Jetcraft Bullish on Preowned Business Aircraft Market

Jetcraft is bullish on prospects for the preowned business aircraft sector for the remainder of 2026, anticipating balanced growth opportunities in a midyear report issued this week. The broker concluded that the market is emerging more stable from the post-pandemic adjustments that some commentators have interpreted as a slowdown.

For the rest of this year, Jetcraft indicated that increased output of new aircraft and changes in tax rules could be key drivers of trading conditions. “Production rates are gradually improving, inventory is beginning to recover in selected segments, and policy changes—including the introduction of 100% bonus depreciation in the U.S.—may encourage additional activity before we ring in a new year,” said CEO Chad Anderson.

According to the company, it was both “inevitable and necessary” that the post-Covid surge in demand was curtailed, and in its wake the business aviation market is more robust. “Global wealth continues to expand, international business travel remains resilient, and private aviation has become more firmly established as a productivity tool for corporations, entrepreneurs, and family offices, rather than simply a discretionary luxury.”

Jetcraft’s first-half 2026 report made no direct mention of the ongoing military conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine, or macroeconomic concerns over U.S. government debt and inflationary pressure. However, the company did acknowledge significant variations in market conditions in different regions.

For instance, limited inventory in North America has resulted in aircraft being sourced from Europe, where national economies are generally weaker. According to Jetcraft, the Middle East and Southeast Asia continue to generate strong demand for large-cabin models.

“Increasingly, successful transactions depend on understanding global market dynamics rather than local ones,” Anderson commented. “And, despite geopolitical uncertainty, buyers have remained engaged and transactions have moved forward at a healthy pace.”

Jet Sales Moving Quicker

The report pointed to JetNet data showing that between the first and second quarters of 2026, the average number of days that preowned business aircraft were on the market before being sold dipped by 7% from 215 to 199. Also during the second quarter, supplies remained “comparatively tight” with 6.6% of the business jet fleet available for sale (compared with 7.3% in the same period last year), representing the lowest level since the third quarter of 2023.

Jetcraft reported that the volume of deals it is handling is currently around 15% higher than at the same point in 2025. “Prices have stabilized, buyers have become more selective, and transactions are increasingly being driven by the quality of individual aircraft, rather than the post-pandemic urgency to secure any available asset,” Anderson concluded.

According to the broker, market stabilization has resulted in a clearer distinction in demand between later-model aircraft with low utilization and sound maintenance histories and older jets with higher operating costs. JetNet’s most recent data shows that the average build year for aircraft sold is 2011, whereas the average model year for all jets currently on the market is 2003.