The Fastest-Growing Private Jet Markets in the U.S.: 2026 Movement Data

How Growth Is Measured: FAA ATADS Movement Data

The FAA's Air Traffic Activity Data System (ATADS) tracks every instrument and visual flight operation at towered airports across the United States. Business jet movements, specifically operations by aircraft classified as general aviation turbine, form a subset of this data. Between 2022 and 2025, total U.S. business jet movements grew 8 percent nationally. But the growth is not distributed evenly. A handful of markets grew 25 to 41 percent while traditional hubs like Teterboro and Van Nuys grew less than 5 percent or declined.

The growth markets share three characteristics: sunbelt location, population growth exceeding 10 percent since 2020, and proximity to technology or financial industry concentrations. The data tells a migration story: high-net-worth individuals and their companies are relocating, and their aviation follows.

The Top 10 Fastest-Growing Markets (2022-2025)

Bozeman, Montana is the fastest-growing private jet market in the country. The combination of Yellowstone Club, Big Sky Resort, and remote-work tech wealth has transformed a regional airport into a business aviation hub that handles more movements than airports serving cities ten times its population.

Why These Markets Are Growing

1. Austin: Tech Migration and No State Income Tax

Austin's business jet traffic grew 34 percent as Tesla, Oracle, and hundreds of smaller tech firms relocated headquarters or expanded Texas operations. Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) and Austin Executive Airport (EDC) split the traffic. EDC opened its new FBO in 2023, capturing overflow from AUS's increasingly congested ramps. The city's population grew 22 percent since 2020. Texas's zero state income tax pulls founders and executives from California, where top marginal rates exceed 13 percent.

2. Nashville: Entertainment, Healthcare, and Lifestyle

Nashville's John C. Tune Airport (JWN) grew from 14,500 to 18,560 business jet movements. Nashville's appeal combines entertainment industry headquarters (Warner Music, Big Machine), healthcare corporations (HCA, Acadia), and lifestyle migration. The city attracted 100+ corporate relocations between 2020 and 2025. JWN's proximity to downtown (7 miles) makes it the preferred private jet airport; BNA handles overflow and commercial-to-private connecting traffic.

3. Bozeman: Mountain Resort and Tech Remote Work

Bozeman's 41 percent growth is driven by the Yellowstone Club (average home price: $8 million), Big Sky Resort development, and remote-work tech workers who relocated from San Francisco and Seattle. The airport's single 8,996-foot runway handles the heaviest business jets (Global 7500, G650ER). Winter ski season concentrates 60 percent of annual business jet traffic into December through March. Summer fly-fishing season adds a second demand spike in July and August.

4. Savannah: Manufacturing, Military, and Gulfstream

Savannah's growth is partly circular: Gulfstream Aerospace's headquarters and production facility generates significant business jet traffic from suppliers, customers, and executives. Hyundai's $5.5 billion EV manufacturing plant (construction began 2023) added corporate aviation demand. Savannah's historic district and coastal location attract leisure travel. Savannah/Hilton Head International (SAV) handles the business jet traffic through Signature Flight Support and Sheltair FBO facilities.

5. Bentonville: Walmart Vendor Flights

Bentonville's business jet traffic reflects Walmart's supplier ecosystem. Thousands of vendor meetings occur weekly at Walmart's Bentonville headquarters, and many arrive by private jet. The Walmart effect is so dominant that local FBOs report 70 percent of business jet arrivals are Walmart-related. Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) and Bentonville Municipal (VBT) split the traffic. Crystal Bridges Museum and growing tech presence (Walmart Global Technology) add non-retail aviation demand.

Markets That Declined or Stagnated

Not every market grew. Several traditional business aviation hubs experienced flat or declining movements:

• Teterboro (TEB): +2% growth (2022-2025). Already at capacity with noise restrictions limiting new slots. Growth is capped by the airport's 12-mile proximity to Manhattan and the noise curfew limiting operations.
• Van Nuys (VNY): -3% decline. Los Angeles business aviation traffic is migrating to Camarillo (CMA) and Long Beach (LGB) as Van Nuys faces increasing community noise complaints and potential operational restrictions.
• Santa Monica (SMO): Closed permanently in 2029 under a long-running agreement. Traffic has already migrated to Van Nuys and Hawthorne (HHR) before closure.
• White Plains (HPN): +1% growth. Capped by runway length limitations (6,548 ft) that prevent heavy jet operations. Demand exists but infrastructure cannot accommodate it.
• Palm Beach (PBI): +4% growth. Mature market with high base. Growth is limited by seasonal concentration; 65 percent of annual traffic occurs November through April.

The aviation infrastructure in the fastest-growing markets is being tested. Bozeman's single runway has no expansion path. Austin Executive opened a new FBO but cannot extend its 6,025-foot runway. Nashville's JWN faces residential encroachment. Growth creates demand; whether the airports can accommodate it determines whether the growth sustains.

Infrastructure Bottlenecks: When Growth Outpaces Capacity

Airport infrastructure cannot grow as fast as demand. Runway construction takes 5 to 10 years from environmental review to completion. FBO construction takes 18 to 36 months. Hangar development requires local zoning approval, environmental assessments, and capital expenditure that FBO operators commit only when they see sustained demand growth over multiple years. Several of the fastest-growing markets face specific constraints:

• Austin Executive (EDC): The airport's 6,025-foot runway limits operations to light and midsize jets. Heavy jets (Global 7500, G650) require Austin-Bergstrom (AUS), which shares runway infrastructure with commercial airline traffic. No runway extension is planned at EDC due to surrounding development.
• Bozeman (BZN): Single-runway operations mean any closure halts all traffic. Winter snow removal closures average 3 per week during peak season, each lasting 30 to 90 minutes. The airport master plan includes a parallel taxiway improvement but no second runway.
• Nashville JWN: Residential development on three sides of the airport constrains expansion. Noise complaints have increased 40 percent since 2022. The airport authority is studying operational caps that would limit business jet movements during nighttime hours.
• Savannah (SAV): FBO ramp space reached capacity during Gulfstream delivery events and holiday weekends. Sheltair completed a ramp expansion in 2024 adding 15 parking positions, but demand continues to grow faster than pavement.

The infrastructure constraint creates a secondary effect: pricing power for existing FBO operators. When ramp space is limited, fuel margins increase. When hangar space is scarce, monthly rates rise. FBO operators in growth markets have increased fuel margins by $0.30 to $0.60 per gallon since 2022, reflecting the demand-supply imbalance.