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Industry Analysts Weigh In with December Stats
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: In its latest Business Jet Update, UBS reports that last month’s business jet activity was up approximately 5 percent over December 2008, marking the first
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In its latest Business Jet Update, UBS reports that last month’s business jet activity was up approximately 5 percent over December 2008, marking the first year-over-year increase since mid-2007. With a seasonal adjustment, December’s bizjet usage represents an approximately 3-percent increase from the previous month, and is now 22 percent above the low set last March. While all three business-jet categories have shown signs of recovery, according to the report, the short-range jets (which experienced the most severe decline) have bounced back by 25 percent over their low in March, while medium- and long-range jets have recovered by 20 percent and 16 percent, respectively. However, in a review of its TraqPak data, industry analyst Argus found that December’s overall U.S. business aircraft IFR flights diminished slightly. While all Part 91 operations were down by a combined 5.4 percent from the previous month, Part 135 flights saw an increase of 3.6 percent, buoyed by turboprops (which rose 8.7 percent) and light jets (which rose more than 4 percent). The fractional segment experienced usage increases in its midsize and large jet categories.