Aircraft
Newcomer Demand for Private Flying Wanes, Foley Says
New entrants to private aviation are tightening their budgets and returning to the airlines amid concerns of a recession.
Partial image of business jet
New entrants to private aviation are tightening their budgets and returning to the airlines amid concerns of a recession, according to industry analyst and consultant Brian Foley. (Photo: Mark Wagner)

Following the surge in private flying from newcomers with the onset of the pandemic, demand looks to be diminishing from that group, according to industry analyst and consultant Brian Foley.

Supporting his thesis are data from WingX and Amstat that show slowing activity in branded charter and an increase in preowned aircraft inventory. Those metrics “indicate the peak has passed for the general public’s discovery and fascination with private aviation,” Foley wrote, adding that many of them are returning to the airlines. Furthering that dampening of demand are concerns over a recession and the expiration of 100 percent bonus depreciation in the U.S.