Fractional flying dropped 10.6 percent in April

[gret]

From today's AIN Alert

U.S. Bizav Traffic Down Slightly in April

Business aircraft activity in the U.S. fell for the third consecutive month, with flying hours down slightly?by 0.4 percent?year-over-year last month, according to TraqPak data released on Friday by aviation services company Argus. As has been the trend for much of this year, Part 135 was the only operational category to experience a gain in flying activity, increasing 10.5 percent from a year ago and marking its seventh consecutive monthly increase. Part 91 activity was down 3.2 percent year-over-year, while fractional flying dropped by 10.6 percent, the Argus data shows. By aircraft category, the turboprop segment experienced the only decline last month, decreasing by 5.7 percent from a year ago. Large-cabin jet flying led the pack with a 4.9-percent year-over-year gain, with midsize and light jets recording increases of 2.5 percent and 1 percent, respectively. There were several bright spots in individual market segments, including double-digit gains in Part 135 jet flying, with light and midsize charter jet flying up by 12.1 percent and 20.4 percent from last year. Large-cabin charter jet flying also climbed by a healthy 9.3 percent. Fractional turboprop flying saw the largest drop, falling 22.6 percent year-over-year. Argus TraqPak data provides ?serial-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S.?

How does this square with all the comments that everyone is flying the wings off the aircraft? Granted Avantair may be down, but they wouldn't impact the overall numbers that much.

Charter looks very good!

Wonder why things are what they are?

 

[gunfyter]

Doesn't jibe at all ....

But we fly 135 a lot more than we use to. So perhaps they count that as charter

 

[CaveoFalco]

Aren't Citation Air and FLOPS out of the Fractional Business?

 

[BoeingBaller]

From today's AIN Alert

U.S. Bizav Traffic Down Slightly in April

Business aircraft activity in the U.S. fell for the third consecutive month, with flying hours down slightly?by 0.4 percent?year-over-year last month, according to TraqPak data released on Friday by aviation services company Argus. As has been the trend for much of this year, Part 135 was the only operational category to experience a gain in flying activity, increasing 10.5 percent from a year ago and marking its seventh consecutive monthly increase. Part 91 activity was down 3.2 percent year-over-year, while fractional flying dropped by 10.6 percent, the Argus data shows. By aircraft category, the turboprop segment experienced the only decline last month, decreasing by 5.7 percent from a year ago. Large-cabin jet flying led the pack with a 4.9-percent year-over-year gain, with midsize and light jets recording increases of 2.5 percent and 1 percent, respectively. There were several bright spots in individual market segments, including double-digit gains in Part 135 jet flying, with light and midsize charter jet flying up by 12.1 percent and 20.4 percent from last year. Large-cabin charter jet flying also climbed by a healthy 9.3 percent. Fractional turboprop flying saw the largest drop, falling 22.6 percent year-over-year. Argus TraqPak data provides ?serial-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S.?

How does this square with all the comments that everyone is flying the wings off the aircraft? Granted Avantair may be down, but they wouldn't impact the overall numbers that much.

Charter looks very good!

Wonder why things are what they are?

Look who's in office...

 

[realityman]

Aren't Citation Air and FLOPS out of the Fractional Business?

FLOPS is still going pretty strong.

But yes, CA is about done.

And Gun has it right also, we're doing a ton of 135 flying at NJA. They may be counting that in the survey as part of the charter flying.

 

[pilotyip]

From today's AIN Alert

U.S. Bizav Traffic Down Slightly in April

while fractional flying dropped by 10.6 percent, the Argus data shows.
Wonder why things are what they are?

Could it be customers are affair of a possible strike by the pilots in the fractional business and are taking their business elsewhere?

 

[realityman]

Could it be customers are affair of a possible strike by the pilots in the fractional business and are taking their business elsewhere?

No.

They would have to be taking their business elsewhere before we ever even talked about going into negotiations.

Seriously, that's the best you have?

 

[gret]

My guess is that people find it cheaper to charter...

...but that is not what would concern me....it is the fact that flying is still down substantially from 2007. The NetJet CEO said the industry was still down 20% from its peak. 5-6 years is a long time for a recovery.

