North America Monthly Flight Activity

03. North America Monthly Flight Activity Regional Flight Activity Analysis | Departure-Based Statistics Note: Flight counts based on departure location. North America includes United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America.

Apr 2026 Departures 188,597 -23.81% MoM YTD Volume (Jan-Apr) 766,699 75.49% of Global YoY Change -5.16% vs Apr 2025 Peak Month 2025 Oct: 213,447 2025 High North America Monthly Business Jet Departures Trend (Apr 2025 – Apr 2026)

140K 175K 210K 245K 280K APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN'26 FEB'26 MAR'26 APR'26 198.9K 198.9K 190.7K 189.9K 192.8K 197.7K 213.4K 204.2K 198.7K 181.5K 149.0K 247.5K 188.6K April Performance Analysis North America recorded 188,597 business jet departures in April 2026, a -23.81% sequential decline from March 2026's 247,547 flights. Year-over-year, the region contracted -5.16% against April 2025's 198,861 departures. This pullback reflects normalization following March's exceptional surge, with activity returning to a level slightly below the 2025 monthly baseline.

The region maintained a 75.49% share of global departures, marginally below March's 75.13% but consistent with its structural dominance. North America's leadership reflects its mature FBO infrastructure and deeply embedded corporate aviation culture, with April's softness affecting all major sub-regions roughly proportionally.

Seasonal Pattern Recognition The 13-month trend illustrates that April 2026's 188,597 flights came in below April 2025's 198,861, marking the second negative YoY print of 2026 (after February). The MAR-to-APR drop of nearly 60,000 flights mirrors the 2025 pattern of post-March stability, but the absolute level is the lowest April reading in the tracking window.

Market Dynamics U.S. domestic operations led the contraction, with the daily average falling to approximately 5,680 flights across 30 days for the U.S. specifically (170,410 / 30). Southeast and Texas corridors saw moderated activity as spring travel demand normalized. Canadian and Mexican operations also pulled back from March's elevated levels, contributing to the broad-based regional softness.

Charter and fractional operators reported softer April booking volumes consistent with the post-March normalization. The breadth of the slowdown across operator segments and aircraft types indicates a calendar/timing reversal rather than concentrated demand weakness in any single category.

May Outlook May 2025's 198,913 baseline establishes the next YoY benchmark. Historical seasonal patterns show NA volumes typically holding flat from May through September. YTD Jan-Apr 2026 stands at 766,699 flights, marginally +0.25% above Jan-Apr 2025's 764,789, providing only a narrow cushion against further YoY softness in upcoming months.