Business aviation departures in Europe are continuing to trend downward, according to WingX’s latest monthly Business Aviation Monitor. WingX tracked 72,650 business aviation departures in Europe last month, falling 4 percent from September 2014. Year-to-date departures are 1.4 percent below the year-ago period.
Flights from the UK last month were off by 800 flights, or about 8 percent, year-over-year, placing it among the weakest European markets for the month, WingX said. Other large declines were reported in Italy, Spain and Switzerland, while flights remained depressed in Turkey and Russia. Flight activity sunk at nearly all of the top 20 airports in Europe, WingX added.
Large-cabin jet activity dove 15 percent last month, while charter activity in this aircraft category fell almost 20 percent year-over-year. Gulfstream aircraft “took the brunt” of this decline, WingX reported. “Business aviation activity in Europe relapsed this month,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe. “This may reflect the torrid financial markets and the darkening prospects for the global economy in the last couple of months.”
Koe, however, did point to a “few bright spots,” including longer-term positive trends in ultra-long-range jet activity and the “reinvigorated” super-midsize segment. Also, France and Germany were down only slightly ilst month and are still ahead year-to-date.
