Argus Sees First Monthly Bizav Decline in 15 Months

February was the first month since November 2013 to see year-over-year declines in business-aviation activity, according to industry data provider Argus, a fact it attributed to the severe weather affecting much of the U.S. over the past several weeks. In its monthly TraqPak business-aircraft-activity report issued yesterday, the company noted an overall decline of 0.4 percent in Part 91, Part 135 and fractional usage from the previous year, despite increases in large-jet usage among Part 91 and Part 135 operations (3.7 and 7.8 percent, respectively), a 7.4-percent rise in fractional small-cabin-jet operations and an 8.4-percent boost in fractional turboprop flying.

Compared with January, February saw an overall 4.2-percent decrease in activity, with Part 135 flights down nearly 6 percent from the previous month; Part 91 operations declined by 3.8 percent.

For this month, the company’s analysts predict a return to the plus side with an expected 1.4-percent increase in overall flight activity year-over-year.