Data Show Charter Market Rebounding

Flight activity increased significantly for most of the U.S. executive air charter sector last month compared with the same period last year, according to online charter booking portal CharterX. Midsize jets showed the strongest improvement, with 16,844 hours flown, up 22 percent over January 2009. Flight time increased 5 percent for light jets, to 15,097 hours, but decreased 4.7 percent to 9,685 hours for heavy/large-cabin business jets. Overall, the number of hours flown by chartered jets has been steadily increasing in recent months, according to CharterX, which obtains its data from FAA flight records for aircraft registered to Part 135 operators.