European Bizav Traffic Reaches 'Watershed' in October

Business traffic was up 8.9 percent in Europe in October, reported the European Business Aviation Association, citing Eurocontrol data. This marked the 12th consecutive month of year-over-year increases.

“October was a watershed month for business aviation movements in Europe, denoting the first full year of traffic growth since 2008,” said EBAA CEO Brandon Mitchener. “What's more, all European countries have experienced traffic growth since January 2017, and all the top 10 business aviation airports in Europe have seen positive traffic figures since the beginning of the year.”

Last month was the best October in movements since 2009, the association further reported. The 8.9 percent improvement matched the gains in August and fell just shy of the 9 percent jump marked in March.

Business aviation departures at London Biggin Hill jumped 15.1 percent in October and departure growth in 2017 overall at the U.K. airport is among the strongest in Europe, up 16.3 percent. France, which leads Europe in average daily flights, marked an 8.8 percent improvement in October, compared with a year earlier.