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 flight activity in Europe got off to a “strong start” for 2017, with 50,335 departures reported last month, up 4.4 percent year-over-year, according to data released today by WingX Advance. While the 12-month trend is slightly positive, flying is still trailing the pre-crisis 2008 benchmark by more than 15 percent, it said.


Business jet activity experienced 2 percent growth in private flights and an 11 percent increase in the charter segment. Meanwhile, turboprop and piston activity was flat year-over-year.


Flying climbed in Western and Southern Europe this month, with France rising by 6 percent; the UK, Germany and Switzerland each up 3 percent; and Spain and Austria each ascending by more than 10 percent from a year ago. Notably, charter flight activity increased by 13 percent in both Switzerland and Spain and 20 percent in Austria and France, WingX said.


Intra-European activity was up 5 percent last month, but arrivals into Europe from Russia declined 7 percent. Inbound flights from North America fell 1 percent, but flights from Europe to North America were up 6 percent year-over-year.


Of the busiest airports, Paris Le Bourget and Vienna saw business aircraft departures surge by 10 percent last month, and Munich, Aix-les-Bains and Vaclav Havel Airports each reported increases of more than 20 percent, according to WingX.


WingX managing director Richard Koe characterized activity as “a strong start to the year, especially in the charter market. The market is still fragile, with activity well below the pre-crisis peak in 2008, but the last 12-month trends indicate a solid recovery is under way.”

Bizav Flying in Europe Off To a ‘Strong Start’

While the 12-month trend is slightly positive, flying is still trailing the pre-crisis 2008 benchmark by more than 15 percent.

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