Update on conditions for non-airline flying

SteveC

"Laconic"
Staff member
“Small Jet, Turboprop Utilization Return To Pre-COVID-19 Levels, Data Shows
MOLLY MCMILLIN, molly.mcmillin@aviationweek.com

Worldwide turboprop utilization in July reached its highest levels so far in 2020, with 85,574 multi-engine flight hours and 61,510 single-engine flight hours, according to Aviation Week Intelligence Network flight tracking data. (See Related Charts, P. 13)

Turboprop utilization completed its recovery to pre-COVID-19 travel lockdown levels in late June after hitting lows in April, Aviation Week data shows.

Business jet utilization, meanwhile, was higher in July than in April and May, but hours have not returned to levels found earlier in the year.

Large jet activity continues to lag from international travel restrictions. Large jet activity totaled 91,970 hr. in July, up from 76,716 in June, but down from January figures of 143,595 hr. Large jet activity hit a low in April with 30,703 hr. flown.

Midsize jet activity in July totaled 106,383 hr. up from 89,934 in June but down from a 2020 high of 117,926 hr. in February. Hours are up dramatically, however, from an April low of 29,489 hr.

Small jet activity, meanwhile, has returned to pre-COVID levels with 120,687 flight hours in July, a yearly high. Hours rose from104,517 in June and from an April low of 40,332.

According to WingX, business aviation is coming back the strongest in Europe, with July-August trends up to 89% of comparative 2019 activity. Central Europe activity is seeing the highest levels of recovery.
In the U.S., for the first time since the pandemic struck, Florida is no longer the busiest state.

Its year-over-year growth trend, resilient in June and July, was close to flat in August, WingX says. Colorado and Arizona appear to be popular as getaway destinations, with flight hours trending at least 5% above July and August 2019 levels. East Coast states, such as New York and New Jersey, are about 30% behind normal activity.”


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And another article in the same publication:



“General aviation operations at Chicago Executive Airport reached a five-year record for traffic in July, following a drop in the spring from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Takeoffs and landings at the airport, a general aviation reliever airport
for Chicago O’Hare International, totaled 9,041 in July, preliminary data shows. It was the airport’s largest single month of flight operations since July 2015. The activity caps a “remarkable turnaround” following a large drop in traffic during April and May from local quarantine and shutdown orders during the coronavirus outbreak.”
 
Is it just personal? Because I'm hearing the business flying is still stagnant as companies have restricted client visits. Buddy of mine who flies Falcons for a Fortune 500 is furloughed every other month.
 
We are seeing what this data shows. Hours flown close or exceeding last years same month.


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Same for us.

My non-data-based, personal-experience-driven opinion is that personal travel is up, while pure business trips are down. Also think we’re picking up a substantial group of new corporate jet travelers due to Covid concerns - too early to tell if they’ll stay after the pandemic recedes or not.
 
Is it just personal? Because I'm hearing the business flying is still stagnant as companies have restricted client visits. Buddy of mine who flies Falcons for a Fortune 500 is furloughed every other month.
See note above, with the added observations that I am seeing smaller, privately held company business travel coming back. In fact, I think that some of those companies are moving some mid/upper-level employee travel to corporate aircraft.
 
See note above, with the added observations that I am seeing smaller, privately held company business travel coming back. In fact, I think that some of those companies are moving some mid/upper-level employee travel to corporate aircraft.

Interesting. From a 121 standpoint, I'm seeing something similar - with larger companies restricting travel entirely, but smaller companies allowing it.
 
All personal travel for me. I'm currently blocking between 5 to 8hrs a week. My average was about 10hrs a week Pre-COVID.

My friends flying 135 for the larger operators are flying a heck of lot. I believe it's bitter sweet though. They are flying a lot, but keeping the business by having very low rates.
 
Is it just personal? Because I'm hearing the business flying is still stagnant as companies have restricted client visits. Buddy of mine who flies Falcons for a Fortune 500 is furloughed every other month.
My good friend flies in a Fortune 50 flight department and they have them doing touch and goes to stay current. No big trips overseas anymore.
 
We are mostly business on the King Air and that has picked up due to both more jobs and to cover overnights our passengers would have to do if they were flying on the reduced 121 schedules.
 
I'm weirdly insulated from all of this, since our primary customer is the DOD, and there's no indication that our various overseas bases have any intention of slowing down the river of E-(X)s and their families heading off to contain (and home from containing) the various Red Menaces, but the word on the street from my former employers in the Rich People Transport Bidness seems considerably more grim than what I'm reading here. Lag time?
 
I'm weirdly insulated from all of this, since our primary customer is the DOD, and there's no indication that our various overseas bases have any intention of slowing down the river of E-(X)s and their families heading off to contain (and home from containing) the various Red Menaces, but the word on the street from my former employers in the Rich People Transport Bidness seems considerably more grim than what I'm reading here. Lag time?
Large, long range (i.e. international and top Fortune companies) are lagging behind the domestic small/mid size bizjets. Would that fit?
 
I've been out on paternity leave since the end of July, so I don't know the latest activity, but my operator flying light jets under 91/135 could barely keep up. I think I worked 15 days straight, and would have worked 20+ days straight if I hadn't come down with the 'rona.
 
Small private jets are flying a lot, mid size and large cabin are sketchy. Just my perspective and it's worth what you paid.
 
The airports are filling up again, just traveled to position today. Definitely trending in the right direction. This may be an unpopular statement, but do the airlines necessarily need to be back to 2019 pre-covid record breaking numbers to survive? I mean damn near every flight was oversold and non-rev bennies became a joke as airlines started those last minute deals causing flights to pack full. I know they need more passengers than current levels, but why is 2019 pre-covid the goal for survival looking forward?
 
Small private jets are flying a lot, mid size and large cabin are sketchy. Just my perspective and it's worth what you paid.

This was initially true for us as well. Our light jets were booming while mid and super mids were mostly owner only. Seeing more charter now on the bigger planes. With places like Cancun opening back up we are getting lots of those trips.


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The airports are filling up again, just traveled to position today. Definitely trending in the right direction. This may be an unpopular statement, but do the airlines necessarily need to be back to 2019 pre-covid record breaking numbers to survive? I mean damn near every flight was oversold and non-rev bennies became a joke as airlines started those last minute deals causing flights to pack full. I know they need more passengers than current levels, but why is 2019 pre-covid the goal for survival looking forward?
It isn’t. It’s just the latest numbers we have to go off of. Delta had turned a profit for like 7 straight years (possibly more, correct me if I’m wrong). So 2013 levels is about all we need to hit to be profitable again.
 
I think you might refer to those traveling as muslims unless they're on their way home.

In both cases, I'm referring to people that completed the Haj, both in 2019 and 2020, so my usage is correct. Unless, you are thinking about the handful that departed and didn't complete the Haj.


Arabic is not my native tongue and I'm not Muslim but due to some translational issues it is now common to refer to those traveling for Haj as Hajis in the people-moving business.

I think there's an issue with Arabic's problem with the subjunctive. I think it might be tough to speak of those that "will complete the Haj".

Working closely with Imams, my usage has never been corrected or found offensive. I find it quite interesting that I'm the white American atheist that is trusted to arrange transport of the Muslim faithful.

For the most part, those that speak Arabic are slow to be grammar Nazis as they recognize the deficiencies of their language.
 
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