Demand for private charter flights looks set to rise this month, according to the demand index generated by online charter portal Avinode. The outlook is brightest for the European market.

As of March 4, the index shows charter demand for light and midsize business jets in Europe more than 90 points higher than it had been a month earlier, while the large-cabin jet index was up by almost 45 points. The light and midsize categories in the North American market were, respectively, 54 and 30 points higher over the same period, while the large-cabin sector increased by just one point. With the exception of large-cabin jets in North America, all indices were also up markedly over where they had stood 12 months earlier.

In line with recent trends, Avinode’s pricing index for the same aircraft in the same markets remained almost unchanged compared with a month ago. The North American market did show a slight uptick compared with 12 months ago.

Average flight-hour rates paid over the past six months also appear to have been stable. Of three jet types Avinode tracks for AIN, only the Challenger 604 showed much fluctuation, with the average rate paid outside North America as of February 28 standing at €4,696, 5 percent above where it had been on November 28 and 2 percent above that on August 28. The average rate for the same aircraft in North America on February 28 was €3,838–up 1.8 percent from three months ago.