NetJets and Flexjet continued to outperform several major business aviation operators in the second quarter of 2026, highlighting a widening gap between fractional providers and parts of the on-demand charter market. Aviation Week’s Tracked Aircraft Utilization data shows flight hours at both NetJets and Flexjet increased 11% year on year during Q2, while VistaJet fell 7%, flyExclusive declined 4% and Wheels Up dropped 64%.

The figures reinforce the strength of the fractional model, where customers commit to guaranteed access to aircraft rather than booking individual charter flights. NetJets accumulated just under 210,000 flight hours during the quarter, while Flexjet’s utilisation was 181% above its Q2 2019 level. NetJets is also continuing to expand its fleet, planning to take delivery of more than 80 new aircraft in 2026, while Flexjet added the Gulfstream G500 to its fleet in June.

The divergence has implications well beyond operator revenues. Higher utilisation supports demand for pilots, cabin crew, maintenance personnel and training, while keeping aircraft and MRO assets productive. It can also strengthen demand for new aircraft, particularly as large fractional fleets replace and expand capacity. For aircraft owners and the preowned market, sustained utilisation at major operators can support residual demand for popular aircraft types, although higher flight hours also increase maintenance exposure and operating costs.

The contrasting performance suggests that business aviation demand remains healthy but increasingly uneven across business models. Wheels Up, for example, is restructuring its fleet and shifting towards its Signature Membership and charter operations, with newer Phenom 300 and Challenger 300 aircraft replacing older capacity. Aviation Week’s Q2 data therefore points less to a broad slowdown than to a market in which fleet composition, customer commitments and operating models are becoming increasingly important determinants of utilisation.

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