Chartered Air Passenger Services NAICS 481211

Jan 19, 2026 - Private Jet Travel Hits Record Highs in 2025

• Private jet travel blew past previous records in 2025, with roughly 3.9 million private jet flights worldwide, about 5% more than in 2024 and higher than the pandemic-era peaks of 2021 and 2022. The surge reflects a deeper shift in how private aviation is used: less as a luxury indulgence and more as a business efficiency tool for corporations, entrepreneurs and ultra-high-net-worth travelers managing tight schedules and global operations. Strong corporate travel, more international flying and broader adoption of jet cards and fractional ownership fueled demand. Notably, while flight activity soared, pricing for jet cards and flight hours rose only modestly, lagging overall inflation as competition increased and fleets expanded. Major operators reported high utilization rates and healthy forward bookings. Looking ahead to 2026, industry leaders expect growth to cool slightly but remain historically strong, signaling that private aviation’s post-pandemic normalization has settled at a permanently higher level.
• The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) push to hire thousands of new air traffic controllers amid a shortage has proved fruitful in terms of promising candidates, but the agency is having trouble finding enough qualified instructors to train them. After launching a hiring blitz in mid-March, the FAA has referred 8,300 candidates for testing, while increasing the agency’s training academy roster in Oklahoma City by 30% to 550 students as of July. However, the agency’s goal of hiring 8,900 new controllers by 2028 is slow going because instructors must be previous certified controllers themselves with on-the-job airport experience. Instructors have historically worked days that can last up to twelve hours with low pay, a tough sell for many qualified instructors. It takes four years to be certified as a controller, and a recent FAA workforce plan revealed the current pace will only yield 1,000 instructors by the deadline.

• Global private jet travel has increased 8% year over year as of April 2025, with the US leading the charge and accounting for 69% of all recorded outbound trips, according to aviation data firm WingX. Consumers able to fly in private jets have increasingly abandoned standard commercial air travel since the pandemic made private planes a safer and more attractive flying option given social distancing rules. Driven by these changing demands among travelers - along with the industry’s inherent advantages of travel flexibility, speed, and safety - private jet companies have seen demand and profits steadily increase. (The chartered air industry grew 9.3% last year to $97.8 billion.) In addition to affluent clientele, business travel is also a key driver of industry growth with more than 900,000 business jet departures recorded globally in Q1 2025 alone, per WingX.
• The global chartered air passenger service market increased from $87.9 billion in 2023 to a projected $97.8 billion in 2024, according to Research and Markets, a compound annual growth rate of 9.3%. The industry is forecast to grow to $106.9 billion in 2025 and to $145.8 billion by 2029. Key factors propelling the market include flexible travel options, luxury tourism, technological advancements, specialized services, and security and privacy. Recent industry innovations include ultra-long-range business jets, supersonic jets, and flexible booking models which integrate more technology. The industry also saw a boost last year from increased corporate travel, emergency and medical flights, and military and government contracts.