Hourly Distribution

10. Hourly Distribution Global 24-Hour Flight Activity Pattern | May 2026 Note: All times in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Based on departure time. Peak Hour 15:00 29,549 flights (7.90%) Secondary Peak 14:00 29,511 flights (7.89%)

Lowest Hour 04:00 3,736 flights (1.00%) Peak/Trough Ratio 7.9x Activity variation Global Hourly Departure Distribution (UTC) — May 2026 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% h=84, y=146 --> h=64, y=166 --> h=48, y=182 --> h=36, y=194 --> h=28, y=202 --> h=27, y=203 LOWEST --> h=30, y=200 --> h=35, y=195 --> h=36, y=194 --> h=40, y=190 --> h=49, y=181 --> h=64, y=166 --> h=99, y=131 --> h=142, y=88 --> h=170, y=60 --> h=188, y=42 --> h=189, y=41 PEAK --> h=189, y=41 --> h=187, y=43 --> h=184, y=46 --> h=181, y=49 --> h=170, y=60 --> h=148, y=82 --> h=116, y=114 --> 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: 7.90%

Global Activity Pattern Global business aviation activity exhibits a broad afternoon plateau centered on 15:00 UTC (7.90% of daily flights). The core operating window spans 13:00-20:00 UTC, capturing approximately 57.9% of all departures within this 8-hour block.

The activity curve reflects the dominance of North American operations, where 15:00 UTC corresponds to mid-morning departures on the U.S. East Coast (10:00 EST) and early morning on the West Coast (07:00 PST), capturing the buildup of business-day operations across the continent.

Trough Period Analysis The minimum activity window occurs between 03:00-06:00 UTC, with each hour registering approximately 1.00-1.47% of daily flights. Hour 4 (UTC) marks the lowest at 1.00%. This corresponds to early morning hours in Europe and late night in the Americas — the global 'quiet period' for business aviation.

The 7.9x peak-to-trough ratio (7.90% / 1.00%) 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 April Compared to April's hourly pattern, May maintains a similar afternoon concentration but at substantially higher absolute volumes. Total monthly flights of 374,254 reflect May's 31-day calendar and the strong demand rebound that lifted activity to a new high.

The peak-to-trough ratio of 7.9x reflects stable daily usage patterns alongside the volume surge, consistent with prior periods. The hourly distribution shape remains nearly identical to prior months, indicating that the demand strength was broad-based across operational hours rather than concentrated in any specific window.

Operational Implications The pronounced hourly variation creates significant capacity utilization challenges for airports, air traffic control systems, and ground service providers. Peak hours (13:00-15:00 UTC) see demand that is nearly 8 times higher than trough periods (03:00-06:00 UTC).

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.