So far this year, private jet flight segments worldwide are 3.9% ahead of 2025, which were 2.6% higher than 2024 at this point, according to WingX.

Doug Gollan

As airlines cancel flights amid demand concerns and rising fuel prices, the latest data from WingX suggests private aviation has yet to feel an impact. What's more, CEOs say there are no signs of consumer demand ebbing.

So far this year, private jet flight segments worldwide are 3.9% ahead of 2025, which were 2.6% higher than 2024 at this point.

North America, which accounts for about 70% of global activity, is up 4.7% year-over-year through the first 19 weeks of 2026. That comes on top of last year's 3.0% year-over-year gains.

Even in Europe, where anti-private jet rhetoric is again on the rise, private jet flying is also surging. WingX data shows European segments 3.5% ahead of last year to date. That reverses a half-point decline from 2024 to 2025.

The past four weeks show continued gains – 3.0% higher than a year ago worldwide, and 4% higher in North America.

U.S. private jet flights are 5% higher than in 2025 over the past four weeks.

Fractional and charter operators in the U.S. are seeing particularly strong demand. They had 9% more departures over the past four weeks compared to the same period a year ago.

The two biggest players in North America – NetJets and Flexjet – have increased flights by double digits year-to-date.

NetJets, with 156,467 flights, was up 13.3% year-over-year through May 10, 2026. Flexjet, with 62,696 flights, was ahead of last year by an 11.9% margin.

Executives, speaking both during recent earnings calls and media appearances, could be described as nothing short of ebullient.

Bill Papariella, the chairman of Bond, which launches next year and recently increased its order of long-range Bombardier Global 8000s, told Bloomberg TV, "Private aviation is hitting the tailwinds of that in a big way."

He says tech companies’ IPOs could produce 5,000 or more new centimillionaires. Papariella said the current private jet surge is being fueled in part by "wealth creation since COVID," which he calls "absolutely extraordinary."

Knight Frank estimates there are currently 713,626 UHNWIs worldwide. That's up from 551,435 in 2021. The United States, which already accounts for 35% of the new super-rich, is projected to add 136,000 UHNWIs in the next five years and increase its share of the very wealthy to 41%.

Elevate Jet CEO Greg Raif told Fortune, "Not only has demand not slowed for private aviation, since fuel prices went up and the war started, but it's also actually gone up slightly."

During its earnings call, flyExclusive Chairman Jim Segrave said despite the complex confluence of factors, "We have not, however, seen any demand disruption within our customer base," adding, "In fact, our revenue and flight hours for the second quarter will materially exceed our first quarter results."

Segrave said he expects 15% year-over-year revenue growth in the second quarter. First-quarter revenues were up 9%.

Segrave told listeners, "Our fractional and Jet Club members are typically ultra-high-net-worth individuals and corporate accounts for whom private aviation represents a productivity tool and a lifestyle priority — not a discretionary expenditure that gets scrutinized in periods of market softness."

He said April booking activity, utilization trends, and member engagement "have all remained healthy."

Wheels UP CEO George Mattson told Bloomberg Radio, "Demand remains very strong." In a separate interview, Mattson said, "The charter business continues to do really well. Corporate continues to do really well."

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel told CNBC that future demand at its NetJets unit is strong enough that the fractional private jet operator is likely to take delivery of around 100 new private jets in 2027, similar to this year.

NetJets delivery schedules are tied to its sales of aircraft shares. During a 2024 conference of private jet aircraft dealers, Textron Aviation CEO Ron Draper, speaking of his biggest customer, said, "When they're selling, we're selling."

NetJets Chairman Adam Johnson told CNBC's Becky Quick that so far there had been no letup in demand.

Executives at the companies note they can pass along fuel price increases to customers, and so far, they aren’t balking. However, Johnson held out the possibility that continued fuel price increases could dampen demand.

Segrave noted, "We remain clear-eyed about the external environment."

He said, "We are not dismissing the broader macro risks, and we continue to manage the business conservatively," before noting on the Monday call, “Based on everything we can see today, we do not believe the current environment represents a material headwind to our near-term trajectory.”

Papariella says of private flyers, "They’re still going to buy the company they’re going to buy" meaning they will make the trip to do the deal even if it costs more.

In addition to newly minted centimillionaires, Mattson believes private aviation can grow substantially by augmenting airline usage. Wheels Up is increasing its targeting of Delta Air Lines frequent flyers. Delta owns 36% of Wheels Up.

"Half a percent of 20 million (Delta SkyMiles members) is 100,000," he told Bloomberg.