Business aircraft flying in the U.S. and Canada continued its upward trajectory last month, with activity up 3.5 percent year-over-year, according to TraqPak data released today by Argus International. That was slightly below the 3.8 percent gain the business aviation services company predicted for February; this month, it is expecting a 4.2 percent rise.

By operator category, Part 135 flying once again led the pack, rising 8.8 percent year-over-year, while Part 91 reported a 0.7 percent gain. Fractional activity dipped into the red, falling 0.6 percent from a year ago.

All aircraft categories saw increases last month, with large-cabin jets coming out on top with a 7.1-percent year-over-year uptick. This was followed by midsize jets, up 3.6 percent; turboprops, 2.5 percent; and light jets, 2.3 percent.

The only double-digit gain in individual categories last month belonged to Part 135 large-cabin jets, which rose 14.5 percent from a year ago. Fractional turboprops and large-cabin jets saw double-digit decreases, falling 10.5 percent and 12.6 percent, respectively.

Activity has steadily increased over the past three Februarys, climbing from approximately 212,000 flights in January 2015 to 237,000 last month, according to Argus. Weekday flying was up 3.2 percent from a year ago, while weekend activity rose 2.6 percent.