ARGUS Releases August Business Aircraft Activity

ARGUS TRAQPak data is serial-number specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Canada. The tables below reflect business aircraft activity data for August 1-31, 2015 vs. July 1-31, 2015 and August 1-31, 2015 vs. August 1-31, 2014 respectively. 

TRAQPak sees a late summer slow-down in flight activity; August finishes up only .5% y/y.

August business aviation flight activity posted a decrease from July to finish the month down 2.7%; dating back to 2012, flight activity has historically increased from July to August. Results by operational category were all negative for the month, with Part 135 operators posting the largest monthly drop, down 3.7%. The Fractional & Part 91 markets saw decreases of 1.7% & 2.2% respectively. Looking at the aircraft categories, the small cabin market posted the biggest decrease from July, off 3.8%. The turboprop market posted a decline of 2.8%, followed by mid-size cabin aircraft, down 2.1%, and large cabin aircraft, down 1.2%. The only monthly gain occurred in the Part 91 large cabin segment, up 0.7% from July.

Reviewing year over year flight activity (August 2015 vs. August 2014); TRAQPak data indicates that August 2015 posted a slight increase of 0.5%. Note: historically speaking, August has only averaged a 0.3% yearly increase over the last 3 years. The results by operational category continue to show growth in the Part 135 market with a year over year increase of 3.4%. The Part 91 & Fractional markets slipped into the red with decreases of 0.3% & 3.8%, in that order. Flight activity by aircraft category was positive for the top & bottom of the market, while the middle market struggled to gain traction.

Large cabin aircraft led the way posting an increase of 2.6% from August 2014. The turboprop market posted its 6th consecutive year over year increase, finishing the period up 1.9%. Small & mid-size cabin aircraft posted declines of 0.7% & 1.2% respectively. The largest year over year gain for an individual segment occurred in the Part 135 turboprop segment, which saw an increase of 7.1%.

TRAQPak Aircraft Categories

Turbo Prop 
Single Engine Turboprop Aircraft and Multi-Engine Turboprop Aircraft

Small Cabin Jet 
Very Light Jets (VLJ) and Light Jets (LJ)-Jet aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of less than 20,000 lbs.

Mid-Size Cabin Jet 
Mid-size Jets (MJ) and Super Mid-size Jets (SMJ) - Jet aircraft with maximum takeoff weight of over 20,000 to 41,000 lbs.

Large Cabin Jet 
Large Jets, Ultra-Long Range and Heavy Jets – Jet aircraft with maximum takeoff weight of over 41,000 lbs. For weight over 41,000 lbs and Ultra-Long Range and Heavy Jets having an NBAA IFR Range above 6,000NM.

About ARGUS International Inc.

ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) is a specialized aviation services company whose mission is to provide the aviation marketplace with data and information necessary to make informed decisions and manage risk. ARGUS provides world-class aviation software and business management solutions, including AVMOSYS business management software, TRAQPak, CHEQ, and ARMOR SMS. ARGUS Charter operator ratings are the most recognized and requested independent source of overall operator quality. TRAQPak provides industry leading market intelligence data and research services as well as expert aviation consulting.

ARGUS subsidiaries include ARGUS PROS, the leading provider of on-site safety audits and PRISM, a worldwide leader in Safety Management System (SMS) and Certification services. Founded in 1995, ARGUS is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and actively engaged around the globe.