Business aircraft flight activity last year in the U.S. and Canada was the best since 2008, rising 2 percent in 2014, according to TraqPak data released late last week by aviation services company Argus. “Flight activity had a great start in the first half, with gains of 1.6 percent, but an even stronger performance in the second half, with a 2.4-percent increase,” the company said. Activity in all four quarters grew year-over-year, with the fourth quarter posting a 2.8-percent gain.

Part 135 flight activity logged another year of solid gains, climbing 3.9 percent from 2013. This operating segment saw a year-over-year increase in flight activity in all but one month last year. Flying at the Part 91K fractionals rose 1.2 percent, while Part 91 private operators reported a year-over-year increase in activity of 1.1 percent.

Aircraft category results indicated a strong market for the jet categories, led by large-cabin jets for the second year in a row, Argus noted. Large-cabin jet flying jumped 6.2 percent last year, followed by the light and midsize categories, with gains of 4 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. Turboprop flying finished the year down 1.5 percent from 2013, but Argus pointed out that the segment finished the fourth quarter on a positive note, rising 2 percent from 2013.

Fractional light jets marked the largest single year-over-year increase, with a 23.6-percent gain. Meanwhile, fractional turboprop activity dove by 29.8 percent last year, attributable to Avantair ceasing operations in June 2013.

Argus TraqPak data provides “serial-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S. and Canada.”