Amstat: Pre-Owned Market Stumbled at End of 2015

Business jet retail transactions slowed as 2015 came to a close, bringing the overall number down from a year earlier, according to data released yesterday by market analyst Amstat. Available pre-owned business jet inventory crept up slightly toward the end of 2015 to 11.1 percent, but still remained below the 20-year average of 12.6 percent, reported Amstat general manager Andrew Young.

In the fourth quarter, 2.5 percent of the active business fleet changed hands, down slightly from the 2.6 percent in the third quarter and a 3-percent drop from the same quarter in 2014. The fourth quarter also dipped below the 20-year quarter average of 2.8 percent of the active fleet. This pushed the total number of transactions in 2015 to 9.8 percent of the business jet population, down from 10.8 percent in 2014.

The midsize jet market proved strongest last year, at 10.8 percent of the fleet were dealt. While down from 11.3 percent in 2014, the sector logged the smallest decline. Meanwhile, 7.6 percent of large-cabin business jets changed hands last year, compared with 8.5 percent in 2014; and 10.4 percent of the light jets turned over, a significant drop from 12 percent in 2014.

Turboprop transactions, which increased quarter-over-quarter in the fourth quarter at 2.1 percent, were still down from the 2.3 percent in the same period in 2014. For the year, 7.7 percent of turboprops turned over versus 8.3 percent in 2014.