Commercial Utilization Is Steadily Increasing

Flight hours for commercial aircraft are rising but remain woefully short of pre-pandemic rates. Overall, commercial utilization in February 2022 was 52% higher than in February 2021 but 21% lower than the same month in 2020.

After a pandemic outbreak scare in China and the northern hemisphere’s seasonal slow travel period, the chart shows that flight hours took a dive in February 2021.

 

 

 

Tracking later in 2021 showed positive signs of recovery through February 2022 for all categories with the smallest aircraft recovering the quickest and most completely after accounting for seasonal variations.

As passengers face fewer restrictions from the effects of the pandemic, the recent history of the data suggests positive signs that aircraft utilization is steadily climbing.

Gain insight into the pandemic’s impact on global aircraft utilization with the latest market analysis from Aviation Week Intelligence Network’s (AWIN) Data & Analytics team.