European Bizav Flying Hits the Brakes in October

Faltering demand in France and Germany weighed down business aircraft flights in Europe last month. There were 66,921 business aviation departures in the region in October, down 2.8 percent year-over-year, according to data released yesterday by WingX Advance. Year-to-date, business aviation activity in the region is 0.3percent lower than a year ago.

“Last month was down year-over-year and posted the lowest October monthly activity for several years,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe. “But the declining trend was exaggerated by the significant fall in turboprop and piston activity. The underlying business jet activity was flat, and business jet charters continued to grow.”

There were 1,600 fewer flight departures in France and Germany alone last month versus a year ago, with business aviation flights within Germany slumping 10 percent and charter activity in France skidding by 7 percent. Other large markets, including the UK and Switzerland, were also weaker last month, said WingX, though the UK has experienced growth year-to-date, averaging about 100 more flights each month versus 2015.

The one region of Europe that maintained summer growth trends was the Mediterranean, with flight activity in Italy up 2 percent and rising 7 percent in Spain. However, flight activity in Eastern Europe was flat compared with a year ago, as was transatlantic activity. Inbound flights from Africa were “well up” last month.

Nice, Cannes and London Biggin Hill and Stansted were some of the airports with “strong growth” last month, according to WingX. Meanwhile, Paris Le Bourget, Linate, Farnborough and Moscow Vnukovo logged the steepest declines, it noted.