Private Jet Flights Rise 0.4% Year-over-Year in Week 41 to 81,524 Departures, WingX Reports

WingX reported 81,524 private jet departures worldwide in week 41 of 2026, which ended October 11. That is about 0.4% more than in week 41 of last year and roughly 2% more than the previous week. The year-to-date trend slipped to 3.3% more private jet flights than the same period last year, and the last four weeks recorded about 328,000 departures, roughly 2% above the same period last year, a slight slowdown from recent trends.

WingX analyst Nick Koscinski said growth all but stalled at +0.4%, which he attributed to last year's Q4 surge kicking in rather than a sudden drop in demand. He noted the charter market is down three weeks running and fell 10% last week, with North America hit hardest, while fractional is still growing. He characterized this as a squeeze on the more price-sensitive end of the market rather than a broad pullback.

North America remained the largest market, with just over 59,000 departures, matching the global trend of about 0.4% year-over-year growth. The United States recorded about 57,196 departures, about 1% more than last year and about 3% more than the prior week, helped by a 10% week-over-week gain in Texas. Gains in smaller states offset 2% year-over-year drops in both Florida and California.

Europe recorded nearly 12,000 departures, about 2% more than a year earlier, led by a 12% year-over-year gain in the UK that offset declines in Germany, France and Switzerland. Europe fell about 7% from the previous week, with nearly every major market declining week over week, including double-digit drops in France and Italy.

The Middle East recorded just under 1,500 flights, about 13% fewer than last year. Africa recorded just under 1,000 departures, up 4% year over year. South America reported 2,906 departures, an 11% increase.

Fractional and charter operators (Part 91K and Part 135) recorded over 43,000 departures, about 3% more than a year earlier and about 2% more than the previous week. The US recorded nearly 33,000 such flights, up 3% year over year and 3% week over week, with Texas offsetting slight dips in Florida and California and a double-digit weekly gain in Florida.

Europe recorded nearly 8,000 Part 91K and Part 135 flights, slightly above last year on a 10% UK gain, but about 7% below the prior week, with double-digit weekly drops in France and Switzerland. In the Middle East, fractional and charter flights were about 10% above the prior week but 11% below the same week last year. Africa and Asia each saw slight year-over-year declines alongside double-digit week-over-week gains.

South America remained the smallest fractional and charter market but posted the largest year-over-year gain, at 84%.

A flat headline figure can hide very different movements underneath. In week 41 the global count barely moved year over year, yet fractional and charter operators combined were about 3% ahead while Koscinski described the charter market alone as down three weeks running. When the two are reported together, strength in one can mask weakness in the other, so the aggregate is a poor guide to where demand is actually softening.

The comparison base also matters. Koscinski tied the stall to last year's Q4 surge kicking in, which means weekly year-over-year readings from here run against a stronger prior-year period. That makes the next several weeks a test of whether activity holds at current levels or whether the slower four-week trend, roughly 2% above last year against 3.3% year to date, extends.

Geographic dispersion is the other signal. Texas gains offset Florida and California declines in the US, and a UK gain offset weakness elsewhere in Europe, so national totals are being held up by a few markets. The next WingX weekly release will show whether the charter decline in North America continues beyond three weeks.