✈️ Flexjet Fleet Growth Outpaces Demand, Per-Aircraft Utilization Quietly Declining
Avi-Go data shows Flexjet's active fleet grew from 278 aircraft in Q1 2025 to 302 in Q1 2026 (+8.6%), while total business aviation movements rose only from 33,965 to 35,362 (+4.1%). Average quarterly movements per aircraft fell from 122 to 117 (-4.1%). Monthly, January posted the strongest year-over-year gain (+6.9%), decelerating to +3.2% in February and +2.5% in March. Flexjet flights surged nearly 20% during the Masters, confirming short-term event premiums, but this failed to reverse the quarter's overall utilization decline. Fleet expansion diluting per-aircraft intensity warrants attention.
Implications: Relatively loose capacity supply is shifting charter market pricing leverage toward buyers. Operators may adjust pricing strategies to protect yields — brokers should anticipate the timing of quote changes.
Recommendations: Brokers can use supply looseness as a negotiating lever in Q2 2026, focusing on capacity pricing during the February–March deceleration window. Operators should assess fleet expansion pace against demand growth before Q2 2026 to prevent further utilization erosion.