Business aviation flight activity this year is expected to end up 8.5 percent above that in 2021, assuming current trends hold, according to aviation data and safety specialist Argus International. In its mid-year review of flight activity, Argus found that business aviation flights surged in the first half but are expected to see a slower rate of growth in the second.

“We’ve been seeing the pattern of growth on top of growth begin to slow,” Argus said. Even so, the industry is “15 percent to 20 percent larger in the post-pandemic environment.” The company anticipates activity will continue to follow normal flight patterns, with peaks in August and October and a slowing in November and December.

Flight activity in the back half alone is anticipated to be 1 percent and 19.8 percent above the same period in 2021 and 2019, respectively. Counting the whole year, activity is still projected to be up 8.5 percent over 2021, 55.2 percent from 2020, and 18.2 percent from 2019.

Flights topped 10,000 in 102 days in the first half of the year, compared with just 27 in 2021 and 32 in 2019. Seven of the 10 busiest days occurred on Thursdays, with the busiest day, April 14, coming in at 12,867 flights. Fridays came in as the next busiest day, averaging 10,830. But Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday each hosted the largest increases in the number of flights, at more than 20 percent.

Activity reaches the bottom primarily around holidays or on weekends when business travel is typically slow, with the slowest day this year occurring on Saturday, January 29, at 6,042 flights.