February 2026 Performance Overview

Total Flights (Feb 2026) 211,153 -16.51% YoY Full Year 2025 Volume 3,484,684 Annual Benchmark Average Daily Operations 7,541 -1,491 flights/day YoY Q1 2026 Cumulative (Jan-Feb) 476,145 -7.52% vs Q1 2025 February 2026 Performance Overview

February 2026 recorded 211,153 business aviation flights, marking a -16.51% year-over-year decline compared to February 2025's 252,909 flights. This represents the most significant monthly YoY contraction in the current tracking period, ending the sector's growth streak that had persisted through full year 2025 and into January 2026.

The month's daily average of 7,541 flights across 28 operational days reflects a substantial reduction from February 2025's 9,032 daily average. On a sequential basis, February showed a pronounced -20.32% decline from January 2026's 264,992 flights, significantly exceeding the typical January-to-February pattern which historically shows modest sequential improvement of 2-5%.

The cumulative Q1 2026 tally of 476,145 flights through two months is tracking -7.52% below the equivalent Q1 2025 period (514,909 flights), driven primarily by February's sharp contraction offsetting January's modest +1.14% YoY gain.

Full Year 2025 Review The twelve-month cumulative performance of 3,484,684 flights for full year 2025 established the annual benchmark for year-over-year comparisons. Monthly averages of 290,390 flights throughout 2025 set elevated baselines, with October 2025's 313,171 departures marking the single-month peak. This strong 2025 performance creates demanding YoY comparison bases for 2026 monthly results.

The 2025 annual trajectory showed consistent strength from March through November, with ten of twelve months exceeding 280,000 departures. This elevated throughput baseline underscores the magnitude of February 2026's departure from established operational norms.

Market Dynamics and Trends February 2025's comparison base of 252,909 flights was itself the weakest month in the prior year's dataset, making the -16.51% YoY decline all the more notable — the contraction occurred against an already soft baseline. The scale of the decline suggests factors beyond normal seasonal variation may have influenced February 2026 activity levels.

Regional market share composition shifted modestly in February 2026, with North America accounting for 77.35% of global departures (163,330 flights), Europe contributing 13.35% (28,197 flights), and all other regions comprising 9.29% (19,626 flights). Compared to January 2026, North America's share edged slightly higher while the Rest of World share contracted from 11.66% to 9.29%.

Fleet utilization patterns reflect the reduced activity environment: the daily average of 7,541 operations represents the lowest throughput recorded in the 14-month analysis window, indicating broad-based demand softening across the global business aviation network rather than isolated regional weakness.

Q1 2026 Outlook and March Projection With two months complete, Q1 2026's 476,145 cumulative flights are tracking below prior-year pace. Historical patterns indicate March typically delivers the strongest sequential acceleration of Q1, with March 2025 recording 289,430 departures — a 14.4% sequential increase over February 2025.

Based on current trend analysis and historical seasonal factors, March 2026 is projected to record approximately 285,000-295,000 departures. A result in this range would position Q1 2026 cumulative volumes at approximately 765,000 flights, moderately below Q1 2025's 804,339 total. Stakeholders should monitor March actuals for signals of demand recovery trajectory heading into Q2.