Aircraft Charter Demand Cools at Summer’s End

Demand for charter flights dipped early this month, according to data from online charter portal Avinode. At 143.21, the company’s forward-looking demand index for the 30-day period from September 10 was 40 points down from where it was a month prior, seemingly showing the market cooling slightly at the end of the northern hemisphere summer season. However, the September 10 index was still almost 37 points higher than where it was 12 months earlier.

The corresponding dip in Avinode’s price index was not quite so steep. Projected pricing globally was down by 1.6 points, with a bigger decline in the U.S. market of 2.3 points. Actual charter prices paid in recent months reflected healthy demand over the summer months.

This trend was stronger outside North America, with average rates for three sample aircraft types–the Bombardier Challenger 604, Cessna Citation Excel and Hawker 800–between 1 and 8 percent up from a month ago, and between 5 and 37 percent higher in international markets.