Used Bizjet Inventory Drops, but Still a Buyer's Market

Inventories of preowned business jets, turboprops and helicopters are all trending lower, dropping by an overall average of 0.5 percent year-over-year in September, according to data released on Monday by business aviation information firm JetNet. Business jets and turboprops showed the largest declines, with inventory of the former deflating by 1.1 percent from a year ago, to 10.4 percent, and of the latter falling by 0.7 percent, to 7.4 percent.

“This is very good news, but we are just above the 10 percent line for business jets and still in a buyer's market,” JetNet said, adding that this inventory now sits at just above 2,200 aircraft.

Over the first nine months, preowned business jet sale transactions rose 5.9 percent year-over-year, to 1,946, but jets are taking the same amount of time to sell at 313 days. Conversely, JetNet said used turboprop sale transactions fell 10.2 percent, to 911, and average number of days on the market rose by 13, to 309 days.

Turbine helicopter transactions during the first three quarters increased—by 5.9 percent, to 1,061—but so did the average number of days on market, which soared by 50, to 487 days. Despite units up for sale taking more than a year to sell on average, turbine helicopter inventory is just 6.5 percent of the installed fleet, 0.3 percent lower than a year ago.