Growth in traffic amid preparations for the FIFA World Cup

According to the latest weekly report from the WINGX Business Aviation Bulletin, global business jet activity rose 2% year-over-year during week 19 (May 4–10). Year-to-date traffic growth (January 1–May 10) reached 3.9%, easing slightly from the 4.6% increase reported a week earlier (through May 3), while still outperforming the 2.6% growth recorded over the same period in 2025 versus 2024.

In the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, WINGX reviewed data from the last three World Cups to assess how the tournament drives demand for business aviation. Each event showed a notable rise in private jet traffic as the tournament advanced. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, business jet activity in host cities — measured across the day before, the day of, and the day after matches relative to typical three-day traffic volumes — increased from 1.9 times normal levels during the group stage to 3.5 times during the semifinals, before surging to 12.3 times normal traffic for the final.

According to WINGX projections, the 2026 tournament is expected to generate more than 73,000 business jet flights across the 16 host cities, with New York City accounting for nearly 27,900 flights alone. The influx is also anticipated to create substantial revenue opportunities for charter and fractional operators, with total additional revenue estimated at approximately $247 million across all host markets.