US Charter Demand Up 27% as NetJets and Miami Build New Private Terminals

More requests, the same number of flights

Avinode data reported by AIN on 15 October shows U.S. charter demand up 27% over the past year, while trip departures stayed largely stable despite an influx of U.S.-based brokers. More requests chasing a steady number of flights means more competition for the same aircraft, and it makes the choice of who you book through matter more.

Standards are rising on the aircraft-sales side too. IADA certified 16 brokers in 2026, bringing its roster to 233 (GlobalAir.com). Its Certified Aircraft Broker Version 2.0, launching after NBAA-BACE 2026, adds an extended study course and a minimum three-month preparation period on top of two years of transaction experience, and grows the exam from seven to nine knowledge domains with 79 learning objectives.

The buildout moves to the ground

NetJets is investing in private terminals for its owners (Airports International). At Dallas Love Field, where its flight activity has risen more than 25% since 2022, a NetJets-only complex of nearly 114,000 sq ft is set to open in late 2028. At Washington Dulles, construction starts in early 2027 on an exclusive-use terminal of more than 14,000 sq ft, and a 6,000 sq ft terminal and hangar at Colorado’s Rifle Garfield County Airport should open by early 2027, ahead of the Aspen runway closure. At West Palm Beach, its fourth-busiest airport, the footprint grows from 10,000 to 15,000 sq ft.

In South Florida, Ocean Aviation broke ground on 7 October on a $67 million, 40-acre campus at Miami Executive Airport with up to 400,000 sq ft of hangar space, expected to create about 2,900 construction jobs and 250 permanent positions, according to Miami-Dade County.

Airspace and airport access

In Washington, the Modern Skies Act, introduced by Rep. Tracey Mann and Sen. Eric Schmitt and backed by NBAA, would add $30 billion for air traffic control modernization and airport infrastructure on top of the $12.5 billion Congress approved last year. NBAA says the system serves about 45,000 flights and 2.9 million passengers every day, with updates needed at more than 4,600 FAA sites.

Closer to the ramp, access is tightening in places. After an FAA directive received on 1 October, the tower at Centennial Airport (APA) stopped simultaneous parallel departures and is not authorizing regular touch-and-go operations; an FAA Safety Risk Management panel is scheduled for 27–28 October. In Mesa, Arizona, a revised Falcon Field proposal would charge $4.14 per 1,000 lb of maximum landing weight, or $10.35 per landing for a 2,500 lb aircraft, with City Council consideration set for 8 December (AOPA). In Spain, competition authority CNMC on 5 October added five executives to its investigation into business aviation FBO operators over alleged market sharing, price fixing and no-poaching agreements.

Desk takeaway

When demand rises faster than flying, the best-value seats go to travellers who plan early and stay flexible, and repositioning flights are one way to use spare capacity. Check live options on our empty-leg board, set empty-leg alerts for your routes and follow the market in Market Intelligence.

Verified data & source

Every statement below comes from a separately cited original source, most of them carried in NBAA Daily between 12 and 16 October 2026: AIN (Avinode charter demand), Airports International (NetJets terminals), Miami-Dade County (Ocean Aviation), NBAA (Modern Skies Act), Centennial Airport, AOPA (Falcon Field), IADA and GlobalAir.com (broker certification), plus Spain’s competition authority CNMC (FBO investigation). Figures are reported exactly as published, including the sources’ own “about”, “nearly” and “more than” qualifiers; nothing is blended or derived.

Key verified statements (AIN, Airports International, Miami-Dade County, NBAA, Centennial Airport, AOPA, IADA and GlobalAir.com (via NBAA Daily, 12–16 October 2026); CNMC press release, 5 October 2026):

• Avinode data showed U.S. charter demand up 27% over the past year, while trip departures stayed largely stable despite an influx of U.S.-based brokers (AIN, 15 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 16 October 2026).
• NetJets plans a NetJets-only complex of nearly 114,000 sq ft at Dallas Love Field (DAL), set to open in late 2028, after its Dallas flight activity rose more than 25% since 2022 (Airports International, 13 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 13 October 2026).
• NetJets will convert more than 14,000 sq ft of a Signature Aviation building at Washington Dulles (IAD) into an exclusive-use terminal, with construction starting in early 2027, and open a 6,000 sq ft terminal and hangar at Rifle Garfield County Airport (RIL) by early 2027, ahead of the Aspen/Pitkin County runway closure (Airports International, 13 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 13 October 2026).
• NetJets is moving to a larger exclusive-use terminal at West Palm Beach (DJT), its fourth-busiest airport, growing its footprint there from 10,000 to 15,000 sq ft (Airports International, 13 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 13 October 2026).
• Ocean Aviation broke ground on 7 October 2026 on a $67 million, 40-acre private aviation campus at Miami Executive Airport (TMB) with up to 400,000 sq ft of hangar space, expected to create about 2,900 construction jobs and 250 permanent positions (Miami-Dade County, via NBAA Daily, 12 October 2026).
• The Modern Skies Act, introduced by Rep. Tracey Mann in the House and Sen. Eric Schmitt in the Senate and backed by NBAA, would add $30 billion for U.S. air traffic control modernization and airport infrastructure on top of the $12.5 billion Congress approved last year (NBAA, 9 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 12 October 2026).
• The U.S. air traffic control system serves about 45,000 flights and 2.9 million passengers every day, and modernization requires updates at more than 4,600 FAA sites (NBAA, 9 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 12 October 2026).
• After an FAA directive received on 1 October 2026, Centennial Airport's (APA) tower stopped simultaneous parallel departures and is not authorizing regular touch-and-go operations; an FAA Safety Risk Management panel is scheduled for 27–28 October 2026 (Centennial Airport, 16 October 2026; NBAA Daily, 12 October 2026).
• Mesa, Arizona's revised Falcon Field (FFZ) proposal would charge a landing fee of $4.14 per 1,000 lb of maximum landing weight, or $10.35 per landing for a 2,500 lb aircraft, with City Council consideration scheduled for 8 December 2026 (AOPA, 13 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 13 October 2026).
• IADA's Certified Aircraft Broker Version 2.0, launching after NBAA-BACE 2026, requires an extended study course and a minimum three-month preparation period on top of two years of transaction experience, and expands the exam from seven to nine knowledge domains with 79 learning objectives (IADA, 12 October 2026, via NBAA Daily, 13 October 2026).
• IADA certified 16 aircraft brokers in 2026, bringing its roster of certified brokers to 233 (GlobalAir, via NBAA Daily, 13 October 2026).
• On 5 October 2026 Spain's competition authority CNMC added five executives to its S/0014/25 investigation into business aviation FBO operators, which covers alleged market sharing, price fixing, exchange of sensitive information and no-poaching agreements (CNMC press release, 5 October 2026).

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