US charter requests up 27% on Avinode as NBAA-BACE week opens

The headline number going into NBAA-BACE week is about requests, not flights. Avinode figures reported by AIN, and carried in the 16 October NBAA daily, put US charter demand up 27% over the past year, while the overall number of departures has stayed largely steady. The report names seasonality as the biggest driver of US demand, helped by more brokers working travel requests on behalf of clients.

When inquiries climb faster than departures, the same trip is usually being shopped more widely. Several brokers may be quoting one client mission, and operators see more RFQs for each booking they actually fly. For operators, that means quote volume alone is a weak signal of real demand; response speed and accuracy decide who wins the trip. For brokers, it means competing desks are likely chasing the same tails, so confirmed availability and a fast, clean quote matter more than ever.

Seasonality is the other lesson. The run from late autumn into the winter holidays is when US leisure demand traditionally builds, so desks should line up repositioning options and backup aircraft early, rather than relying on spot availability once the peak dates fill.

The same digest reports that Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy met the CEOs of Boeing and GE on 14 October to discuss aircraft certification reform, and warned of competitive certification pressure from China. Certification speed feeds directly into when new types and upgrades reach charter fleets, so it is worth watching for follow-up at the show.

The FAA has also introduced MedGuide, an online, interactive resource that helps pilots and air traffic control specialists make fit-for-duty decisions about medication use. Operators may want to point crews to it as part of routine fitness-for-duty briefings.

NBAA's Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas starts on 20 October, with news posted continuously on the show's website. NBAA will present its Pillar of the Association Award to longtime association executive Doug Carr at the Military Connect event on 21 October.

One item from outside business aviation that still matters for the wider market:

• Avolon (AviaBlink Weekly, 16 October): the lessor announced firm orders for 250 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including 35 A330neos and 75 A320neo-family jets, subject to shareholder approval. Large lessor orders tie up OEM production slots and supply chains that business-jet programmes share.

Demand is real but heavily shopped. Operators win by answering RFQs quickly and accurately; brokers win by sourcing confirmed aircraft that match the trip first, starting with operators at the departure or destination end. Plan the holiday season now, and watch NBAA-BACE this week for regulator and OEM news that will shape quotes into 2027.

This brief is an original rewrite of facts reported in the NBAA Daily of 16 October 2026 (AIN report on Avinode US charter demand; Mezha report on DOT Secretary Duffy's meeting with Boeing and GE CEOs; FAA MedGuide; NBAA-BACE opening date; Doug Carr Pillar of the Association Award) and AviaBlink Weekly of 16 October 2026 (Avolon 250-aircraft order). It is not a verbatim reproduction of those publications.