European business aviation departures fell by 1.7% over the first five months of 2019 – a total of 5,500 flights – according to the latest edition of the Business Aviation Monitor published by Hamburg-based analyst WingX. Traffic totals for both April and May recorded overall YOY falls of 3%. According to WingX managing director Richard Koe, this slowing of activity reinforces “the impression that European demand has stalled since Q4 2018”. In terms of traffic breakdown, May saw a fall of 7% in owner-operated bizjet flights while the number of charter flights remained static. The decline in overall flight activity was most noticeable in the UK, France and Germany.