Story ID: 
Argus Sees Increase in Flight Activity
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: Boosts in small and midsize fractional activity pushed the segment to a 7.3 percent increase over the previous May.
Word Count: 171
Business aviation in May saw a slight increase over the 2018 year-over-year period, according to statistics released by Argus International in its latest TRAQPak aircraft activity report. North American (U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean) flights bumped over 270,000 for the month, the first time it had reached that peak since 2008, just prior to the global economic downturn.

For the month, fractional light and midsize jet usage saw increases of 4.9 percent and 14.1 percent respectively. While large-cabin fractional activity experienced a decline of 14.6 percent, the large-cabin segment, overall, saw a 1.5 percent increase, good for a 1.1 percent improvement in business aircraft usage, year-over-year. Overall, midsize jet activity rose 3.4 percent over May 2018’s numbers, while light-jet usage dropped by 1.1 percent.

Compared with the previous month, May saw a 3.4 percent increase in overall activity led by the turboprop segment which had a 7.4 percent improvement. Fractional turboprops experienced a 23 percent boost month-over-month.

The Denver-based company predicts flight activity to increase through June, with a nearly two-percent boost over June 2018 totals.