Business aircraft operations in the U.S., Caribbean and Canada climbed 4.3 percent year-over-year last month, according to Argus TraqPak data released yesterday. Once again, the Southeast dominated in departures, accounting for more than one-fifth of the 233,131 business aircraft flights recorded last month in the U.S.

Based on Argus’s TraqPak IFR arrival and departure data, midsize jet activity was highest, with a 6.4 percent gain from a year ago. Large-cabin jet flying rose by 5.8 percent, followed by turboprops and light jets with increases of  3.8 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively.

By operator, Part 135 activity yet again was at the forefront, surging 8.9 percent from a year ago. Fractional activity logged 4.9 percent growth, while Part 91 flying had a 1.2 percent increase.

Double-digit gains in individual sectors were contained to just the charter and fractional categories. Part 135 midsize and large-cabin jet flying recorded 14.3 percent and 12.6 percent gains, respectively, from a year ago, while fractional light jet activity climbed by 10.3 percent. Continuing recent trends, only Part 91 light jets posted a loss, falling 1.8 percent from last June.

The company projects that business aircraft flying will increase by 4.3 percent this month. Argus’s TraqPak data provides “flight-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.”