Global business aircraft flight activity closed out 2025 on a high note with year-over-year (YOY) operations up 4.2% in December, according to the latest TraqPak report from Argus International. Last month, flight activity in North America climbed 2.1% from a year ago, while Europe marked its eighth straight YOY increase with a 1.3% gain. Argus expects this momentum to continue this month with a 3.8% YOY jump in North America and a 1% increase in Europe, continuing that continent’s streak of gains.

In North America, fractionals had what Argus called a “banner year,” finishing with an 8.4% YOY improvement in December. Part 135 edged up with a 1.6% gain, while Part 91 activity ebbed by 0.2% last month.

By aircraft category, midsize jets marked the largest increase in December, up 4.4%, while light jets and turboprops followed with 2.7% and 0.8% gains, respectively. However, large-cabin jet activity fell 1.2% in December, with large-cabin Part 135 activity off by 5.6%. The largest jump came with small-cabin fractional operations, up by 9.8%.

In Europe, the 1.3% improvement was driven by a 5% increase in large-jet operations and a 3.9% gain with midsize-jet flights. This offset a 2.3% decline in turboprop flights and 1.7% slide in light-jet operations. Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, business aircraft operations soared by 11.1% YOY.

With the slate of National Football League playoff matchups now whittled to four teams, the eyes of the business aviation industry are turning to the San Francisco Bay area, which will be the host of Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8. The final game is once again expected to be a magnet for private aviation for the week leading up to it.

Due to the high volume of anticipated traffic, the FAA has established a slot-reservation system for most general aviation arrivals and departures (including drop and goes) from Wednesday, February 4 through Monday, February 9 at 17 airports in the area. According to NBAA’s air traffic services, there will be exceptions for regularly scheduled carriers and air-taxi operations.

At those airports, each FBO will be given an allocation of slots based on the FAA’s estimated hourly arrival and departure rates, and service providers such as Signature Aviation—which has facilities at four of the affected airports—are advising customers to make their reservations as soon as possible. Due to parking availability, some airports may have only drop-and-go options available once their overnight parking reaches capacity. Those operations will still require reservations for both their inbound and outbound legs.

In addition, the FAA warned that volume in the airspace could place a strain on air traffic control, leading to implementation of other measures.

The FAA issued a series of notams on January 16 covering a large area of Central America and its flight information regions (FIRs), warning of a “potentially hazardous situation in the overwater regions.” These notams are valid through March 17.

“U.S. operators are advised to exercise caution when operating in the overwater areas above the Pacific Ocean in the Panama flight information region due to military activities and GNSS interference. Potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight and the arrival and departure phases of flight,” the agency said.

These notams apply to U.S. airlines, commercial operators, anyone exercising privileges of an FAA airman certificate unless operating a U.S.-registered aircraft for a foreign air carrier, and all operators of U.S.-registered civil aircraft (except for those operated by a foreign air carrier). According to OpsGroup’s Safe Airspace website, the FIRs covered by the notams include Central America (MHTG), Panama (MPZL), Bogota (SKED), Guayaquil (SEFG), Mazatlan (MMFO), unassigned eastern Pacific (XX01), and Mexico (MMFR).

In a summary of the situation in Central America, security intelligence firm Dyami explained that the notams were issued because of “heightened U.S. security posture in the region, driven by expanding counter-cartel operations, strategic interests around the Panama Canal, and increased military coordination with regional partners.”

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A new study by UK-based market analyst ID TechEx predicts that the global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market could reach $50 billion over the next decade. Production capacity of renewable diesel and SAF—which are closely linked in terms of processing—could exceed 67 million tonnes annually by 2036, it added.

Last year was a crucial one for SAF with the introduction of SAF-use mandates in the UK and EU, creating mandatory demand for the renewable fuel. Report author Eve Pope expects that demand will continue to rise as further decarbonization regulations are enacted.

There are nearly a dozen approved SAF production pathways, but the bulk of SAF is produced via the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) process, which relies on used cooking oils, animal fats, and greases as feedstocks. Supply of these feedstocks is limited, and Pope expects SAF demand to outstrip feedstock availability around 2030.

Emerging pathways such as alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) and e-SAF are expected to take up the slack, with some refineries now coming online. LanzaJet’s Freedom Pines facility in Georgia, with a capacity of 9 million gallons of SAF a year, began operation last year, making it the first ATJ refinery to produce SAF on a commercial scale. For many of the new production processes, high costs still remain a significant barrier to be addressed by technology development and regulations, according to Pope.

Air charter provider FlyExclusive is entering 2026 with what CEO Jim Segrave describes as a pivotal shift from turnaround to sustained profitability, driven by fleet discipline, dispatch reliability improvements, and targeted infrastructure investment. A central pillar of that strategy is the operator’s expanding fleet of Bombardier Challenger 350s, which Segrave called the company’s most profitable and reliable assets. FlyExclusive recently acquired two more Challenger 350s and expects to have 12 on its operating certificate by April.

Connectivity has become another differentiator, particularly as FlyExclusive moves to equip its fleet with Starlink. Segrave said customer reaction to high-speed connectivity has been decisive: “They’d rather have the smaller plane and have internet than they would a bigger airplane and not have it.”

Beyond the fleet, FlyExclusive is expanding its physical and organizational footprint, including growth in Raleigh, North Carolina, which Segrave said supports both recruiting and company culture. “The Raleigh move is about maintaining that culture and that connection and collaboration in person,” he said.

FlyExclusive’s growth strategy also includes capital activity, with the company recently raising $15 million through an equity transaction that improved liquidity and stock trading volume. “What that means to us is that we can now raise money off of the volume going forward, and so we can continue to accelerate our growth and add those Challengers like we want to,” he said.

The head of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), Giorgos Saounatsos, has resigned following January 4’s air traffic control service outage. That three-hour event brought air traffic in Greece to a standstill and highlighted ongoing critical weaknesses in the system’s resilience.

The Ministry of Transport accepted Saounatsos’ resignation last week, adding that deputy commander of air navigation Giorgos Vagenas “is temporarily assuming the duties of commander, while the process and the procedures for the appointment of a new commander will be initiated immediately.”

In recognition of what the Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers has previously condemned as “outdated and underfunded air traffic management infrastructure,” the Greek government has already confirmed that a “comprehensive action plan” is set to be completed by 2028.

A dedicated committee continues to work to clarify the exact cause of a problem believed to be linked to faulty telecommunications infrastructure. On Friday, the Ministry of Transport also announced the formation of a “crisis management team for air navigation and the installation of new transceivers.”

This follows HCAA’s participation in a series of “a series of institutional meetings in Brussels focusing on sector reform and the modernization of Greece’s air navigation systems.”

Join the editors of Business Jet Traveler and AIN on February 11 for an exclusive webinar that will detail everything you need to know about business aviation safety. Our editorial team will provide a safety checklist for passengers that begins with the charter booking process, offers air safety advice, outlines guidelines for flight departments, and includes expert analysis of several real-life accidents and what could have been done to prevent them. We will discuss best practices for safe operations and share practical steps you can apply to feel confident that your private flight will be as safe and seamless as possible.