LX delivered over 1,000 bizjet arrivals and showed exactly what we expected from a Bay Area event. What’s most interesting is comparing this year’s traffic surge to the Bay Area’s 2016 Super Bowl. The day-after departures were nearly identical in 2016 and 2026, but the surge ratio this year dropped from 5x to about 3x. That’s not because fewer jets showed up, rather it’s because normal February traffic has grown so much over the past decade, so what used to be an exceptional day of San Francisco bizjet traffic in 2016, is now closer to “normal” in 2026. As business aviation continues to grow, the Super Bowl will remain a marquee event, drawing corporates and celebrities to witness the crowning of that year’s NFL champion.”

Global Executive Summary

Global business jet activity has increased 1.0% year-to-date through early February, with South America leading growth at 5.2% YTD, followed by Asia’s 3.5% YTD growth, while the world’s largest market North America expanded just 0.5%. However, the 1.0% YTD growth in 2026 vs 2025 represents a significant deceleration from the 3.7% growth rate achieved during the same period in 2025 vs 2024. In Week 06, global bizjet traffic was flat, while emerging markets in South America and the Middle East saw strong growth.

Chart 4: Global Bizjet Departures Trends YTD (1 Jan – 8 Feb)

Open webinar invitation: Global Business Jet Charter Market

Analyzing the Global Business Jet Charter Market - Thursday, February 19 | 9:00–10:00 AM ET (15:00 CET) | Online

Anyone can view and join.

The global business aviation market place has evolved significantly over time, growing across different regions, competed for by operators of all sizes, innovating across digital platforms, addressing a customer demographic which has transformed since Covid.

Our webinar will bring to light our latest analysis of charter activity and its characteristics, and discuss trends and 2026 projections with 3 industry experts:

Doug Gollan, Founder and Editor of Private Jet Card Comparisons, the independent buyer’s guide to jet card, members, and fractional ownership programs

Andy Christie, Group Executive Jets Director at Air Charter Services, a world leading provider of charter services to private jet, cargo and airline markets

Algy (Algernon) Trotter, founder and CEO of new German charter operator Luminair, and veteran director of charter sales at Air Hamburg

What we’ll cover: 

• How we would characterize the charter market in 2025

• How has the charter business changed since before Covid, and are those changes permanent

• What are the tailwinds for global charter in 2026

• Where are the hotspots: regions, airports, aircraft

• What are the most significant headwinds, threats, risks to charter demand

• How well will charter compete with alternative options for customers including fractional

• What kinds of customer (and mission types / travel purpose) will carry the charter business in 2026

• What attributes will characterize the successful charter operators and brokers this year

Who should attend:

• Charter operators and fleet managers

• Charter brokers and aircraft sales professionals

• Ground-suppliers such as fuelers, MRO, handlers, caterers

• OEMs of airframes, avionics and engines

• Investors and advisors in business aviation

• Anyone seeking a clearer understanding of charter market value

Besides the opportunity to hear the expert opinions of the panel, attendees will receive:

A copy of WINGX global charter market presentation at CJI London

Free subscription to WINGX weekly bulletins

Presenters

• Richard Koe (WINGX), Managing Director

• Doug Gollan, Founder & Editor, Private Jet Card Comparisons

• Andy Christie, Group Executive Jets Director, Air Charter Services

• Algy (Algernon) Trotter, Founder, Luminair

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