European Bizav Flying Dips Slightly in May

A two-percent surge in business jet activity in Europe last month was not enough to lift overall business aircraft departures in the region, according to data released today by WingX Advance. In total, there were 73,687 business aviation departures in Europe last month, a 0.1 percent year-over-year decline.

Weak growth was reported in Western Europe last month, buoyed by a 6-percent climb in flights from France. Other leading business aviation markets declined, particularly in Southern Europe—mainly in Spain and Turkey.

WingX said that most of the slide in the top markets came from falling turboprop activity, with jet activity rising slightly in the UK, Switzerland and Italy. Countries with highest growth in all business aviation activity this month included Sweden, Greece, Belgium and Netherlands, it noted.

Germany continued to see “significant decline” last month and has averaged 242 fewer flights per month so far this year. Decreases in both Russia and Turkey are trending at more than 10 percent.

Arrivals into Europe from the Middle East were up 7 percent last month, with transatlantic arrivals up 2 percent, inbound from Africa down 1 percent and flights from China to Europe surging by nearly 70 percent. Flights from Europe to the CIS region fell 3 percent, said WingX.

“The aggregate trend was down, but that was due to a fall in prop and piston flights, whereas business jet activity was up, especially charter,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe. “Mainly this was in heavy jets, and notably in flights to and from the south of France, with arrivals from the Middle East well up. Encouragingly, the upward trend in light jet activity is sustaining, with light and very light jets in more demand.”