2025 Breaks Records – But 2026 Begins With Turbulence

Written By Support Kerr & Jones

Executive Summary

2025 set a new record for global business jet activity — and that trend is carrying into 2026. According to data from WingX Advance, the industry logged roughly 3.9 million departures last year, marking the highest annual total on record and reflecting strong demand across both established and emerging markets.(businessairnews.com)

For investors focused on real assets with tangible usage trends — like aviation, leasing, and mobility infrastructure — this growth confirms two things:
1) demand is structural, not cyclical, and
2) global wealth — and its mobility — is increasing investment opportunity.

What’s Happening Now?

Record flight volumes:
Global business jet departures rose about 5 % in 2025, with 3.9 million movements recorded — the busiest year to date.(businessairnews.com)

Regional momentum varies:

  • North America (72 % of activity) remains the growth engine, showing ongoing robust utilization.

  • Europe lagged last year with modest year‑on‑year growth, but early 2026 data shows slight uptick in departures.

  • Emerging markets posted stronger gains in 2025: Latin America +11 %, Africa +15 %, Asia +4 %, Middle East +7 %.(businessairnews.com)

New year corrections:
Week 1 of 2026 saw mixed signals — double‑digit declines in parts of Latin America and Asia, while Africa registered growth. Such shifts reflect geopolitics and post‑holiday demand cycles.(businessairnews.com)

What This Means for Investors

Demand Is Fundamental, Not Seasonal

Unlike commercial airline traffic, which often fluctuates with macroeconomic forces, business jet usage is driven by wealth mobility, corporate strategy, and time arbitrage. Even in times of geopolitical shifts, HNW individuals and corporate charters prioritize reliability and flexibility.(businessairnews.com)

The Sector Is Resilient

Record flight activity doesn’t just show preference — it reveals structural demand. Weekly data from WingX shows business jet activity staying ahead of 2024 most weeks, indicating sustained use, not sporadic spikes.(Forbes)

Emerging Markets Are Gaining Traction

Strong gains in Africa, Latin America, Middle East, and Asia highlight geographic diversification of demand. That suggests opportunity beyond North America’s traditional stronghold.

Fractional and Corporate Use Is a Tailwind

Corporate flight departments and fractional owners (like NetJets and Flexjet) are flying more consistently — even in slower commercial travel periods — pointing to new business models that support recurring revenue streams in aviation.(Forbes)

What’s Next?

2026 will test sustainability under volatility.
Early signs show demand shifting regionally, and geopolitical flows will shape where investment dollars chase mobility.

Growth isn’t uniform — but it’s persistent.
Emerging market adoption, corporate jet usage, and HNWI mobility are creating a baseline of activity that’s less tied to economic cycles and more tied to wealth patterns and structural demand.

Investor interest will follow real activity — not sentiment.
Deal flow will increasingly center on asset‑backed revenue (leasing, fractional ownership, training, MRO, charter infrastructure) rather than pure speculative equity.

Join Our 2026 Aviation Outlook

The data is clear: aviation is moving — and so is capital with it.

We’re opening our dealroom to hand‑picked investors who want early insights into:

  • Aviation‑backed income strategies

  • Leasing platforms with global reach

  • Asset acquisition tied to real flight activity

Don’t invest in yesterday’s market —
invest where the jets are flying.

Sources

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