Chad is the editor of AINalerts, AIN's daily business aviation newsletter, and is also the news editor at AIN Media Group.&nbsp;He has been writing about aviation, with an emphasis on business aviation, since 1994. Chad started his writing career at The Avion,&nbsp;the&nbsp;student newspaper at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, serving as editor-in-chief before graduating with a bachelor's in aeronautical science. After a stint as managing editor at Professional Pilot&nbsp;magazine, he joined&nbsp;AIN in late 1998. Chad holds a commercial pilot certificated with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and he also is a CFI/CFII. He lives and works from his home in Venice, Florida.

Online Editor

Chad Trautvetter

Business aircraft activity in the U.S. fell for the third consecutive month, with flying hours down slightly–by 0.4 percent–year-over-year last month, according to TraqPak data released on Friday by aviation services company Argus.


As has been the trend for much of this year, Part 135 was the only operational category to experience a gain in flying activity, increasing 10.5 percent from a year ago and marking its seventh consecutive monthly increase. Part 91 activity was down 3.2 percent year-over-year, while fractional flying dropped by 10.6 percent, the Argus data shows.


By aircraft category, the turboprop segment experienced the only decline last month, decreasing by 5.7 percent from a year ago. Large-cabin jet flying led the pack with a 4.9-percent year-over-year gain, with midsize and light jets recording increases of 2.5 percent and 1 percent, respectively.


There were several bright spots in individual market segments, including double-digit gains in Part 135 jet flying, with light and midsize charter jet flying up by 12.1 percent and 20.4 percent from last year. Large-cabin charter jet flying also climbed by a healthy 9.3 percent. Fractional turboprop flying saw the largest drop, falling 22.6 percent year-over-year.


Argus TraqPak data provides “serial-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S.”

U.S. Bizav Traffic Down Slightly in April

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