Demand for Air Charter May Soar

Charter flight activity will increase dramatically during the holiday season, predicts online charter portal Avinode. The company's demand index, which forecasts activity for the 30 days ahead, rose from 61.88 on November 1 to 105.43 on December 1, just slightly behind the 108.61 recorded on December 1 last year. Meanwhile, another report suggests that demand for charter may be stabilizing but remains relatively low. From October to November, charter flight hours increased 2.4 percent for midsize jets and 1 percent for large-cabin jets but decreased 6.9 percent for light jets, according to online charter marketplace CharterX. Compared with a year ago, charter flight hours in November were down 9 percent for light jets and 15 percent for large-cabin jets but up 7 percent for midsize jets. For more on the charter market, see the Inside Charters column in BJT.