Middle East Conflict Continues To Drag Bizav Activity

Nearly two months after the U.S. and Israel’s initial attack on Iran, the Middle East business aviation market remains “deeply suppressed,” according to the industry data analyst WingX Advance. In its latest weekly global market tracker report, the JetNet subsidiary noted that regional fuel uplifts in the region were holding at levels more than 40% below pre-conflict norms, while activity was down nearly 46% year over year, with no recovery trajectory in sight.

Yet, for week 15, despite the Middle East conflict and its stifling effect on private aviation—which curtailed global growth by half a percentage point—global flight activity actually rose by 5.6% year over year with approximately 82,000 sectors flown. North America saw an improvement of 9.2% (buoyed by traffic to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia), while South American usage rose by 14.3%. Asia improved by more than 4.1%, and Europe posted a 4.4% decline.

“Despite the decline from the Middle East, which is expected these days, we saw a good week overall, with the market bouncing back after the Easter holiday, and with Augusta delivering the expected demand surge,” said WingX analyst Nick Koscinski. “We’re now looking ahead at the upcoming premier events that could drive bizjet demand above normal levels, like the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, and the Monaco Grand Prix.”