Liftbrief / Market data and deal flow
Is US private flying growing, and which volumes matter?
The clearest annual procurement-relevant series found is US charter and fractional jet departures. WINGX data published by Private Jet Card Comparisons show the following trajectory; the source includes jets and VIP airliners, not a complete turboprop market. The article displays a publication date of 9 January 2026, although its URL contains 8 January. (privatejetcardcomparisons.com)
| Calendar year | US charter/fractional departures |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 997,643 |
| 2022 | 1,392,316 |
| 2024 | 1,359,749 |
| 2025 | 1,448,409 |
Source for every row: WINGX for Private Jet Card Comparisons, published January 2026. These are the source’s combined charter/fractional categories, not charter-only customer bookings. (privatejetcardcomparisons.com)
Desk calculation: the published counts imply 6.5% growth from 2024 to 2025, rounded to one decimal place. That calculation uses the reported counts rather than the article’s rounded 6% description. Departures are not passenger numbers or occupied, billable hours; they should not be multiplied by a jet-card hourly rate to manufacture a revenue estimate. (privatejetcardcomparisons.com)
What does the more recent activity evidence say?
| Indicator | Measurement period | Reported result | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global business-jet departures | First half of 2026 | +3.4% year on year | Global Jet Capital’s Q2 brief, using WINGX; published August 2026. (globaljetcapital.com) |
| North American business-jet departures | Q2 2026 | +4.9% year on year | Same brief; North America is not US-only. (globaljetcapital.com) |
| Global business-jet departures | 5–11 October 2026 | Just over 81,400, +0.4% year on year | WINGX bulletin headline, 14 October 2026. (wingx-advance.com) |
Buyer interpretation: annual and quarterly growth do not mean every week, cabin class or supplier is strengthening. The latest weekly headline indicates slower growth, but one week is insufficient evidence for a sustained downturn. The full underlying October bulletin was not accessible in this research; no US-specific October conclusion is inferred from its headline.
For a recurring charter buyer, the useful follow-up is not “Is private aviation growing?” It is: “How has the delivered price and availability of our actual missions changed?” Request the same routes, passenger loads, notice periods and cancellation protections from competing suppliers.