Hourly Distribution

10. Hourly Distribution Global 24-Hour Flight Activity Pattern | January 2026 Note: All times in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Based on departure time. Peak Hour 17:00 20,213 flights (7.67%) Secondary Peak 16:00 19,901 flights (7.55%)

Lowest Hour 05:00 2,789 flights (1.06%) Peak/Trough Ratio 7.2x Activity variation Global Hourly Departure Distribution (UTC) — January 2026 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% h=85, y=145 --> h=63, y=167 --> h=47, y=183 --> h=36, y=194 --> h=28, y=202 --> h=27, y=203 LOWEST --> h=29, y=201 --> h=34, y=196 --> h=38, y=192 --> h=43, y=187 --> h=49, y=181 --> h=66, y=164 --> h=101, y=129 --> h=138, y=92 --> h=169, y=61 --> h=185, y=45 --> h=189, y=41 --> h=192, y=38 PEAK --> h=187, y=43 --> h=187, y=43 --> h=181, y=49 --> h=168, y=62 --> h=146, y=84 --> h=115, y=115 --> 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Hour of Day (UTC) Peak: 7.67%

Global Activity Pattern Global business aviation activity exhibits a pronounced single-peak pattern centered on 17:00 UTC (7.67% of daily flights). The core operating window spans 14:00-21:00 UTC, capturing 58.2% of all departures within this 8-hour block.

The activity curve reflects the dominance of North American operations, where 17:00 UTC corresponds to midday departures on the U.S. East Coast (12:00 EST) and morning on the West Coast (09:00 PST), capturing the peak of business day operations.

Trough Period Analysis The minimum activity window occurs between 04:00-06:00 UTC, with each hour registering approximately 1.1-1.2% of daily flights. This corresponds to early morning hours in Europe and late night in the Americas—the global "quiet period" for business aviation.

The 7.2x peak-to-trough ratio indicates significant operational concentration, creating both scheduling challenges during peak hours and potential efficiency opportunities during off-peak periods for operators seeking slot availability or reduced congestion.

Comparison with December Compared to December, January's peak hour shifted from 15:00 to 17:00 UTC, with the peak percentage decreasing slightly to 7.67%. The overall distribution shows a broader plateau across the 15:00-20:00 UTC window, with six consecutive hours above 7.25%.

The peak-to-trough ratio increased from December levels to 7.2x, suggesting greater operational concentration in January. Total hourly volume of 263,595 flights reflects seasonal winter patterns typical for the start of the year.

Operational Implications The pronounced hourly variation creates significant capacity utilization challenges for airports, air traffic control systems, and ground service providers. Peak hours see demand that is over 7 times higher than trough periods.

For operators, this distribution pattern presents both constraints and opportunities—premium pricing during peak hours, while off-peak operations can benefit from reduced congestion, faster turnaround times, and potentially lower operating costs at some facilities.