Business aircraft flight activity slowed globally in December, marking a 5 percent decrease from a year earlier. In addition, activity ebbed by 1.8 percent month-over-month, according to the latest TraqPak report from Argus International.

North America was a driver of the December traffic decline, falling 6.2 percent year-over-year and 2.7 percent from November. Even so, operations in the region were still 12.7 percent higher from pre-pandemic December 2019.

Part 91 activity in North America dipped 7.6 percent in December from a year earlier, while Part 135 operations declined 6.4 percent and fractional by 1.3 percent. As for December operations by aircraft type in the region, midsize jets saw the biggest decrease of 9.1 percent, followed by large-cabin jets, -5.7 percent; light jets, -5.5 percent; and turboprops, -3.7 percent. All aircraft types and operational categories saw declines except fractional light jet flying, which was up 4.2 percent last month.

Also driving the global decline last month were operations in Europe, which dropped 15.8 percent from a year earlier. As in North America, all jet categories were down, with large-cabins plunging by 36.6 percent year-over-year and midsize jets by 11.5 percent. Light jet operations fell by just one percentage point while turboprop activity was relatively flat, up 0.6 percent.

In the rest of the world (ROW), activity jumped by 10.5 percent as turboprops saw an increase of 13.8 percent and large-cabin jets by 27.6 percent in operations from the year earlier. Activity in the ROW has been up for four straight months, Argus reported.

As flights dipped overall in December, Argus expects a small rebound in North America this month, estimated at a 2.3 percent increase. Activity in Europe, however, is estimated to still be down 14.9 percent year-over-year.