 

[doh]

Could it be customers are affair of a possible strike by the pilots in the fractional business and are taking their business elsewhere?

We aren't union, so what the heck are you talking about? 135 is way up because people don't want to own the asset. I'm not smart enough to know why, but they are flying more and doing it 135, so they must not want to own.

 

[imacdog]

No.

They would have to be taking their business elsewhere before we ever even talked about going into negotiations.

Seriously, that's the best you have?

Yes it is. Pretty sad, isn't it?

 

[pilotyip]

We aren't union, so what the heck are you talking about? 135 is way up because people don't want to own the asset. I'm not smart enough to know why, but they are flying more and doing it 135, so they must not want to own.

Of course you are not, but as per above jet users are finding it cheaper to rent than own. That is what is building up the 135 business opposed to the Fractional growth, yet the fractional pilots think by making it more expensive to become a fractional owner they can recapture that busienss lost to chrater operators.

 

[CaveoFalco]

Of course you are not, but as per above jet users are finding it cheaper to rent than own. That is what is building up the 135 business opposed to the Fractional growth, yet the fractional pilots think by making it more expensive to become a fractional owner they can recapture that busienss lost to chrater operators.

How do you know what fractional pilots think? Reading this board?

Have you read NetJets financials? The business is making a lot of money, both directly and indirectly in charter, leasing, and fractional. NetJets is business model diversified enough to fend of the political pressures from the government and the marketplace.

 

[OPECJet]

Of course you are not, but as per above jet users are finding it cheaper to rent than own. That is what is building up the 135 business opposed to the Fractional growth, yet the fractional pilots think by making it more expensive to become a fractional owner they can recapture that busienss lost to chrater operators.

The pilot group isn't the one charging a 30% premium over our competitors while reporting large profits.

 

[Pervis]

....yet the fractional pilots think by making it more expensive to become a fractional owner they can recapture that busienss lost to chrater operators.

Come on Yip. Both of us are smarter than that. It's always the hype that the evil employees are the driving factor in cost of operations when in fact it is a very small percentage, especially in aviation. Funny how this always comes up when negotiations are about to begin.

When I see our schedulers choose to repo a jet at huge expense with the sole purpose of getting a crew home to avoid the after midnight penalty, I don't even want to hear how costly our wages and benefits are. They regularly burn up a month or two of a crew's salary every time they do that, and even openly admit it. Take the battle cry of poverty somewhere else.

 

[imacdog]

Yip's just used to handing out piss wages to his cargo pilots and isn't used to dealing with pilots who know what they are worth.

 

[gunfyter]

Pilot Shortage is hitting now YIP .... this is the calm just before the Tsunami.

 

[gutshotdraw]

And Yip is the one who has been predicting a pilot shortage and hiring boom for, how long has it been now Yip? Two years?

 

[pilotyip]

Yip's just used to handing out piss wages to his cargo pilots and isn't used to dealing with pilots who know what they are worth.

Actually we are providing charity for about 4 NJ pilots kicked out the door 4 years ago, and they are getting a lot more "worth" from JUS right now then "worth" from NJ.

Pilot Shortage is hitting now YIP .... this is the calm just before the Tsunami.

Actually I have not used the term pilot shortage for over 12 years since I got beat up by Avbug, I have used the term hiring boom to reflect the growing hiring trends now seen in the industry

 

[gret]

There is no shortage if flight hours don't increase...for business aircraft pilots.

Life doesn't begin and end with NetJets, or any of the other fractionals...the market is much larger and we should all hope the pie gets bigger no matter who you fly for.

 

[doh]

Of course you are not, but as per above jet users are finding it cheaper to rent than own. That is what is building up the 135 business opposed to the Fractional growth, yet the fractional pilots think by making it more expensive to become a fractional owner they can recapture that busienss lost to chrater operators.

Again, where have I, and a majority of fractional pilots, given the impression that we think increased costs are the answer to our woes? If you are talking about the few unionized pilots on this board, then say so. But don't insult our intelligence by lumping us into one group. You have an answer that is flat out wrong! And the only way you can sell that answer is if you crowbar the majority of us into a false category.