Global business‑aviation flight activity rose 7.2% in September, driven by a sharp rebound in North America and continued growth in Europe, according to Argus’ latest TraqPak data. North American flights climbed 7.5% year‑on‑year, marking the region’s largest monthly increase outside the initial COVID surge, while Europe posted a fifth straight month of positive growth at +2.5%.

Argus forecasts the momentum to persist into the current month, though growth in North America is expected to cool to about 0.7% year‑on‑year, with Europe projected to accelerate roughly 4.4%.

In North America every operational category was up. Fractional operations led the gains with a 13.2% increase, Part 135 activity rose 7.3% and Part 91 operations grew 5.4%. By aircraft type, light jets recorded the biggest jump (+8.3%), followed by midsize jets (+8.2%), turboprops (+7.0%) and large‑cabin jets (+5.6%). Combined cabin/operation figures showed fractional large‑cabin activity soaring 20.7%, with fractional small jets up 19.3%. The only segment to slip was Part 135 large‑cabin jets (‑0.4%).

Europe’s expansion was led by large‑cabin jets (+7.3%) and midsize jets (+3.5%), though light‑jet and turboprop movements eased slightly. The Rest of World region posted an 11.4% increase overall, with light‑jet activity surging 21.9%.

“This September far outperformed expectations — demand is broad‑based and robust,” said Travis Kuhn, Senior VP of Software at Argus. “We’re watching Part 91 gains closely given their recent volatility, and a small soft spot in large‑cabin Part 135 activity warrants attention. Overall, market conditions look healthy heading into the season’s peak.”