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Against the backdrop of a stable global economy, business jet backlogs grew by 20.4% year over year (YOY) in the second quarter, while departures were up 3.2%, according to Global Jet Capital (GJC). At the same time, young preowned aircraft availability dropped, the financier further reported in its second-quarter Business Aviation Market Brief released today.
GJC noted that the business aviation market remained steady overall as the global GDP grew 2.3% during the quarter despite geopolitical developments in the Middle East. This global growth is anticipated to remain throughout the year, barring unforeseen significant events. “With steady economic growth and the wealth creation that accompanies it, the business jet market remains well positioned for continued health through the remainder of 2026,” according to GJC
During the second quarter, OEM backlogs reached $66.8 billion. This comes as deliveries were up by 4.5% in the first half YOY among the top five business jet manufacturers. Book-to-bills at OEMs remained above 1:1 as orders flowed in from both fleet operators and private users. This is keeping lead times averaging between 18 and 26 months, with some models extending further.
Underpinning the market expansion has been an increase in operations. This growth has remained consistent overall since mid-2024. North America has led this growth, including a 4.9% YOY increase in the second quarter. Fractionals remain a driver of the activity trends. However, declines in the Middle East contributed to a 1% slide in departures in the rest of the world.
While business jet deliveries were up, transactions involving new aircraft actually dropped by 19.8% and dollar volume fell 14.5% in the first half. Preowned was also down in the first six months by 7.5%, but dollar volume still increased by 7%. GJC said the decline in transactions may reflect delays in reporting rather than a material decline.
Business jet listings ticked up by 3.3% through the end of the second quarter, but this primarily came from aircraft more than 12 years old. Listings for younger aircraft dropped by 1.6%. This helped values increase by 2.9%.