Business aviation activity remains mixed with North American operations showing signs of improvement, down just 12 percent in February from a year earlier, while European operations dropped 31.7 percent at the same time, according to business aviation analyst International. The Argus TraqPaK report for February noted that, when accounting for Leap Year, operations in North America actually were 9.9 percent below February 2020 levels. This came as activity in the second half of February jumped 7.3 percent over the first half.

While strengthening, all operational and aircraft categories still were below February 2020 levels, except for Part 135 midsize jet flights, which showed a modest 0.3 percent improvement. Part 91 flights involving large jets marked the steepest year-over-year slide in North America, down 32.5 percent. Counting all of Part 91 flights, North American activity was down 19.6 percent. Meanwhile, Part 135 flights were off just 3 percent and fractional by 8.6 percent, according to Argus. Across all sectors, large jets led the decline, down 22.9 percent, with light jets faring the best at a 6.7 percent dip.

Most activity last month in North America was down from a month earlier overall except for fractional, which marked a 1.7 percent improvement as large jet fractional flights were up 7.8 percent and turboprop fractional flights by 8.1 percent. 

In Europe, flights across all aircraft categories were down year-over-year in February, with large jet activity plunging 43.9 percent and turboprop operations down 28.3 percent. Light jets marked the smallest year-over-year drop, but those operations were still down 21.3 percent from February 2020. Midsize jet operations were down 30.6 percent in Europe, year-over-year, and turboprop activity dropped 28.3 percent.

And, compared with January, light jet activity actually improved 5.2 percent in February. All other aircraft categories saw operations decrease in single digits month-over-month in February, with turboprop flights sliding the most at 6.7 percent. Large jet flights were down 5.4 percent from January, while midsize jet flights declined 3.1 percent.