ARG/US: Flight Activity Shows Hope

According to ARG/US TRAQPak data, business aircraft flight activity increased 28.55 percent in February over the previous month, possibly indicating early signs of recovery. ARG/US’s data covers all turbine business aircraft on IFR flight plans in the U.S., including international flights departing from or arriving in the U.S. While stressing that this is not yet concrete proof of a recovery of flying activity, ARG/US vice president Shirley Mason told AIN that if month-over-month activity continues to increase, this would indicate that the industry is “show[ing] signs of a recovery.” The specialized aviation-services firm estimates that flight activity has dropped an average of 1.81 percent per month over the last 12 months, with total flight activity declining 18.51 percent in that period.